Rolls-Royce Moving Forward with G650 Engine Testing

Rolls-Royce is proceeding with ground tests of the BR725 turbofan destined to power the Gulfstream G650 business jet. The 16,000-pound-thrust engine recently underwent operability, performance and endurance testing in Dahlewitz, Germany. Crosswind tests took place at the Rolls-Royce outdoor jet engine testing facility at NASA’s John Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Engine certification is planned for the second half of this year, in advance of customer deliveries of the G650, which are slated to begin in 2012. The BR725 ran for the first time in April last year, one month after Gulfstream unveiled its new flagship. AIN has learned that the contract for the new powerplant dates back to 2005.