Today’s Top Pick is a 2008 Eclipse 500.

During the early 2000s a number of aircraft companies were busy developing small jets, often called very light lets (VLJs) that were aimed largely at pilot-owners who were expected to use them as personal aircraft.

Part of the industry segment’s strategy included giving customers the realistic expectation that they could save travel time by flying their own small jets. Eclipse was generating lots of excitement in the general aviation market, which  veteran journalist and author James Fallows covered in his 2002 book, Free Flight: Inventing the Future of Travel.

The economic downturn of 2008 and 2009 was poorly timed for Eclipse and slowed production of the aircraft. The small jet, however, developed a following including pilots who have acquired them on the used market. If you have dreamed of owning a personal jet and are particular about aircraft styling, the Eclipse 500 could be the right airplane for you.

This 2008 Eclipse 500 has 1,052 hours on the airframe and on its two Pratt & Whitney PW610F engines. Its panel features an Integrated Flight Management System v2.08 from IS&S Standard with dual PFDs, one 15-inch MFD, color weather radar, Sirius XM Downlink Weather, geo-referenced Jeppesen approach plates, and fully coupled autopilot.

Additional equipment includes a BEI Gold engine management program, FIKI, 110-volt power outlets, 40-cubic-foot oxygen tank, Skywatch traffic alert system, Class B TAWS, Iridium satellite telephone, and air conditioning.

Pilots who saw the Eclipse’s potential when, more than a decade ago, it helped form the wave of VLJs preparing to enter the market should consider this 2008 Eclipse 500, which is available for $1.4 million on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: One Aviation Eclipse 550
• FLYING Magazine: FAA Approves Structural Life Limit Increase for Eclipse 500/550
• FLYING Magazine: Eclipse 500 Avionics Upgrade Sells Out
• FLYING Magazine: First New-Build Eclipse 550 to Appear at NBAA Show
• Plane & Pilot: Eclipse 550
• Plane & Pilot: New Eclipse Jet in the Works
• AVweb: AEROCOR Logs 150th Eclipse 500 Training Event

The post This 2008 Eclipse 500 Is a VLJ Pioneer and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2023 Cirrus SF50 G2+ Vision Jet.

While revolutionary when introduced, the Cirrus Vision Jet has become a common sight on general aviation ramps across the country due to its popularity with private pilots and a range of commercial operators. Much of the aircraft’s appeal stems from the way it was designed around a single pilot, with the goal of making their workload easily manageable.

Many GA pilots are accustomed to flying aircraft with a range of advanced features, including autopilots and GPS navigation systems. In the Vision Jet, pilots transition to a cockpit with fully integrated automation that is several steps ahead of the retrofit technology that many have flown with for years. The difference is palpable.

Cirrus also had passengers in mind when developing the Vision Jet, which has an especially spacious, airy cabin that allows occupants to stretch out and enjoy pressurized comfort. The experience is akin to a personal airliner with first-class-only seating. If you take your family on a long vacation trip in this aircraft, they may not be willing to ever fly at low altitude with piston power again.    

This Vision Jet has just 14 hours on the airframe and its Williams FJ33-5A turbofan engine, which has a 4,000-hour TBO.

The aircraft’s panel features the Garmin G3000-integrated flight deck with the Cirrus Perspective+ Touchscreen interface and Safe Return emergency Autoland system. The avionics package includes synthetic vision, altitude and heading reference system (AHRS), Garmin Class B terrain avoidance warning system (TAWS), traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), and triple digital transponders. The airplane has a ceiling of 31,000 feet and is certified under Part 135 to operate in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace. 

Pilots interested in owning a well-equipped very light jet (VLJ) that is nearly new should consider this 2023 Cirrus SF50 G2+, which is available for $4 million on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+
• FLYING Magazine: Cirrus Vision Jet Gets Auto Radar, Cirrus IQ
• FLYING Magazine: The Cirrus Life: Three Remarkable Days at the Cirrus Vision Center in Knoxville
• Plane & Pilot: Cirrus Vision SF50 to Add Garmin Autoland
• Plane & Pilot: Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Wins Collier Trophy
• The Aviation Consumer: Vision Jet: The Safest GA Airplane?

The post This 2023 Cirrus SF50 G2+ Vision Jet Is a Fully Integrated ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2019 Honda HA-420 HondaJet Elite.

