2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

<p>News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.</p>


<p>News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.</p>


Areion is the new name for Spright, which was formerly part of helicopter operator Air Methods

Drone Operator Areion Confirms Aero2 VTOL Order with Dufour Aerospace

Swiss start-up is now expanding the flight test envelope

Dufour Flies 'Production-ready' Aero2 eVTOL Utility Aircraft

<p>News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.</p>


Dufour prepares to start flight testing with smaller Aero2 utility drone

Loft Dynamics Prepares eVTOL Flight Simulator With Dufour

<p><span><span><span>European Medical Drone&nbsp;is to start using early examples of Dufour Aerospace’s Aero2 uncrewed VTOL utility aircraft under experimental rules approved by EASA. Under the terms of an agreement signed on October 25, the Sweden-based group will receive an X2.3 prototype of the Aero2 in 2024 to prepare for operations with 10 series production examples of the hybrid-electric tiltwing aircraft it has agreed to buy, with deliveries to start in 2026.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>This is the second prospective Aero2 customer to start trial operations, with <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-04/medical-delivery-group-signs-us-launch-operator-aero2-drone">U.S. drone operator Spright</a> having received an earlier X2.2 version of the vehicle a few weeks ago. The company has ordered&nbsp;an initial 40 examples of the Aero2, with options for another 100. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The sales and partnership agreement with European Medical Drone was arranged with support from Dufour’s Scandinavian distributor, Savback. The three companies will collaborate to operate trial flights between hospitals in Sweden.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Both European Medical Drone and Spright&nbsp;are attracted to the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-06-15/dufour-reveals-final-design-aero-2-cargo-drone-flies-new-prototype">Aero2’s 40-kilogram&nbsp;(88-pound) payload</a>, plus the anticipated range of 400 kilometers (250 miles) and a 92-knot cruise speed. Spright’s operations team spent two months with Dufour at its Dubendorf base&nbsp;in Switzerland being trained to operate the aircraft, and European Medical Drone will receive the same support.</span></span></span></p>
<h3 class="subheading"><span><span><span><strong>EASA Eases Drone Operations Rules</strong></span></span></span></h3>
<p><span><span><span>The trial operations have been made possible by new design verification guidance issued by EASA in September. This revised Specific Operation Risk Assessment (SORA) cleared the way for experimental&nbsp;beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations under its SAIL III (Specific Assurance and Integrity Level)&nbsp;standard, rather than the more restrictive SAIL IV level covering operations over populated areas. According to Dufour’s head of design, Simon Bendrey, the change means that the production version of the Aero2 will be able to enter service under these rules, which will also avoid the need for a complete type certification process and for the company to secure production organization approval.</span></span></span></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Aero2_X2.2_Du%CC%88bendorf_Sep2023_2.png" width="1331" height="809" alt="Dufour has conducted flight testing with its X2.2 Aero2 aircraft at its Dubendorf, Switzerland, base." title="Dufour has conducted flight testing with its X2.2 Aero2 aircraft at its Dubendorf, Switzerland, base. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Dufour has conducted flight testing with its X2.2 Aero2 aircraft at its Dubendorf, Switzerland, base. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</div>
      
