Entry level jets is one of the most fast rising segments in general aviation. But there is one
thing they all hold in common; they are all marketed as "the cheapest to operate" easiest
to fly, and all sorts of blablabla. But how true are these? Let’s compare some of the aspects of
the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 marketed as quote in quote "the best jet for anyone looking to
transition from the SR22 or a high performance piston to a jet" with other aircraft of the
same light jet category, such as the HondaJet manufactured by the Japanese Honda since 2015,
the Embraer Phenom 100 produced since 2007 by the Brazilian company Embraer and the Eclipse 500,
of the American company Eclipse Aviation, produced between 2001
and 2008. The comparison will be based on the standard configuration of the aircraft,
with capacity for up to 6 occupants, and a theoretical use of 450 flight hours per
year will be used as a reference for the calculation of operating costs. Let's dig in!
Speed The Vision Jet
is powered by a single Williams International FJ33-5A turbofan engine, which produces about
1,900 pounds of thrust, not a lot (relatively), but more than enough to keep the Vision Jet going.
The Vision jet can reach a maximum cruising speed of 311 knots (slower than comparable turboprops).
In comparison, the out-of-production Eclipse 500 can fly as fast as 370 knots, thanks to its 2
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW167F-E turbofan engines. You might argue that what the Vision Jet gives up
in speed, it makes up for it in performance, but wait, we will get to that later. At 390 knots,
the Embraer Phenom 100 is ahead in the speed hierarchy while using the same engine as the
Eclipse 500. However, the Honda Jet leaves all of them in the dust with its blazing 418-knot cruise
speed (100-knots faster than the Vision jet), using two GE Honda HF-120 turbofan engines. At
this point, it might start to feel like an apples to oranges comparison, but just let me finish.
Operational costs
The Cirrus Vision jet is marketed as quote in quote; the best entry level jet. Best entry level
in terms of what? Ease of operation? Maybe... economics? Hell no! To put that in perspective,
hourly costs are the worst way to measure the true operating cost of an airplane, because the
slower it flies, the longer you stay in the air, and the more hours you have to pay for.
So, let’s say we ditch the traditional way of using hourly costs and go for costs per mile.
Considering only variable costs and using 450 hours per year, the Vision jet gets $3 per mile,
the Eclipse 500 and the Honda jet get $3.3 per mile, while the Phenom 100 gets $3.6 per mile. The
Vision jet is only marginally cheaper to operate, but it’s far from the best option out there.
For $3m, there are far better performing turboprops on the market. The TBM and the
Epic E1000 can be had for this price range, and they offer better performance in every aspect
than the Vision jet, plus more range. The two last row seats on the Vision Jet are typically okay for
children, but the Honda jet gets you 7 seats any passenger can actually use, plus a lavatory. The
Phenom 100 carries as much as the Honda jet but you don’t get a lavatory, while the Eclipse 500
carries the least. And again, it is very important to mention that the engine costs per hour for the
Phenom 100 and the Eclipse 500 are the same as the Vision Jet despite having two engines because the
Pratt and Whitney engines in the Eclipse and the Phenom are far cheaper to maintain than the rest.
As mentioned before, the typical price for a nicely equipped Vision Jet is $3m.
The competitive advantage of the Vision Jet over other private light jets is undoubtedly its price,
which also makes it a much more attractive competitor for emerging markets, which could help
the company to expand its market share. In the case of the Eclipse 500, prices for used models
range from $700,000 to $1.6m. With the Embraer Phenom 100, the list goes up a little since its
starting price was 4.16 million dollars if you are buying brand-new, but used models sell for
much less. As with the Honda jet, starting at $5m for brand new, there are not a lot of used models
on the market, but they won’t sell for much less. So how do these jets compare in other aspects?
Service ceiling As altitude increases,
the density of the air decreases. This is good for aircraft because less air means less air
resistance. The less air resistance the aircraft experiences, the easier it is to zip through
the atmosphere. This can allow the aircraft to fly at faster speeds while burning less fuel.
With single-engine power, the Vision Jet SF50 is capable of reaching a maximum altitude of
31,000 feet, and again; not a lot, but more than enough to fly over the weather. Thanks
to the pressurization system, when flying at maximum altitude, the cabin sensation achieved
will be about 8,000 feet, which is similar to the cabin pressure found in typical passenger
aircraft. It is, again, more comparable to a turboprop's service ceiling. The HondaJet
can easily surpass this: with an altitude of 43,000 feet, and the Embraer Phenom 100
and the Eclipse 500 are tied in this area, as both can reach up to 41,000 feet in altitude.
Climb rate
As the name suggests, climb rate refers to the rate at which the aircraft increases its altitude,
and how fast an aircraft climbs is equally as important as the service ceiling, because the
climb phase is where fuel is used the most. The Vision Jet's climb rate is 1,609 feet per minute,
more comparable to piston engine planes, and it needs a takeoff distance of 2,036 feet
and a landing distance of 1,628 feet. These are advantageous features that make the Vision Jet a
versatile aircraft capable of operating over short distances, thus increasing the number of runways
it can use. But... is the ability to operate over short distances more worthwhile than the
climb rate? Because if we look at the HondaJet, it has a climb rate of 3,990 feet per minute
thanks to its powerful engines, and it needs a runway distance of 3,999 feet for takeoff and
3,051 feet for landing. The Embraer Phenom 100 has a climb rate of 3,061 feet per minute, and
capable of a climb rate of 3,424 feet per minute, and requires a takeoff distance of 2,345 feet and
a landing distance of 2,250 feet. So, would you trade access to more airports to climb rate?
The speed, service ceiling, and range of an aircraft only address half of the performance
requirements for planes in this class. Not only must these aircraft be able to fly fast,
but they must also have a long range and fly to more distant destinations.
