Honda Quietly Delivers 200th HondaJet
Dec. 20—GREENSBORO — Imagine a bright new "sportscar in the sky" under, or maybe above, your Christmas tree this year.
If you're one of the lucky people to have a new HondaJet Elite on the runway, you're part of an exclusive club. And now we know how many members belong.
Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Co. said last week that it recently delivered the 200th HondaJet.
Company founder and CEO Michimasa Fujino has referred to the plane as a "sportscar in the sky" because of its size and agility.
Honda didn't say who received the $5 million-plus jet, but it could've been a wealthy individual in Asia, an air taxi service in Europe or any of the companies that sell shares of jet ownership.
The jewel-like, brightly-colored planes are all made at a campus at Piedmont Triad International Airport. The jet was dreamed up, designed and tested there for more than a decade before it went into production in 2016.
Honda Aircraft received federal certification for the jet in December 2015 after doing a "clean sheet" design, which means it was a completely new type of aircraft.
Its two jet engines are mounted above the wings for more cargo space. The HondaJet is considered a "very light" jet with seating for as many as seven people, although you'd be more comfortable aboard with fewer than that.
With the jet firmly established as a product and certified in 13 countries, Honda is taking the next step and planning for a much larger aircraft.
In October, the company revealed its "HondaJet 2600 Concept," which can fly nonstop across the country with 11 occupants.
Though no production start date has been announced, Honda has proven its determination to make an impact on business in Greensboro and on the worldwide aviation industry.
Think of the next plane as an "SUV in the sky."
Contact Richard M. Barron at 336-373-7371 and follow @BarronBizNR on Twitter.
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