Page 12 - June24T

available in three configurations: Executive (seven seats), Dual-Club (eight seats), and Divan (featuring a three-seat divan). My son Tigre and I evaluated the new interior, and while Tigre, at 6’6”, found the headroom slightly tight, the seats were comfort- able, and the double-club layout allows for up to seven feet between seats.
The cabin, at 17’4” in length, is the same as the CJ4, two inches longer
than the Phenom 300E. and a few feet shorter than the PC-24. The PC-24 cab- in is difficult to compare since its 23 feet also includes the internal cargo area. The cabin height is identical to the Phenom 300E at 4’11”, four inches higher than the CJ4 and four inches lower than the PC-24.
Flight Deck
Honda Aircraft has increased the legroom in the flight deck over
the HondaJet, which I definitely appreciated. The seats are comfortable, with ample elbow room. However, the prototype side windows are too small. In the HondaJet and the Echelon, the limited view from the flight deck could be improved for situational awareness. It appears they are sized for pilots that sit much closer to the instrument pan- el. With the seats extended aft, the pilot cannot see the wing tips, making it hard to realize one of the joys of flying–the ability to have an excep- tional view.
The Echelon is equipped with the Garmin G3000, similar to the avionics in their HondaJet HA-420, with some enhancements over the current imple- mentations. The new system incorpo- rates Runway Overrun and Alerting System (ROWAAS), which provides pilots with immediate information on potential runway overruns dur- ing landing. In addition, it will offer Garmin’s Emergency Autoland, po- tentially the first in its class. We have flown that system in other aircraft to a full stop, and it is a game-changer. Other features include autothrottles and another first in any comparable jet–auto braking. I’m confident that by the time the Echelon is released, it will have even more advanced avionics.
Flight Capabilities
Obviously, I haven’t had the chance to fly the new Echelon. However, it promises to be a very capable single- pilot jet, and one of the goals of Honda Aircraft is for it to share the type rating of the HondaJet. I would expect that most of these aircraft will be flown with a crew. Perhaps simply due to the current insurance environment and requirements for two pilots when flying jets of substantial hull value, as well as high liability limits that usually coincide with such aircraft.
One of the most impressive capabili- ties of the Echelon is the maximum range. At over 2600 nm, this jet can easily travel non-stop from coast to coast in the United States, carrying a pilot and four passengers in both di- rections. This is with 80% probability winds, using the NBAA range profile.
A range comparison in this category shows there is no competition.
10 • TWIN & TURBINE / June 2024