Ground Testing Underway For First Conforming Aircraft
Honda Aircraft Company said Monday at the annual NBAA convention
that ground testing is underway on its first conforming HondaJet
flight test aircraft, and static structural stress testing in
progress on its second conforming aircraft. Assembly is also
underway on the third conforming flight test aircraft.
With the installation of electrical, hydraulic, mechanical and
environmental control systems, the first conforming flight test
aircraft has entered the ground testing stage in preparation for
first flight. Systems tests already completed on the conforming
aircraft include, among others: oxygen, fuel tank and vapor cycle
systems tests; landing gear deployment tests; steering and brake
tests; flight control tests; power distribution tests; core
navigation functions (VOR/ILS/GPS) tests; primary air data and
attitude/heading sensor tests; and integrated avionic system
functional tests. Additional tests completed at supplier facilities
include: DC motor pump extreme environmental condition tests;
hydraulic and electrical component tests; landing gear actuator
vibration tests; landing gear drop tests; and crew and cabin seat
crash tests.
Exterior treatment of the first conforming flight test aircraft
also is complete with the application of a new HondaJet paint
scheme. Featuring a metallic silver-over-white profile combined
with a distinctive sweeping fuselage stripe in dark metallic gray,
the aircraft sports a bisecting white and dark metallic gray
combination stripe extending from its nose over the upper fuselage,
further enhancing the HondaJet's unique image of dynamic
performance.
Assembly of the second conforming aircraft - to be used for
static structural stress testing - was completed in July. Following
control surfaces FAA testing, including rudder and elevator tests,
static structural stress tests of the entire aircraft have
commenced and included: 100% limit-load wing tests; 100% limit-load
horizontal stabilizer tests; wing stiffness tests; landing gear
load tests; pylon stiffness tests; and fuselage pressure tests.
Static structural stress testing has been undertaken at Honda
Aircraft Company's R&D facility on its Greensboro, North
Carolina, campus.
"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 Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company's
President and CEO.
All static structural stress tests are conducted utilizing
Honda's advanced structural test system. The system incorporates 61
hydraulic actuators and a 2,600-channel data acquisition system
within a structural test fixture designed exclusively for HondaJet
testing. 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.
Honda is now focused on assembly of the third conforming
aircraft to be used for flight testing of mechanical systems. The
fuselage and empennage for this aircraft have been completed, while
the wing assembly nears completion. Final assembly of this aircraft
is scheduled to begin soon at Honda's R&D facility on its
Greensboro campus.
Testing of aircraft systems on conforming flight test aircraft
are supported through the implementation of Honda's Advanced
Systems Integration Test Facility (ASITF). Honda's ASITF confirms
before first flight the integration of the aircraft's electrical,
avionics, mechanical and flight control systems, including stall
warning protection systems (SWPS) and rudder bias systems (RBS).
The HondaJet ASITF incorporates a fully representative primary
flight control system with a high-fidelity control-loading
system.
The HondaJet ASITF also incorporates actual aircraft systems
hardware and software, installed in a spatially-representative
manner and interconnected with actual aircraft electrical
harnesses. Additional simulation capabilities have been integrated
to provide real-time simulation of navigation RF data, including
GPS.
"Honda's Advanced Systems Integration Test Facility is a
powerful tool that will support the most efficient development and
certification process possible for the HondaJet. By effectively
identifying any developmental issues at the earliest possible
stages of the process, our ASITF system will support an accelerated
program momentum and, ultimately, help us create the best possible
aircraft," said Fujino.
At this year's NBAA, Honda released HondaJet production cockpit and
cabin designs featuring production parts, reflecting the quality of
materials, colors and finishes to be available in delivery
aircraft. The HondaJet's cockpit design has been updated to reflect
the maturity of Honda's human factors engineering efforts and
flight test evaluations.
With all that going on, construction of the HondaJet production
facility on the company's Greensboro campus is quickly nearing
completion. The 250,000 ft2 production facility is now in the final
phase of construction, with interior build-out well underway. The
facility is scheduled for completion in early 2011, at which time
pre-production preparations and training of production staff will
begin. Upon completion, the production facility's two
state-of-the-art painting facilities will be utilized to support
finishing of additional conforming aircraft, thereby supplementing
the painting capacity of Honda's R&D facility on campus. In
addition, the HondaJet production facility will incorporate Flight
Safety International Level-D, full-motion flight simulators for
training of all HondaJet pilots and crew.