If battery-powered anything gives you anxiety, then you probably would not go near a battery-powered aircraft, never mind if it has a backup battery and even a parachute built into it. However, we are glad to tell you that your battery anxiety should not stop you from taking a personal air transport like the Zapata Airscooter.
You may remember Zapata from its jet ski-powered “hoverboard” and the jet engine-powered real-life hoverboard. The French outfit never stops innovating. In between the soon-to-launch Airscooter and the Flyboard Air, the company has also added a military hypermobility solution called EZ Fly, as well as a Jetracer “flying car.” Both of which are miniature jet engine-powered machines.
Fast forward to 2026, and the company is prepping to launch the Airscooter, which marks the company’s first air mobility device to use rotors to power an air vehicle.
Billed as “the ultimate hybrid electric personal aircraft,” the single-seater, pod-like vertical take-off and landing aircraft is powered by a hybrid propulsion system. It uses four electric motors and four turbine engines developed in collaboration with the French aerospace lab ONERA. The turbine engines drive the large rotors on the main booms serving as the primary propulsion, while the smaller electric motors on the diagonal booms handle control and stability.
This setup, which includes a 5-gallon (~18.9 L) fuel tank, offers a cruise speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a top speed of up to 63 mph (101 km/h), along with a flight time of up to two hours. It has a maximum altitude of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet).
It is also super lightweight, tipping the scales at an astonishing 250 lbs (118 kilograms). Save for the rotor arms extending outward from the top of the pod, it is fairly compact at 375 cm by 400 cm (12 ft 3.6 in. by 13 ft 1.5 in.), and 260 cm (8 ft 6.4 in.) tall.
It is classified as an ultralight aircraft, which means it can be flown without a pilot’s license in the USA. It is, in fact, compliant with Federal Aviation Administration Part 103 regulations.
There is not much airframe to talk about. The aircraft features an egg-shaped glazed pod that essentially acts as the fuselage. This fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite, striking a balance between strength and weight.
Inside the pod is a very minimal cockpit with a single sports seat and harness. It does not appear to have room for luggage—perhaps a small backpack, but we did not see any large idling space for life’s extras.
On the right side of the seat is a lone joystick that provides computer-assisted fly-by-wire controls. On the left, a little below seat level, there is a return-to-home button that, when pressed, automatically guides the aircraft back to its starting point.
The pod has an open-sided design, and the front features a huge windscreen that provides panoramic views. On the ground, it sits on a non-retracting tricycle landing gear.
The Zapata Airscooter will carry a US$250,000 price tag when it becomes available this year. But if you cannot bear to part with that kind of money and still want a go with this awesome personal air transport, you can fly one at Zapata Flight Center for US$500, which includes a 20-minute training session. There is one such flight center in Las Vegas, if anyone’s interested.
Images: Zapata.
