Flight Testing Begins for HondaJet

The first FAA-conforming HondaJet flew for the first time yesterday from the Honda Aircraft Co. facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. During the 51-minute flight aircraft’s flight characteristics and performance were analyzed and systems checks were conducted.

“This is a very important milestone for the HondaJet program,” said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft President and CEO. “We’ve proved to the FAA that we’re not only good at designing aircraft, but that we have good processes as a company.”

Two other aircraft will join in the flight test program by next summer. And another two will be employed in structural testing. All five aircraft are being built with production tooling in the company’s R&D center.

Fujino tells Aviation Week that the program, which had experienced a year-long delay, is “catching up very rapidly.” The aircraft’s GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines are expected to receive FAA certification in 2011 and, he says the aircraft should meet its schedule targets of certification and first deliveries in the latter part of 2012.

The company claims orders in hand for more than 100 of the $4.5 million light jet and Fujino says that number has remained stable throughout the business jet market collapse that began in 2008. What cancellations did occur have been largely offset by new sales, he says.

Meanwhile, the company is nearing completion of its 266,000 sq ft aircraft production facility on its Greensboro campus. Once it is finished in early 2011, Honda will begin moving in equipment and personnel and begin pre-production preparations and training necessary to support HondaJet production ramp-up beginning in 2012.

Fujino says he expects the facility will turn out 30-40 aircraft in the first six months of production.

Asked if other models are planned, he says, “We cannot sustain a company with one product,” but declined to speculate on what might be the next aircraft. He did say that future aircraft might not feature the HondaJet’s unique engines-on-vertical-pylons design, but would likely incorporate concepts that are equally innovative.

The company currently employs 550 people at the Greensboro operation, and expects to add another 150-200 workers as production ramps up.