Honda is already a huge name in the world of automobiles and motorcycles, but now the Japanese giant also plans to take over the skies with a new line of business jets.
Plans to produce the HondaJet are decades old, but only relatively recently has the project really been looking like it’s going to materialize. The Honda Aircraft Company was established in 2006 and it reached an important milestone in late 2013 with the granting of the FAA Type Inspection Authorization (allowing FAA pilots to thoroughly test the aircraft). On the 19th of May this year, the first production HondaJet was revealed in Geneva, and if the final stages of testing go smoothly, the first jets will be delivered immediately after certification, in the first quarter of 2015.
The airplane features a number of innovations, such as the over-the-wing engine mount design, the natural laminar flow technology on the wings and nose (reducing aerodynamic drag, which increases speed and fuel efficiency), or the light, yet durable carbon fiber composite fuselage.
The price for the HondaJet is expected to be around $4.5 million.
