• 01 May 2022 01:49 AM
• 0

Jetcruzer Aircraft Is Going Electric

Jetcruzer International intends to revive the Jetcruzer, a single turboprop light civil aircraft, as an electric aircraft. The company, which was formed in 2016, intends to develop two versions of the Jetcruzer, a hybrid-electric fuel cell Jetcruzer 450 (shown) and a hybrid-electric Model 500. Jetcruzer is in discussions with magniX to outfit the Jetcruzer 500E testbed with an electric motor this year, according to a report in February in Aviation International News. 

Work first began on the original Jetcruzer in 1983 and a prototype made its maiden flight in 1989 (the original creator, Darius Sharifzadeh, is now working on the Zero G eCruzer hybrid-electric VTOL transport). After receiving nearly 200 orders for the aircraft, the company ceased operations in 2004 and production was shelved. Victor Tao acquired the intellectual property and assets in 2016. Jetcruzer International, which is currently based in Ontario, California, is seeking to raise $50M to support development and certification work.