HondaJet has updated and finalized the production design for the cockpit and cabin of its light jet, the company said at NBAA’s Annual Convention this week. The new design incorporates the results of Honda’s human-factors engineering efforts and flight-test evaluations and reflects the quality of materials, colors and finishes that will be available in delivery aircraft, the company said. HondaJet now has two conforming aircraft in its flight-test program and has started to assemble a third at its facility in Greensboro, N.C. The first conforming aircraft has been used to ground-test electrical and hydraulic systems in preparation for its first flight. The second airplane will be used for static structural stress testing.
“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 HondaJet CEO Michimasa Fujino. All static structural stress tests are conducted with a structural test fixture designed exclusively for the HondaJet, using 61 hydraulic actuators and a 2,600-channel data acquisition system. 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. HondaJet also said it is almost finished with construction of a 250,000 square foot production facility at its Greensboro campus. The facility is scheduled to open early next year. The new facility will also house Flight Safety International Level-D full-motion flight simulators for training all HondaJet pilots and crew.
