After more than three years of development and successful ground tests of its large scale flight demonstrator and sub-scale models, Prague, Czech Republic-based start up Zuri has unveiled the new version of its hybrid VTOL aircraft.

The aircraft will have a range of more than 700 km, a cruise speed of more than 300 km/h, and with a 13m wingspan can take off from landing areas as small as 26x26m. Eight tilting electric motors will power the aircraft and an onboard turbine generator will power the electric motors and recharge the lithium batteries. It has four propellers in the front and four in the back, plus several independent battery boxes.

The company claims the aircraft has a sophisticated autopilot that uses data from multiple inputs, including traffic and terrain, for safe flight. In addition to the fly-by-fly-wire system with a mechanical backup for aircraft control surfaces, the VTOL is also equipped with sensors and AI algorithms for computerised vision and object recognition.

There will be two versions; an air taxi will carry up to four passengers and a pilot, while the cargo delivery version should have a maximum payload of 300 kg. Zuri believes its hybrid-electric technology will allow it to travel longer distances than a fully electric VTOL.

Plans to build a full-scale model and begin flight testing depend upon the developer’s ability to secure sufficient funding, but founder Michal Illich has said the team plans to conduct at least 10 flight tests with a large-scale demonstrator and will release additional footage of its development progress later this year.

The company is looking to certify the aircraft with EASA and discussions could start next year; it is currently supervised by its local civil aviation authority. It also has plans to subsequently obtain certification from the FAA. Once certified, Zuri is targeting the regional air transport market, using existing small airports and heliports as well as future eVTOL infrastructure.