Hybrid-powered air taxi presented by Czech engineers

The Czech startup Zuri, which develops eVTOLs, started the first tests of its long-range cruise aircraft last year, which were all successful. The ambitious company has unveiled its second-generation design, which features a completely different, much more modern drive system than previous prototypes.

Zuri last week tested a large 8-propeller aircraft. The company’s original plan was to make this a single-seat experimental aircraft that could be capable of carrying people.

Preliminary tests proved successful, and the company took the opportunity to unveil the Zuri 2.0 project, which is expected to push the design towards production. The new aircraft will move to a vectored thrust design; in cruise mode it will look roughly like a small plane, except that it will have four medium-sized propellers along the front wing and four smaller ones on the tail section.

It will most likely be hybrid powered, with the power source being powered by a generator, which Zuri claims will allow a range of up to 700 kilometres at a cruising speed of 300 km/h.

The air taxi will have four or five seats and be piloted by a pilot, with a second cargo version to be produced in parallel, although it is assumed that significant changes to this model will be mainly in the interior.