Hybrid-electric fan-in-wing VTOL with 12 electrically powered lift fans for vertical flight and conventional wing-borne cruise with the fan covers closed.
Propulsion Unit Count
12
Redundancy Approach
Horizon states that the 12 lift fans provide distributed redundancy and reports large-scale prototype hover tests with 30% of fans disabled. Certification-level failure analysis for the full-scale aircraft is not public.
Range / Speed
Manufacturer-published estimates: 800 km maximum range with reserves, 450 km/h maximum cruise on the detailed aircraft page, 680 kg VTOL payload and 1 pilot + 6 passengers. Other current Horizon material cites 460 km/h, so speed is not normalized as a single structured value yet.
Seat Count
7
Last Updated
September 18, 2026
Horizon has completed large-scale prototype hover and transition testing and states that the full-scale Cavorite X7 moved from design into manufacturing in 2026. No civil Type Certificate or regulator-accepted certification basis has been identified.
Complete full-scale aircraft assembly, begin the full-scale flight-test program and establish regulator-verifiable certification-basis and compliance milestones.
Cavorite X7 is Horizon Aircraft's seven-seat hybrid-electric VTOL concept using a fan-in-wing architecture. The aircraft is designed to perform vertical takeoff and landing but spend most of its mission in conventional wing-borne flight.
Horizon publishes 12 electrically driven lift fans concealed by wing and canard covers during cruise, hybrid propulsion for energy replenishment and conventional forward-flight propulsion. The company lists one pilot plus six passengers.
Horizon reports that its large-scale prototype achieved hover and wing-borne transition testing, and its 2026 program updates moved the full-scale X7 from design toward manufacturing with multiple supplier agreements.
Horizon targets regional passenger, medevac, cargo, defence and public-service missions using both vertical and conventional runway capability.
The full-scale aircraft has not yet established the public flight and certification record of the large-scale prototype. Current published range, speed, payload and economics are manufacturer estimates; Horizon's own current pages also differ on maximum speed, so PropulsionWatch should preserve that uncertainty until the company harmonizes the figure.
September 18, 2026
