Compact Aircraft? Honda to Begin Sales of Light HondaJet

Honda recently announced plans to enter the innovative HondaJet in the
growing very light jet market, with the process of accepting sales orders
expected to begin in the United States in fall 2006. Toward this goal, Honda
will establish a new U.S. company to hold FAA type certification and production
certification. Honda’s goal is to complete FAA type certification in about 3 to
4 years, followed by the start of production in the United States. Making the
announcement at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture 2006, the
world’s largest annual aviation gathering, Honda also revealed plans to form a
business alliance with Piper Aircraft Inc. to collaborate on sales and service
and explore opportunities in engineering and other areas within general and
business aviation.

“Aviation has been an important dream of Honda for more than four decades,”
said Satoshi Toshida, senior managing director of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. “Our goal
is consistent with the philosophy of other Honda products — to provide
convenient and efficient transportation that will make people’s lives better. We
are excited now to enter a new dimension of mobility.”

The announcement to commercialize HondaJet comes one year after the plane
made its world public debut at EAA AirVenture 2005 in Oshkosh, Wis. The result
of 20 years of aviation research, key HondaJet innovations include a patented
over-the-wing engine-mount configuration, a natural-laminar flow (NLF) wing and
fuselage nose and an advanced all-composite fuselage structure. To date the
prototype six- to seven-seat HondaJet has completed more than 240 hours of
flight-testing since December 2003. So far, the prototype HondaJet has achieved
an altitude of 43,000 ft and a speed of 412 knots.