One month after announcing that its flagship Cavorite X7 eVTOL would transition to full-scale prototype development by the close of the current year, Canadian startup Horizon Aircraft has continued to draw the press spotlight to its platform at the ongoing Japan International Aerospace Exhibition 2024, where the company highlighted its acceleration of nascent flight-testing plans and the Cavorite’s potential utility as a military asset.
The Cavorite X7 is an evolutionary development of Horizon’s previous X5 passenger prototype design, featuring a larger passenger capacity and host of other refinements to the core Cavorite concept. Sub-scale prototyping of the X5 began in 2021, and the company received a Phase 1 High Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing contract from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) the following year. In August 2023, Horizon received Transport Canada approval to conduct remotely piloted outdoor transition testing, facilitating the platform’s progress towards conceptual maturation over 2024.
The Cavorite X7 integrates 14 fans directly into the aircraft’s wing structure to provide vertical lift capability, whilst utilizing a fuselage mounted pusher propeller for conventional flight. The 2,500kg (5,500 lbs) maximum gross weight aircraft can transport six passengers and one pilot or a 680.5 kg (1,500) useful load its default passenger or transport configurations. Horizon has outlined commercial and military transport, medical evacuation and special operations use cases for the platform.
