Honda Motor has formed a US subsidiary, Honda Aero, to pursue the US market for turbofan and piston aircraft engines. The car manufacturer has also established a dedicated aeroengine research and development centre in Japan.
The Japanese company says the location for its US subsidiary, employing around 10 people, will be decided by year-end. Honda Aero will be responsible for the aviation engine business, including preparations for production of the HF118 turbofan for light business jets.
Honda and General Electric agreed in February to pursue commercialisation of the 1,700lb-thrust (7.4kN) HF118. The marketing strategy, business structure and production plans are under discussion, with a final agreement expected by year-end.
The new Wako Nishi R&D centre will accelerate development of the HF118, begun in 1999, in anticipation of production, Honda says, while the existing Wako centre will continue development of the HondaJet experimental prototype light jet.
Source: Flight International
