Hybrid electric vtol airscooter has finally flown
The hybrid electric Airscooter takes off as a single-seater VTOL ideal for solo travelers and flyers or those who want to commute on their own. First introduced in June 2023 as a concept personal vehicle, the pilot flight for the test model took place in December 2023, with the team monitoring its system capabilities. Then, in the following months after, the team conducted consistent unmanned testing, gathering flight data to integrate into the next tests and making sure that they could immediately fix and attend to potential technical shortcomings.
Come June 7th, 2025, two years after its first introduction, the hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter flew to the sky, manned for the first time by the company’s very own founder, Franky Zapata, who is also the mastermind behind the flying chair, Jetracer. The date marked the first-ever manned flight of the team’s hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter after years of development and months of rigorous testing, a few steps away from becoming an available single-seater air vehicle for solo travelers and flyers, and for those who want to hover around short distances.
all images courtesy of Franky Zapata and Zapata Company
Users can fly the air vehicle without pilot’s license
For a brief design recap, the Airscooter is a small hybrid electric VTOL designed for one person. It doesn’t need a pilot’s license to fly the aircraft, as it follows the FAA Part 103 ultralight rules, which means regular people can learn how to fly it without applying for a proper flight-vehicle document. Before taking it off, the team says riders will first learn through virtual reality and flight simulators at their dedicated flight centers, and after a short training session, they can fly the hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter with help from a certified instructor nearby.
The aircraft has a compact design with a size of 340 cm long, 340 cm wide, and 256 cm tall. The frame stands vertically, which helps with stability and balance, and it uses a hybrid-electric system, which mixes electric motors and a small gasoline engine to make it last longer than a regular electric aircraft. Part of its features is the fly-by-wire control system, a computer system that helps control the machine while flying. It uses sensors and computers to manage power, balance, and direction, so the pilot doesn’t need to worry much about the technical operations while flying. The computer makes flying ideal for beginners, especially since they’re not fully trained as commercial pilots.
the frame has a teardrop shape with unobstructed windshield
Gas engine keeps the aircraft flying longer
More into the hybrid propulsion system, the electric motors in the personal aircraft are used to help it take off and stay in the air at first. The gasoline engine turns on later to extend the flight time, allowing the hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter to fly for up to two hours, which the team believes is much longer than most small electric flying vehicles.
The aircraft can take off and land vertically, so it doesn’t need a big space like an airport, and users can even fly it from a small pad, rooftop, or open field. When they start the hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter, the electric motors lift it into the air, and the fly-by-wire system helps keep it balanced; then once in the air, the gas engine kicks in to keep it flying longer. So far, there’s no news yet on when the aircraft is expected to be available.
the rotors are exposed for the hybrid electric VTOL Airscooter
June 7th, 2025 marked the first-ever manned flight of the aircraft
it doesn’t need a pilot’s license to fly, as it follows the FAA Part 103 ultralight rules
the aircraft has a compact design with a size of 340 cm long, 340 cm wide, and 256 cm tall
so far, there’s no news yet on when the aircraft is expected to be available.
project info:
name: Airscooter
company: Zapata | @zapata_company
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