Flight testingHonda
F1
Full-scale lift + cruise technology demonstrator; gas-turbine hybrid planned
The Honda F1 is Honda's full-scale technology demonstrator for its Hybrid eVTOL, a lift-plus-cruise design. The production target is a gas-turbine hybrid, so it burns fuel and is not all-electric. The approximately 7,000 lb demonstrator made its first flight, about 90 seconds and remotely piloted, on 1 April 2026 in San Luis Obispo County, California. VFS reports that flight was on battery power only, with the turbine hybrid to follow. R&D began in 2020 and includes more than 400 subscale flights. Honda's targets for the eventual aircraft, not demonstrator results, are a 400 km maximum range including an IFR reserve and four or more passengers with one pilot. Honda aims for FAA type certification in the 2030s. A demonstrator only; not for sale.
- Range
- 400 km (Honda target max range, incl. IFR reserve)
(varies with speed, reserves, and how the pilot flies the mission).
- Payload
- Not published
- Cruise
- Not published
(chosen by the pilot, and traded against range and endurance).
- Top speed
- Not published
- Flight time
- Not published
(varies with the speed the pilot selects and the reserves kept for the mission).
- Price
- Not published
- MTOW
- Approximately 7,000 lb (demonstrator weight, Honda)
- Seats
- 4+ passengers + 1 pilot (Honda target)
- Battery / fuel
- Gas-turbine hybrid (burns fuel; not all-electric); first flight on battery power only
- First flight
- 1 Apr 2026, San Luis Obispo County, CA (about 90 s, remotely piloted)
- Entry into service
- Not published (FAA type certification aimed for the 2030s)
Full figures
- Role
- full-scale technology demonstrator, remotely piloted (registration N805HX)
- Demonstrator weight
- approximately 7,000 lb
- First flight
- 1 Apr 2026, San Luis Obispo County, CA, about 90 s, on battery power only
- Propulsion
- 8 lift propellers + 2 for forward flight
- Programme range
- 400 km target max range incl. IFR reserve (not an F1 flight result)
- Programme cabin
- 4 or more passengers + one onboard pilot (Honda target); cabin space comparable to HondaJet
- Power
- gas-turbine hybrid target (turbine generator drives electric motors; burns fuel)
- Development
- R&D since 2020; more than 400 subscale flight tests
- Cert aim
- FAA type certification in the 2030s
For
- Full-scale first flight on 1 April 2026 (Honda)
- 400 km target range from a gas-turbine hybrid
Against
- Not for sale — technology demonstrator only
- Production configuration not finished; type cert aimed at the 2030s
- Burns fuel (gas-turbine hybrid); not all-electric