New Honda Jet Makes First Flight

Honda Motor Co. says the first FAA-conforming version of the small business jet it has been working on for years made its first flight. The plane, called the HondaJet, flew from the company’s Honda Aircraft Co. operation at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C.

While an earlier version called a proof-of-concept aircraft has logged more than 500 hours of flight testing, flying the version built to Federal Aviation Administration rules is what really counts toward bringing the plane to market.

Honda’s project is part of a renewed and growing intersection between automobiles and aviation that is occurring around personal- and business-transport. Honda touts the same qualities for the plane, such as “dynamic performance” and efficiency, as it does for its cars. The company has said it is essentially applying lessons learned in auto manufacturing to the aircraft business.
Cirrus Aircraft, a longtime maker of small single-engine propeller-driven planes is developing a small jet designed for personal use that it has described as a minivan with wings. Terrafugia, a small aircraft start-up in Woburn, Mass., plans to start selling a flying car called the Transition late next year.

Honda says it will build five FAA-conforming jets for testing before ramping up production in 2012. The company says it has more than 100 orders for the light business jets, which have a top speed around 483 mph and a ceiling of 43,000 feet. Honda plans to deliver the first one in the third quarter of 2012.

Source;
http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2010/12/22/new-honda-jet-makes-first-flight/

HondaJet Program Update Released at 2010 NBAA

- Ground function testing underway on first conforming flight test aircraft
- Static stress testing in progress on second conforming aircraft
- Third conforming flight test aircraft in production
- Production cockpit and cabin released

Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., today released at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention an update to its HondaJet advanced light jet program, including the announcement of ground testing underway on its first conforming flight test aircraft and static structural stress testing in progress on its second conforming aircraft. Also announced was the commencement of assembly of its third conforming flight test aircraft.

With the installation of electrical, hydraulic, mechanical and environmental control systems, the first conforming flight test aircraft has entered the ground testing stage in preparation for first flight. Systems tests already completed on the conforming aircraft include, among others: oxygen, fuel tank and vapor cycle systems tests; landing gear deployment tests; steering and brake tests; flight control tests; power distribution tests; core navigation functions (VOR/ILS/GPS) tests; primary air data and attitude/heading sensor tests; and integrated avionic system functional tests. Additional tests completed at supplier facilities include: DC motor pump extreme environmental condition tests; hydraulic and electrical component tests; landing gear actuator vibration tests; landing gear drop tests; and crew and cabin seat crash tests.

Exterior treatment of the first conforming flight test aircraft also is complete with the application of a new HondaJet paint scheme. Featuring a metallic silver-over-white profile combined with a distinctive sweeping fuselage stripe in dark metallic gray, the aircraft sports a bisecting white and dark metallic gray combination stripe extending from its nose over the upper fuselage, further enhancing the HondaJet's unique image of dynamic performance.

Assembly of the second conforming aircraft - to be used for static structural stress testing - was completed in July. Following control surfaces FAA testing, including rudder and elevator tests, static structural stress tests of the entire aircraft have commenced and included: 100% limit-load wing tests; 100% limit-load horizontal stabilizer tests; wing stiffness tests; landing gear load tests; pylon stiffness tests; and fuselage pressure tests. Static structural stress testing has been undertaken at Honda Aircraft Company's R&D facility on its Greensboro, North Carolina, campus.

"In addition to the more than 500 flight hours we have accumulated on the proof of concept HondaJet, the successful completion of this robust range of static structural stress tests on the conforming aircraft significantly reinforces the advantages of the HondaJet's advanced design," said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company's President and CEO.

All static structural stress tests are conducted utilizing Honda's advanced structural test system. The system incorporates 61 hydraulic actuators and a 2,600-channel data acquisition system within a structural test fixture designed exclusively for HondaJet testing. The entire aircraft can be tested simultaneously to prove static and fatigue strength under various flight- and ground-load conditions. Testing will continue on static test aircraft as the HondaJet program moves through the certification process. The fourth conforming aircraft will be used for fatigue testing scheduled for 2012.

