The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted provisional type certification (PTC) to the HondaJet – the first aircraft to be developed by Honda Aircraft Company.
“Honda Aircraft has completed nearly all of the testing and reports required by the FAA, and we are very close to achieving final type certification for the world’s most advanced light jet,” said Honda Aircraft Company’s president and CEO, Michimasa Fujino. The company hopes to achieve final FAA type certification the next few months.
“It is a pleasure for the Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office (ACO) to issue Honda Aircraft Company a PTC for the Model HA-420,” said Melvin Taylor, manager of the FAA’s Atlanta ACO.
“It is a milestone event for a first-time aircraft manufacturer to receive its first type certificate. This issuance speaks well to the hard work put forward by all the Honda and FAA staff working in a collaborative manner.
“The Atlanta ACO takes pride in being part of Honda’s introduction of such an advanced and uniquely designed aircraft to the aviation market. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Honda as we move to final completion of their HA-420 approval.”
The four HondaJets in the flight test fleet have flown more than 2,500 hours. The flight test program has conducted extensive testing for certification at more than 70 locations in the USA. The light jet has a composite fuselage and natural-laminar flow wings over which its engines are mounted.
The HondaJet is being manufactured at Honda Aircraft Company’s world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, where aircraft production is underway in preparation for customer deliveries. The final assembly line is full with 12 aircraft and another five are currently in the production flow. Honda Aircraft will begin first deliveries after FAA type certification is achieved.
Click here to read an article on the HondaJet from the April 2011 issue of Business Jet Interiors International.
April 1, 2015
