Honda Aircraft Company made waves at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition earlier this fall when the company unveiled its new HondaJet 2600 Concept. While the aircraft is still in the prototype stage, it checks off a number of impressive boxes and manages a few “firsts” for a light jet—namely its ability to fly nonstop across the entire continental United States and its best-in-class maximum ceiling of 47,000 feet—that make it somewhat of a mid-size jet experience in a light-jet package. Should the HondaJet 2600 make it to market, it will likely give the Citation CJ4, Embraer Phenom 300, and Pilatus PC-24 a run for their money. Let’s dive into some of the proposed features of this exciting light jet concept.
HONDAJET 2600 CONCEPT FEATURES
Transcontinental Range In A Light Jet
Perhaps the most impressive feat of the HondaJet 2600 concept is its range, which far exceeds the capabilities of the rest of the light jet class. With NBAA IFR reserves and flying with four passengers, Honda says the 2600 will have a maximum range of 2,625 nautical miles, making it the first light jet concept with fully transcontinental range. This makes non-stop trips like New York to Los Angeles, Tokyo to Hong Kong, or London to Cairo possible. The jet boasts a maximum speed of 450 KTAs (around 518 mph) and can fly 2,000 feet above its light jet competitors at 47,000 feet.
A Re-designed, EXTENDED Cabin
The HondaJet 2600’s cabin measures 25.38 feet long, 5.08 feet wide, and 5.21 feet high, a generous amount of headroom for a light jet. Those aboard will enjoy significantly more baggage space than most other light jets, thanks to a 120-cubic-foot storage compartment. Passengers will travel in comfort, too; even at its high flight ceiling, the cabin is pressurized to 6,363 feet, helping to reduce jet lag and fatigue.
Honda says the HondaJet 2600 Concept has room for 11 occupants, typically one crew member and ten passengers. The company is offering three different cabin configurations—a dual club-four seating arrangement, an executive arrangement with a club-four section and two additional forward-facing seats, or a configuration featuring one club-four section and a three-seat divan. Seats swivel 180 degrees, feature footrests, and even expand into lie-down options for those who want to rest on a long coast-to-coast flight.
FEWER CO2 EMISSIONS, greater efficiency
As part of what Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino called “a new generation of business jets,” the HondaJet 2600 Concept will maintain greater efficiency and feature reduced carbon emissions compared to typical jets in its class. Honda claims that, on a typical mission, the jet will be 20 percent more fuel efficient than a typical light jet—and more than 40 percent more fuel efficient than a typical mid-size jet.
Technological Advances on the hondajet 2600
The HondaJet 2600 Concept features the distinctive over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM) design. Passengers will enjoy a quieter ride thanks to this innovative engine placement, and there’s more space created for the jet’s massive storage compartment as well. The aircraft’s fuselage is constructed from carbon fiber composite, and the nose and wings feature improved Natural Laminar Flow technology.
In the cockpit, more systems feature electrification as well as helpful automation to reduce pilot workload, including autobreak, autothrottle, and an Advanced Steering Augmentation System. The HondaJet 2600 Concept also features a Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS), a feature found in commercial jets that lets pilots know if they’re approaching a runway at too high of a speed or too steep of an angle (this feature was first introduced to business jets on Embraer’s Phenom 300E).
For more information on this impressive light jet concept, visit the Honda Aircraft Company website. To learn more about flying on a light business aircraft with Magellan Jets, whether through jet card ownership, our award-winning private jet membership programs, or our on-demand charter services, click below.
