3C and Horizon Aircraft sign collaboration on certification and services
3C and Horizon Aircraft have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) under which the two companies will collaborate on aspects of the continued development and path to certification of Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X5 program.
The MOU establishes a framework for ongoing expansion of collaboration as the Cavorite X5 programme evolves, and will give Horizon access to services and expertise that includes gap analysis, certification planning, certifiable design consulting, training, flight test planning and execution and eventually, airworthiness approval.
The collaboration will also enable both companies to work together on future business development opportunities and strengthen the case for this ‘made-in-Canada’ programme.
3C business development VP Phil Cole remarked: “We have been following the Cavorite X5 programme from a distance for some time now and are impressed with many of the business and design decisions that Horizon Aircraft has taken thus far on the program.
“We believe that Canada must have one or more OEMs for imaginative platforms like this and are delighted to have teamed up with the Horizon Aircraft folks to try and help them do exactly that.
“Based on extensive prior experience, Horizon Aircraft understands the challenges ahead both with airworthiness approval and with vehicle operations. Accordingly, they are taking a very pragmatic approach to their development in order to significantly lower programme risk.”
Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson added: “We are humbled and grateful to be able to work with John Maris and his world class team at 3C, an internationally recognised company that has led successful certification programs on numerous aircraft.
“3C has deep technical expertise in aircraft design, and has connections within the Canadian aerospace community. This partnership will help to further reduce technical risk as we build our innovative project towards an exciting and sustainable future.”
Last month, Horizon Aircraft successfully completed initial hover testing of its Cavorite X5 scale prototype, capable of full hover at only 65% power, and hovered with 20% of its fans purposely disabled in order to test system redundancy.
In June 2021, Astro Aerospace closed the acquisition agreement with Horizon Aircraft and appointed Horizon’s co-founder and CEO Brandon Robinson as its president.