The HA-420 HondaJet was among the most anticipated aircraft in history in part because, by the time it received FAA certification in 2016, it had been in the works for decades. Many people familiar with Honda’s vast automotive operations had caught wind of the seemingly odd aviation project underway far behind the scenes.

When the jet finally emerged, it was clear that it incorporated a number of true innovations, starting with its over-the-wing-mounted engines. This new setup helped to isolate the engines from the cabin, reducing noise and vibration while also giving passengers more space but removing the invasive mounting structure from the fuselage. The result is a cabin that is larger than many would expect.

The HondaJet’s cruising speed also drew a lot of attention. While using power similar to that of competing jets, the Honda could cruise at 420 ktas, which was higher than its closest rivals. 

This 2019 HondaJet Elite has 4,120 hours on the airframe and 3,524 hours on each of its GE Honda HF120 engines since new. The aircraft is under Honda’s Flight Ready P2 maintenance program as well as the CAMP maintenance tracking system. The engines have logged 2,520 cycles, and the jet has performed 2,913 landings.

The panel features Garmin G3000 integrated avionics with a GFC 700-enhanced automatic flight control system, GWX 70 weather radar, radar altimeter, TCAS I, TAWS Class B, synthetic vision, Garmin Flight Stream 510, Jeppesen Chartview, and Cockpit Iridium.

Pilots looking for a small, single-pilot jet with innovative features and performance that matches or surpasses many larger models should consider this 2019 HA-420 HondaJet, which is available for $3.2 million on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Honda Aircraft Unveils Certified Pre-Owned Program for HondaJets
• FLYING Magazine: Volato Signs HondaJet Maintenance Agreement with Banyan Air Service
• FLYING Magazine:  HondaJet Close to EASA Certification on the Elite II
• FLYING Magazine: Honda Aircraft Reveals Certification Plan for HondaJet 2600 Concept
• Plane & Pilot: We Fly It First: HondaJet Arrives!
• Plane & Pilot: NBAA 2019: Honda Aircraft Customizes HondaJet for Tom Cruise
• The Aviation Consumer: NBAA 2022 Standouts: Refurbs, HondaJet

The post This 2019 Honda HA-420 HondaJet Elite Is a Feature-Packed ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Honda Aircraft Company announced Monday at the 2022 National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) that the updated Hondajet Elite II will have increased range and autothrottle—and, most exciting in our minds, Garmin’s Autoland system.

“The HondaJet Elite II once again pushes the boundaries of its category on all fronts of performance, comfort, and style,” said Hideto Yamasaki, president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. “We are also excited to take our aircraft forward on the journey of automation by bringing new technologies to the market next year.” 

Safety—and Added Range

FLYING bestowed its 2021 Innovation Award on Garmin’s Autoland, which also secured the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy last year. The recognition stemmed from the advance in safety represented by the system, and Honda Aircraft cited this as a primary reason for its adoption on the Elite series.

In a statement released to FLYING, the company said, “This direction encapsulates the continuous effort to improve the HondaJet through automation, augmentation, and situational awareness technologies, to enhance operational safety and reduce pilot workload while aligning with global Honda’s commitment to advances in safety technology.”

Honda is also adding another key update to the Elite series, increasing the model’s range to 1,547 nm. It will retain its fuel efficiency as well, keeping its leadership position in the very light jet class. Ground spoilers will also come with the new model, improving takeoff and landing performance.

Performance, Avionics, and Style Updates

In total, the upgrades creating the Elite II form a substantial step up for the series. To summarize those features, we look at areas of performance, avionics, and style.

Performance

• Range: 1,547 nm, NBAA IFR with four occupants
• Increased fuel capacity: additional space to carry more fuel 
• Increased gross weight: maximum takeoff weight of 11,100 pounds 
• Ground spoiler: optimizes takeoff and landing field performance with increased weight 

Avionics

Based on the Garmin G3000 already found in the Elite model series, Honda Aircraft will add the following to its avionics suite:

• Stabilized approach, with aural and visual alerting
• Optional autothrottle, to automate power management based on desired flight characteristics, available in the first half of 2023
• Optional Emergency Autoland from Garmin, which activates in an emergency situation to autonomously control and land the aircraft without human intervention, available in the second half of 2023

Style

Along with the updates to the airframe and avionics, Honda also listed a slew of new color and interior options for the Elite II, including:

