It can be Honda to be known more for its motorcycles and cars, however it is also active in the aircraft sector: at a press conference on Monday in Geneva (European Business Aviation Convention- EBACE) it revealed the first HondaJettreatments- an aircraft of a particularly futuristic design.
The aircraft is ready for ground tests and the company has shown the progress it has made in the run-up to "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 stages of assembly with the first set of production GE Honda HF120 engines. The engines have been installed and the company will soon begin ground testing, with the first flight expected this summer. According to a related announcement, there are already nine aircraft on the final assembly line, and the plan is to have them increase to ten in June.
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 technology (Natural Laminar Flow) για υψηλότερες ταχύτητες και μικρότερη κατανάλωση καυσίμου, ελαφριά κατασκευή ανθεκτικών ινών άνθρακα και προηγμένο κόκπιτ, που περιλαμβάνει system next-generation Garmin G3000 avionics, with touchscreen technology.
It can carry up to seven people (two crew members, five passengers) and its maximum cruise speed is 420 KTAS (approximately 780 kilometers per hour). As for its rhythm, it stands at 3.990 feet per minute. Cost is estimated at 4,5 million dollars.
