Honda Goes To North Carolina To Fly Prototype Jet PLANE

TOKYO, Oct 11, 2002 Reuters reported that Honda Motor Co Ltd said today a small prototype jet plane made by the Japanese automaker would make a test flight for the first time next year in the American state of North Carolina.

The move suggests that the Japanese automaker may expand into aviation, but a Honda spokeswoman said the project is part of wide-ranging technological experiments and that the company had no plans to enter the jet plane market.

"We may consider selling our plane if there is any order, but we do not have any plans to make an entry to the jet plane market at the moment," said Kumiko Hashimoto.

The prototype plane will have less than ten seats and use carbon fibre in some parts of body to reduce weight, she said.

"This will be the first test flight of of a plane whose engine and plane are made by Honda. The test run will take place at our research base in North Carolina for about two hours," Hashimoto said.

Honda, known for its popular Accord and Civic cars, has been involved in the development of small jet planes since the 1980s and it unveiled a prototype engine for the plane in 1997.

Rival Toyota Motor Corp , Japan's biggest automaker, made its first test run in May for a single-engine prototype airplane in California.

The four-seat, propeller-driven aircraft was flown at a Mojave, California airport north of Los Angeles to test the components and construction of the plane.

A Toyota spokesman said in June that Toyota could apply its manufacturing expertise, which has made it the benchmark in vehicle quality, to the aircraft industry, but played down any talk that the automaker is out to revolutionise the small aircraft industry.

"For Honda, plane development is one of many projects we are woking on with our engine expertise, like Asimo," she said.

Honda has developed two-legged human robot "Asimo" which can walk down stairs, respond to human commands and even work like a receptionist.