Canadian firm develops hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft to serve remote communities

An aircraft being developed at Lindsay airport in Ontario could change how remote communities across Canada access critical and lifesaving care, according to Horizon Aircraft.

"We're developing an aircraft that can take off and land just like a helicopter," said co-founder Brandon Robinson. "So you don't need a runway, but en route it has some special technology whereby it can fly just like a normal aircraft on wing-borne flight."

Horizon is building a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, one of the first in the world. Robinson said it could improve access to remote communities and help with search-and-rescue missions where landing space is limited.

"It's about twice as fast as a helicopter, much cheaper to own and operate and much safer," he said. "It's the agility of a helicopter with the speed and range of an airplane, which, in a country like Canada, can have huge implications for small communities."

Horizon has a half-scale version of its Cavorite X7, which has completed a full test programme. The company is now building the full-size version, which will carry six passengers and a pilot, travel at up to 450 kilometres per hour and have a range of up to 800 kilometres.

The plane uses fans hidden inside its wings to lift straight up. Once airborne, the fans are covered and the aircraft flies forward like a conventional airplane. Take-off and landing are electric, and batteries recharge during flight.

Remote medevac is central to Horizon's business plan, aiming to connect hard-to-reach Indigenous communities in the North. The aircraft carries its own generator and does not need ground infrastructure to recharge.

"It can land in the middle of nowhere in a flat space," Robinson said. "We can drop off those critical medical supplies or a surgeon or extract a critically injured patient from those northern communities in a much more efficient fashion."

The aircraft is designed to operate in forest fires, cold, snow and low-visibility conditions, allowing year-round service. Constance Lake First Nation, about 500km northeast of Thunder Bay, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Horizon to advance a potential purchase.

"It could land right on the spot. Doesn't need a runway. It's just like a helicopter or an aircraft built in one," said Chief Richard Allen. "Our main mission is to save lives."

Robinson said building in Canada was intentional, citing the country's history of manufacturing and certifying commercial and military aircraft. Horizon plans to finish the full-size aircraft and begin testing by late spring or early summer, with certification possibly by 2030.

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