Rolls-Royce is making strong progress on its Pearl 10X engine development programme. The programme is advancing at pace, with all but one major engine certification test successfully completed, including Initial Maintenance Interval, Type Test, Medium Bird Strike, and Outdoor Cross-Wind and Emissions. All tests confirmed the maturity of the product and support Rolls-Royce's commitment to Dassault's Falcon 10X programme. The only remaining test is scheduled for completion in the coming months and will support the start of Dassault's upcoming flight test campaign.

Phillip Zeller, senior vice president, Rolls-Royce, says: “Each achieved milestone in the Pearl 10X development programme so far reflects the hard work and dedication of our global engineering and experimental test teams. As we approach the final certification tasks, we are confident the Pearl 10X will meet the highest standards of performance, efficiency and reliability, ensuring it is the perfect fit for Dassault's Falcon 10X.”

Overall, the programme has now successfully accumulated more than 3,400 testing hours, both on the Advance2 demonstrator and the Pearl 10X engine configuration. This includes a comprehensive flight test campaign on Rolls‑Royce's dedicated Boeing 747 flying testbed in Tucson, Arizona, USA, that was completed last year. During this six month campaign and more than 25 flights, the engine flew a distance of 36,000 nm, which would have taken the aircraft around the entire globe 1.5 times.

In parallel, Rolls-Royce has opened its new 2,000 sqm production support facility in Le Haillan near Bordeaux, France. The site, which is near Dassault's final assembly line in Merignac, will play an important role in supporting the flight test and production activities for Dassault's Falcon 10X. The facility houses offices, a workshop and a warehouse, and will be home for approximately 30 employees.

The Pearl 10X is the newest member of the Pearl engine family and the first Rolls‑Royce engine ever to power a Dassault business jet. The French aircraft manufacturer's selection of the Pearl 10X for its new top range product is another testament to Rolls-Royce's position as the engine manufacturer of choice in business aviation.

The Pearl 10X features the Advance2 engine core, the most efficient core available across the business aviation sector, and combines it with a high-performance low-pressure system, resulting in a superior thrust of more than 18,000 lbs.

The engine features: a highly efficient blisked fan; a high-pressure compressor with a market-leading pressure ratio and six blisked stages; an ultra-low emissions ALM combustor; a two-stage shroudless high pressure turbine; an enhanced four-stage low pressure turbine that is one of the most efficient and compact in the industry; and a brand new, bespoke nacelle from Spirit AeroSystems.

Compared to the last generation of Rolls-Royce business aviation engines, the Pearl 10X offers a five per cent higher efficiency, while delivering outstanding low noise and emissions performance. The result is an engine that offers a market-leading combination of power and efficiency and that is also compatible with 100 per cent SAF. The engine will enable customers and operators to have premium airport accessibility and fly ultra-long-range connections whilst also being able to travel nearly as fast as the speed of sound.