Horizon Aircraft announces switch to seven-seat hybrid eVTOL design
TORONTO - Horizon Aircraft in Toronto has announced it has increased the seating capacity of its prototype hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and is now targeting the future production of a seven-seat capacity model. Initially the company had planned to design and produce a five-seat aircraft.
Due to positive flight-testing results of its 50%-scale prototype alongside sophisticated aerodynamic, structural, and electrical analysis, the company now believes that it can expand its initial prototype to include room for one pilot and six passengers. Potential customers in the medevac, business aviation and commercial cargo sectors have advised the company that larger aircraft with lower passenger seat mile costs better aligned with their needs. The company’s new enlarged prototype design is now called “Cavorite X7,” replacing the Cavorite X5.
The Cavorite X7 aircraft would have a gross weight of an estimated 5,500 lbs. with a projected useful load of 1,500 lbs. With an estimated maximum speed of 250 miles per hour and an average range of over 500 miles with fuel reserves, the company believes that this experimental 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 the proposed aircraft would also be attractive for regional air mobility – moving people and cargo 50 to 500 miles.
The Cavorite X7 is being designed with a hybrid electric power system. The company is designing the Cavorite X7 such that it could, after its vertical takeoff, re-charge its batteries en route when it is flying in a configuration like a traditional aircraft. After a vertical landing and completion of a mission, the company is designing the Cavorite X7 to recharge its battery array in under 30 minutes to be ready for its next mission.