Honda is now focused on assembly of the third conforming aircraft to be used for flight testing of mechanical systems. The fuselage and empennage for this aircraft have been completed, while the wing assembly nears completion. Final assembly of this aircraft is scheduled to begin soon at Honda's R&D facility on its Greensboro campus.

Testing of aircraft systems on conforming flight test aircraft are supported through the implementation of Honda's industry-leading Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility (ASITF). Honda's ASITF confirms before first flight the integration of the aircraft's electrical, avionics, mechanical and flight control systems, including stall warning protection systems (SWPS) and rudder bias systems (RBS). The HondaJet ASITF incorporates a fully representative primary flight control system with a high-fidelity control-loading system.

The HondaJet ASITF also incorporates actual aircraft systems hardware and software, installed in a spatially-representative manner and interconnected with actual aircraft electrical harnesses. Additional simulation capabilities have been integrated to provide real-time simulation of navigation RF data, including GPS.

"Honda's Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility is a powerful tool that will support the most efficient development and certification process possible for the HondaJet. By effectively identifying any developmental issues at the earliest possible stages of the process, our ASITF system will support an accelerated program momentum and, ultimately, help us create the best possible aircraft," said Fujino.

At this year's NBAA, Honda released HondaJet production cockpit and cabin designs featuring production parts, reflecting the quality of materials, colors and finishes to be available in delivery aircraft. The HondaJet's cockpit design has been updated to reflect the maturity of Honda's human factors engineering efforts and flight test evaluations.

Concurrent with the ongoing assembly of flight test aircraft, construction of the HondaJet production facility on the company's Greensboro campus is quickly nearing completion. The 250,000 ft2 production facility is now in the final phase of construction, with interior build-out well underway. The facility is scheduled for completion in early 2011, at which time pre-production preparations and training of production staff will begin. Upon completion, the production facility's two state-of-the-art painting facilities will be utilized to support finishing of additional conforming aircraft, thereby supplementing the painting capacity of Honda's R&D facility on campus. In addition, the HondaJet production facility will incorporate Flight Safety International Level-D, full-motion flight simulators for training of all HondaJet pilots and crew.

Also at this year's NBAA, Honda will conduct demonstrations of its advanced humanoid robot ASIMO to showcase the company's commitment to enhancing and expanding human mobility for the benefit of society. In addition to the design and development of automobiles, motorcycles and power equipment products, Honda's innovative research and development efforts during the past decade have yielded such diverse outcomes as humanoid robotics, walking assist devices, HondaJet, fuel cell electric vehicle technology, thin film solar cells, increased rice crop yields and functional nano-materials.

Based on its belief in the value of technology to address the needs of society, Honda's mission is to develop products that anticipate and satisfy the evolving needs of its customers while meeting society's demand for cleaner, safer, more efficient and sustainable means of transportation and human mobility.

About HondaJetHonda Aircraft Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company, Ltd., began sales of the advanced and innovative HondaJet in October 2006 in the U.S. and has amassed orders for well over 100 aircraft. Scheduled for first delivery in the third quarter of 2012, the $4.5 million HondaJet is Honda's first-ever commercial aircraft and lives up to the company's reputation for dynamic performance together with superior efficiency. The HondaJet proof-of-concept aircraft has accumulated more than 500 flight test hours and attained both a top speed of 420 knots (483 mph) and a maximum altitude of 43,000 ft. in flight testing.

The HondaJet incorporates many innovative technological advances in aviation design, including a unique over-the-wing engine-mount configuration that dramatically improves aircraft performance and fuel efficiency by significantly reducing aerodynamic drag in flight. This innovative approach to airframe design also lowers ground-detected noise when overhead and allows for a more spacious cabin and greater cargo capacity. The HondaJet is powered by two highly fuel-efficient GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engines.

The production HondaJet flight deck features a Honda-customized Garmin® G3000 next-generation all-glass avionics system incorporating a class-leading layout with three 14-inch landscape-format displays and dual touch-screen controllers for overall avionics control and flight plan entries. The HondaJet Avionics Suite is the most advanced glass flight deck available in any light business jet and provides state-of-the-art integrated avionics functionality featuring split screen MFD capability, satellite weather, graphical synoptics, digital audio, and optional Synthetic Vision.

