The Federal Aviation Administration issued the type certificate for the twin-engined HondaJet this week.
The FAA presented the type certificate to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino on Tuesday in front of more than 2000 people.
Type certification means the company can start to deliver aircraft to customers. There are currently 25 airframes on the final assembly line at Honda's Greensboro, North Carolina, plant.
“Achieving FAA type certification for the HondaJet is a monumental milestone for Honda,” said Fujino. “We established Honda Aircraft as a new aerospace company and introduced our first product — an advanced light jet with technologies developed from serious research activities. We designed, tested, and have now certified this clean-sheet design aircraft – an unprecedented challenge for Honda.”
The $US4.5 million jet project has been beset by delays since its conception during the "very light jet" outbreak of the 2000s. First deliveries were originally planned for 2010, which was postponed until 2013, then again to late 2014. The FAA issued a provisional type certificate in March this year.
Honda's twin-engined private jet is distinctive in that it includes an Over-the-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) system, whereby one GE HF120 turbofan is mounted on a pylon over each wing. This it thought to improve efficiency by lowering drag and using less fuel.