• New “Black Edition” 
• New Black Sable signature exterior paint schemes 
• New corporate paint scheme 
• New interior colors 
• Onyx: a rich and warm neutral greige cabin theme with mid-tone wood accents 
• Steel: a modern light cool grey theme with high contrast marble accents 
• New optional aisle flooring with hardwood herringbone and plank patterns 
• Acoustic Enhancement: nose to tail acoustic treatment for a tranquil cabin experience 
• Sheepskin covers available as an option for pilot seats
• Additional 3-inches of legroom configuration available for crew seat with extended seat track as an option 
• Interior multi-color LED lighting with soft indigo nighttime setting 
• Ground illumination on the main entry door 
• Integrated exterior lights 

The post Honda to Add Autoland to Its New Model appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When Piper first conceived of its idea for a “very light” or “personal” jet, the competitive field was crowded. And the idea of small-jet travel was generating great excitement — not only within the general aviation press, but in the mainstream media as well. Piper would be left way behind if it didn’t come up with something to compete for headlines with the likes of Cessna and its Mustang, Eclipse, Diamond, Cirrus, Adam and others. But attrition has thinned that field significantly since then, and for some of the survivors, the economic crisis has pushed light-jet development to the back burner. The dramatically redesigned Altaire demonstrates that Piper remains committed to pressing on with its jet-powered ambitions.

The bad news for PiperJet fans is that all the changes will delay the Altaire program by about nine months. First deliveries are now scheduled for early 2014. The good news is it’s going to be a much better airplane in a lot of ways. Price and performance remain basically unchanged: $2.6 million (typically equipped) for a six/seven-place, 360-knot, 1,300-nautical mile jet (1,200 nautical miles with an 800-pound payload). But despite the fact that the ramp footprint hasn’t grown, the cabin is now nine inches taller (55 inches at its highest point) and four inches wider. And Altaire buyers can now order an optional modular lavatory — not a glorified potty seat, but a real lav, Piper said, with solid walls and a door. With its newly developed 61.5-inch-diameter round fuselage, more-streamlined engine nacelle and redesigned nose, the Altaire looks sleek and attractive, a lot more like it was purpose-designed as a jet in the first place.

“We rethought the original concept of the PiperJet,” said company Executive Vice President Randy Groom, “and we decided to move beyond a ‘personal jet’ to an airplane that can certainly still serve in that role, but offers much more in cabin size and comfort for possible corporate or commercial applications.”

Groom also acknowledged that, though savvy jet buyers will always heed the cold, hard numbers, a beautiful shape will surely help captivate the eye.

“You notice people who fly in jets always look back over their shoulder as they walk away from it,” Groom said. “We wanted to appeal to that emotion. We wanted a great-looking airplane.”

Piper started the redesign with one of the most basic principles in designing a corporate jet. “It’s the cabin, stupid.” The old proof-of-concept PiperJet had a fuselage cross-section borrowed from the PA-46 Mirage/Meridian assembly line, round on the top, flat on the bottom.

“It’s great for our Meridian, Mirage and Matrix customers,” Groom said. “But that cross-section had been stretched and tugged as far as it could really go, and our jet customers wanted more.”

Though the overall airframe footprint remains the same, the born-again Altaire cabin interior is much larger and has a 12.5-inch-wide drop-down floor. Though 4 feet 6 inches is still well short of qualifying as “stand-up” status, the expanded dimensions put the new cabin in the same league as the Citation Mustang and the Embraer Phenom 100, both twinjets. In fact, the Altaire’s cabin is 34 inches longer than a Mustang’s and an inch taller for an overall advantage of 30 cubic feet in pressurized volume.

In explaining Piper’s thinking, Groom cited the example of how the market has evolved for single-engine turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12. He sees the end result of that evolution as where he hopes Piper can start with the Altaire. The Pilatus was launched as a personal airplane, but businesses saw its value as an efficient corporate transport — sometimes as supplemental lift to complement an existing jet fleet, Groom said. And there is also the success of the PlaneSense PC-12 fractional-share program. Groom said the market has evolved similarly for Daher-Socata’s TBM series of single-engine turboprops and, to a lesser extent, Piper’s own Meridian turboprop single. To appeal to an expanded group of buyers, Piper chose to take the time to redesign the PiperJet around a more spacious cabin. And with the economy still struggling, the timing for market entry in a couple of years looks like it just might be an advantage.

“This is a great time to be developing a new airplane,” Groom said.

