Horizon Aircraft Appoints Tom Brassington as Chief Technology Officer
New Horizon Aircraft (NASDAQ: HOVR), doing business as Horizon Aircraft (“Horizon Aircraft” or the “company”), an advanced aerospace engineering company and developer of the world’s first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft that can fly most of its mission exactly like a normal aircraft, announces that Tom Brassington has been appointed as chief technology officer.
Brassington is the latest addition in a series of new hires as Horizon Aircraft continues to bolster its engineering team with people who have proven track records in the aerospace sector. Brassington joins from Lilium, an eVTOL developer, where he held the position of head of System Design Engineering. He takes up his new role at Horizon Aircraft at the end of October 2024.
With 17 years’ experience working in aerospace systems engineering, Brassington's visionary leadership and technical expertise, alongside his extensive experience working in the eVTOL space, will greatly enhance the capabilities of Horizon Aircraft’s engineering team, streamline development processes, and drive innovation. His eVTOL certification expertise comes ahead of Horizon’s production of the Cavorite X7, a piloted seven-seat hybrid electric eVTOL that was developed in response to demand from potential customers in the medevac, business aviation and commercial cargo sectors.
Brandon Robinson, CEO of Horizon Aircraft, says, “We are thrilled to welcome Tom to our team of visionary and highly talented engineers. Tom’s experience is rare — he has seen firsthand the challenges associated with eVTOL aircraft development and certification — and we feel very fortunate that he has placed his confidence in Horizon Aircraft. His experience will be invaluable as we continue the design, production and testing of our Cavorite X7 aircraft."
Brassington says, “The eVTOL sector is a very crowded marketplace. As it develops, it is becoming clearer which companies are likely to succeed, and Horizon Aircraft is one of those few companies that maintains a strict operational focus, has a realistic concept that will work with current technology, and has built a highly experienced team that can deliver. This is an exciting period in the company’s growth, and I am very much looking forward to being part of this.”
Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7 will have a gross weight of an estimated 5,500 pounds (lbs.) with a projected useful load of 1,500 lbs. With an estimated maximum speed of 250 miles per hour and an average range of over 500 miles with fuel reserves, Horizon believes that this experimental aircraft, if eventually licensed for commercial use, will be well-positioned to excel in medical evacuation, critical supply delivery, disaster relief, and special military missions. The company believes that the proposed aircraft would also be attractive for regional air mobility, moving people and cargo 50 to 500 miles.
Unlike many in its category, the Cavorite X7 is being designed with a hybrid electric power system. Horizon is designing the Cavorite X7 such that it could, after its vertical takeoff, re-charge its batteries enroute when it is flying in a configuration like a traditional aircraft. After a vertical landing and completion of a mission, it is designed to recharge its battery array in under 30 minutes to be ready for its next mission. Horizon believes that its innovative approach and technology will allow the Cavorite X7 to fly 98% of its mission in a very low-drag configuration like a traditional aircraft. It also believes that flying most of the time as a normal aircraft is also safer and will make the aircraft easier to certify than other radical new eVTOL designs. The hybrid electric system will also provide significant system redundancy.
Horizon is continuing testing of its 50%-scale aircraft with the belief that it will reduce technical risk moving forward as the company continues to develop its full-scale aircraft.
For more information, visit https://www.horizonaircraft.com.