Honda's HA-420 HondaJet Traces Decades-Long Development From 1986 Research to FAA Certification in 2015
Why It MattersA carmaker sustaining a business jet programme across decades and several upgrades shows how an unconventional layout, with engines above the wing, can carve out a niche in the light-jet segment.
Honda, known mainly for cars, motorcycles and engines, also builds its own business jet, the Honda HA-420 HondaJet. The company began researching small aircraft and related propulsion technology in 1986, with engineer Michimasa Fujino playing a decisive role. The experimental Honda MH-02 made its first flight in 1993, and the HondaJet project officially began in 1997. The first experimental HondaJet flew on 3 December 2003 in Greensboro, North Carolina, and debuted publicly at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh in 2005. Honda announced in 2006 that it would bring the jet to market.
The aircraft's most distinctive feature is its Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM), which places the two engines on brackets above the wings rather than on the rear fuselage. This reduces drag under certain flight conditions and frees up space in the rear cabin. Honda also developed special wing profiles intended to maintain laminar airflow for as long as possible, and an aerodynamically optimised nose.
Honda also developed its own engine technology, including the HF118 used on the experimental aircraft. For series production it worked with General Electric, forming GE Honda Aero Engines. The production aircraft uses two HF120 turbofan engines, each producing about 9.1 kilonewtons of thrust.
The model has been upgraded several times: the HondaJet Elite in 2018, the Elite S in 2021 and the Elite II in 2022. The Elite II has a maximum cruising speed of 782 km/h under specified test conditions and a range of about 2,865 km, a figure that applies to a four-person crew and specified fuel reserves. Its maximum flight altitude is about 13,100 metres, its length is 12.99 metres, its wingspan 12.12 metres, and its maximum take-off weight around five tonnes. The cabin measures about 5.43 metres in length, 1.52 metres in width and 1.47 metres in height, with seating for up to seven passengers.
Development, production and other key facilities are located in the United States, and the HondaJet is also available on the European market. Honda is working on a larger business jet, the HondaJet Echelon, originally presented as the HondaJet 2600 Concept, which is intended to offer greater range and a more spacious cabin.
