In designing a new sub-10,000-pound business jet, Honda designer Michimasa Fujino took an unusual approach. Most start-up aircraft companies begin with
a conceptual airplane, something that a starry-eyed designer or wannabe manufacturer believes will revolutionize the marketplace or even change the so-called value proposition by attracting new buyers into the jet market. These companies invariably build a model airplane, one that demonstrates their leaders’ concept and looks flashy as it flies from airshow to airshow.
That is one way of launching a new design. Another is to stick with pen and paper, selling the concept of a new jet that should perform as promised and (oh, by the way) needs hundreds of millions of dollars to achieve FAA certification before entering production. In many cases, escrow bank accounts are created and deposits gladly accepted, but there is no guarantee the proposed airplane will turn out the way its designer conceived at the beginning.
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