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<figcaption>Dufour has conducted flight testing with its X2.2 Aero2 aircraft at its Dubendorf, Switzerland base. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</figcaption>
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<p><span><span><span>Dufour is now assembling the first X2.3 version of the Aero2 and expects to have this completed by February 2024, after which flight and iron bird tests will get underway. This prototype features the hybrid-electric propulsion system that will support the aircraft’s standard three-hour mission, and the company already has a ground test stand in operation.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“It will also recharge [the batteries] during flight so [it will give] operators maximum power during landings, which is safer,” Bendrey told <strong>AIN</strong>. “Having the 30-minute electric power reserves will allow for an&nbsp;aborted landing and the ability to divert. It also gives the advantage of being able to do touch-and-go operations because you don’t need to land to recharge.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The new version of the Aero2 also features variable pitch propellers that will support higher-speed and long-range operations that Dufour intends to test. It was unable to source suitable propellers for a&nbsp;tiltwing VTOL aircraft so it worked with suppliers to design new blades.</span></span></span></p>
<h3 class="subheading"><span><span><span><strong>Suppliers Back Production Ramp-up</strong></span></span></span></h3>
<p><span><span><span>Dufour is working toward&nbsp;commercial market entry for the Aero2 in the second half of 2025. Recent demand to produce experimental aircraft for early customers like European Medical Drone has led the start-up to accelerate production plans and this has prompted it to expand its supply chain to include multiple partners, among them&nbsp;<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-04-03/dufour-selects-suter-engine-supplier-hybrid-electric-aero-2-vtol-aircraft">Suter Industries</a> (engines), Ruag (aerostructures), Air Energy (batteries), Plettenberg (tail propulsion units), and Volz Servos. “This gives us the chance to trial who will be series production suppliers [for the Aero2] as we move from aircraft manufacturing to aircraft assembly,” Bendrey explained.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Spright is also set to receive an example of the X2.3 aircraft and is pressing ahead with plans to expand its drone services portfolio. The company is not part of the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-10-24/air-methods-files-bankruptcy-protection">Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection</a> process that its parent group Air Methods initiated this week. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>According to Dufour, the uptick in demand for its tiltwing VTOL is partly associated with the logistics market for quickly transporting critical payloads, such as spare parts to oil rigs. It is also seeing interest from the medical sector, for which the aircraft can be used to carry tissue samples, some organs for transplant procedures, and substances needed for scans.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>In the longer term, Dufour views the Aero2 as a stepping stone to its ambitions to produce a <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-16/dufour-reveals-updated-design-aero3-tiltwing-evtol-aircraft">larger tiltwing model called the Aero3</a>. This would be able to carry up to eight passengers or cargo up to around 1,000 kilometers (625 miles). Further progress with this program hinges on raising further capital for Dufour, which in January completed a Series B funding round led by private aviation group <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-01-23/private-jet-group-vista-invests-swiss-evtol-developer-dufour-aerospace">Vista Globa</a>l.</span></span></span></p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Aero3_Dufou_Aerospoace_Side45.jpg" width="1920" height="1080" alt="Dufour's Aero3 hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft." title="Dufour plans to develop an eight-passenger Aero3 version of its hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Dufour plans to develop an eight-passenger Aero3 version of its hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</div>
      
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<figcaption>Dufour plans to develop an eight-passenger Aero3 version of its hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</figcaption>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Managing Editor

Early Dufour Aero2 Hybrid-Electric VTOL Drone Customers Start Trial Operations

<p>Swiss eVTOL aircraft developer Dufour Aerospace released the final design for its Aero 2 cargo drone today after successfully flying its third-generation prototype for the first time. The prototype, which Dufour calls the X2.2, made its first short hover flights at Dübendorf airfield near Zurich&nbsp;last week.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Dufour has been developing its Aero family of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft since 2015, starting with a fully electric aerobatic model called the Aero 1. The Aero 2, which is the first product that Dufour intends to bring to market, will be a hybrid-electric, uncrewed cargo freighter with a 40-kilogram (88-pound) payload, an anticipated range of 400 kilometers (216 nm), and a 92-knot cruise speed.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The planned Aero 3 model, Dufour’s flagship aircraft, will be a larger version of the Aero 2, capable of carrying up to 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) of payload, or eight passengers plus a pilot, and will have a range of 551 nm&nbsp;(1,020 kilometers) with a hybrid-electric powertrain. Both the Aero 2 and Aero 3 feature a tiltwing design, with stationary propellers mounted onto the wing.&nbsp;</p>
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<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Dufour’s Unique Tiltwing Design</strong></h3>
<p>While the tiltwing is not exactly a new concept in aviation, this feature makes Dufour somewhat unique among eVTOL aircraft developers, most of which are working with fixed wings and tilting rotors. Dufour chief commercial officer Sascha Hardegger told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that the company chose to use a tiltwing rather than tiltrotors because it’s a less complex approach with fewer moving parts. Whereas a tiltrotor aircraft has multiple rotors that must be actuated individually, with a tiltwing aircraft all the propellers are fixed to a single moving structure.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to Hardegger, the tiltwing configuration also provides some aerodynamic advantages. During hover, when the wing is tilted all the way into a vertical position, the lift produced by the propellers creates a slipstream over the wing, “so this wing already wants to fly while the aircraft is still on the ground,” he said.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“With a tiltrotor approach, when you start activating your rotors, they produce lift, but they also produce downwash,” Hardegger explained. Downwash occurs when the air flowing from the rotors is deflected by the top of the wing, which pushes the wing down and reduces the efficiency of the motors. With a tiltwing, “you can immediately reduce the amount of energy needed by your propellers because the wing starts helping you very early to lift,” he said. “This is a big advantage of a tiltwing concept if you compare it to other concepts that are in the market.”</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Aero 2 Passes Preliminary Design Review</strong></h3>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/dufour-aero2-pdr.jpg" width="2200" height="1081" alt="A digital rendering of the final design of Dufour's Aero 2" title="Following the completion of the preliminary design review for the Aero 2, Dufour released this digital rendering of the aircraft's final design. The company is now working toward the completion of the critical design review but does not expect any significant changes to the airframe or other structures. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Following the completion of the preliminary design review for the Aero 2, Dufour released this digital rendering of the aircraft's final design. The company is now working toward the completion of the critical design review but does not expect any significant changes to the airframe or other structures. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</div>
      
