The promise? To take the light jet category up a notch, and attempt to translate a “midsize jet experience” to a smaller platform—one capable of transcontinental U.S. trips. In doing so, Honda Aircraft anticipates an increase in mission flexibility for owner-pilots while keeping operating costs—and fuel burn—in check. The proposed design may attain up to 20 percent increased fuel efficiency over other light jets and up to 40 percent over midsize jets with which it expects to compete.

In the cabin, the midsize feel would continue, with “a holistic focus on the cabin experience encompassing space, comfort, and productivity,” according to the company. 

“The HondaJet Echelon was born to create a new category that transcends the travel experience on conventional light jets,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, in a preview statement. “Expanding mobility skyward has been Honda’s long-lasting dream, and the HondaJet Echelon marks the exciting next chapter while showcasing a classic Honda story of a product that creates new value for people.” 

Common Type Pursuit

One key element to the new model, designated the HA-480 within the HondaJet family, is Honda Aircraft’s pursuit of a common type rating to the Elite II’s basis, the HA-420. The bid will be made possible by the use of the Garmin G3000 flight deck architecture, along with flight control response and feel, and single-pilot operation in parallel. On the production line, which will run alongside that of the Elite II, Honda Aircraft is targeting as much parts commonality as possible given the change in fuselage and cross section.

Yes, the Echelon will be a bigger jet, however, with an estimated wingspan of 56 feet, length of 57 feet, and tail height of 16 feet, plus a maximum takeoff weight of 17,500 pounds.

Amod Kelkar, chief commercial officer for Honda Aircraft, has been named the program manager on the HondaJet Echelon, a project he has been deeply involved with since joining the company as vice president of customer support in 2021. In an interview with FLYING, Kelkar indicated that the Echelon makes a play for changing the blend of customers for the HondaJet series. “We have, effectively, three types of customers,” said Kelkar.

“The first one is the owner-operator who are also pilots, so they have their own aircraft, they fly their own aircraft, using it for personal [trips] or for business. Their utilization is in the zone of 150 hours per year. Then we have…corporate customers, not necessarily corporations. Those have a bit higher utilization, I would say, around 250 to 400 hours a year per aircraft, and they fly strictly for B2B type of visits. And then the third segment is in terms of utilization is the highest, but in terms of numbers is the smallest, is the charter and fractional ownership,” which files roughly 1,400 to 1,500 hours per year.

While 85 percent of current customers are in the first two segments, the Echelon is deemed likely to appeal to the Part 135 and Part 91K operators that can leverage its range to suit New York to Florida or Caribbean destinations with seats full.

HondaJet Echelon Milestones

While the name marks an important step in the process to bringing a new aircraft into the product line, other key milestones have recently been achieved by the OEM.

First, the company installed the first structural test rig in the fourth quarter of 2021, not long after the program was officially announced. Since then, the manufacturer has exited the concept phase and competed its preliminary design review, which fixes in place critical markers within the program. 

Also, Honda Aircraft celebrated the official power-on ceremony for the Echelon’s advanced systems integration test facility (ASITF) at the company’s Greensboro, North Carolina, headquarters on August 30, 2023. 

Honda Aircraft targets the next aircraft level critical design review in the summer of 2024, with “select long lead fabrication already in progress,” according to a statement from the company. The OEM will produce the Echelon within the company’s current footprint at Greensboro, with early build processes to begin in 2024. 

First flight is projected for 2026, with type certification targeted for 2028.

Sustainability Efforts

Honda Aircraft also has taken its place in the race to more efficiency with its participation in the 2023 NBAA-BACE Sustainability Pledge, “demonstrating a commitment to make NBAA-BACE a more eco-friendly event,” according to the company. “In addition, Honda Aircraft Company is utilizing the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Book and Claim [SAFC] Program for its ferry flights to and from NBAA-BACE to promote the deployment of SAF and support the industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality.”

HondaJet Specs

Engines: Williams International FJ44-4C
Avionics: Garmin G3000
Configuration: 1 crew + 10 pax or 2 crew + 9 pax
NBAA IFR Range: (1 crew + 4 pax)* 2,625 nm
Maximum Cruise Speed*: 450 ktas
Maximum Cruise Altitude*: FL470

The post Honda Reveals Next Expression of the HondaJet Series with Echelon appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Autothrottle Progress

At a press briefing at AERO 2023 in Friedrichshafen, Germany, on April 19, Peter Kriegler, vice president of sales at Honda Aircraft, gave an update on the Elite II’s next upgrades—specifically its autothrottle. The AT is a key component that must be in place in order to complete the Garmin Autoland suite on the HondaJet—which will make it the first twin-engine jet approved with this functionality. The Elite II gained FAA certification without the AT; this update has been projected for completion in the summer 2023, and Kriegler confirmed that progress is on track.

“It’s really about operational improvements to the aircraft, from a capability standpoint, from a safety standpoint, with the Garmin systems that we’re introducing in the cockpit,” said Kriegler, “as well as just a collection of refinements that we’ve learned from over the years.”

Increased Performance

On the display floor for the first time at AERO, the HondaJet shown is not yet the Elite II version—but once it finishes EASA validation, the new model will post improved performance, as a result of a 200-pound maximum gross weight increase that has enabled increases in all weight limits, including the fuel load, which went up by 217 pounds. That will boost the jet’s range to 1,547 nm, up from the original HondaJet’s 1,241 nm and the Elite’s 1,457 nm. The New York to South Florida route in the U.S. is made easily achievable.

• READ MORE: We Fly: HondaJet Elite

The Elite II also features a new matte black exterior paint finish that has proven popular and striking on the ramp, with two of the new schemes delivered thus far, according to Kriegler. 

