Honda Aircraft Company

Last updated
Honda Aircraft Company
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Aviation
FoundedAugust 2006;18 years ago (August 2006)
Founder Michimasa Fujino
Headquarters
Greensboro, North Carolina
,
United States
Key people
Hideto Yamasaki
(President and CEO)
Products Very light jets
Number of employees
1,200+ as of October 2014 [1]
Parent Honda Motor Co., Ltd
Website www.hondajet.com

Honda Aircraft Company is an aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, responsible for the production of the HondaJet family of aircraft. Originally a secret research project within Honda R&D, Honda Aircraft Company was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor Company in August 2006 under the leadership of HondaJet designer Michimasa Fujino. [2] Honda Aircraft Company began delivering aircraft to customers in late 2015, and by the first half of 2017 its HondaJet had become the top-selling twin-engine light business jet. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Honda Aircraft has introduced a number of innovations in general aviation (GA) jet aircraft, including an over-wing engine mount, natural laminar flow wings, and carbon composite fuselage. [6] [7] [8] [9] The engine placement in particular overcame the limitations of earlier designs, allowing for reduced wave drag, and increased cabin and baggage space. [7] Honda Aircraft Company was also the first aircraft manufacturer to collaborate with Garmin to develop glass cockpits for GA jet aircraft. [10] In recognition for its contributions to aircraft design and business aviation, Honda Aircraft Company was awarded the AIAA Foundation Award for Excellence in 2018. [11] [12]

History

HondaJet in 2006 HondaJet 001.jpg
HondaJet in 2006

Honda’s aircraft research began as a top-secret research project within Honda R&D in 1986. [13] The project was initially just a team of four engineers as Honda built up its aviation division from scratch. [14] Lead designer Michimasa Fujino first developed the concept for the flagship “HondaJet” in 1997, and development began in 2000 when the engineering team relocated to the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina. [15] Until 2005, the HondaJet team operated out of a single hangar, and kept press releases to a minimum. [16] The proof-of-concept HondaJet first flew on December 8, 2003. In 2006, twenty years after the research project began, Honda Aircraft Company was founded as a wholly owned subsidiary of Honda Motor. [17]

Honda Aircraft Company’s first aircraft, the HondaJet, introduced a number of technological innovations to business aviation. The most notable is the over-wing engine mount, which improves aerodynamics and allows for a longer, quieter cabin by removing the engines from the wings. [7] Past attempts at over-wing engine placement resulted in unacceptable drag at high speeds. [18] In contrast, the HondaJet’s engines are placed in such a way as to actually reduce drag by combining the airflow around the engine with that over the wing. [19] [6] Honda Aircraft also achieved a natural laminar flow wing design by constructing the HondaJet wing out of a single piece of aluminum, thereby minimizing the number of parts capable of obstructing airflow. [8] [20] It also uses an entirely carbon composite fuselage, which both reduces aircraft weight and allows for improved airflow over the fuselage. [7] [6] [21] In recognition of these accomplishments, Honda Aircraft Company received several awards, such as the AIAA Foundation Award for Excellence in 2018 and the Flying Innovation Award from Flying Magazine in 2017. [22] [11]

After Honda decided to commercialize the HondaJet program, Fujino was tasked with transforming his small research team of thirty engineers into a large-scale company capable of aircraft manufacture and providing long-term customer support. [23] Fujino searched for employees from across the world, eventually creating an international, multi-lingual staff. [24] Between 2006 and 2015, Honda Motors invested over $200 million to expand the Honda Aircraft Company facilities from a single hangar to an over 133-acre campus consisting of an R&D center, manufacturing plant, customer service center, and office headquarters. [25] As of 2020, the company has delivered over 150 of their aircraft to customers in over 40 countries. [26] Honda Aircraft Company and its CEO Michimasa Fujino served as a case study for Harvard Business School professor Gary Pisano, who in his 2019 book Creative Construction classifies Honda Aircraft as an example of start-up like behavior within a large, established corporation. [27]