The Vision Jet's fuel consumption is around 70 gallons per hour, and it is capable of
flying up to 1,275 nautical miles non-stop under ideal conditions. On the other hand,
the HondaJet has an average fuel consumption of 90 gallons per hour and, under ideal conditions,
achieves a range of 1,359 nautical miles. The Embraer Phenom 100 is capable of achieving a
range of 1178 nautical miles, with an average fuel consumption of 90 gallons per hour,
while the Eclipse 500 achieves a range of up to 1125 nautical miles, with a fuel consumption of
68 gallons per hour. The Vision Jet carries 45 more gallons of fuel than the Eclipse 500, yet
the maximum range with four people plus some bags is similar; the Vision Jet simply uses more fuel.
In conclusion, the Vision Jet is a great option for short-distance flights,
I have a personal issue with it being called a jet haha, for me it’s a normal plane with a jet
engine (I don’t know if that makes sense, but you get what I mean). Both the HondaJet and the
Phenom 100 have engines that give them more power, ensuring a faster trip to their final destination.
The Eclipse 500 is the best bet for the money. It’s a complete in every sense. It flies high,
fast and a bit far. It won’t carry as much as a Phenom 100 or the HondaJet, but it will
surely carry enough to leave nothing behind. For me, the Stratos 716x is the true single
engine jet aviation enthusiasts should be excited about, I don’t think the 716x is a normal plane
with a jet engine (and again, if that makes sense) because when you look at the performance numbers,
the plane truly does jet things. We are talking about a cruise speed of 390-knots at
41,000-ft, 1000-mile range with max payload, and a 1600-mile range with one occupant. But then,
the project has gone back and forth more times than I can count. These numbers might change when
this plane hits the market, but whichever way, this jet is a game-changer. It will
not only shake the market of single-pilot jets, but with its superior performance,
the Cirrus Vision jet will be in trouble when it's finally in production (that’s
just a guess though, because when you look at the case of the Cessna TTX vs the SR22,
you will understand that speed and some better range is not always all it takes). If Stratos
wants to bring a single engine jet to the market without a parachute (Cirrus’ main selling point),
I can only tell them good luck with that. Whether you refer to it as the 714 or the rebranded 716x,
the 716 is basically the 714, but longer and wider to accommodate more passengers and payload.
The best thing is that the engine thrust acts close to the aircraft’s center of gravity,
which means; easier handling and lower pilot workload. Currently, you can only get the
716 as a kit, which takes about 2500 hours to build. Everything will cost you about $2.5m.
The Cessna Citation Mustang is one of the sweet spots of private flying. Best utilized for shorter
flights and is one of the most economical private jets out there. The Mustang has the
smallest cabin in its class, which measures 9.8 feet long, 4.6 feet wide, and 4.5 feet tall,
giving it a total cabin volume of 210 cubic feet, which is typically comfortable for 4 passengers,
but the maximum seating configuration is 6. It features oval windows and all-leather reclinable
club seating. The interior feels more like a high-end sporty sedan than the inside of a compact
light jet. Using two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F turbofan engines, which pump out 1,460 pounds of
thrust each, the Mustang cruises at 340 knots on economy cruise, but if you throttle it up,
it can go as fast as 420 knots, with a range of over 1343 miles. It has a service ceiling of
41,000 feet, allowing you to fly over inclement weather, and the cockpit is equipped with a
Garmin G1000 avionics suite, which is one of the best out there. Cessna pulled the mustang
from the market in 2017, so you can only get a used model of anything around $1m to $2.5m,
depending on the year it was built. The SyberJet SJ30 is one of the most
unknown workhorses out there. It is the farthest flying light jet "with a compromise, of course".
The SyberJet’s focus is to deliver revolutionary aerodynamics, advanced avionics, powerful engines,
and increased cabin technologies. The SJ30 has a 2,500 nautical mile range and can fly
non-stop from Los Angeles to New York nonstop, or across the entire North Atlantic at a top speed of
486 knots. With high swept wings and a T-tail, the SJ30 series jets reduce drag and increase
performance. Two mid-mounted Williams FJ44-2A engines also reduce drag, providing 2300 pounds
of thrust each. Capable of flying at a maximum altitude of 49,000 feet, the SJ30 light jet
can avoid traffic, fly above the weather, and take more direct routes to its destinations.
The Beechcraft Premier 1A has always been an exceptional aircraft. Its unique combination
of speed, cabin comfort, and advanced composite construction puts it in a league all its own.
The aircraft has a long list of features that make it stand out when compared to other aircraft. It
is as fast as 450-knots, is easy and fun to fly, and offers a cabin cross-section nearly as large
as that of the Citation Excel. All Premiers are blessed with a pair of Williams International
high-efficiency FJ44-2A turbofan engines rated for 2,300 pounds of thrust per side,
and that makes them an instant winner in all the performance parameters that count. The engines
propel the Premier to 41,000 feet in just 23 minutes and burn around 130 gallons an hour—for
the pair—while the aircraft cruises at 450 knots. As fuel burns off, pilots must take care to reduce
engine power settings to prevent the aircraft from exceeding its maximum design speed. With
seats full, it has a 700-to-800-nautical-mile range. With full fuel, the airplane can carry
a pilot and two passengers for 1,200 nautical miles with comfortable IFR reserves. Maintenance
tasks and inspections are relatively easy. The design is extremely strong, efficient,
and highly resistant to fatigue and corrosion. The fastest speed, biggest cabin cross section, and
longest warranty are reasons enough to consider the Premier’s advantages over other aircraft.
So, which light jet do you think is the best? Please let us know in the
comment section. Don’t forget to smash that like button, and subscribe to our channel.