Hydraulic flight.
At the heart of every Seahorse aircraft is a globally patented propulsion system: internal-combustion engines drive hydraulic pumps, and pressurised fluid powers the rotors. It is the first passenger aircraft in the world to fly this way.
From a tank of fuel to sixteen spinning rotors.
Distributed Digital Displacement Hydraulic Propulsion replaces heavy battery packs and dozens of high-voltage cables with a compact power pack and hydraulic lines.
Burn liquid fuel
Twin engines run on motor or aviation gasoline — energy-dense fuel that refills in minutes.
Pressurise fluid
Each engine drives two hydraulic pumps, turning shaft power into hydraulic pressure.
Digitally displace
Sixteen hydraulic motors are controlled independently, adjusting each lift rotor for stable flight.
Cruise on props
A puller propeller on each engine drives forward flight; the lift rotors stop in cruise.
More range. Lower cost. Less weight.
Most air-taxi developers rely on solid-state batteries. Liquid fuel's far higher energy density lets a Seahorse aircraft be around 40% lighter, fly three to four times as far and turn around after a refuel of a few minutes.
Maximum range
Kilometres per flight
View as table
| Aircraft | Range |
|---|---|
| Seahorse SH18LC | 540 km |
| Battery-powered eVTOLs | 100–463 km |
Unit manufacturing cost
US$ millions per aircraft
View as table
| Aircraft | Unit cost |
|---|---|
| Seahorse aircraft | US$0.4M |
| Competitor eVTOLs | US$1.2–2.5M |
Source: Seahorse Air Ceylon business plan. Competitor figures are published values for leading battery-powered eVTOL programmes.
Not locked to one engine — or one fuel.
An open architecture means the power pack can evolve with the industry, from proven aviation engines today to hydrogen tomorrow.
Rotax 916iS
High power-to-weight, exceptional reliability and fuel flexibility on MOGAS or AVGAS.
Toyota GR
Twin 350 HP engines in the current SH18LC specification.
Kawasaki
Advanced internal-combustion engines can be integrated as required.
Hydrogen
Ready for hydrogen fuel cells and other emerging technologies — quieter, lower-emission flight.
Rotors to rise. Propellers to travel.
Both Seahorse aircraft are lift-and-cruise designs. Lift rotors handle take-off, hover and landing; variable-pitch propellers take over for efficient forward flight, and the lift rotors stop.
- Readily available, robust components from proven third-party suppliers.
- AI-assisted operations — predictive maintenance, risk assessment and real-time monitoring.
- Designed in the UK by Seahorse Air Ltd: exteriors, interiors, cockpit displays and user interface.
“Pioneering the world's first passenger VTOL hydraulic aircraft — enabling the low-altitude economy over Sri Lanka.”Seahorse Air Ceylon
Proven by Flowcopter and Evdron
Flowcopter (Edinburgh, UK) holds the patent for the hydraulic propulsion technology and has demonstrated it in many countries with the FC100 — a 650 kg maximum take-off weight quadcopter.
Evdron (UK) brings design and management teams that have built more than 30 flying sub-scale prototypes over four years. Together they form Seahorse Air Ltd.