Honda Aircraft Company – Poised For Production, Poised For Success!

The first FAA conforming HondaJet “F1.”

by Dave Weiman

Technology in aircraft designs is going gangbusters right now with the research and development of several new light jets by different manufacturers. Only time will tell which manufacturers survive and prosper, but there are already indications as to which companies those will be.

The “design” of the aircraft is very important. An aircraft needs to be appealing to potential buyers – attractive just sitting on the ramp, equipped with modern and functional features, and with the speed and range to meet or exceed buyers’ expectations. The aircraft also has to fit the market.

The biggest hurdle of any new aircraft project is the “certification” process. Test aircraft have to endure rigorous testing. And as soon as a new aircraft has been certified and orders placed, the manufacturer must have the “people” and “facilities” in place to start building them.

The entire process from conception to completion takes a lot of money, and stamina on the part of the people involved, from the engineers and test pilots to the administrative staff and sales team. The excitement – and pressure – can be compared with what the National Air & Space Administration (NASA) has been going through from Mercury to Apollo and through the Space Shuttle program.

Michimasa Fujino

One company, which I have great respect for and confidence in is Honda Aircraft Company, and to their credit, they have opened the door for us to get to know the people behind the scenes, including their president and chief operating officer, Michimasa Fujino-san.

Fujino-san, 50, joined Honda R&D Co., Ltd., in Japan in 1984, after graduating from Tokyo University with a degree in aeronautical engineering. He spent the first two years of his career in the automobile research division working on the development of a new electrical control steering system. Fujino-san was then assigned to a research project in the field of aviation.

Over the past 20 years, he has been involved in the design and development of aircraft and has participated in several aircraft projects. This included major responsibilities in the design and development of two experimental aircraft: the MH01, a single-engine, turboprop, composite aircraft, and the MH02, an all-composite, business jet. He has also performed research in the fields of configuration design, advanced aerodynamics including natural laminar flow (NLF), and transonic aeroelasticity. He has developed theoretical techniques for the aerodynamic and aeroelastic design of the HondaJet. In addition, he has conducted wind tunnel and flight tests at research facilities around the world.

Fujino-san has had many hurdles to overcome, including skepticism within Honda Motor Co., Ltd., itself. Company skeptics were concerned with the unconventional theories being applied to the HondaJet design, and also competition with other manufacturers.

But Fujino-san persevered, guided by mentor Leon Tolve, a retired Lockheed engineer who worked as a consultant with Fujino-san on Honda’s MH02 at Mississippi State University from 1986-95. Unfortunately,  the results of the MH02 were not very impressive, so Fujino-san and the rest of the research group returned to Japan.

While some members of the aviation group were reassigned to different projects, Fujino-san remained steadfast in his interest to develop an aircraft, and sketched a jet with engines mounted over the wings.

By 1997, Honda’s board of directors began questioning why they should continue financing its aviation-research unit, when the company had other priorities. But the soft-spoken engineer made his case at the December 1997 board meeting and convinced them that his new design would bring new value to customers.

Fujino-san was then named Large Project Leader for the HondaJet program in 1997.

With the support of the board, Fujino-san returned to the United States in 2001 to develop the HondaJet with the goal of flying before the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. on December 17, 2003. Fujino-san and his team beat the deadline by two weeks, and the HondaJet flew on December 3, 2003.

Leon Tolve, 88 years old when he died in 2004, lived to see the plane fly, but that was not the case with Honda Corporation’s founder, Sōichirō Honda, who in 1960 dreamed of Honda manufacturing an aircraft, but died in 1991 at age 84. Fujino-san said that he recently visited Mr. Honda’s widow at her home in Japan, and she expressed how proud her husband would have been had he been alive.

Fujino-san was responsible for the development of the over-the-wing engine-mount configuration, the high-speed NLF airfoil, the NLF fuselage nose, and the all-composite fuselage structure of the HondaJet. Fujino-san became president & CEO of Honda Aircraft Company in October 2006.

Why Greensboro, N.C.?

Honda Aircraft Campus, Greensboro, N.C.

