Honda executives were doubtless jubilant when the company's long-awaited executive jet took off on its maiden flight in Greensboro, North Carolina last month.
The first in-the-air shakedown run, in the hands of pilot Warren Gould, lasted for 84 minutes. The event was significant enough that more than 1000 Honda Aircraft team employees greeted the compact, composite construction twin-engine jet as it touched down after reaching a maximum speed of 348 Knots (645km/h) and an altitude of 15,500 feet (4700 metres).
Honda says that during the flight, several checks were made of "low and high speed handling characteristics, avionics and system functionality including landing gear, flaps and speed brake operations."
The aircraft seats up to five passengers and has a range of 1357 miles (2184 kilometres) and is claimed by Honda to be the fastest, most spacious and most fuel-efficient jet in its class.
It uses a patented Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration, a natural laminar-flow wing design and a composite fuselage.
The single-pilot certified HondaJet is presently offered for sale in North America and Europe.
"With this first flight, the HondaJet program has entered the next exciting phase as we prepare for delivery," said Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. "Today's celebration is the culmination of extensive engineering and production efforts and this is an important achievement in bringing the world's most advanced light jet to market."