The first sets of Pearl 15 production standard engines from Rolls-Royce have been delivered to Bombardier and fitted to the first Global 6500 aircraft that is now in completions.

While Bombardier has started interior completion work on the first customer aircraft, the Rolls-Royce site in Dahlewitz, Germany is ramping up the Pearl 15 production. Flight testing is on track to support the aircraft certification and a smooth entry into service later this year.

The Pearl 15 is the newest addition to Rolls-Royce's market-leading business aviation engine portfolio, exclusively powering Bombardier's Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft.

Rolls-Royce director business aviation Dr Dirk Geisinger says: “We are excited to have successfully taken this important step in our journey to develop and produce the first member of the Pearl engine family. We are now looking forward to supporting Bombardier as it prepares for the aircraft to enter into service later this year.”

The Pearl engine combines innovative technologies derived from Rolls-Royce's Advance2 technology demonstrator programmes with proven features from the BR700. Compared with the highly successful BR710, the Pearl 15 features the same nacelle envelope but is more powerful, with a maximum certified thrust of 15,250lb. It has up to seven per cent better specific fuel consumption; is two dB cumulative quieter; and shows a 20 per cent improvement in NOx emissions margin.

Designed for outstanding reliability, the Pearl family will be supported by the Rolls-Royce CorporateCare service, an aftermarket programme that provides full transfer of off-wing maintenance risk at a predictable, fixed price. For a predefined hourly cost, CorporateCare covers maintenance for the whole powerplant including nacelle, exhaust unit, EBU and thrust reverser unit-related services.