Tag: Michimasa Fujino

The HondaJet: How One Engineer’s Dream Project Became a Reality

Keynote speaker: Michimasa Fujino, president and CEO, Honda Aircraft Co.

by Hannah Godofsky, AIAA Communications

It’s rare in the modern world that any manufactured vehicle is the dream project of only one engineer. Huge teams of people working with large companies design most aircraft. But the HondaJet has been the pet project of Michimasa Fujino since 1997, when he first sketched out a design.

Nearly 20 years later, his dream is finally a reality. Fujino is now president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Co., an aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the HondaJet was awarded FAA certification and is being produced at a rate of two per month. Fujino said there are plans to double that this year.

“Honda serves as a mobility company,” Fujino said June 14 at AIAA AVIATION 2016 in Washington, DC, as he showed how Honda had gradually scaled from motorcycles to automobiles and, now, to aircraft. “It is a big jump from motorcycles.”

Fujino explained that he studied aeronautical engineering in schools but that in Japan, opportunities for the field were limited. He said he decided to join Honda because the company offers more options for young engineers.

“I saw some opportunity to design, build and sell,” he said.

The light-jet market is ideal for Honda because the planes are less expensive, and there is room to improve over existing products. The HondaJet spans less than 40 feet and is just shy of 43 feet long. Fujino said it’s smaller than existing business jets yet has more cabin space and is the fastest jet in its class.

Honda has taken full advantage of automation and computing in HondaJet’s manufacturing process, according to Fujino. The technicians who work on the final product have tablet computers that show CAD models of what they are working on, and robots paint the planes, he explained.

“Robots give us a very consistent surface,” Fujino said, showing images of HondaJets rolling off the production line.

The HondaJet has over 3,000 flight hours testing in more than 70 locations in the U.S.; customers throughout North America, South America and Europe have taken delivery of the final product; and a single HondaJet flew a 26,000-nautical-mile trip on a world tour without a single dispatch issue. It’s an engineer’s dream come true for Fujino.

Video

 

All 2016 AIAA AVIATION Forum Videos

AIAA Announces 2024 Premier Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the 2024 recipients of the AIAA Premier Awards, recognizing the most influential and inspiring individuals in aerospace whose outstanding contributions merit the highest accolades.

AIAA will present the 2024 AIAA Premier Awards during the AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 15 May, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts*, Washington, DC. The Institute also will recognize its Class of 2024 Honorary Fellows and Fellows at the AIAA Awards Gala. Tickets are available now.

“Congratulations to our premier award winners,” said AIAA President Laura McGill. “We are inspired by their achievements. These prestigious awards celebrate their truly significant work that is shaping the future. AIAA is committed to recognizing aerospace professionals for their innovations and discoveries that advance aerospace capabilities and performance.”

The winners are:

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence – U.S. Air Force Combat Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Demonstration Team

AIAA Public Service Award – Leland D. Melvin, Former NASA Astronaut, Leland Melvin LLC

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award – Mark S. Miller, Leidos, Dynetics Group

AIAA Distinguished Service Award – Paul D. Nielsen, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

AIAA International Cooperation Award – Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), ESA Council (European Space Agency), Arianespace, IAF (International Astronautical Federation)

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award – Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award – W. Michael Hawes, Lockheed Martin Space (retired)

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award – Michelle N. Banchy, NASA Langley Research Center

Award Citations

AIAA Award for Aerospace Excellence
This award honors a unique achievement by a group or team in the aerospace community that is shaping the future of aerospace and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers in aerospace. The award is designed for timely recognition of a recent program or mission.

U.S. Air Force Combat Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Demonstration Team, honored “For demonstrating AI piloting the XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed jet aircraft, building on previous demonstrations with a crewed (F-16) VISTA X-62A, but taking it one step further to a full demonstration, and amplifying the importance of military government partnerships with industry and academia.”

 

AIAA Public Service Award
The award honors a person who has demonstrated sustained and visible support for aviation and space goals.

Leland D. Melvin, Former NASA Astronaut, Leland Melvin LLC, honored “For tirelessly promoting STEAM and aerospace to young people of all demographics by word and personal example.”

 

AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievements in the field of aeronautics. The award is named after Dr. Sylvanus A. Reed, aeronautical engineer, designer, and founding member of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in 1932.

