EBACE: Bombardier unveils new Globals with secret Rolls-Royce engines

Bombardier and Rolls-Royce had maintained an entire radio silence over a secret project to launch a new model in the Canadian manufacturer’s Global range.
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And at a special event in a hangar at EBACE in Geneva last night Bombardier stunned the pundits and the business aviation community by unveiling a Global 6500 and announcing a Global 5500 both featuring a brand-new Rolls-Royce engine.
Staff at the two companies were also left in the dark as work in Montreal, Germany and Japan brought the programme together, and an international web of enthusiasts missed the white-tailed new aircraft – posing as a Global 6000 – as it made its first Transatlantic trip from Montreal to Geneva to have decals fitted and take its place behind curtains and a giant screen to allow Bombardier Business Jets president David Coleal (pictured above) to present the new addition to the specially invited audience at TAG Aviation’s Geneva FBO.
Boasting ranges of 5,700nm and 6,600nm, respectively, the Global 5500 and 6500 now exceed the promised range performance of each of their direct competitors, even after Gulfstream last October upgraded the range of the G500 to 6,200nm and the G600 to 6,500nm.
The re-engined and re-winged new models are being offered to the market at a premium to Gulfstream’s clean-sheet aircraft designs, asking $46 million for the Global 5500 compared with $44.5 million for the G500, and $56 million for the Global 6500 compared with $55.5 million for the G600.
Outlining the performance figures for the new models Coleal said the fuel burn is reduced by 13% while the top speed increases to Mach 0.90, thanks to the additional 1,000lb thrust from the Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines. This also helps the Globals add an additional 1,300nm of range after taking off from a high-altitude airport in a warm climate, such as the 2,580m-high runway at Toluca International airport outside Mexico City, Coleal said.
The engines fit into the same aerodynamic installation as the BR.710 powerplants they and so by keeping the aerodynamic profile unchanged there is no impact of the re-engining on aircraft handling qualities and other certification requirements.
The Global 5500 and 6500 jets will both enter service with MHI redesigned wings. The 35-degree leading-edge sweep of the original Global Express is unchanged, but the trailing edge has been redefined.
Up front, the familiar layout of the Rockwell Collins ProLine Fusion-based Vision flight deck remains but will now include an infrared video image overlaid on a synthetic graphic. The current Vision flight deck offers both images on separate displays.