HondaJet enters production
Got the matching Honda bike and car? Better get your deposit down on Big Red's latest toy – the HondaJetHonda has been thrilling its customers on both land and sea for years but now the automotive giant is truly set to spread its wings, with the recent announcement by Honda Aircraft Company that production has begun of its high-tech HondaJet.
At a recent press conference at a National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference in Orlando, Florida, Honda said the business jet – which it claims is the fastest, most spacious and yet the most fuel efficient jet in its class – has now entered production at Honda Aircraft Company's facility at Greensboro, North Carolina, and has passed several milestones on its way to certification and customer delivery.
The pre-production jet has undergone extensive evaluation over the last 12 months, including flight, structural and systems tests plus further tests for icing, windshield bird strikes and more. Extreme temperature tests were conducted in Yuma, Arizona.
Honda says the fifth Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test aircraft is on track to be released for flight testing early next year, and this will be the first HondaJet to have a full production interior.
Even though the aircraft is still some way off delivery to customers, the HondaJet has already scooped its first award. Last September the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) awarded Honda Aircraft Company its Award for Aircraft Design, while Michimasa Fujino (Honda Aircraft Company’s President and CEO) was recognised by the AIAA for pioneering the innovative HondaJet Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, which reduces drag.
The HondaJet programme is progressing well, said Fujino. “An assembly line for HondaJet production is in place, major aircraft components including the fuselage and wings have been produced and we have started assembly of the first customer aircraft,” he said.
“Commencing production is the most important milestone in the HondaJet program to date, with only the future Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification and first customer delivery ranking greater in significance,” he added.
For more information on the HondaJet visit www.hondajet.com.
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