Mark S. Miller, Leidos, Dynetics Group, honored “In recognition of contributions to engineering advancement of grid-fin aerodynamic control technology from seminal research through pervasive technology adoption into flight systems including reusable launch vehicles.”

 

AIAA Distinguished Service Award
AIAA recognizes an individual member who has provided distinguished service to the Institute over a period of years.

Paul D. Nielsen, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, honored “For outstanding and distinguished leadership and service to AIAA and to the aerospace profession over the past four decades.”

 

AIAA International Cooperation Award
The award is presented to a member who has made a recent individual contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant accomplishment or event worthy of AIAA’s national or international recognition.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES, ESA Council, Arianespace, IAF, honored “For extraordinary contributions and leadership, and for major collaborations with the international community in the development and operation of space missions for scientific and civil applications.”

 

AIAA Engineer of the Year Award
The award is presented to a member of the Institute who has made a recent individual technical contribution in the application of scientific and mathematical principles leading to a significant technical accomplishment.

Kurt Polzin, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, honored “For inspired technical leadership as Chief Engineer of NASA’s Space Nuclear Propulsion Project, positioning the nation to rapidly mature, demonstrate, and use nuclear propulsion systems.”

 

AIAA Goddard Astronautics Award
The highest honor AIAA bestows for notable achievement in the field of astronautics. It was endowed by Mrs. Goddard in the 1940s as the ARS Goddard Memorial Award to commemorate her husband, Robert H. Goddard—rocket visionary, pioneer, bold experimentalist, and superb engineer whose early liquid rocket engine launches set the stage for the development of astronautics.

W. Michael Hawes, Lockheed Martin Space (retired), honored “For a lifetime of contributions to the design, manufacturing, and operations of human space flight programs including the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Orion.”

 

AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award
The award is presented for a notable contribution made by a young person, age 35 or under, to the advancement of aeronautics or astronautics. This award honors Lawrence B. Sperry, pioneer aviator and inventor, who died in 1923 in a forced landing while attempting a flight across the English Channel.

Michelle N. Banchy, NASA Langley Research Center, honored “For exceptional technical contributions in the field of aerodynamic design toward the development and application of natural laminar flow systems.”

 

In addition, the Institute will present the 2024 Daniel Guggenheim Medal during the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala to Michimasa Fujino for technical innovation and leadership in conceiving, designing, and bringing HondaJet to a leading position in the business jet market. This award is jointly sponsored by AIAA, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International, and the Vertical Flight Society (VFS).

*Note: This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Michimasa Fujino to Receive the 2024 Daniel Guggenheim Medal for Design and Development of the HondaJet

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 8, 2024 – Reston, Va. – Michimasa Fujino has been awarded the 2024 Daniel Guggenheim Medal for technical innovation and leadership in conceiving, designing, and bringing HondaJet to a leading position in the business jet market. Fujino will receive the prestigious award during the 2024 AIAA Awards Gala on Wednesday, 15 May, at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts*, Washington, DC.

The Daniel Guggenheim Medal was established in 1929 to honor innovators who make notable achievements in the advancement of aeronautics. Its first recipient was Orville Wright. The medal is jointly sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), SAE International (SAE), and the Vertical Flight Society (VFS).

“It is an honor and a privilege to nominate Mr. Fujino for the Daniel Guggenheim Medal. His visionary leadership and meticulous engineering have created the most advanced very light jet in the world. His innovative Over-the-Wing Engine Mount design has set a new standard for performance and efficiency in the aviation industry. Mr. Fujino is a true pioneer and a deserving recipient of this prestigious award,” said Mark Ofsthun, Senior Manager, Methods & F&DT, Honda Aircraft Company, and nominator.

Michimasa Fujino, retired founding president and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company, was responsible for the design and development, certification, production, sales, and service of the HondaJet. Fujino joined Honda R&D in 1984 and led aeronautical research of aircraft configuration design, aerodynamics, flight control, avionics system, advanced composite structure, and aeroelasticity. He became project leader of HondaJet in 1997 and developed HondaJet with advanced technologies. In 2006, Fujino founded Honda Aircraft Company and focused on the dual tasks of obtaining type certification of the new aircraft and creating a new company and organization for aircraft development, certification, and manufacturing. He also established a worldwide sales and service network for HondaJet. With his aeronautical breakthroughs, Fujino’s clean sheet design was proven to enhance aircraft performance and fuel efficiency and provide exceptional comfort for passengers. HondaJet became the best-selling business jet in its class.

