Dufour Aerospace Releases the Final Design for the Aero2 Drone: Hybrid-Electric Propulsion, Tilt-Wing Design

Dufour Aerospace Release Final Design and Specifications for Aero2 Drone

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Today, Swiss eVTOL company Dufour Aerospace released the final design and specifications for its Aero2 drone, an uncrewed aerial vehicle with a hybrid-electric propulsion system and an aerodynamically-efficient tilt-wing design. The Aero2 is the predecessor of the Aero3, a larger tilt-wing aircraft capable of both uncrewed or crewed operations.

“Aero2 is an uncrewed aerial vehicle without equal. Aero2 is able to transport 40 kg (88 lbs) over a distance of 400 km (215 NM). The structure and systems have to be safe and aerodynamically efficient and delivering this is not an easy task,” said Simon Bendrey, Head of Design at Dufour Aerospace. “I’m especially proud of the hard work of our teams to lock in a design that will meet or exceed our customers’ stringent requirements.”

Over time, the design has evolved from a conventional tail to an H-tail with a larger fuselage and wingspan, as well as a wing profile optimized for missions like critical goods transport, aerial surveying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and public safety applications. Aero2’s flight critical systems are all fully redundant, allowing for operations in uncontrolled airspace over sparsely populated areas, according to EASA’s Specific Assurance and Integrity Level IV (SAIL IV). Dufour intends to comply with the standards of SAIL VI certification for operation over populated areas once requirements and means of compliance have been defined. The company has done extensive testing through both simulation and real-world conditions at its facilities in Dübendorf/Zurich and Visp, Switzerland.

Dufour is partnering with Suter Industries on the development of its hybrid-electric propulsion system. The system is currently being tested, and will be integrated into the X2.3 final pre-production prototype. This version will integrate all crucial systems, such as automated flight functionalities.

This news follows several recent achievements by Dufour Aerospace. This past May, the company announced it had been selected for a grant of CHF2.5M (USD$2.8M) from Innosuisse, the innovation agency of the Swiss Confederation. In January, Dufour concluded a Series B funding round led by Vista Global. Late last year, the company announced the largest civilian drone purchase in U.S. history, with Air Methods drone division Spright set to purchase 40 Aero2 with options for an additional 100 units.

“Dufour Aerospace is working hard to develop the Aero2, and we have full confidence in their ability to deliver their innovative product,” said Spright President and CEO Joseph Resnik. “We’ve worked closely with the team at Dufour for more than one year now and are pleased with the progress being made. In close contact with our existing and prospect customers, we see a huge potential for this aircraft, for numerous applications. We can’t wait for serial production to start.”

Dufour Aerospace is currently ordering materials for X2.3, which will be capable of demonstrating the full potential of the hybrid system. Flight testing of X2.3 is expected to begin in early 2024, with the start of series production of Aero2 planned for 2025.

Read more:

• Flying Taxis in Denmark: Now is the Time to Start Building, Says Airport Chairman
• Spright and Wonder Robotics Team on Drone Landing Logistics for Medical Delivery
• Hybrid-Electric Generator Systems Help Drones Fly Farther and Carry Heavier Payloads
• The HAMR: AFWERX Funds Further Development of Advanced Aircraft’s Hybrid Advanced Multi-Rotor

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer