After recently retiring the Aero2 prototype, Swiss aircraft manufacturer Dufour Aerospace has been focusing exclusively on the production-ready version known as the Aero2 X2.3. The completion of the first hover flight is the latest milestone on the road to commercial certification for the tilt-wing drone, dubbed the “Swiss Army Knife” of eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing).
Dufour is closer than ever to reaching its ultimate goal. While there is still a long way to go before its tilt-wing drones are fully certified for autonomous operations, the latest milestone shows that Dufour is on the right track.
This month, the production-ready version of its flagship aircraft, the Aero2, successfully completed its first hover flight. Next, it will have to pass the rigorous hover-to-forward flight transition test. This is the make-or-break test for any eVTOL, and a complex maneuver that is fundamentally at the heart of an eVTOL concept.
Many more tests will be performed to confirm the safety and performance of the aircraft under various conditions, especially the most difficult ones. Although the Swiss company has already successfully completed many similar tests before, they were all performed from various prototypes. Now, the production-ready drone is in the spotlight for the first time.
Dufour's flagship drone is 13.4 feet (4.1 meters) long and has a wingspan of 20 feet (6.1 meters). The standard configuration translates to the ability to carry a 90-pound (40 kg) payload over 200 nautical miles (400 km).
The hybrid propulsion system consists of four main electric motors, an electric tail motor, and a two-cylinder boxer engine designed to recharge the batteries in flight. With this hybrid system, the Aero2 promises a flight time of three hours and a cruising speed of 81 knots (151 km/h). Conversely, if the payload drops to 22 pounds (10 kg), the hybrid eVTOL’s range increases dramatically to 750 nautical miles (1,390 km), equivalent to a flight time of ten hours.
Dufour’s drone was not designed for air taxi operations. Instead, it focuses on transporting critical cargo, such as delivering medical supplies, and long-range missions in a variety of commercial and military sectors.
Last year, Dufour’s demo aircraft, the Aero2 X2.2, was flown from Zurich to Oregon, home to drone operator Spright, Dufour’s U.S. customer. The pre-production aircraft was sent only for demonstration flights with Spright, in preparation for full-blown commercial service once the Aero2 is fully certified.
The collaboration between Dufour and Spright began two years ago with a deal that is still considered the largest order of civilian drones in American history: 40 units, with the option of 100 more.
The hybrid-electric Aero2 X2.3, currently in final testing and expected to achieve certification next year, is the version Spright will use in the United States.