Honda: The Wing-Walker

The HondaJet Elite is a newcomer to the field of private business jets, but it’s already soaring well above the competition.

- Varun Godinho

IN THE 80S, a young Honda engineer – Michimasa Fujino – began doodling the silhouette of a small private jet. Apparently, the inspiration came from a Ferragamo stiletto that was playing on his mind. Back then, Honda was primarily a car- and bike-manufacturer, but that didn’t stop Fujino from dreaming up a completely tangential product.

Nearly three decades later, those idle doodles served as the blueprint for the Japanese company’s foray into aviation with its first private jet – the HondaJet HA-420. Fittingly, Fujino, who rose through the ranks, is now the president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company.

The HondaJet HA420 has been on our radar for the last few months, ever since it received US and European certification. It is now awaiting certification in Japan and China.

While those clearances are imminent, HondaJet has recently introduced an updated version of the HA420 and they’re calling it the HondaJet Elite.

The Elite is a step up from the HA420 and is more efficient resulting in what HondaJet refers to as “the most fuel-efficient” and “longest range” aircraft in its class. These aren’t hubristic terms bandied out with little regard for facts. With a cruising range of around 1,653 miles (a 17 per cent increase over the HA420) – that’s London to Athens or Dubai to Cairo in a single hop – the Elite is a class-leading aircraft.