Fujino has received international recognition for his pioneering contributions to aeronautical research and design. He has been the recipient of numerous international awards and distinctions, including the Elmer A. Sperry Award, AIAA Reed Aeronautics Award, ICAS Award for Innovation in Aeronautics, SAE Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson Aerospace Vehicle Design and Development Award, AIAA Aircraft Design Award, Prime Minister Award of Japan Industry and induction to the Living Legends of Aviation. In addition, Fujino has been recognized in the industrial design field and received the Good Design Gold Award and the Japan Industrial Designers’ Association Design Museum Award. His extensive research and theories on aircraft configuration design, advanced aerodynamics, and aeroelasticity have been published in technical and academic journals, and he holds several patents for aircraft design.

Fujino holds a Bachelor of Science and Doctorate in aeronautical engineering from the University of Tokyo. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), SAE International, and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). He is also an international member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Past recipients of the Guggenheim Medal are some of the greatest names in aerospace, including Holt Ashley, Lawrence Bell, William Boeing, James Doolittle, Donald Douglas, Charles Stark Draper, Hugh Dryden, Robert Goddard, Jerome Hunsaker, Theodore von Kármán, Charles Lindbergh, Glenn Martin, Frank Robinson, Burt Rutan, Igor Sikorsky, and Walter Vincenti, among many others.

For more information about the AIAA/ASME/SAE/VFS Daniel Guggenheim Medal, contact Patricia A. Carr, Guggenheim Secretary, at [email protected].

*Note: This event is an external rental presented in coordination with the Kennedy Center Campus Rentals Office and is not produced by the Kennedy Center.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram..

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.

About SAE International
SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession. By uniting over 128,000 engineers and technical experts, we drive knowledge and expertise across a broad spectrum of industries. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. For more information visit www.sae.org.

About The Vertical Flight Society 
Founded as the American Helicopter Society in 1943, the Vertical Flight Society today advocates, promotes and supports global vertical flight technology and professional development. For 80 years, the Society has provided leadership for the advancement of vertical flight. For more information, visit www.vtol.org or follow us on Twitter at @VTOLsociety.

AIAA to Present Technical Excellence Awards at the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 3, 2022 – Reston, Va.  – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is pleased to announce the winners of technical excellence awards to be presented during the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 27 June–1 July, in Chicago.

“We are proud to recognize these accomplished individuals for their influence on the aerospace profession,” said Dan Dumbacher, AIAA executive director. “These visionaries and technological leaders are truly inspirational. We are grateful for their efforts working toward a safer, more connected, more accessible, and more prosperous world.”

Registration for the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum is open now for the worldwide aviation community to attend in person or online. Early bird registration extends until 6 June. A limited number of sponsorships and exhibit packages are still available for interested companies and organizations to reach thousands of industry influencers from across the globe. Journalists who wish to cover the forum can request a Press Pass here.

  • 2021 Elmer A. Sperry Award

    Michimasa Fujino, HondaJetMichimasa Fujino, HondaJet

    Award Citation: : In recognition of his singular achievement of research and development of new technologies for business aviation including the Over-the-Wing Engine Mount and Natural Laminar Flow airfoil, and the introduction to the market of commercial aircraft based on these technologies through the formation of HondaJet.

    This award is given annually in recognition of a distinguished engineering contribution which, through application, proved in actual service, has advanced the art of transportation whether by land, sea, air, or space.

  • 2022 AIAA Aerodynamics Award

    Marilyn J. Smith, Georgia Institute of TechnologyMarilyn J. Smith, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Award Citation: For contributions to the computational and theoretical aerodynamic analysis of static and dynamic systems with separated flows, particularly for vertical takeoff and landing rotorcraft vehicles.

    This award is presented for meritorious achievement in the field of applied aerodynamics, recognizing notable contributions in the development, application, and evaluation of aerodynamic concepts and methods

  • 2022 AIAA Aircraft Design Award

    Steve Ericson, OverairSteve Ericson, Overair

    Award Citation: For a lifetime of innovative aircraft designs and exceptional skills in configuration design, as well as mentoring young engineers in aircraft design.

