By Jeffrey Decker in Oshkosh
Japanese car maker to pursue development of very light jet at North Carolina facility
Japanese car maker Honda is edging closer to mass production of its HondaJet following its decision to create a dedicated, wholly owned subsidiary called Honda Aircraft, which will pursue development and US Federal Aviation Administration certification of the very light jet (VLJ).
Plans for the seven-seat aircraft were revealed late last month at the US Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Flight International, 1-7 August). Honda Aircraft will be based in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Piedmont Triad International airport facility where the VLJ has been designed and flight tested over the last three years.
Lead designer Michimasa Fujino has been appointed president and chief executive of Honda Aircraft, which will begin full operation in October. "The project was almost terminated on more than one occasion," Fujino says, "However, several members of Honda supported us with grand vision."
Fujino proposed the Hondajet in 1995 and has spent 20 years developing technology for the company's first aircraft. Honda Aircraft will oversee marketing as well sales and product support, which falls under a new partnership with Piper Aircraft, which brings 80 sales and service centres to the deal. Honda and Piper say they are also exploring other areas of collaboration in the general and business aviation markets.
Honda Aircraft will take HondaJet orders from the fourth quarter and deliver the first aircraft by 2010.
The company is tight-lipped on the location of the VLJ's production facility, although it confirms it would be in the USA.
The HondaJet has completed more than 240h of flight testing since December 2003, reaching an altitude of 43,000ft (13,000m) and a speed of 412kt (765km/h). Honda says the jet is on course to meet or exceed all of its design specifications. The HondaJet features an over-the-wing engine-mount configuration, a natural laminar-flow wing and fuselage nose and an all-composite fuselage structure.
It is powered by two 1,670lb thrust (7.4kN) Honda HF118 turbofans. An improved engine is being developed by a joint venture between General Electric and Honda, with certification planned for early 2009.
Source: Flight International