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<figcaption>Following the completion of the preliminary design review for the Aero 2, Dufour released this digital rendering of the aircraft's final design. The company is now working toward the completion of the critical design review but does not expect significant changes to the airframe or other structures. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</figcaption>
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<p>Hardegger said Dufour recently completed the preliminary design review for the Aero 2 model and is now preparing for the critical design review, during which the company will fine-tune the aircraft’s design using data from the test campaign with its latest prototype, the X2.2.&nbsp;</p>
<p>With the successful hover flight tests in the books, Dufour will spend the coming weeks working toward a full transition flight, in which the aircraft will transition from vertical lift to horizontal, fully wing-borne flight. The company has already achieved transition flights with its second-generation prototype, “but that's something you restart with every new prototype,” Hardegger said. “We need to see if X2.2 is behaving as we expected based on the data of X2.1.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>Compared with the earlier X2.1 prototype, the X2.2 has a larger fuselage and wingspan. The X2.2 also features an H-tail, while the X2.1 has a conventional tail. Dufour says it has also improved&nbsp;the hardware and software control systems architecture. According to Hardegger, the company plans to make at least one more Aero 2 prototype, the X2.3, before building the first production version of the aircraft.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While Dufour will conduct flight tests with the X2.2 on almost a daily basis, the company is also doing extensive ground tests with the hybrid-electric powertrain that will be installed on the next prototype. A key component of the powertrain is the 17.4-kilowatt TOA288 engine provided by Suter Industries. This engine will run on gasoline or avgas and work in tandem with the electric motors and batteries.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Dufour says it is now ordering the materials it will need to build the X2.3 prototype. That prototype is expected to begin flight testing in 2024, and Dufour plans to start series production of the Aero 2 in 2025. The company expects to have the Aero 2 certified in Europe by 2024 under EASA’s rules covering light uncrewed air vehicles, with the expectation that the FAA will validate this approval for the U.S. market.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Initial certification efforts are based on the European aviation safety agency’s Specific Assurance and Integrity Level IV (SAIL IV) requirements for uncrewed air systems, with the scope to progress to the more advanced SAIL VI certification. “Once EASA has defined requirements and means of compliance for SAIL VI certification, Dufour plans to apply to this standard, which will enable operations over populated areas,” the company said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In November, Dufour announced that its launch customer will be <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-04/medical-delivery-group-signs-us-launch-operator-aero2-drone">Spright</a>, the drone division of major U.S. helicopter operator Air Methods, which aims to use the aircraft to transport medical supplies. Spright has agreed to purchase 40 of Dufour’s Aero 2 cargo drones with the option to add up to 100 additional units. According to Dufour, this deal represents the largest purchase of UAVs in U.S. history. A Dufour spokesman told <strong>FutureFlight</strong> that Spright’s order has already been backed with down payments, which is helping to fund the development process for the Aero 2 vehicle.&nbsp;</p>
<p>In addition to Spright, several other companies&nbsp;have committed to either operating or distributing&nbsp;the Aero 2 and Aero 3. In March, Swiss Helicopter AG&nbsp;signed a letter of intent for the purchase of two Aero 2 and one Aero 3 aircraft.&nbsp;Global commercial aircraft and helicopter marketing specialist <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-04/aircraft-sales-group-blueberry-agrees-add-dufours-aero-evtol-family-its">Blueberry Aviation</a>&nbsp;plans to be a distributor for Dufour's Aero 2 and Aero 3 vehicles and has agreed to acquire 100 of each model.&nbsp;Scandinavian rotorcraft sales and marketing group <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-01-11/helicopter-marketing-group-appointed-distributor-dufours-aero-evtol-models">Savback Helicopters</a> also plans to be a distributor for Dufour in northern Europe, while V-Star Powered Lift Aviation has expressed interest in operating the aircraft in Australia, and Tokyo-based <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-06-23/airmobility-agrees-market-dufours-aero-3-evtol-japan">AirMobility</a> has agreed to purchase an unspecified number of the Aero 3.</p>
<h3 class="subheading"><strong>Aero 2: Skids or Wheels?</strong></h3>
<p>Dufour’s aircraft is designed to have vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, but it could also take off and land on a runway like an airplane. Conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) requires significantly less energy than vertical flight, and the tiltwing design also enables it to utilize shorter runways.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, when Dufour starts manufacturing the Aero 2, the initial production version of the aircraft will have helicopter-style skids and no wheels for landing gear. This means that it will be able to take off and land only vertically like a helicopter, even though the rest of the aircraft is otherwise capable of short-takeoff-and-landing (STOL) and CTOL operations.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Hardegger said&nbsp;that Dufour opted to go with skids rather than wheels “for the sake of simplicity,” and because Spright intends to use the aircraft specifically for VTOL operations anyway. Wheeled landing gear adds more mechanical complexity and weight to the aircraft, and that feature won’t be necessary for Spright’s intended use cases. However, Hardegger added that wheeled landing gear is on Dufour’s development roadmap for future iterations of the aircraft. “As soon as we see that the market demands this—and this is to be expected—we will come up with the solution.”</p>
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            <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item">  <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/futureflight/import/Aero3_Landing_white.jpg" width="2200" height="1080" alt="This graphic depicts the landing of Dufour's planned Aero 3 VTOL aircraft" title="This graphic depicts the landing of Dufour's planned Aero 3 VTOL aircraft, which will likely have wheeled landing gear rather than the skids featured in the initial production version of the smaller Aero 2 cargo drone. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)">

