Dufour Aerospace Announces Final Design and Specifications for Aero2 Drone
DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
Currently a Swiss eVTOL company dufour aerospace The Aero2 drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle with a hybrid electric propulsion system and an aerodynamically efficient canted wing design. The Aero2 is the predecessor to the Aero3 and is a large pitched-wing aircraft capable of both unmanned and manned operation.
“The Aero2 is a unique unmanned aerial vehicle. The Aero2 can transport 40 kg (88 lbs) over a distance of 400 km (215 NM). Structures and systems must be safe and aerodynamically efficient. Yes, and achieving this is no small task,” said Simon Bendley, Dufour Aerospace Head of Design. “I am especially proud of our team’s hard work in delivering a design that meets or exceeds our customers’ exacting requirements.”
Over time, this design evolved from a traditional tail to an H-tail with a larger fuselage and wingspan, optimized for missions such as critical cargo transport, BVLOS, and public safety. with contoured wing contours. application. According to EASA’s Specific Assurance and Integrity Level IV (SAIL IV), Aero2’s flight critical systems are all fully redundant and capable of operating in uncontrolled airspace in sparsely populated areas. Dufour plans to comply with the standards of his SAIL VI certification for operations in populated areas once the requirements and means of compliance are defined. The company has conducted extensive testing through both simulated and real-world conditions at its facilities in Dubendorf/Zurich and Visp, Switzerland.
Dufour partners with Suter Industries in developing a hybrid electric propulsion system. This system is currently being tested and will be integrated into the final pre-production prototype of the X2.3. This version will integrate all important systems such as auto-flight functionality.
This news follows several recent achievements by Dufour Aerospace. In May of this year, the company announced that it had been awarded a CHF 2.5 million (US$2.8 million) grant from Innoswiss, the Swiss Confederation’s innovation agency. In January, Dufour closed 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 AirMethod’s drone division Sprite planning to purchase 40 Aero2s with the option of an additional 100.
“Dufour Aerospace has been working hard on the Aero2 and we have complete confidence in their ability to deliver an innovative product,” said Spright President and CEO Joseph Resnik. “We have worked closely with the Dufour team for over a year and are pleased with the progress we have made. We see great potential for these applications and can’t wait for volume production to begin.”
Dufour Aerospace is now ordering material for the X2.3, which allows the full potential of the hybrid system. Flight testing of the X2.3 is scheduled to begin in early 2024, with Aero2 mass production scheduled for 2025.
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Ian attended Dominican University in California and graduated with a BA in English in 2019. Having a passion for writing and storytelling throughout her life and a keen interest in technology, she now contributes to DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a keen observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. Miriam is an international speaker and industry recognized figure, with over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and he has over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, email Miriam.
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