Canadian aerospace engineering company Horizon Aircraft has announced that the 50%-scale prototype of its Cavorite X5 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft has been completed. The Cavorite X5 will be a small hybrid-electric aircraft, aimed mainly at the emerging urban air mobility (UAM) market.

“With a 22-foot [6.7 m] wingspan, 15 feet [4.57 m] in length, and capable of speeds over 250 km/h, this 50%-scale prototype is an impressive aircraft,” affirmed Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson. “Furthermore, it will yield valuable information that will help reduce technical risk as we move forward with detailed design of our full-scale aircraft.”

Unlike the more radical electrically-powered UAM VTOL designs being pursued by other developers, the Cavorite makes use of fixed wings to generate lift for most of its flight time. Use of wings greatly reduces drag and it will undertake 98% of its flights operating like a conventional aircraft. This would, the company says, make it safer and should make it easier to certify than the more radical, wingless, alternative designs.

Not that the Cavorite design uses conventional wings. The aircraft has an innovative lift-fans-in-wings configuration, which the company has patented. It is these lift fans, plus others in the nose canards (miniature wings at the front of the aircraft), which give it the ability to land and take off vertically.

The 50%-scale prototype will now be subjected to “rigorous” testing. These tests will be strongly focused on safety. Soon testing will start on the ‘transition’ phase of flight (that is, moving from vertical take-off to forward conventional flight, and the reverse process for landing). This will be followed by high-speed flight tests.

The full-size Cavorite X5 will be able to carry one pilot and four passengers. Powered by a hybrid-electric propulsion system, it will have a length of 11.6 m, a wingspan of 15.3 m and a height of 2.8 m. It will have a maximum gross weight of 1 633 kg, a useful payload of 363 kg in VTOL operation and 635 kg using conventional take-off. Maximum cruise speed will be 450 km/h and maximum range (including reserve fuel) 500 km.