Rolls-Royce introduces new Pearl engine
Rolls-Royce has added the Pearl 700 to its Pearl engine family for business aviation, with the purpose-designed engine - the most powerful in the Rolls-Royce business jet propulsion portfolio - becoming the exclusive powerplant for the new Gulfstream G700.
Courtesy Rolls-Royce
With more than 3,200 business jets in service today powered by Rolls-Royce engines, the company is the world’s leading engine supplier in this market. The Pearl 700 is the newest member of the state-of-the-art Pearl engine family, first introduced in 2018 and marks the seventh new civil aerospace engine introduced by Rolls-Royce over the past decade.
The Pearl 700 combines the Advance2 engine core, the most efficient core available across the business aviation sector, with a brand-new low-pressure system, resulting in an 8 per cent increase in take-off thrust at 18,250lb compared to the BR725 engine. The engine offers a 12% better thrust-to-weight ratio and 5 per cent higher efficiency, while maintaining its class-leading low noise and emissions performance. The result is an engine that is highly efficient, but also able to propel customers nearly as fast as the speed of sound (Mach 0.925).
It brings together innovative technologies derived from the Rolls-Royce Advance2 technology demonstrator programmes with proven features from the Rolls-Royce BR700, today’s leading engine family in business aviation. This includes a highly-efficient 51.8” blisked fan, a high pressure compressor with a pressure ratio of 24:1 and six blisked stages, an ultra-low emissions combustor, a 2-stage shroudless high pressure turbine and an enhanced 4-stage low pressure turbine, that is one of the most efficient and compact ones in the industry.
The engine has been developed at the Rolls-Royce Centre of Excellence for Business Aviation Engines in Dahlewitz, Germany, and is currently undergoing a comprehensive test programme.
Chris Cholerton, President – Civil Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, said: “Our whole team is very proud to power the very latest Gulfstream aircraft, the G700, and I congratulate the Gulfstream team on this special occasion. We are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership that started some 60 years and 4,500 engine deliveries ago with the Dart-powered Gulfstream I. The Pearl 700 is a pioneering product, that brings together our latest technology to deliver outstanding efficiency, supporting our leading position in the business aviation world.”
Mark Burns, CEO Gulfstream, said: “The Gulfstream-exclusive Pearl 700 engines that will power the world’s largest business jet at more than nine-tenths the speed of sound once again demonstrate the capabilities of the Rolls-Royce team. From our more than 60-year history with Rolls-Royce, we know they will deliver a first-rate experience to our Gulfstream G700 customers, from the capabilities of the powerplant to their comprehensive after-market support. We are excited to work with them on the industry’s new flagship, the all-new Gulfstream G700.”
Designed for outstanding reliability, the Pearl family is supported by the industry-leading Rolls-Royce CorporateCare® Enhanced, the most comprehensive service programme in business aviation. CorporateCare Enhanced 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 Pearl engine family is part of the Rolls-Royce IntelligentEngine vision of a future where product and service become indistinguishable thanks to advancements in digital capability. As well as a new-generation Engine Health Monitoring System that introduces advanced vibration detection, the family benefits from the incorporation of advanced remote engine diagnostics. It is also enabled for bi-directional communications, allowing for easy remote reconfiguration of engine-monitoring features from the ground. Cloud-based analytics, smart algorithms and Artificial Intelligence continue to play an increasing role in delivering high levels of availability.