Dufour chooses Plettenberg power for tail thruster

Plettenberg's high torque, electric motor will drive the tail propeller on Aero 2. It is light weight and thermally efficient, and modified to provide the system redundancy required for continued safe flight of the aircraft.

Dufour Aerospace has selected German electric propulsion system manufacturer Plettenberg as a supplier for the tail thruster propulsion unit of the uncrewed tilt-wing aircraft Aero2.

Simon Bendrey, Head of Design of Dufour Aerospace, says: “Plettenberg offer a compact, high torque, electric motor which is perfect for the tail propeller on Aero 2. They couple this with a light weight and thermally efficient ESC which packages nicely in the aircraft. Plettenberg have modified the motor unit to provide the system redundancy required for continued safe flight of the aircraft. Dufour Aerospace is pleased to announce this partnership and we look forward to seeing their products in flight.”

Bastian Greiner, CEO and Managing Partner of Plettenberg, adds: “With our triple redundant NOVA 15 LW motor, including three ESCs, with no single point of failure, we significantly enhance the safety of Aero2. The motor has been tailored to the mission profile of Dufour Aerospace and sets a new standard in the trade-off of performance versus robustness versus weight. We are seeing increased focus on robustness and redundancy in uncrewed system applications as the industry moves towards certification. Dufour Aerospace is leading the way towards building a type-certified UAV and we are very pleased to have been selected as their partner.”