Swiss-based eVTOL company Dufour Aerospace has launched the Aero2 as its first commercially available product in its tilt-wing eVTOL family. The Aero2 is designed as a multi-purpose small unmanned aircraft with operational flexibility and low operating costs. With a payload of up to 40 kg, a maximum take-off weight of 150 kg and a maximum flight time of three hours in standard configuration, it is targeted at a wide variety of customer applications.

This first product of Dufour's tilt-wing family will fly as fast as 170 km/h in cruise speed. It says while in VTOL-configuration, the aircraft takes off and lands on the smallest landing spots, using as little space as a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle and during flight it uses as little energy as a conventional airplane. It is designed to comply with EASA's Special Condition for Light Unmanned Aerial Systems and is expected to enter serial production in 2023.

“Aero2 is as versatile as a Swiss Army Knife,” says Thomas Pfammatter, co-founder and CEO. “This innovative small unmanned aircraft will greatly support our customers in their activities. With its quickly exchangeable nose cone, it is the perfect tool to carry different customer payloads be it in logistics, topographical surveys, mappings, measurements or for public safety applications.”

Dufour Aerospace first flew a technology demonstrator in 2020. “The platform showed the expected outstanding aerodynamic performance and versatility,” says Jasmine Kent, co-founder and CTO. “We decided to continue the development towards an unmanned product. This is how Aero2 was born. Reactions from observers of the current prototype are encouraging. In a series of prototypes, we will continue to add and certify more features such as the hybrid propulsion module, de-icing capabilities and a usage and health monitoring system.”