Honda Aircraft has announced it will produce its 10-passenger HondaJet 2600 with deliveries starting in 2028. The aircraft concept was unveiled at NBAA-BACE in 2021. It’s designed for single-pilot operation and has seats for a total of 11 people. Honda said in a news release the plane will be “the first light jet capable of nonstop U.S. transcontinental flight” albeit with four pax and a single pilot onboard. It’s anticipating a range in that configuration of 2,625 nautical miles.
The 2600 will be powered by two Williams FJ44-4C turbofans and will have Garmin GS3000 avionics. Cruise speed is expected to be 450 KTAS and it will have a maximum cruise altitude of 47,000 feet with a cabin pressure of 6,363 feet. The company says it will offer 20 to 40 percent better fuel efficiency than other jets in its size range. The company will continue to produce the very light jet Elite II.
With a range of 2,625 nautical miles, it may also be capable of flying to Hawaii from the US mainland. That is not possible for most of the light jets in its class.
As long as everything works. Lose an engine or pressurization failure and your going swimming. One of those things I have learned about open ocean flying. My company just got ops spec approval for Hawaii, but the smallest plane we can use is the Challengers we have on certificate. The smaller planes don’t carry enough fuel for contingencies even though they carry enough fuel to make it in normal ops.
It would be interesting to see what the single engine out performance will be, but the Williams engines are pretty darned reliable.
Five hour range and FL470 with a single pilot. That’s crazy.
Comm has an option that can recognize your callsign and automatically respond with “The party you are calling is in the lav right now, but will be notified to call you upon return.”
My longest flight in the plane I fly now is 5:45 hr. I can say I have never done to walk of shame to the on board Lav. Don’t waste much time once blocked into the FBO ramp!
I wondered what they would use for power; I worked on the GE/Honda HF120 project, and it hasn’t a bunch of margin for greater thrust.
Given what it costs to certify an engine, I see how Williams is a great choice.