ST. PETERSBURG, Russia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) presented its 2014 Award for Innovation in Aeronautics to Honda Aircraft Company President and CEO Michimasa Fujino during the 29th ICAS Congress (ICAS 2014), which is being held in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sept. 7–12. Fujino was recognized by ICAS for his pioneering contributions in the design and development of the HondaJet and its optimum Over-The-Wing Engine Mount configuration.
“I am very honored to receive this prestigious recognition in aeronautics,” said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. “We had a vision to design a high-tech aircraft that would set a new standard in business aviation. To have Honda’s research and development capabilities recognized among the world’s most respected aerospace companies and society is significant for me.”
Fujino was recognized by ICAS for pioneering the HondaJet Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration and leading the further development and production of the HondaJet. Fujino’s optimum OTWEM configuration reduces wave drag at high speed to significantly increase fuel efficiency while maximizing cabin space without increasing the size of the aircraft. According to ICAS, the award acknowledges accomplishments in the development and introduction of innovative concepts in major aircraft programs. The OTWEM design, combined with a natural laminar flow wing and fuselage nose, and composite fuselage help the HondaJet achieve the highest speed, largest cabin volume and superior fuel efficiency compared to other light jets in its class.
“Dr. Fujino has earned this recognition with the HondaJet and exemplifies the innovative thinking that this award is intended to honor,” said Dr. Susan Ying, an executive committee member of ICAS. “Throughout the design and development of the HondaJet, Fujino has demonstrated vision in introducing an innovative design as a first product in a very conservative market.”
ICAS established the Award for Innovation in Aeronautics in 2006 to recognize the contributions of an individual or team in effectively integrating a suite of advanced technologies, combined with a new design and/or manufacturing process, to create a new aeronautical system with significant worldwide impact. Past recipients of the ICAS Award for Innovation in Aeronautics includes Dr. Robert H. Liebeck for the Boeing X48-B blended wing body design.
Fujino has received international recognition for his pioneering contributions to aerospace and aircraft design with the HondaJet. He is the first aircraft designer to receive the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aircraft Design Award (2012), the SAE International the Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson Aerospace and Vehicle Design Award (2014) and the ICAS Award for Innovation in Aeronautics. His research and theories on aircraft design, advanced aerodynamics and aeroelasticity have been published in numerous technical and academic journals.
ICAS is an international, nongovernment, nonprofit scientific organization with the mission to advance knowledge and facilitate collaboration in aeronautics. The organization was founded in 1957 by Theodore von Karman to promote excellence in aeronautical science and engineering throughout the world.
About HondaJet
The HondaJet is the world’s most advanced light business jet aircraft, with best-in-class advantages in performance, comfort, quality and efficiency. The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class. The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin sound, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin in its class, the largest baggage capacity, and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is powered by two highly fuel-efficient GE Honda HF120 turbofan jet engines, and is equipped with the most sophisticated glass flight deck available in any light business jet, a Honda-customized Garmin® G3000 next-generation, all-glass avionics system composed of three 14-inch landscape-format displays and dual touch-screen controllers. The HondaJet is Honda's first commercial aircraft and lives up to the company’s reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value.
Honda Aircraft Company
Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircraft has its heritage in more than 20 years of groundbreaking aeronautical research and development. At Honda Aircraft’s world headquarters in North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation, the company’s associates work in more than 600,000 square feet of state-of-the-art R&D, production, administration and customer service facilities to develop, produce, market and support the HondaJet with HondaJet dealers. The challenging spirit upon which Mr. Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is alive today as Honda Aircraft fulfills one of Honda’s longstanding dreams to advance human mobility skyward.
About the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences
ICAS is an international, nongovernment, nonprofit scientific organization with the mission to advance knowledge and facilitate collaboration in aeronautics. ICAS is the only international support organization to representative aeronautical engineering professional societies and their members in 30 countries. ICAS organizes every two years an International Congress covering all aspects of aeronautical science and technology and their application to both military and civil aviation. For more information about ICAS, please visit www.icas.org.
