Honda Aircraft’s HA-420 HondaJet has been nominated by the US National Aeronautic Association for its 2015 Robert J Collier Trophy.
The light twinjet, which entered service late last year, is the only business aircraft in the nine-strong shortlist for the annual contest. It is awarded by the NAA “for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America”.
The other nominees include the Icon A5 light sport seaplane, Airbus A350 commercial airliner and Lockheed Martin’s C-5M Super Galaxy military transport aircraft.
Honda Aircraft
Since the Collier Trophy was first awarded, in 1911, business aircraft programmes have triumphed on only four occasions, starting in 1996 with the Cessna Citation X design team.
Gulfstream clinched the award in 2004 and 2015, for its G550 and G650 business jets, respectively, while Eclipse Aviation was recognised in 2005, for the EA500 very light jet.
The NAA will announce the 2015 winner on 8 March.
Source: Flight International
