Empennage for HondaJet

Hampson Industries has been awarded a contract to manufacture the tail portion of the new HondaJet light jet.

Aerospace and precision engineering group Hampson Industries has been awarded a contract to manufacture and deliver the complete structural subassembly of the empennage, or tail portion, of the new HondaJet light jet.

The HondaJet is to be produced at Honda Aircraft Company's new custom-built facilities in Greensboro, North Carolina which are currently under construction.

Under the terms of the $70m contract, Hampson will manufacture parts in its Wigan, UK, facility and deliver fully integrated subassemblies to Honda from its facility in Grand Prairie, Texas.

These facilities already specialise in the manufacture and supply of structural empennage subassemblies for light aircraft.

The decision to commercialise the HondaJet was announced in July 2006, followed by the August 4, 2006 establishment of Honda Aircraft Company. The company has received more than 100 customer orders for the $3.65m HondaJet since its sales launch on October 17, 2006.

First deliveries of the HondaJet are scheduled for 2010.