Honda Using Its Own Engine In This Version
While you already heard about the first flights of
the Honda jet here on ANN, Honda has decided to start
talking about it. Honda Motor Company's HondaJet, a new
experimental compact business jet equipped with Honda-developed
HF118 jet engines, successfully completed the initial flight test
this month at Piedmont Triad Airport (NC).
The company says, compared with conventional jets, this
experimental aircraft offers superior fuel efficiency and
remarkable cabin space. The engines are optimally positioned on the
upper surface of the main wing in a unique configuration that
reduces drag at high speed and increases cruising efficiency. This
layout also eliminates the need for structural engine mounts in the
fuselage, creating over 30 percent more cabin space than in a
conventional aircraft.
The fuselage is a compact and lightweight unified carbon
composite structure, yet, according to Honda, contains the largest
six-place cabin in its class. The main wing, which features
aluminum skin panels chiseled from single sheets of aluminum that
provide a smoother surface than conventional wing configurations,
along with Honda's proprietary turbulence-reducing laminar airfoil,
work together to significantly improve aerodynamic performance.
Additional drag-reducing technologies include the fuselage nose,
which is designed to generate laminar flow. These features, in
combination with Honda's fuel-efficient HF118 Turbofan Engine,
provide fuel efficiency over 40% better than conventional
aircraft.
This experimental aircraft is also outfitted with a
state-of-the-art glass cockpit with an integrated avionics system,
as well as an autopilot function, anti-icing equipment, and other
systems. The jet is scheduled to undergo approximately 200 hours of
flight-testing to demonstrate and verify the operability and
performance characteristics of its various systems.
Honda began research into compact business jets in 1986, using
engines provided by other manufacturers. The HF118 Turbofan
Engine-equipped HondaJet experimental compact jet is the first
Honda developed aircraft to be outfitted with a Honda engine, a
milestone of significance for the company and the industry.
New Technologies Employed in the HondaJet:
Honda SMH-1 Natural Laminar Flow Wing Section
Honda's proprietary SMH-1 achieves low drag and excellent
performance at high speeds despite its relative thickness.
Laminar Flow Nose Section
The optimal design of the fuselage nose generates a laminar flow
that reduces drag on the fuselage.
Over-the-Wing Engine-Mount
Optimal placement of
the engine nacelles over the main wing improves aerodynamic
performance at high speeds.
Co-cured Composite Fuselage
The co-cured composite and honeycomb sandwich structure combine
to create a new composite structure that enables Honda to develop a
lightweight fuselage with more interior space.
Aluminum Main Wing
The use of an integrally stiffened skin produces a smooth wing
surface that promotes laminar flow.
Glass Cockpit
The aircraft is equipped with a state-of-the-art Garmin G1000
glass cockpit system. Information is efficiently presented on
flat-panel flight displays.
Main Specifications
Provisional name
|
HondaJet
|
Seating |
6/2 crew + 4passengers or 1 + 5 |
Engine |
Honda HF118 Turbofan Engine |
Maximum take-off thrust (kgf (lbf)) |
757 (1,670) x 2 |
Maximum take-off weight (kgf (lbf)) |
4,173 (9,200) |
Length x width x height (m (ft)) |
12.5 x 12.2 x 4.1 (41.1 x 39.9 x 13.2) |
Maximum speed (km/hr (knots)) |
778 (420) |
Service ceiling (m(ft)) |
12,497 (41,000) |
Range (km (nm)) |
2,037 (1,100) |
Fuel consumption (km/kg (nm/lb)) |
3.3 (0.8) |
Take-off distance (m (ft)) |
807 (2,647) |
Landing distance(m (ft)) |
694 (2,277) |