This article is based on an official press release from Natilus.

Natilus Unveils “Horizon Evo” with Dual-Deck Design to Speed FAA Certification

San Diego-based aerospace manufacturer Natilus has officially unveiled the Horizon Evo, a significant evolution of its flagship passenger aircraft. Announced on February 10, 2026, the updated design features a dual-deck configuration intended to address critical regulatory feedback and streamline integration into existing airline fleets. Alongside the design update, the company confirmed it has secured $28 million in Series A funding led by Draper Associates.

The announcement marks a strategic pivot for the Blended Wing Body (BWB) developer. By moving away from a single-volume fuselage to a split-level layout, Natilus aims to solve two of the most persistent challenges facing BWB adoption: emergency passenger evacuation and compatibility with standard airport cargo infrastructure.

A Strategic Pivot: The Dual-Deck Configuration

According to the company’s press release, the Horizon Evo introduces a distinct separation between passenger and cargo operations. The aircraft will feature an upper deck dedicated to approximately 200 passengers and a lower deck designed specifically to accommodate standard LD3-45 shipping containers.

This design change is a direct response to feedback from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and commercial Airlines partners. In previous BWB concepts, the deep, wide fuselage created significant hurdles for emergency egress, as passengers seated in the center of the aircraft were too far from exits to meet the 90-second evacuation standard. The new dual-deck layout mimics the cross-section of traditional widebody jets, allowing for standard door heights and evacuation procedures.

Natilus CEO Aleksey Matyushev emphasized the pragmatic nature of this shift in a statement regarding the launch:

“By moving into this dual-deck layout, it pushes us into a more traditional, I would say known, operational capability that the FAA is more comfortable with.”

Infrastructure Compatibility

Beyond safety certification, the redesign addresses operational logistics. Airlines have long expressed concern that radical new airframe shapes would require expensive modifications to ground support equipment. By standardizing the lower deck for LD3 containers, Natilus claims the Horizon Evo can be serviced by existing cargo loaders without modification, removing a major barrier to entry for commercial carriers.

Technical Specifications and Performance Claims

Natilus positions the Horizon Evo as a hyper-efficient alternative to the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo. While the aircraft retains the aerodynamic benefits of a blended wing, the company states it will offer significant environmental and economic advantages over current “tube-and-wing” designs.

Key specifications released by the company include:

• Capacity: Approximately 200 passengers in a two-class configuration, up to 250 in a single-class layout.
• Range: Capable of transcontinental and transatlantic routes (e.g., New York to London).
• Efficiency: Projected 30% reduction in fuel burn and 50% lower emissions per seat compared to traditional narrowbodies.
• Cargo Volume: 40% more payload volume than comparable aircraft.
• Propulsion: Designed for compatibility with existing engine types (such as the CFM LEAP or PW1000G) to minimize technical risk.

The aircraft is designed to fit within Gate Class C4, ensuring it can utilize existing Airports gates without requiring infrastructure expansion.

Timeline and Funding

The company’s roadmap outlines a staggered approach to entry into service. Natilus plans to fly its smaller cargo drone prototype, the Kona, within approximately 24 months (late 2027 or early 2028). The Kona is pursuing FAA Part 23 certification.

The passenger-focused Horizon Evo, which will require more rigorous FAA Part 25 certification, is targeted for commercial service in the early 2030s. The newly secured $28 million in Series A funding will support the next phase of development, including wind tunnel testing and sub-scale prototyping.

AirPro News Analysis

Pragmatism over Perfection

The shift to the Horizon Evo represents a “reality check” for the blended wing body sector. While pure flying wings offer maximum theoretical aerodynamic efficiency, they have historically failed to cross the “Valley of Death” toward certification due to safety and infrastructure incompatibilities. By compromising on a dual-deck design, Natilus is signaling to investors and regulators that it prioritizes a certifiable product over a theoretically perfect one.

