Aerospace technology has made great leaps over the last twenty years. With the introduction of drones, engineers have been reimagining the possibilities for aerial vehicles.
Horizon Aircraft, a Canadian company, has become a frontrunner in the aerospace industry. As of late, the company revealed a 50% scaled prototype of its Cavorite X5 eVTOL. The vehicle is a partially electric aircraft that can hover, fly, and maneuver in tight spaces.
If the company successfully builds a full-sized model, the aircraft could become a commonly used vehicle.
What is the Cavorite X5 eVTOL?
The Cavorite X5 is a small eVTOL aircraft designed to take off like a drone, hover like a helicopter, and fly like a plane. eVTOL stands for electric vertical take-off and landing. That means the vehicle uses similar technology as drones and helicopters, but the Cavorite X5 can then transition to fly like a plane. In order to achieve this feat, Horizon Aircraft is combining state-of-the-art technologies to make a futuristic idea a reality.
The company hasn’t quite achieved creating a full-sIt ized Cavorite X5 that works. However, it has produced a half-sized prototype. The purpose of doing that is to, of course, continue testing the design to ensure a full-scale model would function properly. However, it is also a way for the company to show proof of concept and help catch the eye of investors to take the project to its next phase.
Although the prototype is at a reduced scale, it’s still a big vehicle. It has a 6.7 meters (22 ft) wingspan and is 4.6 meters (15ft) in length. Horizon Aircraft has claimed that the Cavorite X5 prototype will be fully functional by the end of the year.
Flight features
The wings are equipped with 16 high-powered lift fans to get the vehicle off the ground–the company had this design patented. The Cavorite X5 eVTOL will then hover as the rear pusher propeller accelerators the craft forward. The wings will then close off the fan, and the aircraft will cruise the skies like a plane.
Horizon Aircraft claims that the full-size model will be able to reach a cruising speed of 450 km/h (280 mph) and a range of 500 km (310 mi). The vehicle will contain a gas engine that powers the electric motors for the wing fans and pusher propeller.
What will it be used for?
An aerial vehicle like the Cavorite X5 could be used to solve several problems. Horizon Aircraft believes its vehicle will be able to provide disaster relief, MedEvac services, cargo transport, and air taxi services. The eVTOL technology allows for take-offs and landing in difficult-to-reach areas, which opens up endless possibilities.
Project timeline
Horizon Aircraft has stated that the full-size model is currently in development. Like all companies that aren’t yet generating money, the speed of the project will be determined by how much money the company can raise. The goal is to get the aircraft certified by 2025, but Horizon Aircraft stated that many deciding factors are out of its hands.
Source: Horizon Aircraft
