PROJECT HORIZON

 

Project Horizon, conducted in partnership with Bombardier and several key players in the Canadian aerospace sector, aimed to explore new solutions to reduce emissions and optimize the aerodynamics of next-generation aircraft.

This initiative is part of the development of the EcoJet, a research program focused on Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft architectures, designed to deliver significant gains in energy performance and structural efficiency.

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Prototypes and Demonstrators

Two flight demonstrators were produced to validate the concept:

Phase One: a 7%-scale prototype with a 2.4 m wingspan, used to test initial aerodynamic and structural assumptions.

Phase Two: a 16.5%-scale prototype with a 5.4 m wingspan, offering extended range and enabling broader evaluations of flight-control behavior and structural responses.

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These prototypes replicate a Blended Wing Body configuration, where the fuselage and wings are merged into a single integrated structure. This architecture reduces drag, improves aerodynamic efficiency, and enables fuel savings while opening new possibilities for interior layout and structural load distribution.

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Contribution of FusiA Impression 3D Métal Inc.

FusiA Impression 3D Métal Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of the group specializing in metal additive manufacturing, supplied several components for both demonstrators, including a flight-qualified structural part.

Additive manufacturing enabled:

• Mass reduction of the components

• Optimization of mechanical performance

• Integration of complex geometries impossible to achieve through conventional machining

This contribution demonstrates the industrial maturity of metal additive manufacturing for critical aerospace applications.

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Tangible and Recognized Outcomes

Testing performed with the Horizon prototypes allowed the project team to:

• Validate the aerodynamic and structural behavior of a BWB configuration

• Test flight-control laws and adjustments required for non-conventional surfaces

• Build an experimental data set supporting future phases of the EcoJet program

Collaboration with academic and industrial partners, including FusiA Impression 3D Métal Inc., played a decisive role in the project’s success and in generating knowledge transferable to future aerospace programs.

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Towards More Sustainable Aviation

Project Horizon illustrates the importance of industrial and academic collaboration in designing lighter and more efficient aircraft.

Through these demonstrators, Bombardier and its partners now have a technological toolkit to develop aircraft with a lower environmental footprint.

For its part, FusiA Impression 3D Métal Inc. confirms its ability to deliver metal 3D-printed solutions tailored to the needs of advanced aerospace R&D programs.