GE reports that its GE Honda HF120 turbofan engine has "flown" as high as 46,000ft (14,000m) in the company's altitude test facility in Evendale, Ohio. Technicians successfully completed windmill and starter-assisted air-starts of the first test version of the 2,050lb-thrust (9.1kN) turbofan, which will power the HondaJet and the Spectrum Freedom. A second HF120 development engine is undergoing Federal Aviation Administration certification testing at GE's Peebles test facility in Ohio, where it… Continue reading

Michimasa Fujino's peers could be excused for wondering what planet he lives on. While the chief executives of most business jet makers have watched the economic world crash around their ears, Fujino has been busy doubling his workforce to 420 over the past year. Many of those hired by his HondaJet operation have been cut loose by established rivals. Fujino, who is also Honda Aircraft's chief engineer, says the company is… Continue reading