Aircraft

Zuri tilts to new propulsion system for its next-gen eVTOL air taxi

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Czech company Zuri has released its generation 2 eVTOL design, moving to tilting props
Zuri
Czech company Zuri has released its generation 2 eVTOL design, moving to tilting props
Zuri
In cruise flight, the Zuri will look very much like a small passenger plane
Zuri
Rear seats in a four-seat luxury configuration
Zuri
This looks like a rather civilized way to get about
Zuri
Zuri moves to 8 tilting props for its production eVTOL design
Zuri
View gallery - 5 images

Czech eVTOL startup Zuri came to our attention last year when it began hover tests of a long-range, hybrid-powered lift and cruise style aircraft. Today, the company unveiled its second-gen design, with a totally different tilting propulsion system.

Zuri has been testing a large-scale demonstrator with 8 lift props, and the last we heard, the plan was to make a single-seat experimental aircraft out of it, complete with a pusher prop on the back, with which to continue testing.

And while this may still be the case, the company has now revealed the Zuri 2.0, which is the design it plans to push toward production. The new aircraft moves to a vectored thrust design; in cruise mode it'll look much like a small plane, but with four mid-sized props along its front wing and four smaller ones across its tail. These will all tilt upward for VTOL operations, in which it'll take off and land inside a 26 x 26 m (85 x 85 ft) square.

Zuri moves to 8 tilting props for its production eVTOL design
Zuri

Zuri plans to run hybrid power – the propulsion is all electric and will run off battery packs, but there'll be an additional generator on board that Zuri says will extend range as far as 700 km (435 miles) at an impressive cruise speed of 300 km/h (186 mph).

The passenger version will run four seats (as shown in these renders) or five, and it'll be piloted. A second cargo version will be built in parallel, although we assume the changes will mainly be in the interior.

All of this, of course, relies on Zuri raising the mountain of money required to get it built, tested and certified. In the crowded bazaar of today's eVTOL landscape, will this design shout loudly enough to attract some deep pockets?

Check out a video below.

Source: Zuri

View gallery - 5 images
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4 comments
EH
It looks like a technically and commercially feasible useful design, well implemented, too. I prefer tilting the whole wing, though - fewer mechanisms, better for landings and for short (rather than vertical) take-offs.
dugnology
Not a bad layout, wings mostly out of the propwash. On the other hand, There are wayyyyyy to many photoshop designs chasing too small a market
Arcticshade
Looks like a normal plane with Joby type tilt props.

Joby looks much more authentic to the Evtol Form and Shape.
Arcticshade
But good luck not bashing it down, i just do have my favorites.