Aircraft
Echelon Is Bigger, Faster Honda Light Jet
Timeline calls for certification and entry into service in 2028
HondaJet Echelon Mock Up Interior NBAA2023
Photo: Barry Ambrose

Honda Aircraft yesterday provided more details and a new name for its next business jet program, the light-jet category HondaJet Echelon with the model number HA-480. At the EBACE show in May, Honda Aircraft formally announced launch of the then-named Concept 2600, a Part 23 single-pilot light jet that offers midsize jet performance and comfort features. A mockup of the Echelon is installed next to the latest version of the HondaJet, the Elite II, at the NBAA-BACE static display at Henderson Executive Airport.

With transcontinental range of 2,625 nm (NBAA IFR, one pilot, four passengers), the Echelon carries on the unique over-the-wing-engine-mount design of the HondaJet. By mounting the engines on pylons on the wings, engineers can maximize space in the jet’s rear cabin because systems that are required for the engines are also installed in the wings, not in the aft fuselage. This design also reduces noise in the cabin and has aerodynamic benefits that help improve the airplane’s efficiency.