Learn more about HondaJet at www.hondajet.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/hondajet-program-update-released-at-2010-nbaa

Honda Aircraft completes tests on HondaJet

Awesome....

Honda Aircraft Co., the company building HondaJet, said this week it has completed key tests on its HondaJet aircraft at its factory in Greensboro, North Carolina.

HondaJet plans to build a $9 million sales and maintenance hangar at Albany International airport. Construction of the Albany hangar—initially scheduled to open this year—was delayed by the recession. HondaJet will provide sales and maintenance services for Honda Aircraft Co.

The Albany HondaJet hangar would open around the time the first HondaJet is scheduled to hit the market in 2012, airport spokesman Doug Myers said. The operation is expected to create 25 to 30 local high-paying jobs.

HondaJet will own the building and has a 25-year lease with the Albany airport that includes a first-year leasing rate of $65,393. New York state will pay $500,000 toward the project.

HondaJet’s recent tests, combined with structural testing planned for this summer and a first “conforming” flight test scheduled for later this year, should lead to Federal Aviation Administration certification of the private five- to six-person airplane, Honda Aircraft CEO Michimasa Fujino said during this week’s 2010 EAA AirVenture conference in Wisconsin.

“With this significant milestone achieved, we are now focused on the integration of avionics and other electrical systems in anticipation of first flight later this year,” Fujino said.

While a prototype of the HondaJet light aircraft has been flying since 2003, the conforming craft must meet FAA requirements for flight certification.

Honda aircraft also said it is nearing completion of the superstructure of the 250,000-square-foot production facility on its campus near Piedmont Triad International Airport, in Greensboro, with installation of electrical and plumbing systems next on the agenda. That facility should be completed early next year.

About 450 people work at the Greensboro HondaJet facility now, with about 600 total employees expected when full production begins.

The Albany HondaJet hangar will be built between the Million Air terminal, where HondaJet has set up temporary operations, and the vacant Eclipse Aviation hangar.

The Eclipse hangar at the Albany airport has been vacant since the Albuquerque, New Mexico company filed for bankruptcy November 2008. It is being marketed by the Albany office of NAI Platform, a global real estate company.

Myers said NAI Platform has shown the hangar a number of times since Eclipse was released from its lease in September 2009.

Source;
http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2010/07/26/daily44.html

Honda Delays Launch of HondaJet to Late 2012

Looks like I'll have to wait a little while longer for my jet, I wonder if I can get my $500 deposit back if I change my mind by 2012....
It appears the next-gen Civic won't be the only Honda product pushing away from the gate a little later than anticipated. According to Honda's aircraft division, supplier issues have prompted the company to delay the launch of the HondaJet small private jet until the third quarter of 2012.

"Our first priority is to achieve certification and first delivery of the HondaJet," Hondajet spokesman Stephen Keeney told Aviation International News. "Regrettably we've experienced delays in some components."

Although we first saw this instance of the HondaJet back in 2006, the company originally planned to launch the private jet in late 2011. Thanks to a few supplier delays, the first production-ready HondaJet (also known as the HA-420) won't take flight until this November. Assuming all goes according to plan, certification and approval from the Federal Aviation Administration won't be granted until the third quarter of 2012.

Neither Honda or GE (with whom Honda partnered with to build the HA-420's jet engines) would comment on what component delayed the program, but both remain upbeat about the launch timing. According to Keeney, customers aren't bothered by the delay -- in fact, the company still has 100 firm orders for the jet, which is roughly how many planes Honda plans on building annually. That's impressive, considering each HA-420 is expected to run buyers roughly $3.65 million a piece.

Final assembly of the HondaJet will occur in a new factory located in Greensboro, South Carolina, which won't be completed until February 2011. The company's aviation wing currently employs 450 people, but that number is expected to grow once production begins in early 2012.

Source;
http://wot.motortrend.com/6646639/miscellaneous/honda-delays-launch-of-hondajet-to-late-2012/index.html

Can Honda Bring Corporate-Style Jet Travel to the Masses?

