HA-420 HondaJet
Spotlight - Thu, 12/01/2016 - 15:07

HA-420 HondaJet

Honda, known for its cars and motorcycles, has had its eye on the sky for a while.
Thu, 12/01/2016 - 15:07
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Honda, known for its cars and motorcycles, has had its eye on the sky for a while. More than four decades after envisioning the creation of a jet and almost 10 years since it was first released for sale, the Japanese company delivered the first HA-420 HondaJet in December 2015.

Featuring state of the art technologies, the HA-420 is a revolutionary light jet equipped with several innovations, including Honda’s patented over-the-wing engine mount (OTWEM). The engine’s location increases fuselage space that can be used to expand the cabin or for external cargo areas. It also reduces cabin noise for a more pleasant journey.

Another innovative feature is the aircraft’s natural laminar flow (NLF) wing and nose. The aerodynamic NLF design helps reduce drag, making the jet faster and more efficient. To achieve this NLF characteristic, the HondaJet has integral, machined panels that reduce the number of parts required for the wing’s assembly. By employing the NLF method on the aircraft’s nose, the fuselage drag can be reduced by up to 10 percent when compared to a turbulent-flow nose.

The jet’s lightweight structure is achieved through an advanced composite fuselage structure, formed through a combination of honeycomb-sandwich and stiffened- panel structures. This reduces the aircraft’s weight and manufacturing complexity. HondaJet’s combination of over-the-wing engine mount and natural laminar flow innovations allows the aircraft to achieve a maximum cruise speed of 420KTAS at 30,000ft. Its takeoff distance is less than 4,000ft and it has a climbing rate of 3,990ft per minute.

The plane’s spacious cockpit was developed in partnership with Garmin, the most customized and automated avionics cabin in its category, with enhanced visibility from three 14-inch landscape displays and touch-screen controllers.

At 12.99m long, the plane in its typical configuration can accommodate one crewmember and five passengers. The alternative seating configuration offers space for one crew member and six passengers. The aircraft’s nose compartment has a baggage capacity of 0.25m3 while the aft baggage compartment has a 1.61m3 capacity.

HondaJet’s performance is in line with Honda’s Blue Skies for Our Children commitment. In addition to a reduction in fuel use, the aircraft also cuts noise emissions. Forty years ago Honda looked up and saw possibility. The HondaJet delivers on that vision.

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