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| HondaJet in flight. Photo: HondaJet |
[Avionics Today 10-22-2014] Honda Aircraft made several announcements at NBAA 2014, regarding flight testing, the HondaJet demonstration tour and company expansion.
The company has conducted extensive certification flight testing at various locations across the United States, including test of minimum control speed on ground (Vmcg) in Kinston, North Carolina; high-field operation test in Telluride, Colorado; high-elevation field performance test in Roswell, New Mexico; crosswind landing test in Lubbock, Texas; avionics system test in Wichita, Kan.; and extreme cold weather testing at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The HondaJet flight test fleet has logged more than 2,000 flight hours and has conducted testing at more than 70 locations across the U.S.
The first production HondaJet has also started a demonstration tour with dealers in North America, which will pick up again immediately following the conclusion of the NBAA conference.
At Honda Aircraft Company’s world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, production is ramping up and the final assembly line is full with 11 aircraft. The second production HondaJet is nearing completion and the company anticipates its first flight in the next few months. The company has also hired and trained more than 300 assembly technicians in the last 14 months to support aircraft production and its continued ramp-up. Additionally, the company anticipates adding an additional 150 production jobs prior to entry into service.