Long journeys to airports and waiting around to check-in may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to exciting developments around vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. One of the companies innovating in this space is Czech startup Zuri, whose founder and CEO Michal Illich sees a future where travel is more accessible and instantaneous. People will simply book a journey with Zuri and take off from a remote spot in their hometown’s periphery or a skyscraper’s roof – no long landing strips required.

“It will all be much faster and more convenient with short travel time to the heliport and a fast checking-in process, helping to really improve the passenger experience and speed up the entire process,” said Illich

Zuri is developing a hybrid VTOL passenger aircraft – a cross between a conventional airplane and a multicopter. It combines wings for fast horizontal flight with electric motors that allow for vertical take-off and landing. The aircraft will also rely on hybrid power, using turbines for take-off and then relying on electricity generated from the turbines during flight to save on fuel.

To speed up time to market and bring its VTOL hybrid plane to life, Zuri is building a virtual experience twin of its aircraft. This is being developed on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud, which Zuri is using to handle everything from initial analysis and 3D design modeling all the way through to defining requirements, gaining certification and manufacturing. Zuri is using the Reinvent the Sky industry solution experience to design and produce its VTOL aircraft, create a virtual experience twin and connect its engineers and suppliers together.

Read the full story to find out how Zuri is using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as a springboard to grow its business and take its aircraft from concept to reality.