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NEWS
Honda Jet enters production
Japanese company extends its reach: cars, motorbikes, power equipment... robots... and now executive jetsHonda is cementing its position as a technology-driven company with the announcement its HondaJet is now in production.
“An assembly line for HondaJet production is in place, major aircraft components including the fuselage and wing have been produced and we have started assembly of the first customer aircraft,” said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino, speaking at a press conference held during the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Florida.
“Commencing production is the most important milestone in the HondaJet program to date, with only the future Federal Aviation Administration Type Certification and first customer delivery ranking greater in significance.”
Fujino-san was awarded by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) back in September for his work developing the HondaJet's Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration. The design "reduces wave drag and increases drag divergence Mach number". Other advantages include optimal cabin space, better fuel efficiency at cruising speed and lower levels of noise within the cabin. Honda has also developed for the aircraft "a natural-laminar flow (NLF) nose section and wing leading edge and a composite fuselage". According to the company, the HondaJet is "the fastest, most spacious and most fuel efficient jet in its class".
Befitting such an aircraft, the production line for it is highly sophisticated and embraces many facets of Honda's automotive manufacturing philosophy. Technicians assembling the aircraft are provided instructions via a tablet device and receive parts courtesy of an Automatic Guided Cart, a robot linked into the production flow for the sake of safe and timely parts delivery to different areas of the factory.
In advance of production commencing, the HondaJet underwent a range of test exercises, including: crew seat crash tests, speedbrake testing, ultimate load tests, EASA windshield bird strike testing, wind tunnel icing tests, night lighting testing and hot-weather flight testing. For the last of these, the pre-production HondaJet was operated out of Yuma, Arizona, where technicians checked the aircraft over for on-board systems and infrastructure.
Customer aircraft maintenance will be handled at a new unit established by Honda, the MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility. Capable of supporting up to 12 aircraft simultaneously, the MRO facility operate around the clock, once doors open in the latter half of 2013. Around the same time, Honda Aircraft's customer service team, based in San Diego, California, will hit the ground running.
Pilot training for conversion to the HondaJet will be handled by FlightSafety International, with a simulator based at Honda Aircraft's headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“Honda is known for its methodical approach in engineering and processes,” said Mr Fujino. “To this end, our commitment to deliver the best possible product that will bring new value to aviation remains. We have taken the necessary time and effort with the HondaJet program to do it right and give our customers the finest product with the best ownership experience possible.”
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