Honda Jet

The Hondajet is an inspired aircraft; taking just seven years from thought to drawing board to flight, the innovation started with just one question – how could a light jet become more efficient, more elegant, more advanced?

The HondaJet is described by its makers as marking “a new era in our company’s history, an era in which the power of dreams will define the future of aviation – and introduce a more advanced way to fly”. And this is exactly what it does.

Developed near the birthplace of aviation in North Carolina, Hondajet has many qualities that set it apart from its competitors. 

The aircraft is engineered for performance with an all-composite fuselage, a natural-laminar flow airfoil and nose design, and an over-the-wing engine configuration combine to enable the highest speed and best fuel efficiency in its class. Having been tested for over 400 flight hours, customers are also safe in the knowledge that the design has been meticulously checked over.

The unique engine placement, known as over-the-wing-engine-mount (OTWEM) design, means a more spacious cabin, one that contains handcrafted club seating and personal seat-side amenities. 

The cargo stowage capacity is also much greater than usual light jets, and this innovative design means that wave-drag reduction is so efficient, that HondaJet actually out-performs clean-wing designs.

Hondajet’s engine, the GE Honda HF120 Turbofan, is another innovation that powers Hondajet to new levels of performance with speed, efficiency and dependability. An example of this was in March of this year where the Hondajet actually surpasses the company’s performance commitment of 420 KTAS travelling at 489mph at 30,000 ft and a maximum Mach number of 0.72 above 30,000ft.  

With higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions than any jet of its size, Hondajet sets new standards in aviation with a more mindful approach to flying that is more respectful to the skies we share. The all-composite fuselage, reduced drag design, and highly efficient engines create the fuel efficiency of a very light jet while offering the performance of a larger light jet for its customers.

The company that make such an aircraft, The Honda Aircraft Company, is responsible for the overall airframe business strategy, and the further development, sales promotion and production of the innovative HondaJet. With the total costs so far of creating the jet being confidential, it has been revealed that building costs have already surpassed £100 million.

Honda founder, Soichiro Honda, dreamt long ago of applying his company’s technological expertise to the field of aviation. It was Michimasa Fujino who brought this vision to a reality, bringing us the Hondajet.

Michimasa Fujino is the founding president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, and has been since October 2006. Prior to this, Mr. Fujino was a vice president with Honda R&D Americas, Inc., and the Large Project Leader for the HondaJet program based in North Carolina. In this capacity, he led all engineering tasks from design through experimental verification, fabrication and flight testing of the HondaJet, demonstrating his huge knowledge of the business and the technological innovations that makes up this aircraft. As he explains: “technology is an investment, which can be used for many products in the future”.

Mr. Fujino joined the company in Japan in 1984, after graduating from Tokyo University with a degree in aeronautical engineering. Since then, over the past 20 years, he has been involved in the design and development of the aircraft and has participated in several projects including in the design and development of two experimental aircrafts: the MH01, a single-engine, turboprop, composite airplane, and the MH02, an all-composite, business jet. 

It was in 1997 that the seed of Hondajet germinated into a sketch. The following year this sketch became a wind tunnel model, and the year after that the model became a prototype.  In 2000, Hondajet’s progress was so staggering that a new research facility was established exclusively for its development, and five years later, in 2005, the Hondajet debuted before a global audience at EAA AirVenture with it becoming available to purchase the subsequent year in the United States, Europe and Mexico.

Describing his thought process, Mr Fujino says: “A very light jet normally has a very small cabin, and the speed may not be high performance, but my concept is that I want to design a small jet that is large carrying and high performance.

“Looking at current airplane design, if you mount the engine on the fuselage there is a structure to support the engine. My concept is putting the engine in the wing that eliminates all the structure in the fuselage, so we can make the most of the internal space”.

He also divulges that the aircrafts are in such demand that there is a huge waiting list, with over one hundred already ordered. This means customers will have to wait three to four years before they receive their Hondajet, making it one of the most ‘must have’ jets in recent years.

Another interesting point that arises is where the demand for these jets is coming from. The European market current takes up 35% of their order, which is “much larger” than the CEO of the company imagined. He says: “The reason [for the market interest in Europe] is the Hondajet’s size and fuel efficiency. European people are very cautious about the environment and the Hondajet is perfect for their lifestyle, so combined with their preferences and market requirements, Honda jet could cover all of Europe”.

It is also refreshing to see a brand focus on its customers and not so much on big name celebrities. Whilst in 2008, Jenson Button was the face of the aircraft; it appears for now the position has been left open. “We treat all customers as equal,” said Mr. Fujino. “I do not want to discuss who is famous, who is not famous. Every customer is very important for us if we had a particularly good customer, they could become brand ambassador even if they are not a well known face”.

With over 650 people involved in the Hondajet project, growing to 1000 when the production line begins, and more than 200 suppliers, the Hondajet that started as a sketch just under 15 years ago is fully on track and looks to make aviation history with its technological innovations.

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