However, significant hurdles remain. The $28 million raised is a fraction of the capital required to certify a clean-sheet commercial airliner, a process that typically costs between $1 billion and $5 billion. For context, competitor JetZero recently received $235 million from the U.S. Air Force for a demonstrator alone. While the dual-deck design mitigates evacuation risks, proving that a non-tubular fuselage can meet strict safety standards remains a massive engineering challenge. The “early 2030s” timeline is ambitious, and industry observers will be watching closely to see if the company can secure the substantial follow-on funding needed to move from wind tunnels to flight tests.

Sources

• Natilus Press Release

This article is based on an official press release from H55.

H55 Completes Aviation Industry’s First EASA-Required Battery Certification Tests

H55, the Swiss electric aviation company spun off from the Solar Impulse project, announced it has successfully completed the full sequence of propulsion battery module certification tests required by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The milestone, achieved on December 19, 2025, marks a significant step forward for the sector, addressing the critical safety challenge of thermal runaway containment in high-energy lithium-ion batteries.

According to the company, this is the first time in the aviation industry that a propulsion battery module has passed these rigorous, authority-witnessed tests using serial-conforming hardware. The successful campaign clears the path for H55 to submit final test reports to EASA in the first quarter of 2026, with commercial entry-into-service projected for early 2027.

Solving the Thermal Runaway Challenge

The primary hurdle for certifying electric-aviation has long been the safety of high-energy density batteries. Regulators require proof that if a single cell catches fire (a process known as thermal runaway), the failure will not propagate to neighboring cells or cause a catastrophic explosion. H55 reports that its “Adagio” battery module successfully demonstrated this containment capability under EASA supervision.

Instead of relying on heavy containment boxes, which add prohibitive weight to airframes, H55 utilizes a patented encapsulation technology. This system manages each cell individually, directing released energy and hot gases out of the module through a specific venting path. This approach prevents heat from triggering adjacent cells, effectively neutralizing the risk of propagation.

“Electric aviation has faced a single, unresolved bottleneck: proving to regulators that high-energy propulsion batteries can safely contain worst-case failures. Rather than attempting to contain a thermal runaway by shielding… H55 opts for a different approach, preventing fire propagation at the cell level.”

, André Borschberg, Co-Founder of H55

Technical Specifications and Production Readiness

The tests were conducted on H55’s Adagio battery modules, which utilize commercial 21700 lithium-ion cells, a standard cylindrical format adapted for aviation safety. The company states the modules achieve an energy density of approximately 200 Wh/kg. Crucially, the tests utilized production-grade units rather than experimental prototypes, signaling that H55’s manufacturing lines in Sion, Switzerland, are ready for mass production.

In addition to the physical battery architecture, the system includes a redundant Battery Management System (BMS) capable of monitoring the voltage, temperature, and health of every single cell in real-time.

AirPro News analysis

While major eVTOL developers like Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies have made significant progress with flight testing, much of the industry has operated under experimental permits or is currently navigating the earlier stages of certification. H55’s completion of the specific battery module test sequence positions it as a critical supplier for airframers who prefer to integrate certified components rather than developing proprietary battery systems. Furthermore, the move from theoretical safety models to empirical, regulator-witnessed data is expected to assist insurers in transitioning from estimated risk models to actuarial data, potentially lowering premiums for electric fleets.

Regulatory Pathway and North American Expansion

H55 holds both Design Organization Approval (DOA) and Production Organization Approval (POA) from EASA. The company is currently working with a joint Certification Management Team involving EASA and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under mutual recognition agreements, the data generated from the EASA tests is intended to support “fast-track” approval for operations in North America.

To demonstrate the technology’s reliability to the North American market, H55 has announced an “Across America” tour for 2025. The company will fly its Bristell B23 Energic, a two-seater electric trainer aircraft equipped with the Adagio system, across the United States to engage with flight schools and operators.

H55 is also establishing a new production facility in Montreal, Canada, to serve customers in the region.

Sources

Sources: PR Newswire / H55

This article is based on an official press release from Horizon Aircraft.

