By Dayna Fedy-MacDonald | October 16, 2023 Estimated reading time 7 minutes, 8 seconds.
Honda Aircraft Company announced the official name of its new light jet at this year’s NBAA convention and exhibition: The HondaJet Echelon.
Previously introduced as the HondaJet 2600 Concept in 2021, the Echelon is being marketed as the “world’s first single-pilot light jet capable of nonstop transcontinental flight across the United States,” Honda Aircraft said.
Featuring Williams International FJ44-4C engines, the aircraft has a maximum range of 2,625 nautical miles (four passengers), meaning it is capable of flying from New York City to Los Angeles. However, the jet can accommodate up to 10 passengers (with one pilot), or nine passengers (with two pilots), and has a max cruise speed of 450 KTAS with a max cruise altitude of 47,000 feet.
The Echelon is designed to offer a “mid-sized jet experience in the light jet category.” Honda Aircraft CEO Amod Kelkar told press ahead of NBAA-BACE that the new jet offers an additional four-and-a-half inches of cabin height over the HondaJet Elite II, with an additional inch of cabin width at window level. Moreover, since the cross-section of the fuselage is not perfectly round, passengers gain an extra seven inches at the foot rest area.
The Echelon features a number of “distinct” technological features in addition to Garmin G3000 avionics. The first is Autobrake, which allows pilots to automate brake force during takeoff. Next is ROAAS, or Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System, which considers the aircraft’s speed, angle of descent, weight, configuration, and weather conditions to predict stopping distance. The Echelon will also feature the Advanced Steering Augmentation System, or ASAS, which automatically provides directional steering assistance to improve handling. Finally, the new jet will include both Autothrottle and Emergency Autoland, the latter of which can autonomously control and land the aircraft in case of pilot incapacitation or another emergency situation.
In addition to partnering with Garmin for the avionics and Williams International for the engines, Honda Aircraft has selected additional suppliers to bring the Echelon into service, including Spirit AeroSystems for the composite fuselage and other associated structures, and Aernnova for the empennage, wings, and flaps.
With the HondaJet Echelon, Honda Aircraft is targeting enhanced pressurization characteristics and a quieter cabin experience for passengers.
“At the altitude of 47,000 feet, which is what this program is certified for, we are looking at 6,363 feet of cabin pressurization,” explained Kelkar.
The quieter cabin is thanks to the company’s Over-The-Wing Engine mount design, in addition to other technologies that Honda Aircraft has utilized for noise suppression.
As well, the company says the new jet is 20 per cent more fuel-efficient than light jet competitors and over 40 per cent more efficient than mid-size aircraft, on a typical mission.
“The HondaJet Echelon was born to create a new category that transcends the travel experience on conventional light jets,” said Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO, Hideto Yamasaki. “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.”
Honda Aircraft is targeting an amended type certification for the Echelon based on the company’s existing HA-420 model, which has been “filed with the regulatory authority,” said assistant VP of product planning, Adam Gagnon. “Part of that is baseline in using the Garmin G3000 as the foundation within the flight deck, and keeping as much in common as possible from a visual interaction standpoint with the pilots.”
The Echelon is to be designated as the HA-480.
Kelkar noted that the preliminary design review for the jet was “completed earlier this year,” and the company is expecting the critical design review to wrap up in the summer of 2024.
Production of the Echelon jet is slated to take place within Honda Aircraft Company’s existing facility at its global headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., with early build processes scheduled for 2024. The first flight is anticipated in 2026, followed by expected type certification in 2028. The Echelon’s entry into service would take place shortly after type certification, though Honda Aircraft is not committing to a target date at this time.
The company is also not ready to disclose the price of the Echelon, but Gagnon said “our goal is that the pricing will reflect the value proposition we have in the market.”
At the time of writing, Honda Aircraft had secured more than 350 signed letters of intent from various operators for the new HondaJet Echelon.
During NBAA-BACE (from Oct. 17 to 19), the Echelon will be displayed next to the HondaJet Elite II, meaning the company will showcase both pillars of its product family side by side for the first time.
