The Honda HA-420 HondaJet is the first aircraft developed by the Honda Motor Company that will be made available to the general aviation market.
Development
Honda began research into small sized business jets in the late 1980s, using engines from other manufacturers. The Honda MH02, an organic matrix composite prototype, was fabricated and assembled at Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In August 2006 Honda and Piper Aircraft announced a partnership to market the HondaJet.
Design
Honda decided to go with an unusual over-the-wing podded engine configuration, a feature developed on the Fokker VFW-614 decades earlier, which allows for more space within the fuselage and reduction of drag at higher speeds. The fuselage itself is made from lightweight composite materials, while the wings are made from structurally reinforced single sheets of aluminum. The use of a single sheet allows for a smoother surface than more conventional methods. Honda claims that the combination of lightweight materials, aerodynamics and the efficient engines gives the HondaJet a 30-35% higher fuel efficiency than similar aircraft.
Honda began developing its own small turbofan engine, the HF118, in 1999. This led to the evolution of the HF120, which was developed with GE Aviation under the GE Honda partnership, and was test-flown on a Cessna Citation and on a modified Boeing 727-100. The engine features a single fan, a two-stage compressor and a two-stage turbine. Further design testing on wing shape and design were done on a T-33 Shooting Star, modified by AVTEL Services, Inc, and flight tested at the Mojave Airport.
The aircraft is equipped with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit system (i.e. most of the cockpit readouts are presented on flat-panel displays).
Specifications (HA-420 HondaJet)
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Data from {Honda Aircraft Company}
General characteristics
- Crew: Two crew members
- Capacity: 5 passengers
- Length: 41.70 ft (12.71 m)
- Wingspan: 39.87 ft (12.15 m)
- Height: 13.21 ft (4.03 m)
- Useful load: 644lbs ()
- Max takeoff weight: 4,173 kg (9,200 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines, 1,880lbf each (Bypass Ratio= 2.9) (8.04kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 420 KTAS (778 kmh, 483 mph)
- Cruise speed: 420 KTAS
- Range: 1400 nm (1611 mi, 2,593 km) (VFR Range)
- Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,107 m)
- Rate of climb: 3990 ft/min (20.27 m/s)
Avionics
Garmin G1000 glass cockpit
