Zuri’s compact autonomous aircraft can fly nearly 700 kilometres

Czech aircraft maker Zuri is drawing attention with an unmanned cargo aircraft designed to combine vertical takeoff and landing, hybrid-electric propulsion and autonomous operation. The aircraft is a preliminary product ahead of the company’s planned six-seat passenger aircraft.

Its tilt-rotor configuration moves the vehicle from vertical takeoff into efficient cruise flight. Once airborne, the wings provide lift. A sealed compartment in the fuselage carries the main cargo, while a lower capsule houses the sensors and communications equipment and can hold additional cargo.

The aircraft can carry more than 100 kilograms over almost 680 kilometres. Its cruising speed is around 220 km/h, and it requires only a simple platform, a boat deck or a relatively small open area for landing.

The propulsion system combines battery power with fuel options including AVGAS, automotive gasoline and bioethanol. A generator supplies electricity during flight, making fuel-tank size central to the aircraft’s overall range. Zuri says the first deliveries of the unmanned hybrid VTOL cargo aircraft could take place between 2027 and 2029, after which it plans to focus on its six-passenger model.