Monday
Kevin Connors mentioned this blog story about the fascinating new small jet from Honda to me a few days ago and I remembered it when I ran across this today:
Honda announced today it will begin taking orders for a new, small jet aircraft later this year.The HondaJet, unveiled last year, will enter the "very light jet" market in the United States, the company said.
It sounds like quite a nice piece of kit:
The sleek jet has an an all-glass flight deck. An over-the-wing engine design maximizes space in the fuselage for passengers and luggage, the company said. The configuration is also said to reduce drag at high speed to improve fuel efficiency.The prototype jet, which seats up to seven, has completed more than 240 hours of flight testing, flying to 43,000 feet and hitting 412 knots.
I am much afraid I will not be running out to buy one myself, but I will certainly have my camera ready to click on it at first sight!
Want one. This link might also interest to Aviation fans:
http://worldcadaccess.typepad.com/blog/
Where it talks about MCAD problems in Airbus A380.
Posted by lucklucky at July 31, 2006 08:53 PM
Meh, it looks like a Learjet clone, what's so new about this?
Posted by Julian Morrison at July 31, 2006 11:33 PM
I'll take one. Bet it won't amke it across the Atlantic though :(
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge at August 1, 2006 11:03 AM
Strange this story was picked up but not the announcement, also at Oshkosh that the Eclipse Jet had received its FAA certification. This has a 'today' price of about $1.6m and aircraft will very shortly be in customers' hands. Must be at least 2 maybe 3 or more years ahead of the Honda. I think more than a thousand are on order.
Posted by John Rippengal at August 2, 2006 08:17 PM
Interesting. i was following them a few years ago but things seemed to go quiet. Glad to hear they have gone into production.
But still, the HondaJet is a bit different if really does have above the wing power pods. I'd have to guess the last plane like that was a pre-war design seaplane, and those designs were over the hull.
The Eclipse, if I remember, was an all composite design which was otherwise fairly 'standard' looking.
Posted by Dale Amon at August 2, 2006 09:30 PM
Dale,
The Eclipse is primarily aluminum. (Excuse me, aluminium. I forgot this is a UK based site.) They use a friction stir welding process instead of rivets in much of the structure which gives a smooth appearance. The process is like a milling machine, except the bit doesn't cut the metal. It creates heat that softens the metal, and when it cools, the bond is made. The process was developed for rockets.
Posted by Paul at August 3, 2006 08:14 PM
