UASystems eZELOS 300 Air Taxi (defunct)
eZELOS 300 Air Taxi (defunct)
UASystems SA
Swiss Aéropôle, Payerne, Switzerland
www.uasystems.com
Founded in 1995, UASystems SA (Uncrewed Aircraft Systems SA) is a Switzerland based company manufacturing unmanned multicopter drones, mission controllers, ultralight engines, mechanical subsystems, piloted, optionally piloted rotorcraft and more. They are currently working on their own full scale hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) passenger and air cargo aircraft for advanced aerial mobility (AAM). The company's slogan is Pursuit of the Future. The company is currently seeking investors, please contact the company using their website. (Image credit: UASystems SA)
The company's hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft can be flown in full electric mode, piston engine mode (direct drive) or in hybrid-electric mode. The company states that having three power sources on-board provides the maximum amount of flexibility, safety, range and flight time for their class of aircraft. By having two petroleum fueled engines, if one fails, the other engine can land the aircraft safely. If all power sources fail, the aircraft can autorotate to safety.
The company is developing a hybrid-electric free piston linear generator named the Beetron generator which can use natural gas, biogas, heating oil, gasoline, ethanol, hydrogen and solar synthesis gas to create electricity to power all electric motors and the aircraft's electrical systems. The engine is estimated to last for 20,000 hours. Their engine uses or has less parts, friction, weight, maintenance, fuel consumption, emissions and operational costs than traditional petroleum-only engines. The engine is used in conjunction with battery packs.
eZELOS 300 Air Taxi all-electric or hybrid-electric passenger defunct concept design helicopter
The eZELOS 300 Air Taxi is an all-electric or hybrid-electric defunct concept design helicopter and has one pilot and carries two passengers. The aircraft has a maximum payload 300 kg (661 lb). In case of a power loss, the helicopter can land using autorotation. The company also has redundancy built into the helicopter providing an additional margin of safety which will be used for the future production aircraft.
Each main rotorblade has three blades and are in a coaxial configuration, meaning that one main rotorblade is stacked on top of the other. The main rotorblades turn in opposite directions to counteract torque. It is also known that helicopters with coaxial rotorblades typically have a higher maximum payload, than helicopters in the same class with only one main rotorblade.
The helicopter also uses a pusher propeller located in the very rear of the helicopter in the tail boom. The tail boom has a horizontal stabilizer at the end of the tail boom and there is a wingtip fence on the end of each horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft also has tricycle wheeled landing gear. The front landing gear might be retractable and the rear two wheels are fixed landing gear. The rear landing gear has a wing-shaped structure providing additional lift during forward flight.
Specifications:
- Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric or all-electric defunct concept design helicopter air taxi
- Piloting: 1 pilot
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Cruise speed: Unknown
- Maximum payload: 300 kg (661 lb)
- Rotorblades: 2 coaxial rotorblades (3 blades per rotorblade)
- Pusher propeller: 1 pusher propeller
- Electric Motors: Possibly 3 electric motors, all 3 used during flight. 2 for the coaxial rotorblades and 1 for the pusher propeller (If one of the electric motors for the rotorblades fail, the other electric motor is built in for redundancy and will help the helicopter land safely.)
- Power source: All-electric or hybrid-electric
- Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
- Windows: Standard helicopter windows
- Tail boom type: Has rear horizontal stabilizer, on each end of stabilizer has a wingtip fence
- Landing gear: Fixed tricycle wheeled landing gear, the rear wheel aerostructure provides lift during forward flight
- Safety features: In case of a power loss, the helicopter can land using autorotation. The company also has redundancy built into the aircraft providing an additional margin of safety.
Related Aircraft:
- UASystems eZELOS 300 POC (defunct)
- UASystems eZELOS C4 Cargo Twin-Hybrid (concept design)
- UASystems eZELOS S3 Twin-Hybrid Air Taxi (defunct)
- UASystems eZELOS S4 Twin-Hybrid Air Taxi (concept design)
Company Insights:
Resources:
- UASystems SA website
- Hans-Christian Stuber LinkedIn
- LinkedIn post: eZELOS TWIN-HYBRID, Hans-Christian Stuber LinkedIn, Oct. 20, 2022
- LinkedIn post: eZELOS TWIN-HYBRID Rotor blades arrived, Hans-Christian Stuber LinkedIn, Oct. 27, 2022
- Article: UASystems eZELOS are on course for first flight in Spring 2023, HeliHub, Dec. 23, 2022
- Article: Advantages of the eZELOS Twin-Hybrid propulsion system, LinkedIn, Mar. 21, 2023
- Article: eZELOS Twin-Hybrid Helicopter, LinkedIn, Apr. 25, 2023
- Article: eZELOS Advanced Air Mobility Enabler, LinkedIn, June 19, 2023
- Article: “eZELOS eVTOL cabin size to rise from two passengers to three” – social media report, Urban Air Mobility, Sept. 6, 2023
Recent Pages
- Velo X Aerospace Velocitor X-1 (concept design)
- Vivame Stycraft Iside (prototype)
- Grasshopper Air Mobility e350 (concept design)
- Auburn University VT-02 Sevak (concept design)
- Auburn University TW-02 Pangolin (concept design)
- United Aircraft Corp S-76 Atlas Transport (technology demonstrator)
- United Aircraft Corp Sukhoi S-76 Atlas Transport (prototype)
- UDX Research Airwolf (concept design)
- Subaru Air Mobility Concept (concept design)
- Auburn University TW-01 Minokawa (concept design)