In 2015, the Honda Aircraft Company received type certification for its first aircraft, the HondaJet. [28] [29] The first delivery occurred on December 23, 2015. [30] In 2018, the company introduced the HondaJet Elite, which featured upgraded avionics, increased range, and an optional galley. [31] [32] That same year, Honda Aircraft Company began offering the HondaJet APMG to existing HondaJet customers, which provided many of the upgrades seen in the HondaJet Elite. In May 2021, the company announced the HondaJet Elite S, which improved on the Elite’s avionics system, maximum takeoff weight, and range. [33]

After receiving FAA type-certification in 2015, over the next few years Honda Aircraft Company expanded its sales operations to many other countries. [34] [35] [36] [37]

In 2018, Honda Aircraft Company began partnering with other companies to provide aircraft for charter. [38] [39] [40]

On May 20, 2019, Honda Aircraft Company announced that they were building a new 15.5 million dollar facility in Greensboro N.C., [41] which was completed in September 2020. [42]

In October 2021, Honda Aircraft unveiled the HondaJet 2600 Concept, a new aircraft concept, during the 2021 NBAA Convention held in Las Vegas. [43] This concept design uses many of the elements of the original HondaJet, such as the over-wing engine placement, but features a larger cabin with room for 11 passengers and a longer range of 2,625 nm (4,862 km). Honda Aircraft announced the HondaJet 2600 Concept to determine market interest, and subsequently announced the commercialization of the concept on June 13, 2023. [44]

In February 2022, Honda Aircraft announced that founder Michimasa Fujino would retire as president and CEO of the company on April 1, and that Honda Motor vice president Hideto Yamasaki would assume leadership of Honda Aircraft upon the retirement of Fujino, who would continue as a consultant for the company. [45]

In October 2023, Honda Aircraft named the Honda 2600 Concept the HondaJet Echelon during the 2023 NBAA Convention in Las Vegas. The development timeline for the project includes construction beginning in early 2024, with the first flight planned in 2026 and certification anticipated in 2028. [46]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Honda Aircraft Company
Model nameType CertifiedType
Hondajet 2015Twin-engine light business jet, 6-passenger
HondaJet APMG2018Twin-engine light business jet, 6-passenger
HondaJet Elite2018Twin-engine light business jet, 8-passenger
HondaJet Elite II2022Twin-engine light business jet, 8-passenger
HondaJet EchelonTwin-engine light business jet, 10-passenger [47]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aircraft</span> Vehicle or machine that is able to fly by gaining support from the air

An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, in a few cases, direct downward thrust from its engines. Common examples of aircraft include airplanes, helicopters, airships, gliders, paramotors, and hot air balloons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aviation</span> Design, development, production, operation and use of aircraft

Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. Aircraft includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air balloons and airships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business jet</span> Jet-powered executive transport aircraft

A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal comfort than commercial aircraft, and may be adapted for other roles, such as casualty evacuation or express parcel deliveries, and some are used by public bodies, government officials, VIPs, or even the military.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piedmont Triad International Airport</span> Airport in North Carolina

Piedmont Triad International Airport is an airport located in unincorporated Guilford County, North Carolina, west of Greensboro, serving the Piedmont Triad region of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem as well as the entire Piedmont Triad region in North Carolina, United States. The airport, located just off Bryan Boulevard, sits on a 3,770 acre campus and has three runways. It is the third busiest airport in North Carolina, averaging 280 takeoffs and landings each day. PTI is owned and operated by the Piedmont Triad Airport Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GE Honda HF120</span>

The GE Honda HF120 is a small turbofan for the light business jet market, the first engine to be produced by GE Honda Aero Engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airplane</span> Powered, flying vehicle with wings

An airplane or aeroplane, informally plane, is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spectrum of uses for airplanes includes recreation, transportation of goods and people, military, and research. Worldwide, commercial aviation transports more than four billion passengers annually on airliners and transports more than 200 billion tonne-kilometers of cargo annually, which is less than 1% of the world's cargo movement. Most airplanes are flown by a pilot on board the aircraft, but some are designed to be remotely or computer-controlled such as drones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse 500</span> Very light business jet

The Eclipse 500 is a very light jet (VLJ) originally produced by Eclipse Aviation of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The company was founded in 1998 to develop the 1997 Williams V-Jet II demonstrator. The prototype first flew with Williams EJ22 turbofans on August 26, 2002. The engines were replaced by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610Fs in 2004 and Eclipse Aviation won the Collier Trophy in February 2006 for the design. A provisional FAA type certification was received on 27 July 2006 and the first delivery occurred on 31 December 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Very light jet</span> Class of small jet aircraft under 10,000 lb.

A very light jet (VLJ), entry-level jet or personal jet, previously known as a microjet, is a category of small business jets that seat four to eight people. VLJs are considered the lightest business jets and are approved for single-pilot operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honda HA-420 HondaJet</span> Very light business jet

The Honda HA-420 HondaJet is a light business jet produced by the Honda Aircraft Company of Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Original concepts of the aircraft started in 1997 and were completed in 1999. It took its maiden flight on December 3, 2003, received its FAA type certificate in December 2015, and was first delivered that same month. By the end of 2021, 200 jets had been delivered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VFW-Fokker 614</span> 1970s West German twinjet regional airliner

The VFW-Fokker 614 was a twin-engined jetliner designed and constructed by joint Dutch and West German aviation company VFW-Fokker. It is the first jet-powered passenger liner to be developed and produced in West Germany, as well as the first German-built civil aircraft to have been manufactured for a decade.

James D. DeLaurier is an inventor and professor emeritus of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. He is a leader in design and analysis of lighter than air vehicles and flapping winged aircraft.

Michimasa Fujino is a retired Japanese aeronautical engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Honda Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company. Fujino worked as chief engineer within Honda R&D, then as vice president, before he was named the project leader for HondaJet development. He was also a Honda Motor managing officer. At Honda Aircraft, he played a crucial role in the growth of the company, and was responsible for the overall strategy of its design, development, certification, marketing, sales, and production of the HondaJet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cessna CitationJet/M2</span> Light business jet

The Cessna CitationJet/CJ/M2 are a series of light business jets built by Cessna, and are part of the Citation family. Launched in October 1989, the first flight of the Model 525 was on April 29, 1991. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification was awarded on October 16, 1992, and the first aircraft was delivered on March 30, 1993. The CJ series are powered by two Williams FJ44 engines; the design uses the Citation II's forward fuselage with a new carry-through section wing and a T-tail. The original CitationJet model has been updated into the CJ1/CJ1+/M2 variants; additionally, the CJ1 was stretched into the CJ2/CJ2+ which was built between 2000 and 2016. The design was then further developed into the CJ3/CJ3+, built from December 2004 to present, and finally into the CJ4 which has been built since 2010. By June 2017, 2,000 of all variants had been delivered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfstream G650/G700/G800</span> Executive transport aircraft

The Gulfstream G650 is a large business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace. The model is designated Gulfstream GVI in its type certificate. The aircraft can be configured to carry from 11 to 18 passengers over a range of 7,000 nautical miles [nmi] at a top speed of Mach 0.925. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR725 turbofans, mounted on the rear fuselage. Gulfstream began the G650 program in 2005 and revealed it to the public in 2008. The G650ER is an extended-range version of the G650, adding about 500 nmi by modifying the fuel system, an upgrade offered for existing G650 aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirrus Airframe Parachute System</span> Aircraft parachute system

The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) is a whole-plane ballistic parachute recovery system designed specifically for Cirrus Aircraft's line of general aviation light aircraft including the SR20, SR22 and SF50. The design became the first of its kind to become certified with the FAA, achieving certification in October 1998, and as of 2022 was the only aircraft ballistic parachute used as standard equipment by an aviation company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombardier Global 7500</span> Business jet

The Bombardier Global 7500 and Global 8000 are ultra long-range business jets developed by Bombardier Aviation and remain the largest business jets in the world. Announced in October 2010, the program was delayed by two years due to a wing redesign. The 7500, originally named the 7000, made its first flight on November 4, 2016, was type certified by Transport Canada on September 28, 2018, and entered service on 20 December 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gulfstream G280</span> Type of aircraft

The Gulfstream G280 is a twin-engine business jet built by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for Gulfstream Aerospace. It began delivery to users in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eclipse 550</span> Very light business jet

The Eclipse 550 is a very light jet initially built by Eclipse Aerospace and later One Aviation of Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. The aircraft is a development version of the Eclipse 500, which was produced by predecessor Eclipse Aviation. Like the 500, the 550 is a low-wing, six seat, twin engine jet-powered aircraft. The Eclipse 550 is certified for single-pilot operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pilatus PC-24</span> Twin-engine business jet by Pilatus Aircraft

The Pilatus PC-24 is a light business jet produced by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Following the success of the PC-12 single engine turboprop, work on the twin engine jet began in 2007 for greater range and speed, keeping the rugged airfield capability. The aircraft was introduced on 21 May 2013 and rolled out on 1 August 2014, with the maiden flight on 11 May 2015. The PC-24 received EASA and FAA type certification on 7 December 2017 and the first customer delivery was on 7 February 2018. Powered by two Williams FJ44 turbofans, it competes with the Embraer Phenom 300 and the Cessna Citation CJ4.

The Honda MH01 is an experimental aircraft developed by the Japanese company Honda, in cooperation with the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory of Mississippi State University.

References

  1. ↑ Arcieri, Katie (20 October 2014). "Honda Aircraft Co. begins construction on $19M expansion at PTI; total work force is now 1,200+". Triad Business Journal. American City Business Journals . Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. ↑ Holden, Henry M. (February 2007). "HondaJet: On a Wing and a Dare". Airport Journals. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Pisano, Gary (January 2019). Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation. New York: PublicAffairs. p. 112. ISBN   978-1-61039-877-0.
  4. ↑ Nonaka, Ikujiro; Takeuchi, Hirotaka (2019). The Wise Company: How Companies Create Continuous Innovation. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 9. ISBN   9780190497019.
  5. ↑ "General Aviation Aircraft Shipment Report - 2017 Year End" (PDF). General Aviation Manufacturers Association. May 8, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Haines, Thomas B. (August 5, 2005). "HondaJet. Behind The Curtain" (PDF). aopa.com. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Fujino, Michimasa (May–June 2005). "Design and Development of the HondaJet" (PDF). Journal of Aircraft . 42 (3): 755–764. doi:10.2514/1.12268 . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  8. 1 2 Fujino, Michimasa; Yuichi Yoshizaki; Yuichi Kawamura (July–August 2003). "Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil Development for a Lightweight business Jet" (PDF). Journal of Aircraft . 40 (4): 609–615. doi:10.2514/2.3145 . Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  9. ↑ Fujino, Michimasa (2013). "Case Study 4: HondaJet". In Carichner, Grant E.; Nicolai, Leland M. (eds.). Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Volume 2 – Airship Design and Case Studies. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. pp. 615–647. ISBN   978-1-60086-898-6.
  10. ↑ Matoon, Jeff (May–June 2012). "Fujino's Form: An In Depth Look into HondaJet and its Visionary Leader" (PDF). Pilot Magazine. p. 6. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Aircraft Design Award". AIAA. 2018.
  12. ↑ Olsen, Patricia R. (October 12, 2018). "From Business Jet Designer to Company C.E.O." The New York Times . Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ Fujino, Michimasa (2013). "Case Study 4: HondaJet". In Carichner, Grant E.; Nicolai, Leland M. (eds.). Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Volume 2 – Airship Design and Case Studies. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. p. 645. ISBN   978-1-60086-898-6.
  14. ↑ Pisano, Gary; Shulman, Jesse (January 2018). "Flying into the Future: HondaJet". Harvard Business School Case (618–012): 2–3. Retrieved August 20, 2020.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ↑ Barbara De Lollis (September 26, 2006). "Honda Brings Small Jet Dynamo to Market". USA Today International Edition.
  16. ↑ Muller, Joann (May 25, 2015). "How The HondaJet Took Flight: An Engineer's 29-Year Obsession". Forbes.
  17. ↑ Maynard, Micheline (July 25, 2006). "Honda Enters the Aviation Market". The New York Times . Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  18. ↑ Berguin, Steven H.; Sudharshan Ashwin Renganathan; Jai Ahuja; Mengzhen Chen; Christian Perron; Jimmy Tai; Dimitri N. Mavris (October 2018). CFD Study of an Over-Wing Nacelle Configuration (Technical report). Georgia Institute of Technology. 1853/60464.
