Inside HondaJet Elite

If an aircraft is, like most ambitious and complex projects, the progeny of a large team of talented people, the HondaJet owes its paternity to Fujino. It was nurtured through sleepless nights and lovingly burped when it stalled, to finally reach maturity. The original HondaJet was a technological tour de force and the Elite, its close cousin, is the family’s smartest kid – the quiet one that ends up making his or her parents proud after graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from a top university, but only after winning the national crew championship and blowing everyone’s mind in the debate team. The HondaJet is that child. It’s also a pocket rocket.

Let me get the changes from the original HondaJet out of the way. An extra seat has been added for a total of six passengers. Fuel capacity has been increased from 2,845lbs to 2,948lbs. You may not think this is much, but in an aircraft that merely sips fuel it increased the range from 1,223nm to 1,437nm. That is a major improvement and useful load shot up to 3,627lbs from 3,397lbs. Balanced field length at sea level at MTOW on a standard ISA day shrank to 3,491ft from 3,934ft improving safety and increasing the number of small airports the plane can access.