Videos of the HondaJet

[Guest bigme]

Hi guys...just found some neat video of the new Honda developed and powered light business jet. Pretty cool considering the all new Honda jet engines, and the fact that it was tested 20 miles from my house. I thought I saw it last year overhead...anyway, check it out or disregard if old!First flight video:http://world.honda.com/HDTV/news/2003-c031216_2a/Longer, later test:http://world.honda.com/HDTV/HondaJet/200408long/Hope you enjoy them!

[MarkW 1,490]

Interesting video, especially the unique shots from the nose and wheel cameras. Flight deck looks like Cirrus SR22. Only thing I could not quite understand is why the engines are mounted above the winds rather than on the fuse as you normally see with rear mount engines.Mark.

[Guest bigme]

Honda claims that the wing mounting of the engines leaves more interior room due to the fusealage not needing the extra bracing and support for the engines. Check this link out:http://world.honda.com/news/2003/c031216_2.htmlgives some more specifics about the design of the jet. I wonder how long it will take Toyota and/or Nissan to get in the game now...."Compared with conventional jets, this experimental aircraft offers superior fuel efficiency and remarkable cabin space. The engines are optimally positioned on the upper surface of the main wing in a unique configuration that reduces drag at high speeds and increases cruising efficiency. This layout also eliminates the need for structural engine mounts in the fuselage, creating over 30% more cabin space than in a conventional aircraft."Taken from the Honda site, explains the mounting of the engines over the wings.

[Guest hitchhiker90]

This Honda jet looks really cool but I'm still unsure about the wing mounted engines. I'd be afraid they would just fall off from all the air/wind resistance. They just don't look like they are on there all that sturdy.Enough of my paranoia. What really urks me is that they did the test flight at Piedmont Triad International and I didn't know anything about it. I live 28 miles from there, only 4 miles from PTI if I'm at work. I would loved to have gone down there and watched the flight.

[Guest bigme]

"Enough of my paranoia. What really urks me is that they did the test flight at Piedmont Triad International and I didn't know anything about it. I live 28 miles from there, only 4 miles from PTI if I'm at work. I would loved to have gone down there and watched the flight."You're not the only one...PTI is ~20 miles from my house. I thought about going down there to see if it is still there. I know for a fact that it was there as late as August '04. When I saw that video, I almost fainted...so close yet so far away.

[Guest glnflwrs]

It sure is a looker. I like the aesthetics of the engine mounting but I had the same thoughts as you guys. Is it/will it be strong enough? The performance leaves a bit to be desired though. Service ceiling is less than 12500 ASL, a C172 can do that with a bit of coaxing. Max speed is 422 Knots, 477MPH. The P-51 did that in 1944 with a recip engine. BUT, I wouldn't insult them by saying no to a free one. Hehehe!Glenn"When a man learns how much he doesn't know compared to how much there is to learn, he starts getting smarter."

[Guest JF737WN]

Nice looking bird. Although I may be a bit biased (Fred C) :)I was surprised at the service cieling. What could this jet actually compete with? Wouldnt seem like much. I would assume its still in early stages and that cieling will be greater in the future.

[Guest AndrewMcGregor]

I built a model of this for X-Plane... find it on www.x-plane.org if you're interested. Flies like a very fast, overpowered Tomahawk. My model doesn't have a particularly great panel or paint scheme, but it's fun to fly anyway.Planned service ceiling is 44500ft, with a 6000ft cabin pressure. At that altitude, 422kt indicated is something like 540kt groundspeed... not at all slow. It's also very economical. Obviously they don't have the pressurisation going yet.As for the engine mounts... those pylons are as strong as the wings, and the spars are connected together. Not going to fall off! Also, the geometry is really clever... the pylons also work like winglets and create some extra lift from the way the flow goes over the inboard section of wing. That engine mounting is the reason for the T-tail, obviously (jetwash and cabon fiber stablisers don't mix). Engines above the wings makes it easy to land, too... the wings are close to the ground, so lots of ground effect, and pulling the power makes it pitch up into the flare by itself.The panel's a Garmin G1000, like the newest C182 and Citations, not Avidyne as per Cirrus. Similar concept, however.

[Guest 737_200_Pilot]

Nice

[John_Cillis 2,406]

"Planned service ceiling is 44500ft, with a 6000ft cabin pressure. At that altitude, 422kt indicated is something like 540kt groundspeed... not at all slow. It's also very economical. Obviously they don't have the pressurisation going yet."422 KIAS is far faster than 540KTAS at FL440... I think the real spec will be 422KTAS at max cruise, which is probably in the FL310 to FL350 range. Even if it's 422KTAS at FL440, that translates to about 200-220KIAS at FL440, although that even may be a bit fast.The HondaJet in general is pretty interesting, but there hasn't been much activity since late '03. Wonder if this is a "proof of concept" or something Honda actually plans on putting into a Hangar near you :)-JohnEdit: Here's a link (already!) at airliners.net:http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=401