Private jet travel is convenient, luxurious and, of course, very expensive. The HondaJet represents an effort at changing that, by using technology and design to bring costs down and allow private-jet travel at costs that approach commercial ticket prices

So my column for the magazine in a couple of months is on new approaches to air travel. In the course of writing it, I spent a day with the pilots, engineers and designers of an aircraft that's meant to bring about just that sort of new approach: the HondaJet, a fast, comparatively cheap five-passenger Very Light Jet that Honda hopes will not only appeal to the usual run of corporate-jet purchasers, but that will also promote an entirely new way of flying, one that's capable of bridging the gap between cheap-but-unreliable commercial jet travel and swanky-but-expensive corporate jet travel. What I saw makes me think that the Honda folks just may be onto something.

The HondaJet is the brainchild of Honda Aircraft president and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Fujino told me that his first job in the United States was in Mississippi, back in the 1980s, and that he found that wherever he traveled by air—even elsewhere in Mississippi—he usually wound up having to change planes in Atlanta. This seemed wasteful of time and fuel, and made travel iffier, since it created the risk of a missed connection. To Fujino, the hub-and-spoke system makes sense for a country like Japan, where Tokyo is at the center of everything, but much less sense for a country as big as the United States, where important places are widely distributed. For this, point-to-point travel is much better.

This is no secret, of course, to the people who travel by private jet now. But private jet travel is very expensive, which is why it is the domain of CEOs, celebrities and the like. The HondaJet represents an effort at changing all of that, by using technology and design to bring costs down and allow private-jet travel at costs that approach commercial ticket prices. (Fully loaded, Fujino says, the cost per seat on the HondaJet should be roughly comparable to a first-class commercial ticket). To keep costs down, the Honda folks have put a lot of thought into ways to make the plane as small and inexpensive as possible, without sacrificing comfort or speed.

This approach shows up in a lot of different places. To save weight (and hence fuel) the HondaJet's fuselage is all-composite construction. (I held some of the components in my hand—they were very stiff, but felt almost weightless.) The plane's engines are mounted, unusually enough, above rather than below the wings. This location change accomplishes two things: It allows the wings to be lowered, opening up more cabin space, and it means that the engines are directly above the landing gear, reducing wing loading on touchdown. (The over-the-wing placement also means that the wings baffle sound in flight, making things quieter on the ground). The HF-120 engines themselves are a new, lightweight, fuel-efficient design being codeveloped with General Electric.

Honda is also saving development money by taking advantage of modern computer power. Fujino notes that it's possible to do serious design work on a laptop nowadays, where not long ago it took an expensive engineering workstation. And Honda is making heavy use of simulations, with a sophisticated whole-aircraft simulator that allows real parts to be swapped in and tested against virtual parts and vice versa, allowing many stages of refinement before parts ever reach the test-flight stage. (When I flew the simulator, I noticed an antenna hanging over the plane: Turns out it transmits simulated GPS data to a real GPS receiver on the simulator, furthering Honda's goal of keeping things within the simulation as real as possible.)

The interior is also carefully contrived to provide space and comfort in as little room as possible. What Fujino says is that perceptions of luxury vary with time—the longer you're in a plane, the more uncomfortable a given set of accommodations will seem. (Even Air Force One, I've heard, feels cramped after a while). The HondaJet's relatively high speed (420 knots/485 mph) means that trips will tend to be short, so the cabin was optimized for comfort over a 2- to 3-hour period. I think it works. I'm a big guy—6 feet 3 inches and over 200 pounds—but I was comfortable in the cabin and seats. The built-in lavatory (the Honda folks were very proud that it has a real door, not simply an accordion door as in some small jets) was a bit tight for me, but adequate, and the lavatory ceiling features two skylights that provide a more spacious feel. Overall, the interior reminds me of an upscale Audi; when I mentioned that, the chief interior designer, Chris Osborne, told me that they had tried for a more Euro-style interior. I think they succeeded. The cargo compartment is surprisingly large too. The design manages to get a lot out of a little, without being too obvious about it. Overall, the HondaJet has a sleekness and a friendly, pleasing personality that reminds me of an iPhone, or some other cleverly designed bit of consumer hardware. You just want to like it.

