HondaJet: Fearless determination before we had the wings to fly.

In 1986, we started our research on light aircraft and jet engines in Japan to fulfil the four-decade-old dream of our founder, Mr. Soichiro Honda.

Although aviation engineering is an entirely new field for us, it did not deter us from achieving the dream. The greatest challenge lies in building both the airframe and the engine. It took us 17 years of tireless research till we finally developed the HondaJet, the epitome of our success in aviation engineering.

We painstakingly built both the airframe and the HF118 turbo-fan engine which created a runaway success of a jet-efficient cruising, more spacious cabin and reduced drag at high speeds, making it 30-35% more fuel-efficient than conventional jets.

HondaJet has a class-topping cruise speed of 420 knots with an IFR range of 118 nautical miles. Its most unique and recognisable innovation is the OWTEM (over-the-hedge-wing engine mount) configuration, which liberates precious fuselage-mounted engine designs while significantly reducing aerodynamic drag at high speeds. Its NLF (natural laminar flow) wing and fuselage nose further reduce drag, making it more fuel-efficient than jets of its class.

HondaJet’s cabin is about one-foot longer than even larger 'light jet' offerings and features a spacious 57-cubic foot aft cargo hold, 50% larger than other jets in its class. Additional cargo storage is provided by a 9 cubic-foot nose cargo hold.

The whole project took years before it became a success. It was hard work and pure grit, with true determination powered by dreams to succeed.