Horizon Aircraft CEO Targets Helicopter Market with Hybrid

Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson, a former Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 pilot, believes his company's hybrid-electric Cavorite X7 will disrupt the helicopter industry by being faster and cheaper. The company announced at the Farnborough Airshow that Australian startup V Star Powered Lift Aviation has placed an order for up to five X7s, with an option for 95 more.

Robinson told AeroTime that Horizon could have "pre-sold hundreds" of aircraft but chose to focus on partnerships with knowledgeable operators instead. V Star, which currently operates Bell helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in Australia, passed the company's "high standard of operational savvy." Robinson praised its "forward, innovative mentality." He contrasted this with regional operators who prefer to keep flying their "60-year-old airplanes" and avoid advanced air mobility discussions.

Beyond the V Star deal, Horizon has two other agreements for the Cavorite X7. JetSetGo signed a Letter of Intent to purchase 50 aircraft with an option for 50 more, and Discovery Air Chile plans to lease five. Robinson stated the company will limit production to 200-300 units per year, a cap he links to small aircraft manufacturing capabilities. Scaling beyond that would require new processes. "We're going to be able to sell every single one of these that we produce," he said.

Performance and Mission Profile

The Cavorite X7 takes off vertically using 12 electrically powered lift fans in its wing. After transitioning to forward flight, it operates like a conventional aircraft powered by a gas-turbine engine. According to Horizon, the aircraft can carry seven people up to 800 km at a maximum speed of 450 kilometers per hour.

Robinson believes initial deployments will focus on medical evacuation and emergency services. "Imagine getting a patient at the hospital in half the time, from twice the distance in the golden hour," he said. Other proposed missions include defense, search and rescue, business travel, critical cargo, and serving remote communities.

Competing with Helicopters

While many developers focus on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban mobility, Horizon is targeting the helicopter sector. Robinson calls helicopters expensive, hard to maintain, difficult to fly, and prone to crashes. He positions the X7 as a "commercial jetliner version of a helicopter" that is faster, cheaper, and safer.

He acknowledges the X7 cannot hover for extended periods, so it won't replace every helicopter mission. However, he argues it is ideal for the many missions that simply go from point A to point B. According to Horizon's data, a comparable helicopter is about 190 km/h slower and has a range roughly 200 km lower than the X7.

Robinson said the purchase price will be "slightly cheaper" than an equivalent helicopter, with significant savings coming from lower operating costs per hour and per mile. "We don't see modern eVTOLs as our competitors," he stated. "We're more regional, like city to city. That's our strength."

Development Timeline and Defense Role

Horizon, co-founded by Robinson and his father Brian in 2013, designed the X7 as a hybrid from the start. The hybrid system is part of a unified concept, not a retrofit. Robinson said this architecture was the only way to meet the specifications for better regional travel, covering 300-500 miles at 200-250 miles per hour, unlike all-electric concepts envisioned for shorter 30-50 mile trips.

The company has also planned for defense applications from the beginning. Robinson, drawing on his military experience, highlighted the advantages of a helicopter-like capability that is twice as fast, quieter, and stealthier for missions like inserting special forces or rescuing downed pilots.

Path to Certification

Horizon's first full-scale aircraft is expected to be completed within the next six to nine months. The company will have an aircraft rolling out of the hangar next year, with initial ground and flight testing scheduled for the first and second quarters of 2027. A second aircraft will follow quickly. The first will be a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) version, followed by a VTOL variant, a strategy similar to Beta Technologies. Horizon is planning for the first customer delivery in early 2030, following a Transport Canada certification process.