Horizon Aircraft Taps RAMPF Composite Solutions for Cavorite X7 Fuselage Manufacturing

Horizon Aircraft (NASDAQ: HOVR) has officially selected RAMPF Composite Solutions to manufacture the fuselage for its full-scale Cavorite X7 hybrid-electric eVTOL. Announced on January 29, 2026, this Partnerships marks a critical transition from design to physical production for the Canadian aerospace company.

The agreement tasks RAMPF with constructing the main body of the aircraft using advanced lightweight carbon fiber and fiberglass materials. According to the company’s statement, this collaboration is a prerequisite for meeting Horizon’s aggressive timeline: assembling the full-scale prototype in 2026 and commencing flight testing in early 2027.

Strategic Localization of the Supply Chain

A key factor in this selection appears to be geographic proximity. Both Horizon Aircraft and RAMPF Composite Solutions are based in Ontario, Canada, with RAMPF operating out of Burlington. Horizon CEO Brandon Robinson noted that this localization allows for tighter quality control and real-time engineering collaboration, which are often logistical bottlenecks in aerospace development.

RAMPF Composite Solutions, a subsidiary of the German-based RAMPF Group, specializes in manufacturing complex composite parts for the aerospace and defense sectors. Their scope of work involves creating a fuselage capable of withstanding high-impact forces and harsh environmental conditions while adhering to the strict weight limits required for electric flight.

“We are thrilled to partner with Horizon Aircraft on this revolutionary new aircraft. This opportunity allows us to demonstrate how our high-performance composite materials and Manufacturing processes can push the boundaries of engineering.”

Larry Fitzgerald, CEO of RAMPF Composite Solutions

Brandon Robinson, CEO of Horizon Aircraft, emphasized the importance of RAMPF’s track record in the industry:

“RAMPF’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities are industry-leading, and we are excited to see the fuselage of our Cavorite X7 coming to life.”

Brandon Robinson, CEO of Horizon Aircraft

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The Cavorite X7: Technical Context

The Cavorite X7 is designed to operate in the Regional Air Mobility (RAM) market rather than the intra-city air taxi market targeted by many competitors. The aircraft features a seven-seat configuration (one pilot and six passengers) and utilizes a hybrid-electric Propulsion system. This system employs a gasoline engine to generate electricity, which powers the flight fans and recharges the battery pack, effectively mitigating the range anxiety associated with pure electric platforms.

According to Horizon’s official specifications, the aircraft targets a range of approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) and a top speed of 450 km/h (280 mph). The design utilizes a patented “Fan-in-Wing” system, where vertical lift fans are covered by sliding panels during forward flight, allowing the vehicle to fly efficiently like a traditional fixed-wing airplane.

AirPro News Analysis: Maturity of Design

The move to commission fuselage manufacturing is a significant indicator of technical maturity. In aerospace engineering, committing to hard tooling and physical production of the primary structure, the fuselage, typically signals that the outer mold line (OML) and internal structural architecture are “frozen.”

Furthermore, by securing a partner with defense and aerospace pedigree like RAMPF, Horizon is likely positioning itself to meet the rigorous Certification standards of Transport Canada and the FAA. The choice of a hybrid system also differentiates Horizon in a crowded market; while competitors struggle with battery density limits, the Cavorite X7’s hybrid architecture allows it to utilize existing aviation infrastructure immediately upon entry into service.

Financial and Operational Outlook

This manufacturing announcement follows a recent financial update from Horizon Aircraft on January 14, 2026. The company reported a cash position of over $24 million, which management states is sufficient to fund operations through 2026. Additionally, the company was recently awarded a grant of approximately $10.5 million from the Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Technology (INSAT) to support the development of all-weather flight systems.

With funding secured for the near term and the supply chain for major components now activating, Horizon appears on track to meet its goal of a flying full-scale prototype by early 2027.

Sources

• Horizon Aircraft Press Release (Jan 29, 2026)
• Horizon Aircraft Official Specifications
• RAMPF Group Corporate Capabilities