Zapata unveils AirScooter, an easy

France-based, innovative company that designs, manufactures, and markets flying machines for water sports and leisure and adventure sports, Zapata has unveiled AirScooter, an advanced ultralight one-passenger multi-copter aircraft with a patented hybrid-electric propulsion system.

The AirScooter was unveiled by inventor Franky Zapata, CEO of Zapata, at the Viva Technology conference, in June 2023, in Paris, France.

AirScooter is a vertical take-off and landing aircraft integrated with 12 propellers on top of the aircraft on eight booms with a rear high boom tail.

It carries eight electric motors and four thermal motors for a maximum speed of 100 km/h at an altitude of 3000 to 4000 m.

The AirScooter is 340cm long, 340cm wide, and 256cm high. It is an egg-shaped aircraft that has one window on three sides of the aircraft. This aircraft has a cruising speed of 80km/h (50 mph) and a maximum speed of 100km/h (62 mph).

The Zapata’s AirScooter is a hybrid-electric power source, which means the aircraft has the advantage of both electric propulsion and a fuel-based engine. The aircraft has 12 electric motors and an 18.9 L (5 gallons) fuel tank. This hybrid-electric power system gives the aircraft more than 2 hours of flight time.

The empty weight of the aircraft is 112 kg (247 lb), has a maximum payload of 120 kg (264 lb), and has a maximum take-off weight of over 232 kg (511 lb). The fuel tank in the aircraft holds 18.9 L (5 gallons) of fuel. The aircraft lands with the help of its fixed tricycle strut landing gear.

AirScooter complies with Federal Aviation Administration (USA) Part 103 regulations, and it can be flown as an ultralight aircraft without a pilot’s license. The company has also patented computer-assisted fly-by-wire controls, ensuring a high level of safety while minimal training is required.

According to the company, the AirScooter’s carbon footprint is comparable to a passenger car. The company estimates the aircraft will first be used for tourist and leisure travel.

The Zapata is partnering with ETS Innovation to develop a sustainable fuel solution for the AirScooter. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are renewable waste-derived fuels that meet sustainability criteria -using SAF can effectively reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s lifecycle compared to conventional fuels.