Horizon Aircraft has reported progress across several fronts in the development of its hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Cavorite X7.

The Canadian company completed a successful fan-in-wing forward transition flight with its large-scale prototype in May 2025. This marked one of the world’s first such manoeuvres and validated its unique hybrid VTOL concept.

The team has also advanced construction of a full-scale aircraft, which is expected to be ready for initial testing within 18 months. Platform-level architecture for the non-conforming prototype has been finalised, and propulsion units for the patented HOVR Wing technology are undergoing testing and iteration.

Horizon’s simulation environment, which accelerated the development of the large-scale prototype, continues to mature, while engagement with Transport Canada Civil Aviation and local experts has begun to pave the way for certification under instrument flight rules and for flight into known icing.

The company expanded its design and engineering team by almost 50 per cent in 2025, adding recognised specialists in their fields.

“This has already been an incredible year for the technical team, and we're not done yet,” says Brandon Robinson, CEO at Horizon Aircraft. “Now our team's focus is on the design of the full-scale aircraft, which we expect to complete within 18 months.”