A decade ago, very light jets (VLJs) were a buzzword in the aviation world as plane manufacturers saw the huge potential for small, efficient, and simple jets. A number of canceled and troubled endeavors have dampened that enthusiasm. Even so, there are several excellent light jets on the market today. Here are the coolest and the best.
Cirrus Vision SF50
Speed: 345 mph
Price: $2 million
Passengers: 6
Quite possibly the best definition of a light jet on our list, the Cirrus Vision is the only certified single-engine jet available for sale to the public. An evolution on the best selling Cirrus SR22 piston airplane, the Vision is popular among current Cirrus customers who are looking to step up to jets. Much like its little brother, the SF50 has a simple single-lever throttle with computer engine management and even a whole airframe parachute.
Honda HondaJet HA-420
Speed: 423 mph
Price: $4.9 million
Passengers: 4 to 6
Honda’s first foray into aviation may have taken decades to come to fruition, but the company’s unconventional over-the-wing engine mounts have become a huge success. In fact, only 30 months after the initial introduction. Honda announced the HondaJet Elite, sporting an auxiliary fuel tank for increased range and a seatbelt in the lavatory, allowing for a total of 6 occupants.
ONE Aviation Eclipse 550
Speed: 430 mph
Price: $3 million
Passengers: 4 to 5
The Eclipse may well be recognized as the original VLJ. Unfortunately, Eclipse Aviation went bust because of a bad habit of over-promising and under-delivering. The good news is that the plucky little aircraft generated enough good faith from customers. That a group of investor came to the rescue and formed what is now ONE Aviation. The company reworked the original design and continued delivering a solid little jet.
Embraer Phenom 100
Speed: 465 mph
Price: $4.5 million
Passengers: 5 to 7
The ultra-simple, built-from-scratch light jet from the Brazilian airplane maker has clearly been designed with lessons learned from its highly successful line of regional jets. Embraer claims the Phenom has 70 percent fewer actions on its checklist than other light jets. Unlike its competitors, the Phenom 100 has an oval fuselage and an interior designed by BMW with a focus on passenger comfort.
Cessna CitationJet M2
Speed: 465 mph
Price: $4.6 million
Passengers: 6
Cessna grabbed a foothold in the light jet market when beat the competitors to the punch with the launch of the Citation Mustang. While the Mustang saw some success, Cessna eventually killed the production line and moved toward a different strategy.
In an effort to save costs, the company created a new version of its legacy CitationJet 1 (CJ1) by adding a new consumer-grade cockpit suite of avionics and high efficiencies engines.
Daher TBM 900
Speed: 372 mph
Price: $3.9 million
Passengers: 6
The Daher TBM 900 may have a propeller hanging out front, but don’t be fooled. It is still powered by a turbine engine, and because it is faster and carries nearly twice the range of the Cirrus Vision, this aircraft deserves a spot on the leaderboard.
The fastest single-engine production airplane in existence, the TBM 900 will rival many of the light jets available at a typically much lower operating cost.
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