Honda Aircraft is taking another step toward the possible launch of a new model based on the 2600 “concept jet” unveiled at NBAA-BACE 2021. The North Carolina-based aircraft manufacturer is planning a meeting with suppliers next month to discuss possible opportunities on the program, Honda Aircraft president and CEO Hideto Yamasaki told AIN last week at EBACE 2023.
Exploration of the 2600 jet continues but a decision on commercialization of the program has not yet been made, he said at the business aviation show in Geneva.
The 2600 is a larger twinjet sharing the same over-the-wing-engine-mount configuration of the in-production HA-420 HondaJet very light jet. With a midsize-jet cabin, the 2600 could seat up to 11 occupants and fly a transcontinental range of 2,625 nm. Maximum cruise speed would be 450 knots and maximum altitude FL470. Compared to the HA-420, the 2600 cabin will be more oval-shaped and 4.5 inches taller at 62.5 inches and one inch wider at 61 inches. The mockup of the 2600 at NBAA-BACE 2021 was shown with the same Garmin G3000 avionics as the HA-420.
A key change on the 2600, if it is launched, will be to lower the costs of production by tapping parent company Honda Motor Co. talent and facilities, Yamasaki explained. “The HA-420 is quite costly. We want to work as a team on new things. We do have assets that can be incorporated.”