Honda to build and sell new plane in NC

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High Point, NC
i have given a bit of serious thought to placing an order for one of these in partnership with a friend or two.

you meet the nicest people in a honda.
 
You can buy an Eclipse 500 and actually take delivery this fall. Honda projects 3-4 years for FAA certification.... try doubling that!
 
Maybe they'll build a rocket-powered version and compete in this:

http://www.rocketracingleague.com/

<i>
About the Rocket Racing League™

The 21st century's newest and greatest sport - racing rocket- powered aircraft

The Rocket Racing League™ is an aerospace sports and entertainment organization that combines the competition of racing with the excitement of rocketry. The RRL was established by X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis and two-time Indianapolis 500 champion team partner Granger Whitelaw to advance the technology and increase public awareness of space travel. The NASCAR-style racing league features rocket-powered aircraft that will be flown by top pilots through a 'three-dimensional track way' at venues throughout the world. With millions of fans who enjoy racing and air shows, and an even wider audience enthralled with humanity's next step into space, rocket racing is destined to become the future of racing!

----------------

Initially, each rocket-powered vehicle, or "X-Racer", will be based on an existing airframe, which will be modified to carry a 1,500 pound thrust rocket engine burning liquid oxygen (LOX) and kerosene. Currently being tested in an early prototype form, this class of vehicle has flown more than 20 test flights.

Each X-Racer will be a single-pilot vehicle with an empty weight of roughly 1,000 lbs and a propellant weight of 1,000 lbs, yielding a gross takeoff weight of 2,000 pounds. The first-generation of Mark-1 X-Racers will reach maximum speeds of more than 320 mph.

X-Racers will have the ability to be rapidly refueled, with initial refueling times on the order of 5 to 10 minutes per pit stop. It is expected that each team will continue to develop better technology and faster methods of refueling the vehicle as the Rocket Racing League develops. The equipment required in each pit will mostly consist of ground handling equipment for the propellants and standard maintenance equipment for the vehicles.

Each vehicle will be capable of approximately 4 minutes of intermittent engine boost and 10 minutes of un-powered (glide) flight, allowing for 3-4 laps around the course between pit stops. Vehicles will launch in a staggered fashion to ensure that vehicles are always airborne. X-Racer drivers will be allowed to "bunch" vehicles under controlled environments throughout the race to enable a race environment and lessons learned. To offer the race fan a true feeling of speed and power, a variety of cameras will follow the race from balloons, chase planes and the cockpits of vehicles. A sense of danger and excitement will surround the high profile X-Racer pilots creating a hero status environment for race fans. The X- Racer pilots will be today's version of the "right stuff".

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</i>
 
Ski_Banker said:
Cool product, but I don't see any way that Honda could market a personal JET under its brand name.
Yea, I guess Eclipse was a thoroughbred name in the field of aviation here in America.
 
Pratt-n-whitney swap, lol...

Ski_Banker said:
Cool product, but I don't see any way that Honda could market a personal JET under its brand name. BMW yes. Honda in the U.S., never.

The partnership w/ Piper should soothe the masses, as Piper is presumed to help w/ sales/marketing & assimilation into the industry.

How much is anticipated price? Cost-to-run/hr? Time for leasing as a business expense has never been better, lol!
 
Re: Pratt-n-whitney swap, lol...

Osiris_x11 said:
The partnership w/ Piper should soothe the masses, as Piper is presumed to help w/ sales/marketing & assimilation into the industry.

How much is anticipated price? Cost-to-run/hr? Time for leasing as a business expense has never been better, lol!

Yeah, something like that would work fine. Might be some real value in the partnership too. I personally prefer Embraer, but just because I'm a sucker for Brazillian. :biggrin:
 
KGP said:
Yea, I guess Eclipse was a thoroughbred name in the field of aviation here in America.

Anything other than "Honda" would work, until such time as we're all buzzing around in mini jets like the Jetsons. Seriously, not to harp on the point, imagine the conversation:

CEO: "Man I just love my new Gulfstream, and I sure am glad I went with the roomier G5 over the G4. Hey, VP, didn't you just get yourself a first jet?"

VP: "Sure did. It's a Honda. Very reliable and fuel efficient. Someday I'll have a Gulfstream like you Sir, someday."

CEO: "You just keep working hard, son."

:rolleyes:
 
That's exactly what EVERYONE said when Toyota introduced the Lexus brand... I remember going to the dealer with my Dad in 1990 and getting a LS400, $38,000 for a Toyota? There is one thing Toyota and Honda both excel at and that's building brand loyalty... through marketing and quality.

Do you know how many times Gulfstream has changed hands in the last 10 years? Learjet and Candair Challenger are made by Bombardier -- who also makes SeaDoos. The Beech Jet was actually the Mitsubishi Diamond Jet at one time. Mitsubishi also made a turbo-prop for years (very fast one too).

Ever fly a regional jet? Do you know who makes them? Embraier (Brazilian) and Bombardier (Canadair)

The problem is that they are going to be too late to market. If the Boeing 717 (McDonnell Douglas MD-95) had come to market 3 years earlier, the thousands of regional jets flying around now wouldn't exist. That plane was a great plane, but by the time it rolled out the niche had been saturated by 50 & 70 seat RJs. Which are now being replaced by 100 seat RJs, which is exactly what the 717 was.

Besides the Eclipse Jet, Cessna has a new Light Jet that will be done pretty soon. Honda had putzed around with this idea for 10 years and put it on the back burner.... and by the time they get it certified there will be a 1000 Eclipse 500 happy customers.
 
Greensboro? How far is that from their facilities in Swepsonville? (Not that they would build airplanes alongside lawn mowers... :smile: )
 
nsxtasy said:
Greensboro? How far is that from their facilities in Swepsonville? (Not that they would build airplanes alongside lawn mowers... :smile: )

We (Comair) actually have a maintenance base in GSO and crew base. There is also another company that does heavy contract maintenance on widebody planes there. I know that Comair chose GSO over other prosepective sites because the city gave huge incentives, including a free hanger and all sorts of employement tax breaks. I believe Cessna has a Citation service center there also. The city has been very agressive in lobbying and giving incentives so I am sure Honda got a great deal to locate at GSO.
 
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