A high degree of automation shows up in the airplane's glass-cockpit approach to controls; the HondaJet is designed to be easy enough to fly that it can get by with a single pilot, also cutting costs. How easy is it to fly? Well, I managed to take off and land, in the simulator, without wrecking it, though I had a few pointers from Honda's chief test pilot, Warren Gould. Still, anything that I can manage is, by definition, user-friendly.

What about the environment, though? Won't all these small jets zipping around be worse for emissions than a few big ones? The answer seems to be no. Based on fuel consumption, speed and range, the HondaJet seems to be just about exactly as efficient per seat-mile as the ubiquitous Canadair CRJ-200 regional jet. But that probably understates things, because if I were flying from Knoxville to, say, Washington, D.C., I'd be traveling a straight-line distance of 353 nautical miles, while if I took a commercial flight, I'd probably be going by way of Atlanta for a distance of 605 nautical miles. (I'd also have a travel time of about an hour on the HondaJet, rather than something like 4 hours traveling via Atlanta.) So while the precise environmental impact of replacing hub-and-spoke commercial travel with direct-flight travel on the HondaJet is open to dispute, it seems unlikely that there will be much impact. There's also a national-security angle: Crashing a 757, or even a Canadair regional jet, into a building would do a lot more damage than crashing a HondaJet into one. It's hard to weigh the importance of this factor, but it's certainly worth noting.

Overall, I found the HondaJet very appealing, and if I had in the neighborhood of $4 million to drop on an airplane I'd be sorely tempted. But since I don't—Popular Mechanics doesn't pay quite that well, and neither does my day job at the university—the real question is whether people who do have the money will shell out. That, obviously, depends. Honda hopes that the plane will sell not only to the usual run of jet customers, but to air-taxi services, and, in fact, Fujino, who makes a point of calling the HondaJet an Advanced Light Jet rather than a Very Light Jet, tells me that they expect this to be a case of the product driving the market. Although other efforts to build an on-demand air-taxi market at low cost have stalled with the current economic downturn, those efforts faced financial and technological problems that Honda expects to avoid, and by the time the HondaJets are rolling off the line at full speed, there's a good chance that the economy will have recovered. So the air-taxi model—where you got to a website, enter your destination, and have a small jet swoop down to pick you up, possibly at a small business airport rather than a big one where parking and security hassles are greater—may well have a chance.

I certainly would like to see something like that happen. I fly coach myself; I'll occasionally spring for an upgrade to first class when the airline offers me a deal, but when I do take the upgrade I'm usually underwhelmed. To me, the problem with air travel as it exists now isn't a lack of free drinks, but a lack of convenient scheduling, and the risk of delays caused by missed connections. (Ironically enough, a trip to Greensboro, N.C., was nearly scrubbed by problems in Atlanta en route). Free drinks are nice, I guess, but when your flight is canceled or delayed, the front part of the plane is just as inconvenienced as the back part of the plane. I'd be much more willing to pay first-class fare for a shorter flight that was more likely to get me there on time.

Are there enough people out there who feel the way I do? Honda thinks there are. Speaking selfishly, I hope they're right.

Source;
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4347867.html?nav=RSS20&src=syn&dom=yah_buzz&mag=pop

Honda Aircraft Company Announces Major Milestones for Its HondaJet

Does it come in Red?....

-Major structural assemblies for first conforming aircraft completed
-Production avionics suite debuts
-First flight of Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility accomplished
-In-flight Entertainment System availability confirmed
-Flight ReadyTM Maintenance Service Program announced
-Construction of HondaJet production facility has commenced
-FedEx® logistics partnership formalised

October 21, 2009 - Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., announced at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention significant milestone achievements for its HondaJet advanced light jet program, including the completion of major structural assemblies for the first conforming aircraft. Also announced were the selection of a significantly upgraded avionics suite for the production aircraft featuring Garmin's new, cutting-edge G3000 avionics system, the successful first flight of Honda's industry-leading Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility, Honda's comprehensive Flight ReadyTM Maintenance Service Program, and the company's FedEx® logistics partnership.

