Horizon Aircraft is steadily progressing in the development of key technological components of its hybrid-powered eVTOL aircraft. CEO Brandon Robinson comments: “I am extremely proud of the pace of our full-scale aircraft systems development programme, the world-class team we're building and the game-changing technology that we're bringing to advanced air mobility. Our unique, customer-first approach prioritises building a tough eVTOL aircraft that can operate in bad weather, icing conditions and other challenging operational environments. This strategy is gaining strong traction with operators, driving substantial demand.”

Key technical highlights include:

- Flight test programme: Hundreds of flight tests have been conducted and Horizon Aircraft is approaching full transition speed. The company expects to achieve full transition by the end of the year. The real-world test results are rapidly improving the design and production of the full-scale aircraft and its sub-systems.

- Full-scale aircraft development: The company continues to develop and patent key technologies that underpin its unique aircraft including the full-scale propulsion units that are key to the HOVR wing technology. Testing of the cooling system and power tests for the full-scale propulsion units are ongoing, yielding positive outcomes, and load testing results for the HOVR wing mechanism are very positive.

- Digital twin development: The company also continues to develop its sophisticated hardware-in-the-loop (HITL) digital twin technology that has enabled a more efficient and rapid testing of the large-scale prototype aircraft with thousands of digital flight tests informing real-world anticipated handling characteristics of the large-scale prototype.

Horizon Aircraft’s patented HOVR wing technology allows it to fly 98 per cent of its mission in a configuration similar to that of a normal aircraft, featuring a hybrid power system that offers superior range, speed and payload in its class. Its hybrid eVTOL, the Cavorite X7, is designed to perform at a speed of almost twice that of a comparable helicopter while operating at a materially lower cost. With an estimated maximum speed of 250 miles per hour and an average range of over 500 miles with fuel reserves, Horizon believes this aircraft, if eventually licensed for commercial use, would be well-positioned to excel in medical evacuation, critical supply delivery, disaster relief and special military missions.

The company believes that flying most of the time as a normal aircraft is also safer and will make the aircraft easier to certify than other radical new eVTOL designs. The Cavorite X7 will be powered by a hybrid electric system that will recharge the battery array in-flight and post-flight, while also providing significant system redundancy.