Honda Aircraft Company selects Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics to design and supply the nose weather radomes for the HondaJet business aircraft.

Ravenna, OH – Oct  12, 2009 – Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics announced today it has been selected by Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina, to supply Norton® radomes for the new HondaJet business aircraft. Honda Aircraft Company has received well over 100 orders for the HondaJet, an advanced light jet offering superior performance and efficiency within the light business jet category. Initial aircraft deliveries are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2011. 

“The HondaJet is an innovative and unique aircraft, and we are excited to join Honda in their first aircraft development program,” says Dave Stresing, Engineering Manager, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. “Our Norton Armor ™ radome technologies are an excellent match for the HondaJet and the business aircraft market. A reliable weather radome is an important tool for business aircraft to operate safely, and these aircraft need to fly on short notice for their customers, no matter what the weather forecast is.” 

The nose radome provides a protective, transparent cover for the weather radar and antennas that are critical for flight safety.  Norton Armor ™ radome technologies also extend the service life of the radome and the paint system on the aircraft nose.  Says Stresing, “The Norton Armor ™ paint is a very durable erosion protection system for radomes and composites, and the nose radome must always look great since it is visible to passengers every time they board the aircraft.” 

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics aerospace business is based in Ravenna, Ohio, and specializes in the design, manufacture, repair and certification of high-performance aerospace composites and Norton® radomes that utilize proprietary Norton Armor™ technologies. These advanced technologies reduce maintenance costs and extend service life for aircraft composites that are critical to aircraft operation. 

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, part of the Innovative Materials Sector of Saint-Gobain, is headquartered in Aurora, Ohio, and employs 4,400 people in 15 countries. It is a world leader in high-performance plastics, including flexible tubing applications, seals, coated fabrics, films, foams, polymer products and bearings. 

Headquartered in Paris, Saint-Gobain is the world’s leading producer of construction products and innovative materials such as abrasives, high-performance plastics, industrial ceramics and reinforcements; it is also the European leader in flat glass, packaging (glass bottles) and distribution of building materials. In 2008 Saint-Gobain had worldwide sales of $64.4 billion, and employed 209,000 people in 59 countries. 

For more information, visit www.radome.com or call (330) 296-9948. 

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Contact: Patrice Lallement
Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics
335 N. Diamond St, Ravenna OH 44266
Ph: 330-298-4105
Email: patrice.lallement@saint-gobain.com