OSHKOSH, WI-The experimental HondaJet made its world debut with a demonstration flight in front of a crowd of aviation enthusiasts at this summer's Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) AirVenture show, the world's largest annual aviation gathering.

The compact business jet incorporates a number of innovations including a lightweight, composite fuselage and an over-the-wing engine mount configuration. It is powered by two Honda HF-118 engines, each producing 1,670 pounds of thrust at takeoff.

"The HondaJet represents the continued advancement of Honda's long-standing dream of aviation," says Michimasa Fujino, HondaJet project leader and vice president of Honda R&D Americas Inc. (Los Angeles). "We are pleased and excited to be able to share this dream and our technology with the aviation community."

The HondaJet, which is the culmination of nearly 20 years of aviation research at Honda, made its first test flight in December 2003. Since then, the aircraft has logged some 156 hours of flight-testing time during which it has achieved an altitude of 43,000 feet and a speed of 393 knots.