GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES
Meanwhile HF118 emerges as contender for ProJet
Honda Motor and General Electric have agreed to jointly study the development of a family of small engines based on the Japanese manufacturer's HF118 turbofan, which has emerged as a contender to power the Avocet ProJet.
The joint venture is expected to focus on small engines covering the 1,000-3,500lb (4.5-15.6kN) thrust range, and will target the rapidly growing microjet market. The baseline engine will be the newly developed HF118 that powers Honda's indigenously designed HondaJet "compact" business jet.
The venture will boost GE's strategic plan to increase its presence in the lower thrust end of the turbofan market and compete more effectively with Pratt & Whitney Canada and Williams International in the microjet sector.
In a related development, the HF118 is now believed to be a contender to power the Avocet ProJet. Avocet chief executive David Tait declines to identify the new entrant to the engine contest, which until now has been restricted to derivatives of the P&WC PW600F and Williams International FJ33. The PW610F and 615F are in development for the Eclipse Aviation Eclipse 500 and Cessna Citation Mustang, respectively, while the FJ33 has been selected for the Adam A700, Diamond D-Jet and Safire Jet.
"There have been changes in the field of choice of engines - another player has entered the game," says Tait, adding that the new contender is a "major player". He adds: "We love to have a greater field of choice. They sprang out of the woods at the last gasp, so we are giving them as long as we can."
ProJet certification is planned for the first quarter of 2007, having previously been targeted for as early as the end of 2006.
Source: Flight International
