The aircraft, dubbed F3, is the fourth so-called FAA-conforming plane the company has built. It is meant to be used mainly for testing avionics and electrical systems in flight as the design makes its way to the federal certification required before it can be sold to customers.
The 74-minute test flight began at Honda Aircraft Co.’s headquarters at the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. It reached an altitude of 11,500 feet and a speed of 313 knots true air speed, or KTAS in pilot-speak.
Honda said earlier test planes have already met or exceeded its performance goals including a maximum speed of 420 KTAS, maximum cruise altitude of 43,000 feet and a climb rate of 3,990 feet per minute. The company referred to the jet as a “sports car in the sky.”
Honda has said it plans to begin delivering the plane to customers later this year with a sticker price of about $4.5 million.
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