Honda gains FAA production certificate

July 11, 2016 By Dan Namowitz

The FAA has issued a production certificate to Honda Aircraft Co. for the HondaJet, citing the manufacturer’s “continuing commitment to quality and safety.”

Low angles accentuate the laminar flow nose. The gold triangles on the windshield are part of the electric heating system. As with most light jets, single-point refueling is not an option. However, in an unusual move, refueling is through a single port just behind the right wing. An optional fuel panel at the port shows fuel on board. Fuel is stored in four tanks: wings, fuselage bladder behind the aft pressure bulkhead, and a carry-through tank under the fuselage.

The production certificate authorizes Greensboro, North Carolina-based Honda Aircraft to produce, flight test, and issue airworthiness certificates for the advanced light jet that features a patented over-the-wing engine configuration. The HondaJet received its FAA type certificate last year.

"This is a great achievement for our company as an aircraft manufacturer, and it is a very important milestone for ramping up production,” said Honda Aircraft Co. President and CEO Michimasa Fujino, in a news release. “Honda Aircraft has demonstrated our commitment to build aircraft of the highest quality and that meet stringent safety requirements. We also want to recognize the strong collaboration with the FAA during this rigorous approval process.”

Melvin Johnson, the FAA Small Aircraft Directorate manager for the central region, presented the production certificate to Honda Aircraft during a celebration on July 8.

Greg Benson, manager of the FAA’s Manufacturing Inspection District Office in Atlanta, Georgia, stated in the company press release: “Honda’s commitment of time, resources and people,” and its “continued commitment to quality and safety will solidify its place within the aviation industry. This is certainly a commemorative moment for both Honda Aircraft and the FAA.”

The HondaJet is the company's first commercial aircraft, and Honda stakes a claim for HondaJet as “the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class.”

The engine configuration for which the aircraft is known “dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag," Honda Aircraft noted in the July 11 press release. The over-the-wing engine mount also reduces cabin sound, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin in its class, the largest baggage capacity, and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory.”

In April, AOPA reported on the first delivery of a HondaJet to a European aircraft dealer, noting that more than 100 HondaJets were on order, with about 20 percent of those destined for European customers as the company ramps up production.

AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines reports on how the HondaJet flies in the August 2016 issue of AOPA Pilot.

Dan Namowitz

Dan Namowitz has been writing for AOPA in a variety of capacities since 1991. He has been a flight instructor since 1990 and is a 35-year AOPA member.

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Topics: Jet

Honda gains FAA production certificate

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