When the company paused production of the HA-420 model to accommodate the certification of the Elite II, it impacted deliveries, bringing the 2022 total for the company down to 18 units. However, it’s making up for lost time in 2023, and Kriegler anticipates that the first EASA-validated Elite II will be ready right after that process is complete.

Efficiency Story

With sustainable aviation top of mind at AERO, it follows that Honda Aircraft would also want to highlight its own chops in this area, which are significant. While the base model has always posted up to a 15 percent lower fuel burn than comparative models in the category, according to the company, it is also making forays into the future with its own testing on sustainable aviation fuel.

“In an effort to be environmentally responsible, we really put a huge emphasis on fuel efficiency,” said Kriegler. “As we look to the future where we’re using SAF, our partner in our engine program, GE Honda Aero Engines, has begun testing on 100 percent SAF, so we look to the future where we can fly in emission-free flight.”

The post HondaJet Close to EASA Certification on the Elite II appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The baseline TC on the Elite II includes the maximum takeoff weight increase to 11,100 pounds, which enables a fuel capacity increase, driving the range out to 1,547 nm under NBAA IFR parameters and four occupants. The addition of a ground spoiler will optimize takeoff and landing performance at the increased weight. A palette of new color options and interior enhancements come with the new model as well.

Further updates to come for the latest of the HA-420 type in 2023—and not yet part of the TC—add an autothrottle and autoland functionality to the Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck and airframe. The addition of autoland will make for the first instance of the safety protocol in a light twin jet.

Focus on Customer Requirements

The improvements to make the Elite II from its predecessor, the Elite S, have been drawn very precisely and deliberately from customer feedback, according to the company’s president and CEO, Hideto Yamasaki, who took the reins from Michimasa Fujino upon his retirement in April.

“We want to make more focus on the current Elite II, which is, for me, the state of the art,” said Yamasaki in an interview with FLYING at NBAA-BACE. “That’s the completion of the [HondaJet] 420 [series] itself—beyond that I don’t see a good picture yet of how we can enable that aircraft. It’s more updating some of the little things [to keep the model current] that we might have to do.

• READ MORE: Honda to Add Autoland to Its New Model

“If you exceed [the customer’s expectations] by a little tiny bit, that’s okay,” said Yamasaki. “If you overstretch or overdo it, those values will not be appreciated by the customer. In a way, we are sacrificing what we are going to do, all the investment, all of the hours of work [that] is going to be lost, because those [efforts] are not going to be valued by those customers.”

The next time the industry comes together, Yamasaki foresees that the company will update on its plans for the Hondajet 2600 Concept, which debuted at NBAA-BACE 2021. “I’m trying to meet the customer’s voice…looking into what they are saying on the 2600,” said Yamasaki. He wants to understand more before making further decisions on the model—and since much development has already been accomplished on the larger concept, to confirm if its direction is correct.

The post Honda Aircraft Secures FAA Type Certification on HondaJet Elite II appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Honda Aircraft Company announced Monday at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that the updated Hondajet Elite II will have increased range and autothrottle—and, most exciting in our minds, Garmin’s Autoland system.

“The HondaJet Elite II once again pushes the boundaries of its category on all fronts of performance, comfort, and style,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. “We are also excited to take our aircraft forward on the journey of automation by bringing new technologies to the market next year.” 

Safety—and Added Range

FLYING bestowed its 2021 Innovation Award on Garmin’s Autoland, which also secured the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy last year. The recognition stemmed from the advance in safety represented by the system, and Honda Aircraft cited this as a primary reason for its adoption on the Elite series.

In a statement released to FLYING, the company said, “This direction encapsulates the continuous effort to improve the HondaJet through automation, augmentation, and situational awareness technologies, to enhance operational safety and reduce pilot workload while aligning with global Honda’s commitment to advances in safety technology.”

Honda is also adding another key update to the Elite series, increasing the model’s range to 1,547 nm. It will retain its fuel efficiency as well, keeping its leadership position in the very light jet class. Ground spoilers will also come with the new model, improving takeoff and landing performance.

Performance, Avionics, and Style Updates

In total, the upgrades creating the Elite II form a substantial step up for the series. To summarize those features, we look at areas of performance, avionics, and style.

Performance

• Range: 1,547 nm, NBAA IFR with four occupants
• Increased fuel capacity: additional space to carry more fuel 
• Increased gross weight: maximum takeoff weight of 11,100 pounds 
• Ground spoiler: optimizes takeoff and landing field performance with increased weight 

Avionics

Based on the Garmin G3000 already found in the Elite model series, Honda Aircraft will add the following to its avionics suite:

• Stabilized approach, with aural and visual alerting
• Optional autothrottle, to automate power management based on desired flight characteristics, available in the first half of 2023
• Optional Emergency Autoland from Garmin, which activates in an emergency situation to autonomously control and land the aircraft without human intervention, available in the second half of 2023

Style

Along with the updates to the airframe and avionics, Honda also listed a slew of new color and interior options for the Elite II, including:

• New “Black Edition” 
• New Black Sable signature exterior paint schemes 
• New corporate paint scheme 
• New interior colors 
• Onyx: a rich and warm neutral greige cabin theme with mid-tone wood accents 
• Steel: a modern light cool grey theme with high contrast marble accents 
• New optional aisle flooring with hardwood herringbone and plank patterns 
• Acoustic Enhancement: nose to tail acoustic treatment for a tranquil cabin experience 
• Sheepskin covers available as an option for pilot seats
• Additional 3-inches of legroom configuration available for crew seat with extended seat track as an option 
• Interior multi-color LED lighting with soft indigo nighttime setting 
• Ground illumination on the main entry door 
• Integrated exterior lights 

The post Honda to Add Autoland to Its New Model appeared first on FLYING Magazine.