Fujino-san picked Greensboro, N.C., not because of the Wright brothers’ first flight, but because of its close proximity to the FAA Aircraft Certification Office in Atlanta. Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) also has room to grow, and the East Coast has a significant amount of market potential. Other states Fujino-san considered were Texas, California and Washington. Currently, Honda Aircraft Company occupies 83 acres at Piedmont Triad International Airport and three separate structures.

Michimasa Fujino-san is open about the development of the HondaJet, and sincere in his relations with others. I believe there lies the secret to Honda Aircraft Company’s success.

I was invited to tour Honda Aircraft Company’s new manufacturing facilities in Greensboro at an open house on July 12, 2011. The company is putting the final touches on the HondaJet, gearing up to deliver their first of more than 100 confirmed orders beginning in 2012.

I was welcomed to the “delivery center,” where the white and blue HondaJet used for display purposes at EAA AirVenture and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Trade Show is displayed.

Our first stop was the “structure test facility” where the static strength and durability of the aircraft are being tested by applying numerous loads to the wings and fuselage.

Test pilot, Stefan Johansson, in the flight simulator at the integration test facility.

Next, we went to the “integration test facility” where engineers conduct full-flight simulation testing on the ground to confirm aspects such as reliability, safety, functionality and various failure modes of actual aircraft hardware and systems.

I spent a considerable amount of time sitting in the cockpit of the simulator with test pilot, Stefan Johansson of Halmstad, Sweden, who demonstrated the features of the Garmin G3000 next-generation avionics system. The cockpit employs an auto design because it requires less production time to build.

The staff at Honda Aircraft represents 82 nations and 49 different languages. “Honda likes diversity in its staff and unique personalities,” said Fujino-san. Most of the original members of the core team of engineers were Japanese, and they have since returned to Japan.

Research and development has a separate area where the FAA conforming aircraft are built for certification, although photography was restricted, as it was in most areas of the factory, wherever there was a computer monitor or key components were visible. Even the interior of one of the FAA-conforming aircraft was off limits to photography, as Honda was experimenting with different types of interiors. The “design studio” is where the cockpit, interior and exterior themes and designs are developed and evaluated.

The HondaJet has a large lavatory and large baggage compartment. I like the “retractable/recessed” armrests, and the passenger seats that can rotate for maximum comfort. Each passenger seat also has a television monitor.

Test pilot, Warren Gould, with HondaJet F1.

We got to see the first FAA-conforming HondaJet referred to as “F1” parked on the ramp. The aircraft stands 13 feet tall at the top of its tail, nearly 41 feet long, and has a wingspan of nearly 40 feet. The aircraft seats two crewmembers and five passengers, but is being certified as a single-pilot aircraft.

F1 achieved its first flight on December 20, 2010. On April 27, 2011, the aircraft reached a maximum operating altitude of 43,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, it recorded a maximum speed of 425 KTAS (489 mph) with throttle to spar! The aircraft has achieved a climb rate of 3,990 feet per minute, confirming another important performance parameter. The IFR range is 1180 nm, takeoff distance is 3120 feet, and landing distance is 2500 feet. The engines are GE Honda HF120s, each with 1880 lbs. of thrust output.

The most unique feature of the HondaJet is its “over-the-wing” engine mounts. This advanced configuration improves high-speed aerodynamics and maximizes cabin space. A German aircraft manufacturer tried a similar over-the-wing mounting system in the 1970s, but the project failed, apparently because the engines were not mounted in the precise location they needed to be for aerodynamics. Thirty years later, and thanks to advanced wind tunnel testing of models conducted in France, Japan and at Boeing in Seattle, the precise location was determined by Honda Aircraft.

The natural laminar flow technology of the wing and fuselage optimizes pressure distribution, significantly reducing drag.

The lightweight and high-strength fuselage is made of laminating carbon fiber pre-impregnated with resin, providing a spacious cabin. The aircraft has an elongated, tapered nose, and a striking color scheme. Buyers will initially have their pick of white with red, blue, yellow and gray trim.