Program Update
In preparation for first flight of conforming aircraft in the first quarter of 2010, Honda has completed major structural assemblies including the fuselage, wing, empennage, landing gear, and other components for the first conforming aircraft. These components were completed or delivered in September 2009. Fabrication of conforming aircraft has commenced under the strict supervision of Honda and FAA quality control representatives, while Honda's manufacturing engineering team focuses on the optimisation of assembly processes.

Honda also has completed successfully a number of important qualification tests, such as rejected take-off (RTO) brake tests and crew- and cabin-seat crash tests, as well as critical structural parts tests.

Honda continues to work very closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding certification of the HondaJet and completed an Interim Type Certification Board Meeting (ITCBM) in August 2009. A formal agreement has been reached and implemented with the FAA regarding the manufacturing conformity process for the type-certification test aircraft. This process currently is being used for the build of the first conforming aircraft. In addition, Honda and the FAA are engaged in detailed discussions to finalise the requirements for the first Type Inspection Authorisation (TIA), which allows the start of FAA flight testing.

To expedite the build of conforming aircraft and establish precise, high quality fabrication processes, Honda has chosen to manufacture conforming aircraft wing assemblies at its R&D complex on its world headquarters campus in Greensboro, North Carolina. In addition, in-house cutting-edge 5-axis milling capabilities provide Honda with maximum efficiency and the highest quality in the creation of detail parts for conforming aircraft fabrication.

Honda also has completed preparations for on-site static and fatigue structural testing. Honda's advanced MTS FlexTest® structural test system incorporates 61 hydraulic actuators and a 2,600-channel data acquisition system within a structural test fixture designed exclusively for HondaJet testing and capable of testing the entire aircraft to prove static and fatigue strength under various flight and ground load conditions. Honda's test facility includes an environmental chamber to simulate hot-wet conditions, which is required testing for the validation of composite structures.

"We are pleased to have achieved such positive results in the completion of major structural assemblies for conforming aircraft, and we are now fully focused on final assembly of the first conforming aircraft. We are now ready for FAA structural testing. Although we face many challenges ahead, every Honda associate is diligently working towards first flight early next year," said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company President & CEO.

New, Advanced HondaJet Avionics Suite
The production HondaJet flight deck will feature a Honda-customised Garmin® G3000 next-generation all-glass avionics system incorporating a class-leading layout with three 14-inch landscape-format screens and dual touch-screen controllers for overall avionics control and flight plan entries. The HondaJet Avionics Suite provides a significantly enhanced pilot interface compared to flight decks incorporating the previous generation Garmin G1000 Suite.

The HondaJet Avionics Suite is the most advanced glass flight deck available in any light business jet and provides state-of-the-art integrated avionics functionality featuring split screen MFD capability, satellite weather, graphical synoptics, digital audio, and optional Synthetic Vision.

"The HondaJet Avionics Suite, integrated into our human-centric cockpit design, represents a significant enhancement in both capability and user experience. The large-format displays, advanced features, and intuitive touch-screen multi-function controllers provide a low-workload user interface that is ideally suited to our high-performance light jet aircraft," said Fujino.

Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility (ASITF)
On October 7, 2009, Honda Aircraft Company accomplished the successful first flight of the HondaJet Advanced Systems Integration Test facility (ASITF) located within the company's R&D complex on its Greensboro, North Carolina, campus. This event represents a critical milestone for the HondaJet program and is another significant step toward the first flight of conforming aircraft. The HondaJet ASITF facility was developed internally by Honda Aircraft Company engineers.

The HondaJet ASITF is an aircraft systems integration facility, primarily consisting of two major elements: the aircraft test facility, and the Real-time Test and Simulation System (RTSS). The HondaJet ASITF is a test facility that incorporates actual aircraft systems hardware and software, installed in a spatially-representative manner, and interconnected with actual aircraft electrical harnesses. The RTSS provides the systems, environmental and aerodynamic simulation, supported by dSPACE® real-time hardware and I/O hosting Honda-developed high fidelity 6-DOF aerodynamic and real-time engine models. Additional simulation capabilities have been integrated to provide real-time simulation of navigation RF data, including GPS.

