Rolls-Royce’s Pearl 700, the exclusive engine for the all-new Gulfstream G700 and Gulfstream G800, has received official certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The pioneering engine, which was developed at the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, has been custom-designed to power two of Gulfstream’s latest products, enabling them to fly ultra long-range missions nearly as fast as the speed of sound. The engine received its type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in September 2022.

During the comprehensive indoor and outdoor test programme, the engine demonstrated exceptional performance operating at sea level and altitude conditions on both conventional jet fuel and 100 per cent SAF. It proved its ability to withstand bird strike, cross-winds, ice, hail and water ingestion as well as passing the critical fan blade containment test, during which a fan blade is deliberately released at maximum speed.

Testing was conducted at various Rolls-Royce locations in Europe and North America, including Dahlewitz in Germany; Bristol in the UK; Manitoba and Montreal, Canada; the Rolls-Royce outdoor jet engine testing facility located at NASA’s John C Stennis Space Centre in Mississippi; as well as the altitude test bed at AEDC (Arnold Engineering Development Center) in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Dr Dirk Geisinger, director, business aviation, Rolls-Royce, says: “This latest certification by the FAA for our Pearl 700 engine illustrates once again Rolls-Royce's unique capabilities to design, test, build and certify highly efficient and reliable aircraft engines. This makes us really proud and is also a testament to the dedication of our global team to support our customer Gulfstream and the upcoming entry into service of the G700 and G800. We have worked closely with the FAA, EASA and Gulfstream to achieve this certification, and I would like to thank all of them for their continued support.”

Mark Burns, Gulfstream president, adds: “We are excited about this latest advancement towards G700 and G800 certification. The G700 and G800 are introducing new standards for efficiency and performance in the business aviation industry, thanks to the combination of Gulfstream aerodynamics and the Pearl 700’s efficiencies. We are seeing great demand for the technology, cabin comfort and ultra long-range capabilities the G700 and G800 will provide our customers.”

The Pearl 700 combines the Advance2 engine core, said to be the most efficient core available across the business aviation sector, with a new low pressure system, resulting in an eight per cent increase in take-off thrust at 18,250lbs compared to the BR725 engine. The engine offers a five per cent higher efficiency, while maintaining its class-leading low noise and emissions performance.

The engine is supported by Rolls-Royce CorporateCare Enhanced, which offers substantial financial and operational benefits to customers, increasing asset value and liquidity, mitigating maintenance cost risk and protecting against the unforeseen costs of unscheduled events anywhere in the world. Increased aircraft availability, reduced management burden, full risk transfer, direct priority access to the Rolls-Royce services infrastructure and remote site assistance are further customer benefits.

The G700 features the most spacious cabin in the industry and can fly 6,650nm at Mach 0.90 or 7,750nm at Mach 0.85, and its maximum operating speed of Mach 0.935 makes it the fastest aircraft in the Gulfstream fleet. The G800 can travel 7,000nm at Mach 0.90 and 8,000nm at Mach 0.85, the longest range in the business aviation industry.

Both aircraft include the Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck with electronically linked active control sidesticks, extensive use of touch-screen technology and Gulfstream’s award-winning predictive landing performance system.