From the ramp we visited the “telemetry room,” where various functions specialists remotely communicate with the test pilots and monitor and analyze in real time the progress of the test flight. If an engineer wants a pilot to perform a particular task, they can observe the task being performed via onboard cameras.

The telemetry room, which has about 20 individual computer work stations and overhead monitors, reminded me a lot of NASA’s mission control room. Despite the low-key, “no chitchat” policy atmosphere of the room, I am sure there is plenty of excitement when a particular goal is reached. “The room is like a symphony with everyone working towards the same goal,” commented the section leader. “ Flutter testing” of the wing is one example of the type of testing done in the telemetry room.

The final building on the tour was the 220,000 sq. ft. “production assembly area” and “paint booths.” There are two assembly lines, and 18 positions. Each line can accommodate 10 aircraft.

A big plus for one Minnesota firm is that Aerolift Doors, Inc. of Minneapolis manufactures the hangar doors. I was told that Aerolift doors were selected because they open and close quickly.

The offices consist of a lot of cubicles. Even Fujino-san’s office is in a cubical with everyone else, and not compartmentalized as traditionally seen at most companies. The philosophy at Honda Aircraft is to provide the best working atmosphere and a “free exchange of information and ideas.”

One-On-One With Michimasa Fujino

Intelligent, hard working and determined describes Michimasa Fujino-san, who admits that the HondaJet project has presented “many challenges.”

“Not everyone has been supportive of this type of activity,” said Fujino-san, referring to the Honda board of directors prior to 2006.

“Customer trust,” can be a challenge for a new aircraft manufacturer and is very important explained Fujino-san. “We must create that trust,” he said.

“The certification process involves working together with the Federal Aviation Administration, and there are many, many suppliers we need to work with in concert, as well,” he noted.

The state of the economy, too, is of concern to Fujino-san, but he is convinced that the speed and fuel efficiency of the HondaJet is just what the U.S. market needs.

“Staffing,” too, is a big challenge. Now that Honda Aircraft is in its final stages of certification, the company needs to hire and train 300 assembly specialists. There are currently 600 people employed in engineering and administration.

“Some of these specialists will come from Wichita, and others are being recruited locally,” said Fujino-san.

“We are looking for young, motivated individuals, and we have a very good partnership with local colleges. We have a specific program (in place) to meet Honda’s needs.” Honda Aircraft provides the instructors.

There is so much money involved, and the project affects so many individuals and families, that one would think that the responsibility and pressure would be more than one person could bear, but Fujino-san says, “it is journalists who continue to encourage me with their articles that keeps me going. It is that outside energy.”

And what is the competition saying about the HondaJet?

Fujino-san said the competition feels that “the design is far advanced.” The HondaJet is 30 percent faster than most of its competition, and is the most fuel-efficient jet in the industry!

In previous interviews, Fujino-san told me that he was not yet a pilot, but intends to get his pilot certificate after this initial project has been completed, but he has flown the test aircraft with the test pilots a number of times.

“Flying the plane gave me more relief than excitement,” said Fujino-san, although he felt a great deal of pride at the same time.

“The HondaJet is very stable and quiet, and has good response. It is a very good design!”

Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. has over 100 orders for the HondaJet, which is scheduled for first delivery in the third quarter of 2012. The aircraft sells for $4.5 million.

Honda Corporation has sales of $100 billion each year, and has a 60-year history developing motorized vehicles and equipment, from a motor scooter that goes 45 mph, to the HondaJet that goes 483 mph.

There are five regional sales and service centers in the U.S. and three in Europe. HondaJet Midwest will be located at Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove, Illinois. Ground breaking for the new hangar and office complex will take place in July 2012 with completion in time for the company’s first delivery in July 2013.

HondaJet Midwest President & CEO John Lowe is as enthused about the HondaJet as is Michimasa Fujino-san.

“The truly new world-class HondaJet represents everything an owner would expect in a clean sheet design from the Honda Aircraft Company,” said Lowe. “Its key is incredible performance numbers with very frugal operating costs. The airplane is in a class by itself.”

Learn more about the HondaJet at www.hondajet.com and www.hondajetmidwest.com, or call 877-686-0028.

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