On Friday, Rolls-Royce broke ground on a facility in Le Haillan near Bordeaux, France, that will help with production support for the Pearl 10X engine. This turbofan will power Dassault’s flagship Falcon 10X, which is set to enter service in 2025.
The new 2,000-sq-m (21,528-sq-ft) production support center—which will house offices, a workshop, and a warehouse—is expected to be finished in the first half of 2023. When completed, it will become part of the global Rolls-Royce product support network.
“While the Pearl 10X engine development program for the Dassault Falcon 10X is making good progress, we are already working in parallel on establishing the infrastructure to support Dassault’s flight-test activities and its production line,” said Rolls-Royce senior v-p for Dassault products Philipp Zeller. “This new facility will further strengthen our partnership with Dassault and it will ensure the delivery of the class-leading customer support already associated with the name Rolls‑Royce.”
Meanwhile, Dassault recently said 10X major structures and systems are under construction and that aircraft detailed design is nearly complete. The first all-composite wing for the 10X is in final assembly and is ready for testing at Dassault in Bordeaux-Mérignac. First engines and avionics are also undergoing tests, as are subsystems. All of these will flow into the Mérignac facility, where Falcon 10X final assembly will begin next year.