The Altaire has 170 cubic feet of cabin space. There are also 20 cubic feet of pressurized aft baggage space and a 20-cubic-foot unpressurized baggage compartment in the nose, large enough to carry golf bags. With the 70-cubic-foot cockpit area, total pressurized volume is 260 cubic feet, more than a Mustang (230 cubic feet) and a little less than a Phenom 100 (282 cubic feet). The new, round fuselage shape and redesigned windows give the cabin a much airier feel to go along with its more generous volume. The drop-down floor is 12.5 inches wide, and because the redesigned Altaire has no spar carry-through (the fuselage sits atop the main spar, à la the Beechcraft Premier 1A), there should be less stumbling involved in getting around the cabin. With a view to serving passengers of larger size, Piper also widened the entry door to three feet but stuck with the basic functionality of the Meridian door, which has proven to be one of that airplane’s strong suits.

As you board the Altaire, you’ll find yourself literally facing one of the cabin’s most innovative features. The space immediately opposite the door can fulfill a number of functions. It can be used for extra storage, a seventh seat, a refreshment center or the previously mentioned lavatory. The best part is that each of those options is available in modular form. So you can use the space for cargo on a morning flight, then reinstall the lav for a trip later in the day. And then drop in the refreshment stand another time. Piper estimates about two hours’ work to swap modules. Groom believes that most buyers will opt for at least the lavatory when ordering an Altaire. For many passengers, the security of simply knowing that private space is available can make a refreshing difference on a long flight, even if it’s never used.

The Altaire’s seats were designed and will be constructed by Millennium Concepts in Wichita, Kansas. They are able to withstand 26 Gs forward motion and 32 Gs downward. Making that G-rating is important for Piper, since having seats with that level of passenger protection might waive the 61-knot FAA stall-speed limitation for a single-engine aircraft.

It is expected that the Altaire will have stall speeds “in the 70s,” Groom said, which is faster than any single-engine airplane that we know of. This could prove one of the chief certification challenges that Piper will encounter in working with the FAA on approving a single-engine jet. The rules on slow-speed performance for singles were written with lighter aircraft in mind. Certifying a single-engine jet represents breaking a lot of new ground. Groom said Piper has been in constant contact with FAA certification authorities to ensure they are on the same page with logical certification requirements for the Altaire. Piper estimates a published landing distance of 2,075 feet over a 50-foot obstacle under standard conditions.

That segues neatly into a discussion on the new wing. Though the span and the airfoil remain the same as those on the old PiperJet, there is an increase in wing area of 30 square feet — all in the chord. Vince Warbington, director of engineering for the Altaire project, said this change had as much to do with adding fuel capacity as with the need for extra wing area to lift the new fuselage. Based on the added wing area and its increased lift, Piper engineers were also able to change the flaps to a simpler drop-hinged design in contrast with the more complex Fowler flaps on the existing PiperJet. The simpler design will help make the Altaire easier and less expensive to produce and less complex and costly to maintain, Warbington said. Another benefit of the increased chord is allowing more room to work for the engineers to simplify the landing gear installation, again leading to easier production and maintenance — and thus lower costs for PiperJet operators. Warbington also hinted that the larger wing would make a great platform for a stretched version of the Altaire.

It’s interesting that, though the airplane we’ve been looking at for the past few years used the same fuselage cross-section as that of the PA-46 Mirage/Meridian, Warbington said Piper could have used only about half the existing PA-46 tooling to build the Altaire. So coming up with totally new tooling for the Altaire’s all-new fuselage does not represent as much of a production-cost penalty as might be expected. Another benefit of reinventing the fuselage — all lighting has been designed from scratch with modern low-voltage LEDs. That means the resulting lower-gauge wiring is much lighter and temperatures much lower. So insulation requirements are much less of an engineering and production burden. Interior panels are also designed to be easy to remove, with two or three screws each.

Another one of the big advances with the Altaire is its two-zone climate control system. Even some much larger jets don’t have this feature, and the unhappy choice has always been between having the passengers refrigerated in the cabin or the pilots slow-roasted in the cockpit. In the Altaire, each area will have its own climate control, keeping everyone on board comfortable.

Speaking of cockpit creature comforts, Piper did not forget that the Altaire will likely be used as a personal jet by significant numbers of buyers. So rather than shoehorning “the help” into a cramped, tiny space up at the pointy end, the Altaire features a generously sized cockpit, with comfortable seats that are easy to get into and out of. The stylish and comfortable Millennium-designed crew seats are also a reflection of Piper’s recognition that a large number of those sitting in the front seats will also be the ones writing the checks.

