Michimasa Fujino, founding president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, Inc. (HACI) is understandably proud of the new HondaJet. He has personally guided its progress from initial conception to a fully developed model and certified aircraft, fighting through at least five years of delays in the process.
As expected, he is highly protective of this first member of what’s likely to be a family of models as it makes its entrance into the world.
This is the culmination of his 30-year dream of building the world’s most advanced light jet, one that would be the highest flying, fastest cruising and most economical, one that would offer passengers the most cabin volume, the quietest interior and the smoothest ride.
His is a product of both nature and nurture. By nature, it has one of the least conventional designs ever incorporated into a production aircraft. Through nurture, it exhibits Fujino’s exceptional attention to detail, including his 3-in. close-up inspection standard for quality assurance. He indeed is the Tiger Dad of the business aviation industry.
HondaJet HA-420 Comparison Profile
He candidly admits, though, that when he first showed a drawing of Honda’s first-ever aircraft to team members at the company’s top-secret R D facility, their reaction “was kind of unanimous — very ugly.” But as he explained the design details, including its drag-reducing over-the-wing engine mount configuration, bulbous nose that promotes laminar flow along
Article source: http://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/pilot-report-flying-hondajet-ha-420
