GE Honda Aero Engines has earned Part 33 certification process for the HF120 turbofan engines, receiving the sign-off from the FAA last week. The news puts the much-anticipated HondaJet on a clear path to certification. A spokesman for HondaJet said now that the engines are certified, an update on the progress of the certification of the light jet can be expected soon.
During the certification process, 13 HF120 engines underwent more than 13,000 cycles and 9,000 hours of testing on the ground and in flight. GE Honda Aero Engines claims the HF120 will be able to operate for 5,000 hours between major overhauls thanks to newly developed materials and coatings used for the turbine airfoils. The engine is rated at 2,095 pounds of thrust.
Now that the company has achieved airworthiness certification for the HF120, it plans to ramp up production quickly. GE Honda Aero Engines said the HF120 will initially be produced at GE’s facility in Lynn, Massachusetts, but the production will move to the Honda Aero Inc. headquarters in Burlington, North Carolina, at some point next year.
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