VTOL UAV
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Zuri has unveiled its hybrid-electric uncrewed cargo VTOL, a tiltrotor platform designed to conduct long-range resupply and logistics missions for civil and defense operators.
The aircraft features a total useful load of 165 kg—representing payload plus fuel—and offers a design range of 679 km, or 569 km with a standard 30-minute reserve. Cruising at 220 km/h, the uncrewed platform is capable of landing on ship decks, pads, or open ground. Depending on operational requirements, the airframe supports a maximum payload of 145 kg over a 162 km range (with reserve) or 115 kg over the full 569 km reserve-backed distance. In dedicated sensing, surveillance, or scientific configurations carrying additional tanks and sensors, range extends to approximately 1,908 km.
Designed around three core architectural choices made in 2017, the aircraft utilizes tilting rotors to transition from vertical liftoff into efficient wing-borne cruise. An onboard generator produces electricity during flight, allowing the aircraft to refuel in minutes using AVGAS, automotive gasoline, or bioethanol rather than requiring lengthy ground charging. At the system level, the hybrid powertrain provides approximately 1,500 watt-hours per kilogram, compared to 230 to 280 watt-hours per kilogram available in state-of-the-art aviation batteries.
Cargo is carried in a sealed internal bay, which can be supplemented by a modular belly pod designed for sensors, communications relays, or additional freight. Flights are remotely piloted by a single ground operator, with onboard automation managing flight operations. Safety features include distributed propulsion and redundant fly-by-wire controls to maintain stability in the event of rotor failure, alongside battery power capable of handling forced landings if the generator fails.
“We spent nine years and more than fifteen aircraft teaching ourselves what this architecture can do. The uncrewed cargo VTOL is the first one we are building for someone else to fly. This round funds the demonstrator and its full flight test campaign,” commented Michal Illich, founder and CEO of Zuri.
The aircraft is built upon Technology Demonstrator 2.0 (TD 2.0), a full-scale demonstrator currently undergoing systems integration and ground testing in Prague. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with commercial deliveries targeted between 2027 and 2029. Zuri is currently raising a €6M Series A first tranche—including €1.1M committed by existing investors—to fund the TD 2.0 flight test program. Having raised €7.6M since 2018, the Czech company conducts all design, manufacturing, and testing in-house on an ITAR-free European supply base, pursuing operational approval through the EASA Specific category.