The HondaJet ASITF also includes a fully representative primary flight control system with a high-fidelity control-loading system. The avionics configuration during the HondaJet ASITF first flight included the new HondaJet Avionics Suite.

"The HondaJet ASITF has successfully integrated the best attributes of a systems test lab, engineering simulator, and 'Iron Bird' in one facility," said Fujino. "This facility allows thorough evaluation of all systems integration for enhanced aircraft safety and will significantly support accelerated development of both systems and conforming aircraft."

HondaJet Cabin Management and In-flight Entertainment System
Honda Aircraft Company has confirmed that the production HondaJet will optionally offer EMTEQ's SkyPro® integrated cabin management and in-flight entertainment system featuring all-digital high-definition touch-screen interface technology. The HondaJet cabin management and in-flight entertainment system will include audio/video on demand (AVOD), interactive 3-D high-definition moving map, and extensive cabin control capabilities such as cabin/cockpit communications, climate control and interior lighting, among others.

AVOD is available through the system's removable media storage unit, which is capable of storing virtually an entire media collection. Passengers can interface through the onboard system's multiple media inputs with audio, video, or gaming systems brought onto the aircraft and play content on cabin speakers and HD monitors. HondaJet also will offer an XM® Satellite Radio option, where the system will interface with XM and allow passengers to select their desired station presets at their seats.

"The concept HondaJet cabin management and in-flight entertainment system was exceptionally well-received by customers. In order to meet strong customer demand, we will offer on the HondaJet a class-leading system with a unique Honda-designed interface providing maximum functionality and ease of use," commented Fujino.

Flight ReadyTM Maintenance Service Program
Honda has unveiled its HondaJet Flight ReadyTM maintenance service program, which is designed to maximise flying time and minimise variations in maintenance costs. Flight ReadyTM makes HondaJet authorised materials and maintenance services available when and where customers need them. Program participation allows aircraft owners to plan on one hourly maintenance rate based on selected coverage and tailored to expected aircraft utilisation. The program offers three levels of coverage to meet the diverse needs of HondaJet customers.

Flight ReadyTM Protection - P¹TM ("P-One") is included in the purchase price of all new HondaJet aircraft. In addition to other OEM support services, it provides a comprehensive warranty program including airframe, avionics and engine warranties.

Flight ReadyTM Performance - P²TM ("P-Two") is designed for customers who have access to facilities with qualified and trained technicians. It provides various services, including airframe and avionics exchange component coverage that extends to both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events.

Flight ReadyTM Precision - P³TM ("P-Three") was created for customers who want the convenience of one-stop servicing. In addition to coverage in the P²TM plan, it also includes labor expenses for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance performed at authorised HondaJet maintenance facilities. This plan is Honda's "Nose-to-Tail" service option.

All HondaJet Flight ReadyTM plans are fully transferrable. Extended engine coverage - provided through GE Honda Aero Engines - is available up to full engine overhaul, including all major components and systems.

HondaJet Production Facility
Construction of the HondaJet production facility on Honda Aircraft Company's world headquarters campus in Greensboro, North Carolina, has begun with the completion of ground preparations and the commencement of piling installations. The 250,000 ft2 facility is scheduled to be completed in February 2011 and will house all HondaJet production activities, as well as test flight operations and pilot training facilities. Honda has partnered with Flight Safety International® to provide pilot training utilising industry-leading full-motion Level-D flight simulators that will be installed in the HondaJet production facility.While construction of the production facility continues, Honda's world headquarters building and R&D complex on campus are in full operation. Build of conforming aircraft currently is taking place in Honda's 187,000 ft2 R&D complex that also incorporates ongoing research and development activities. The R&D complex has full production capabilities, including all necessary quality control and testing resources, paint booths, and maintenance support facilities. The HondaJet world delivery center also is located within Honda's R&D complex.FedEx® PartnershipAt the 2009 NBAA convention, Honda Aircraft Company and Federal Express formalised a business partnership to provide worldwide logistics support for HondaJet production activities and customer support of the HondaJet aircraft. This partnership results from the successful, long-standing relationship between FedEx and Honda globally and from FedEx's ability to provide a multi-faceted logistics support network that will enable the most efficient and expedient delivery of support materials for customers, thereby further enhancing the overall HondaJet ownership experience.