    This award is presented to an individual or team for an original concept or career contributions leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology.

  • 2022 AIAA Chanute Flight Test Award

    Rogers E. Smith, Consultant/SDI, Georgia Institute of TechnologyRogers E. Smith, Consultant/SDI, Georgia Institute of Technology

    Award Citation: For career-long achievements and contributions to the safe practices and teaching of flight testing, particularly in-flight controls and flying qualities, and significant collaboration with a diverse set of aerospace stakeholders

    This award honors Octave Chanute, pioneer aeronautical investigator, and is presented for an outstanding contribution made by a pilot or test personnel to the advancement of the art, science, and technology of aeronautics.

  • 2022 AIAA Fluid Dynamics Award

    Mujeeb R. Malik, NASA Langley Research CenterMujeeb R. Malik, NASA Langley Research Center

    Award Citation: : For numerous and significant contributions to the understanding and control of laminar­turbulent boundary-layer transition, and for exceptional leadership, particularly in the area of certification-by-analysis.

    This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the behavior of liquids and gases in motion as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.

  • 2022 AIAA Ground Testing Award

    James C. Ross, NASA Ames Research CenterJames C. Ross, NASA Ames Research Center

    Award Citation: : In recognition of decades of exemplary service and leadership in ground testing, advancing critical technologies including heavy vehicles, military aircraft, and NASA’s Multipurpose Crew Vehicle Program.

    This award is presented for outstanding achievement in the development or effective utilization of technology, procedures, facilities, or modeling techniques for flight simulation, space simulation, propulsion testing, aerodynamic testing, or other ground testing associated with aeronautics and astronautics.

  • 2022 AIAA Hap Arnold Award for Excellence in Aeronautical Program Management

    Paul W. Niewald, The Boeing CompanyPaul W. Niewald, The Boeing Company

    Award Citation: : For championing the use of innovative tools such as digital engineering to transform aircraft development, saving time and cost while enhancing performance and safety.

    This award honors General Henry “Hap” Arnold, a lifelong devotee to the concept of air power and Chief of the Army Corps in 1938, and is presented to an individual for outstanding contributions in the management of a significant aeronautical- or aeronautical-related program or project.

  • 2022 AIAA James A. Van Allen Space Environments Award

    Henry B. Garrett, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of TechnologyHenry B. Garrett, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

    Award Citation: For a lifetime of contributions to the understanding of the interactions of spacecraft with the Earth’s magnetosphere and those of other planets.

    This award recognizes outstanding contributions to space and planetary environment knowledge and interactions as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics. The award honors Prof. James A. Van Allen, an outstanding internationally recognized scientist, who is credited with the early discovery of the Earth’s “Van Allen Radiation Belts.”

  • 2022 AIAA Losey Atmospheric Sciences Award

    Fred H. Proctor, NASA (retired)Fred H. Proctor, NASA (retired)

    Award Citation: For leading fundamental research to characterize atmospheric-related aviation hazards and to develop advanced sensor algorithms for identifying and mitigating these hazards.

    This award was established in memory of Captain Robert M. Losey, a meteorological officer who was killed while serving as an observer for the U.S. Army, the first officer in the service of the United States to die in World War II. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the atmospheric sciences as applied to the advancement of aeronautics and astronautics.

  • 2022 AIAA Thermophysics Award

    Karen A. Thole, Pennsylvania State University, START LabKaren A. Thole, Pennsylvania State University, START Lab

    Award Citation: For pioneering research at the intersection of additive manufacturing and heat transfer in gas turbine engines that enables innovative combustor and turbine cooling designs.

    This a ward is presented for an outstanding singular or sustained technical or scientific contribution by an individual in thermophysics, specifically as related to the study and application of the properties and mechanisms involved in thermal energy transfer and the study of environmental effects on such properties and mechanisms.

  • 2022 AIAA Plasmadynamics and Lasers Award

    Sergey O. Macheret, Purdue UniversitySergey O. Macheret, Purdue University

    Award Citation: For pioneering work on novel plasma generation and control methods and on aerospace applications of plasmas.

    This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the understanding of the physical properties and dynamical behavior of matter in the plasma state and lasers as related to need in aeronautics and astronautics.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.