Source | Horizon Aircraft, ZeroAvia

ZeroAvia (Hollister, Calif., U.S. and Kemble, U.K.) and New Horizon Aircraft Ltd. (Toronto, Canada) have announced plans to work together on developing regional hydrogen-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air travel. Together, the companies will cooperate on exploring ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain for Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7 eVTOL (CW has reported extensively on the ZA600, see “ZeroAvia advances to certify ZA600 in 2025...” and “ZeroAvia receives FAA G-1...”)

The Cavorite X7’s fan-in-wing design incorporates 14 lift fans providing the thrust for vertical takeoff, with sliding panels which hide the fans as the aircraft transitions from hover to wingborne flight and flies like a normal plane. For landing, it can use a normal runway, or the fans can be deployed to touchdown on a helipad, or an area the size of a tennis court.

Horizon Aircraft has already performed untethered flight tests of a large-scale prototype, including demonstrating hover modes and transition to wingborne flight. The company has received backing from the U.S. Department of Defense and approvals for flight testing from the Canadian regulator.

As well as investigating the integration of ZeroAvia’s powertrain, the partnership will accelerate research into the necessary infrastructure and certification guidelines to unlock a zero-emission pathway for Horizon Aircraft.

“More and more eVTOL companies are looking to hydrogen-electric propulsion as the breakthrough that can extend range potential and durability of electric propulsion systems,” explains Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia. “Horizon Aircraft has developed an exciting application and performed successful prototype testing, and they are taking another leadership step in exploring hydrogen as a potential propulsion option.”

Brandon Robinson, CEO and co-founder at Horizon Aircraft, says the company has been impressed with ZeroAvia's recent flight demonstrations of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and the company’s traction with regulators.