It can be Honda may be best known for its motorcycles and cars, but it is also active in the aircraft sector: at a press conference on Monday in Geneva (European Business Aviation Convention- EBACE) unveiled the first production HondaJet - an aircraft of particularly futuristic design.
The aircraft is ready for ground tests and h company presented the progress he has made in view of his joining 'active service».
"The most important goals of the Honda Aircraft Company are to obtain Federal Aviation Administration type certification and deliver the first aircraft to customers," said Honda Aircraft Company Chairman and CEO Mitsimasa Wuzino. "Our overall effort focuses on achieving these goals in the first quarter of 2015."
The first production aircraft is in the final assembly stage with the first set of GE Honda HF120 engines. The engines have been installed and the company will soon begin ground trials, with the first flight expected this summer. According to the announcement, nine aircraft are already on the final assembly line, and the planning is in June to be increased to ten.
The company describes the HondaJet as the most advanced light jet in the world. Its innovations include an innovative design with engines mounted above the wing, a special aerodynamic design with NLF (Natural Laminar Flow) technology for higher speeds and lower fuel consumption, lightweight construction in durable carbon fiber and an advanced cockpit, including an avionics system Garmin Next generation G3000, with touch screen technology.
It can carry up to seven people (two crew members, five passengers) and the max speed its cruise is 420 KTAS (about 780 kilometers per hour). As for its rate of ascent, it stands at 3.990 feet per minute. Its cost is estimated at 4,5 million dollars.
