Rolls-Royce has completed all the certification testing for its developmental Pearl 10X engine and is now working to submit the required reports to the European regulator.
However, the company declines to speculate on when it might finalise those reports or obtain certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency for the engine, which will power the Dassault Aviation Falcon 10X.
“We continue to be on track to support Dassault’s programme, including the upcoming flight-test campaign,” says the propulsion specialist, noting that the test phase “confirmed the maturity of the product”.
Dassault has not confirmed a timeline for the Falcon 10X’s maiden sortie, but with the first prototype in final assembly, it may still take place this year.
Rolls-Royce says its customer support centre in Merignac near Bordeaux, near to Dassault’s final assembly line, is now operational.
Neither Rolls-Royce nor Dassault has confirmed the thrust rating of the new engine, simply saying that it will be the most powerful in the Pearl family, topping the 18,250lb (81kN) produced by the Pearl 700 for the Gulfstream G700 and G800.
More than 70 Pearl 700-powered jets are now in service, the engine maker says, with the fleet leader having accumulated over 1,000 cycles.
Meanwhile, there are almost 150 aircraft in service powered by the Pearl 15, the first member of the new engine family.
Rolls-Royce says the engine is showing 99.95% reliability, a figure achieved across the fleet’s total 280,000 flight hours.
The Pearl 15 powers the Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500 business jets, which in addition to their primary role, have also carved out a niche as a military surveillance platform.