  19. ↑ Fujino, Michimasa (2013). "Case Study 4: HondaJet". In Carichner, Grant E.; Nicolai, Leland M. (eds.). Fundamentals of Aircraft and Airship Design, Volume 2 – Airship Design and Case Studies. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. pp. 620–622. ISBN   978-1-60086-898-6.
  20. ↑ Christopher Neiger (2013). "How the HondaJet Works".
  21. ↑ Gardiner, Ginger (May 1, 2012). "Composite Fuselage Helps Hondajet Upend Biz-Jet Market". Compositesworld.com. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  22. ↑ "HondaJet Wins Flying Innovation Award". Flying . July 25, 2017.
  23. ↑ Pisano, Gary; Shulman, Jesse (January 2018). "Flying into the Future: HondaJet". Harvard Business School Case (618–012): 1, 5–6. Retrieved August 20, 2020.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ↑ Weiman, Dave (August 6, 2011). "Honda Aircraft Company – Poised For Production, Poised for Success!". MidwestFlyer.com. Midwest Flyer. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  25. ↑ "Honda Aircraft Company to Build New HondaJet Aircraft Maintenance Facility in Greensboro, North Carolina" (Press release). Greensboro: Honda. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  26. ↑ Honda Aircraft Company. "HondaJet Brochure" (PDF). Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  27. ↑ Pisano, Gary (January 2019). Creative Construction: The DNA of Sustained Innovation. New York: PublicAffairs. p. 8. ISBN   978-1-61039-877-0.
  28. ↑ "HondaJet Receives Type Certification From Federal Aviation Administration" (Press release). Greensboro, NC: Honda. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  29. ↑ "TYPE CERTIFICATE DATA SHEET NO. A00018AT Revision 0" (PDF). FAA. December 8, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
  30. ↑ "Honda Aircraft Company Begins HondaJet Deliveries" (Press release). Greensboro, NC: Honda. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  31. ↑ Bergqvist, Pia (May 29, 2018). "Honda Aircraft Launches HondaJet Elite". flyingmag.com. Flying. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  32. ↑ Francis, Scott (May 30, 2018). "Honda Aircraft Introduces HondaJet Elite". compositesworld.com. Gardner Business Media. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  33. ↑ Jon Hemmerdinger (26 May 2021). "Honda unveils new HondaJet variant, Elite S". Flight Global.
  34. ↑ Bergqvist, Pia (May 24, 2016). "HondaJet Achieves EASA Certification". flyingmag.com. Flying. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  35. ↑ Bollinger, Luke (4 April 2018). "Following a trend of global expansion, HondaJet receives certification in two South American countries". Triad Business Journal. American City Business Journals . Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  36. ↑ Waldron, Gregy (December 13, 2018). "HondaJet Elite receives Japan certification". Flight Global. DVV Media International Limited. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  37. ↑ "Honda Aircraft Company Begins Deliveries of HondaJet Elite to China" (Press release). Greensboro: Honda. 10 December 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  38. ↑ Bollinger, Luke (March 27, 2018). "Honda Aircraft, Japan's largest airline strike HondaJet partnership". bizjournals.com/triad. American City Business Journals. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  39. ↑ Warfield, Andy (December 20, 2019). "Triad company taking fractional ownership of HondaJets into the friendly skies". bizjournals.com/triad. American City Business Journals. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  40. ↑ Sibenmark, Jerry (July 23, 2019). "Wing Spirit Expands HondaJet Order to 15". ainonline.com. The Convention News Company. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Honda Aircraft Company to build new $15.5 million facility in Greensboro". 20 May 2019.
  42. ↑ Warfield, Andy (14 January 2021). "Honda Aircraft Co. begins operations at new Wing Production and Service Parts Facility at PTI". Triad Business Journal. American City Business Journals . Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  43. ↑ Matt Thurber (October 12, 2021). "Honda Aircraft Unveils 2600 'Concept' Jet". AIN online.
  44. ↑ Boatman, Julie (2023-06-13). "Honda Aircraft Reveals Certification Plan for HondaJet 2600 Concept". FLYING Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  45. ↑ Honda Aircraft Founder Set to Retire - AOPA
  46. ↑ "Honda goes for the upper Echelon". www.aopa.org. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  47. ↑ "Elevating Efficiency to New Heights". Honda Aircraft Company.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.