Canadian aviation firm unveils hybrid aircraft for critical intercity missions

Brandon Robinson, co-founder & CEO at Horizon Aircraft, joins BNN Bloomberg to discuss their Cavorite X7 model.

A Canadian aviation and aerospace company plans to change the way the airspace is used for critical missions within cities.

Lindsay, Ont.-based New Horizon revealed the Cavorite X7 at the Rare Earths Mines, Magnets and Motors conference in Toronto this week.

CEO Brandon Robinson said the aircraft flies like a helicopter and travels like a plane for a range of missions, specifically medical.

“Imagine getting someone from the side of the road that’s injured to the hospital in about half the time,” Robinson told BNN Bloomberg in an interview Tuesday.

“It’s about twice as fast as a helicopter and about 75 per cent cheaper to operate per unit mile.”

He said the aircraft is designed for vertical takeoff and landing, which would allow it to fly right into the heart of a community.

“Maybe it’s transportation, transporting organs, again, between hospitals, and then any sort of critical cargo, reaching out and connecting some of the northern communities in Canada,” said Robinson.

He said the current prototype is a half scale version that has been flown remotely in Lindsay, Ont. with the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Right now, the company is developing a full-scale hybrid version that will carry six passengers in addition to the pilot, capable of flying 450 km/hr with a range of 800 km.

“It actually has a turbo generator on board generating its own electricity, and it also has a battery array, so kind of the best of both worlds. High density energy fuel and the electric power on board to enable some really cool capability,” said Robinson.

Market gap in air mobility

Robinson, a former fighter jet pilot of two decades with the Royal Canadian Air Force, said his father had his own aerospace business, where he began focusing on electrification of aircrafts. That’s where the two noticed a market gap.

“Your typical all electric aircraft would take off and do short distance sort of transport within the city,” said Robinson.

“So we put together a concept, got some funding, and it’s been a real great Canadian success story.”

He said he has secured between US$20 million to $25 million in funding so far, and he expects “explosive growth” for the model in the next three to six months.