My New 2nd Fav Aircraft Departs Runway...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 27505
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If it takes 15 years of development to type-certify your aircraft, that is probably a sure sign that there is no market for your aircraft.
 
Honda has spent so much money by now that they will probably not accept failure as an option, if their first attempt is not a success they'll probably use that as a basis for the next offering. Compare an early CVCC (if you're old enough to remember them) to a modern Civic.
 
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TrustMeI'maPilot said:
I can't believe they're still trying to make that plane.
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Do you know ANYTHING about the program?

One of my former students is a flight test engineer on that program, and it is still fully on track. The only reason it was delayed is because of the engine certification, co-built and designed by Honda and GE. New engine and new airframe at the same time is extremely difficult.

It was an FAA pilot at the controls, and the ac had been doing crosswind landing certs earlier in the day.

Once its certified fully (they have a provisional type certificate so far) it will be a game changer, I promise you that.
 
jwp_145 said:
D

Do you know ANYTHING about the program?

One of my former students is a flight test engineer on that program, and it is still fully on track. The only reason it was delayed is because of the engine certification, co-built and designed by Honda and GE. New engine and new airframe at the same time is extremely difficult.

It was an FAA pilot at the controls, and the ac had been doing crosswind landing certs earlier in the day.

Once its certified fully (they have a provisional type certificate so far) it will be a game changer, I promise you that.
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How is it going to be a game changer? The listed performance on their website is right in line with every other light jet out there. And it's taken them 15 years to do it.
 
Hmm.

I wonder what colorful names pilots will come up with for it? Like, the BeechJet is the BiatchJet or BarbieJet....The Metro is the San Antonio Sewer Pipe....etc....

I kinda like Tokyo Lawn Dart both as a nickname AND a band name...
 
TrustMeI'maPilot said:
How is it going to be a game changer? The listed performance on their website is right in line with every other light jet out there. And it's taken them 15 years to do it.
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I agree with your statement on performance, but the game changing part is the size of the cabin compared with the rest of the specs of the aircraft... since there is no carrythrough spar and mounting structure on the aft fuselage for the engines, the cabin is comparatively massive for the class of airplane. It also has a supremely trick laminar flow/quasi lifting nose.

And ya it's taken them a long time to go from paper to full certification. But the first few years of its life, all it was was a technology demonstrator... years into its life did they decide to develop it into a saleable product. And in that time they not only developed a plane but an entirely new engine as well. The program has the megabucks of Honda behind it (see excellent place to hide automobile profits). Name any other company new to the airplane game that has taken a clean sheet jet and taken it to certification any quicker? Sino_Swearingen? Eclipse? Hell it took Beech/Rathaeon just as long to make the Hawker4000.

And lastly, this is just Gen1 of the a/c. Once its a proven concept they can scale it any way they want and improve on the technology. And if you've ever owned a Honda motocross bike or ATV, or even a Civic for that matter, you would know that Honda is known for supreme build quality in their products. I'd say that within a few years of EIS the plane will be receiving rave reviews from its operators.
 
Is the plan for the VTEC Jet (see? I'm getting in line) to be a single-pilot aircraft?
 
jwp_145 said:
I agree with your statement on performance, but the game changing part is the size of the cabin compared with the rest of the specs of the aircraft... since there is no carrythrough spar and mounting structure on the aft fuselage for the engines, the cabin is comparatively massive for the class of airplane. It also has a supremely trick laminar flow/quasi lifting nose.

And ya it's taken them a long time to go from paper to full certification. But the first few years of its life, all it was was a technology demonstrator... years into its life did they decide to develop it into a saleable product. And in that time they not only developed a plane but an entirely new engine as well. The program has the megabucks of Honda behind it (see excellent place to hide automobile profits). Name any other company new to the airplane game that has taken a clean sheet jet and taken it to certification any quicker? Sino_Swearingen? Eclipse? Hell it took Beech/Rathaeon just as long to make the Hawker4000.

And lastly, this is just Gen1 of the a/c. Once its a proven concept they can scale it any way they want and improve on the technology. And if you've ever owned a Honda motocross bike or ATV, or even a Civic for that matter, you would know that Honda is known for supreme build quality in their products. I'd say that within a few years of EIS the plane will be receiving rave reviews from its operators.
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I wanted to reiterate that last part. The first time I climbed on an aluminum framed CRF450 I was amazed. Every weld was perfect. No rattles. Nothing out of place. Perfect.

Honda doesn't need this project to be successful. It's a fun, interesting thing for them to do. They're going to take their time and put out a great product from the start. Not like every other OEM aerospace company who release what amounts to a beta model and let thier customers do the final testing. There's a reason there's the saying "never fly the "A" model of any thing". I wish them well and hope they bring to market a solid product.
 
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