Also, cockpit eye candy in the Altaire goes well beyond the upholstery. Even before the redesign, it was known that the PiperJet project shared the distinction with the HondaJet of being the launch customers for Garmin’s G3000 avionics suite, the newest and most advanced integrated avionics package earmarked for Part 23 turbine aircraft. The G3000 back end is very similar to the now-ubiquitous G1000. But what meets the eye — and the fingertips — is significantly different.

Dominating the view in the cockpit are the three expansive 14.1-inch-diagonal display screens – two primary flight displays (PFDs) and the center-mounted multifunction display (MFD). That’s not unlike the G1000. But what really sets the G3000 apart are the two console-mounted GTC 570 touch-screen controllers. With their 5.7-inch-diameter screens, the controllers provide pilots with home-computerlike, icon-driven command software built on Garmin’s new “shallow” menu structure. That is, it’s specifically designed with the human factor in mind, so it’s not necessary to mine down several layers to find the desired page. And it’s equally easy to navigate backward using “back” and “home” keys, should you find yourself headed down the wrong cyberpathway. That translates to being able to access more systems and sensors with fewer page sequences and keystrokes (or more accurately, key touches). The pair of console-mounted GTC 570 touch screens control everything from transponder codes and idents to remote audio and intercom functions. They are also used for entering and editing flight plan data and accessing weather, traffic — even entertainment and custom display options. Old-school knob spinners can still use the single set of mechanical concentric knobs, a mechanical volume control and a map joystick, should they so desire.

Of course, the G3000 has all the now-familiar features available on the G1000, such as synthetic vision, datalink weather, traffic, GFC 700 automatic flight control system, checklists, geo-referenced airport diagrams, FliteCharts, SafeTaxi and more.

As enjoyable as it will be to sit inside the Altaire — either up front or in the back — stepping outside and taking that satisfying look over the shoulder will also be a pleasure. Piper has made available three color-palette choices for coordinating the interior upholstery and exterior color schemes. The mock-up in Atlanta was done in “Northstar.” The Altaire’s round fuselage and new, more-jetlike oval windows add a lot to the airplane’s visual appeal. So does the redesigned, more-rounded nose and lower windshield angle. At the back end, there’s a new nacelle cloaking the 2,500-pound-thrust Williams International FJ44-3AP, and it makes a big difference. Gone is the “beer-barrel” shape of the proof-of-concept airplane’s nacelle, replaced by a much more flowing look.

The new nacelle shape is not just for eye appeal. Because the PiperJet’s engine is necessarily mounted above the fuselage centerline, increasing power tends to push the nose down, and reducing power can cause it to pitch up. PiperJet’s Exhaust Angle Control Technology (EXACT) system automatically bends the exhaust nozzle to redirect the thrust based on the Altaire’s pitch attitude, power settings and so forth. The Altaire’s new nacelle shape incorporates refinements to the system, and Groom said that flight tests have shown that EXACT lives up to its acronym.

The new-design engine nacelle is also positioned lower and farther aft. Besides further optimizing the thrust line, the new arrangement means that, should the engine’s rotor self-destruct, it would not buzz-saw through the Altaire’s tail section and depressurize the cabin — a big safety consideration and very pleasing to certification authorities. The tail surfaces are also redesigned, lower and with a more attractive shape. Some observers speculate that the tail configuration would nicely accommodate a pair of engines mounted on either side in the standard light-jet configuration, so it isn’t hard to imagine larger siblings of the Altaire, with expanded fuselages (a round fuselage lends itself to easy stretching) and another engine strapped on the back.

For now, though, Piper is happy with one. Groom is convinced that the lower costs of the single are key, and that people’s perception of turbine engine reliability has come a long way. The continued success of single-engine turboprops suggests that much of the old prejudice against singles may be crumbling as their reputations for reliability and safety continue to build.

So the next couple of years will ultimately decide how buyers will respond to the siren call of the single-engine jet. But Piper has done its part to make that decision that much more attractive.

The post PiperJet Is Born Again appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post PiperJet Is Born Again appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post Eclipse Has a New Partner: Sikorsky appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post Diamond D-Jet Schedule Depends on Funding appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post Cirrus Eyes 2013 For SF50 Service Entry appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The post FAA Proposes New Testing for Light Turbines appeared first on FLYING Magazine.