Michimasa Fujino

Fujino worked as chief engineer within Honda R&D, then as vice president, before he was named the project leader for HondaJet development.

[3] At Honda Aircraft, he played a crucial role in the growth of the company, and was responsible for the overall strategy of its design, development, certification, marketing, sales, and production of the HondaJet.

[4][5] Fujino was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2017 for the creation of the HondaJet and the formation of the Honda Aircraft Company.

[1] After spending ten years in the United States, Fujino believed that there was great potential for Honda to enter the aviation industry by offering a high performance light jet.

[13] His new design also featured a number of other innovations for a general aviation aircraft, including a natural-laminar flow wing, all-composite fuselage, and glass cockpit.

[14] In 2000, Fujino and a small team of engineers began work on the HondaJet prototype at the Piedmont International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Between 2006 and 2015, Fujino focused on the dual tasks of developing a company and preparing his proof-of-concept aircraft for FAA type certification.