HondaJet Throws Down the Gauntlet with Debut of Elite II

TTA Delivers with Effective, Efficient, Safe Solutions that Help Ensure the Safety and Airworthiness of Many Types of Aircraft

I am so pleased to continue our popular series featuring the many different aircraft types – from business jets and regional jets to turboprops and rotorcraft – in service all around the world. These articles also serve to underscore the key role that MROs like Thrust Tech Accessories play behind-the-scenes in providing professional overhaul, repair, and modification of engines and airframe accessory components that keep aircraft flying properly, safely – and long into the future.

Today, we bring to you the HondaJet story. Hope you enjoy reading it!

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First announced in October 2022, HondaJet’s newest VLJ is the “Fastest, Farthest, Highest-Flying Plane in Class”

A great number of enhancements have been made to HondaJet’s newest Very Light Jet, better known as VLJs, resulting in this sleek new business jet’s ranking among those aircraft considered top-of-class. Most impressive is its powerful turbofan engines that allow the Elite II it to climb and reach its maximum altitude of 45,000 feet in just 25 short minutes! The engines also provide a significant reduction in noise compared with other aircraft, making the HondaJet Elite II an incredibly quiet ride for passengers and neighbors alike. Pricing on the 2023 model start at $7 -$9 million, depending on how it is dressed up.

Let’s take a quick look: Performance-wise, it offers a range of 1,779 miles and a maximum cruise speed: 485 mph. On the design front, this aircraft incorporates many technological innovations including a unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, a Natural Laminar Flow (NLF) nose and wing, and a composite fuselage.

Additionally, the aircraft is powered by the GE Honda Aero Engines HF120 engines that each produce 2,050 pounds of thrust. All told, these advancements contribute to the aircraft's superior performance, unparalleled efficiency, and maximized fuselage space, making the aircraft's cabin the largest in its class.

HondaJet’s Humble Beginnings

Designer and company founder Michimasa Fujino first sketched the Honda Jet in 1997, and the concept was locked in in 1999. It wasn't until 2004 that Honda approved the commercial development of the HondaJet. Today, as a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Aircraft Company’s world headquarters is located in North Carolina where the entire HondaJet family of aircraft is produced

The HondaJet received FAA type certification on Dec. 8, 2015, and the company began deliveries on just eight days later. By the first half of 2017 its HondaJet had become the top-selling twin-engine light business jet.

In 2018, the company introduced the HondaJet Elite, which featured upgraded avionics, increased range, and an optional galley. That same year, Honda Aircraft Company began offering the HondaJet APMG to existing HondaJet customers, which provided many of the upgrades seen in the HondaJet Elite.

By 2020, the company delivered over 150 of their aircraft to customers in over 40 countries. And in May 2021, the company announced the HondaJet Elite S, which improved on the Elite’s avionics system, maximum takeoff weight, and range.

The Elite II builds on the advancements of the Elite S and incorporates significant new features. Additional fuel capacity allows the Elite II to reach more destinations with a significantly increased range.

So, what’s being said about the Elite II? Noting that the Elite II can takeoff on runways as short as 3,699 feet (1,128 meters) with four occupants onboard, Carscoops.com quotes Honda Aircraft President and CEO Hideto Yamasaki, as saying,” Debuting our latest aircraft at the 2023 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in April was an important milestone for everyone at Honda Aircraft, as it serves as a continuation of our dedication to setting new standards in performance, efficiency, and comfort for the future of VLJs.”

HondaJet’s expansive operational qualities, advanced avionics, and an impressive array of creature comforts throughout the passenger cabin, are certainly not going unnoticed. In fact, Elite II is getting noteworthy traction in new sales with a seasoned customer who already is a HondaJet cheerleader – Volato, a private aviation company based in Atlanta. They currently have 17 airframes in operation and have recently ordered 24 of the Elite II, essentially buying in to a fleet of over 40 of the “fastest, farthest, and highest-flying plane in its class.”

TTA – An Expert Service Provider

I believe the HondaJet represents a new chapter in business aviation history. And with more than 150 currently in operation for customers all across the globe, whichever HondaJet airframe they operate, they can count on our expert MRO services and resources to keep their aircraft in tip-top shape.

We have an eye toward cost-effectiveness and time-sensitivity, which we know are important to owners and operators. Every moment an aircraft is out of service costs our customers money, and we work tirelessly to find the best MRO solutions possible to help avoid unnecessary ground time.

TTA’s capabilities include testing, repair service, overhaul service, and of course fast turn-around times. From generators, valves, and emergency batteries to hydraulic pumps, ignition exciters, starters, and much more, the our team of highly qualified and trained technicians provide expert service on a wide variety of airframes that are owned by private and regional aircraft operators.

To find out more about TTA’s wide-ranging capabilities to support your fleet and to obtain competitive program bids, contact us via email at [email protected] or by calling 954-984-0450.

Please Read More

Please feel free to review other articles in our series, including the mission of Crop Dusters, aircraft built or converted for agricultural use, and other specialty type aircraft including Kodiak and Pilatus model by visiting https://www.thrusttech.com/blog/

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