By choosing FedEx, Honda has the ability to move all HondaJet support parts through an array of services, depending on customer needs. These services encompass all aspects of the logistics supply chain and include Express, Ground, Less-than-Truck-Load (LTL), Custom-Critical, Trucking, Ocean, and FedEx Trade Networks' Customs Brokerage and Clearance services.

The new FedEx Worldwide Service Center, located near Honda Aircraft Company's campus at the Piedmont-Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, provides Honda with enhanced flexibility to fulfill critical shipment deadlines and offers direct East Coast shipping to regional U.S. HondaJet sales and service facilities. In addition, the ability to communicate between each spoke of the FedEx worldwide network enables Honda to ensure uninterrupted service to its global customers.

Source;
http://world.honda.com/news/2009/c091021HondaJet/

Honda shows off R and D building

Workers who will move in Monday will build company's new light jet
Gloria Whisenhunt, a Forsyth County commissioner, and her husband, Curt, walk past a model of a HondaJet at Honda Aircraft Co. at PTI airport.

GREENSBORO

Honda Aircraft will start moving into its new research and development building on Monday at its world headquarters campus at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Manufacturing employees will be the first on site as they prepare to start assembling the models of the company's light jets that will be used in the certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Rolled out in 2003, HondaJet is a $3.9 million aircraft. It has an over-the-wing mount design aimed at reducing drag at high speed to improve cruise efficiency.

It also has a light fuselage structure to provide several benefits, including greater fuel efficiency, comfort and a large cabin.

"We are especially proud to be designing and building first-class technology in North Carolina," Michimasa Fujino, the president and chief executive of Honda Aircraft, said yesterday in the R&D building. He spoke to a group of about 40 people who were invited for a tour.

The R&D building joins Honda Aircraft's new 68,000-square-foot headquarters on Ballinger Road at PTI. The company has spent about $100 million so far but expects to invest more money when it starts construction on its 250,000-square-foot manufacturing building this summer.

The company has 400 employees but expects that number to reach 600 when it starts full production.

Fujino said that Honda Aircraft will have the flexibility to add more shifts in its manufacturing plant, which could ultimately mean additional jobs.

The company is currently recruiting for engineering professionals for its ongoing development, certification, flight testing and "conforming aircraft" manufacturing programs. Any open positions are listed on the "Careers" section of the company's Web site at www.hondajet.com.
Fujino said that Honda Aircraft initially planned to produce 70 aircraft a year but now expects to produce 100 because of demand from customers.

With 60-foot ceilings, the R&D building is starkly white, from a systems test room to a display hangar used as a showroom where all deliveries for HondaJets will take place.

Honda said that white is a color that's universal throughout its properties. Once the company's production building is up and running, employees will even wear white uniforms.

Honda officials use the color to help employees be aware of anything that's out of place in their surroundings, said David Wentz, the company's manager of infrastructure and facilities.

Fujino said that Honda Aircraft initially planned to produce 70 aircraft a year but now expects to produce 100 because of demand from customers.

With 60-foot ceilings, the R&D building is starkly white, from a systems test room to a display hangar used as a showroom where all deliveries for HondaJets will take place.

Honda said that white is a color that's universal throughout its properties. Once the company's production building is up and running, employees will even wear white uniforms.

Honda officials use the color to help employees be aware of anything that's out of place in their surroundings, said David Wentz, the company's manager of infrastructure and facilities.

Honda Aircraft's guests were especially impressed with the size of the building, a mock-up fuselage, and its showroom that showcases a HondaJet model on a large turntable in the middle of the room.

Forsyth County Commissioner Gloria Whisenhut said that the R&D building gives her hope for a better local economy.

"It's far more than what I expected today," said Whisenhut, who is also a member of the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority. "I wasn't expecting it to be this large."
Honda expects to start overall deliveries of HondaJet in 2010.

Source;

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/feb/14/honda-shows-off-rd-building/news/