Rolls-Royce's Pearl 700, the exclusive engine for the all-new Gulfstream G700 and Gulfstream G800, has received official certification by the FAA. The pioneering engine was developed at the R-R centre in Dahlewitz, Germany, and has been custom-designed to enable the two aircraft to fly ultra-long-range missions nearly as fast as the speed of sound. The engine received its type certification from EASA 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 Dahlewitz, Germany; Bristol, UK; Manitoba and Montreal, Canada; the Rolls-Royce outdoor jet engine testing facility at NASA's John C Stennis Space Centre in Mississippi, US; as well as at the altitude test bed at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Dr Dirk Geisinger, R-R director, business aviation 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.”

Gulfstream president Mark Burns 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 with a brand new, low pressure system, resulting in an eight per cent increase in take off thrust at 18,250lbs compared to the BR725 engine.

The Pearl 700 engine is supported by the Rolls-Royce CorporateCare Enhanced service programme, which gives 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.