Michimasa Fujino

Michimasa Fujino
藤野道格
BornMarch 1960 (age 64)
Tokyo, Japan
EducationUniversity of Tokyo for Aeronautical Engineering, 1984
Occupation(s)Aircraft designer, aviation entrepreneur
Years active1984–2022
Known forHonda Aircraft founder, HondaJet
Notable workCase Study 4 HondaJet,[1] Design and Development of the HondaJet [2]

Michimasa Fujino (藤野 道格, Fujino Michimasa) is a retired Japanese aeronautical engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of the Honda Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of the Honda Motor Company. Fujino worked as chief engineer within Honda R&D, then as vice president, before he was named the project leader for HondaJet development. He was also a Honda Motor managing officer.[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.

For his work at Honda Aircraft, Fujino has received the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aircraft Design Award (2012), the SAE International Award, the Clarence L. Kelly Johnson Aerospace and Vehicle Design Award (2014), and the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences Award for Innovation in Aeronautics. He is the first aircraft designer to receive all four awards, as well as the first individual of Asian descent to win the AIAA award, making him a notable figure in the contemporary aviation and very light jet industry.[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. In 2022, it was announced that he would retire as president and CEO of the company in April, a post he held since its founding in 2006, and continue as a consultant following his retirement.

  1. ^ "HondaJet | Official Site of Honda Corporate Jet Aircraft" (PDF).
  2. ^ "HondaJet | Official Site of Honda Corporate Jet Aircraft" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Honda to Make Changes to its Corporate Executive Structure". Honda Motor. February 18, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  4. ^ ""Award for Innovation in Aeronautics" Given to Honda Aircraft Company President Michimasa Fujino by the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences". www.hondajet.com. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  5. ^ Fujino, Michimasa (April 27, 2014). "Chick it out: Honda's new jet". The Edge (Interview). Interviewed by Kaori Enjoji. Greensboro, NC: CNBC. Event occurs at 05:40. Retrieved October 15, 2020.