Honda takes to the air

On the centenary of the first flight by the Wright brothers, Japanese car firm Honda has entered the world of jet aircraft.

The Japanese firm said yesterday it had succeeded in test-flying a small business jet in the US, taking a step towards its long-term goal of entering the aircraft business.

The six-seat HondaJet is the world's first business jet made completely by a car firm, and is powered by a lightweight, low-emission turbine engine that Honda has been developing since 1999.

It follows tests last year by rival Japanese firm Toyota which completed a test run of a prototype aircraft. However, the plane's engine came from a different manufacturer.

Developing aircraft has been one of Honda's goals for the past four decades, and a dream held by its late, legendary founder Soichiro Honda. The car firm had been aiming to complete initial test flights by today, the centennial of the Wright brothers' first sustained, controlled flight.

"We've taken the first step towards our future dream of turning this into a business," a Honda spokesman said.