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            <div class="field field--name-field-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">This graphic depicts the landing of Dufour's planned Aero 3 VTOL aircraft, which will likely have wheeled landing gear rather than the skids featured in the initial production version of the smaller Aero 2 cargo drone. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</div>
      
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<figcaption>This graphic depicts the landing of Dufour's planned Aero 3 VTOL aircraft, which will likely have wheeled landing gear rather than the skids featured in the initial production version of the smaller Aero 2 cargo drone. (Image: Dufour Aerospace)</figcaption>
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<p>It’s worth noting that when Dufour began developing the Aero 2, the company did not intend for it to become a product. Rather, the Aero 2—much like its predecessor, the Aero 1—was initially intended to serve as a technology demonstrator. As a proof-of-concept aircraft, it would help to validate the aerodynamics of Dufour’s tiltwing design and inform the subsequent development of the larger Aero 3 model. However, during the Aero 2 development process, several potential customers approached Dufour to express their interest in the smaller, uncrewed cargo drone, Hardegger said. So, Dufour decided <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-11-04/dufour-will-bring-autonomous-aero2-evtol-commercial-service">to make the Aero 2 into a product</a> while continuing work on the Aero 3.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“Everything we invest into Aero 2 also benefits the development and future development of Aero 3, so it's not a sort of detour,” Hardegger said. “It's really straight to the point, and the two aircraft are really very similar.” Making a product of the Aero 2 was also a logical financial decision, he explained, as having an early product on the market will allow Dufour to begin generating revenue sooner.</p>
<p>Hardegger says the Aero 2 will be Dufour's “principal strategy” for the next two years. In the meantime, the company will wait to decide exactly what it wants to make of the Aero 3 model. Originally Dufour intended for the Aero 3 to be a piloted, passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft with eight seats. But now the company is also considering making it into an uncrewed cargo aircraft that would essentially be a scaled-up version of the Aero 2 cargo drone.&nbsp;</p>
<p>“At this stage, [both of] these options are clearly on the table, and we have the opportunity to see what markets do—how they evaluate, how they evolve, how the regulations evolve around all of this space—and then we can make a clear strategic decision,” Hardegger said. “We don't have to make this decision right now because we are still working toward both of these paths with the Aero 2.”</p>


Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Dufour Reveals Final Design for Aero 2 Cargo Drone, Flies New Prototype

<div class="gmail_default">Dufour Aerospace has agreed to use the TOA288 engine produced by Suter Industries as a key component in the hybrid-electric propulsion system for its Aero 2 autonomous VTOL aircraft. The two Swiss companies announced the agreement on March 31 and have already been collaborating in ground testing with the 17.4-kilowatt&nbsp;engine, which will run on gasoline or avgas and work in tandem with electric motors and batteries.</div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>The selection of the TOA288 has allowed the Dufour engineering team to make progress with the preliminary design review for the Aero 2. A&nbsp;hybrid-electric propulsion system for a prototype designated X2.3 already on its testbench in Dübendorf being prepared to start flight testing in early 2024. The company has flown the earlier X2.1 all-electric prototype and this week is starting ground testing with the second all-electric X2.2 prototype, which it expects to begin flying soon before delivering an example of this version to a launch customer for demonstration use later this year.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>The Aero 2 cargo drone will have a 40-kilogram (88-pound) payload, with an anticipated range of 216 nm and a 92-knot cruise speed. Dufour is also working on a larger Aero 3 model that would have eight seats, a 750-kilogram (1,650-pound) payload, and a range of up to 551 nm at speeds of up to 189 knots. </span></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>Both aircraft are tilt-wing designs with propellers mounted on the wing, and, in the case of the piloted, passenger-carrying <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-16/dufour-reveals-updated-design-aero3-tiltwing-evtol-aircraft">Aero 3</a>, a pair of additional vertical lift propellers on the tail. Dufour is aiming to manufacture the first pre-series aircraft in the second half of 2024, with serial production to be underway in 2025. The timeline for the Aero 3 model</span></span></span><span><span><span>, for which a propulsion system supplier has not been announced, envisages initial deliveries in 2026.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>The company has begun a design verification process with EASA to prepare for the start of a full certification process.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span><span><span>Initial efforts are based on the European aviation safety agency’s SAIL IV requirements for uncrewed air systems, with the scope to progress to the more advanced SAIL VI certification. Swiss aerospace group <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-10-07/aerostructures-group-ruag-backs-dufours-aero2-uav-project">Ruag</a> is another key program partner.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>The selection of the Aero 2’s engine follows the March 23 announcement that Swiss Helicopter has signed a letter of intent covering the purchase of two Aero 2s and one Aero 3. According to the operator’s CEO, Rolf Heuberger, the company plans to deploy the hybrid-electric VTOL in place of its current rotorcraft for some applications.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="gmail_default"><span><span><span>Dufour, which in January landed Series B funding from private aviation group <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2023-01-23/private-jet-group-vista-invests-swiss-evtol-developer-dufour-aerospace">Vista Global</a>,&nbsp;also has provisional sales agreements with prospective distributors, including <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-04/aircraft-sales-group-blueberry-agrees-add-dufours-aero-evtol-family-its">Blueberry</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-01-11/helicopter-marketing-group-appointed-distributor-dufours-aero-evtol-models">Savback Helicopters</a>, AirMobility, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-11-04/medical-delivery-group-signs-us-launch-operator-aero2-drone">Spright</a>. It anticipates multiple roles for the new aircraft, including air taxi services, cargo deliveries, and search-and-rescue missions.</span></span></span></div>
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Dufour Selects Suter as Engine Supplier for Hybrid-Electric Aero 2 VTOL Aircraft

<p>Private jet charter group Vista Global is the main investor in a Series B funding round for eVTOL aircraft developer Dufour Aerospace. In a January 23 announcement, the Swiss-based start-up confirmed that Vista has joined existing investors and two new backers in providing&nbsp;an undisclosed capital investment in its plans to bring the Aero2 and Aero3 vehicles to market.</p>
<p>Vista has not said&nbsp;whether it intends to operate Dufour’s eVTOL aircraft as part of its charter business. The group has subsidiaries including VistaJet, Air Hamburg, and Jet Edge, which offer private charter flights.</p>
<p>This week, Vista Global reported a <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-01-23/pilot-shortage-expected-continue-through-next-decade">50 percent year-over-year revenue increase</a> driven by a 74 percent rise in VistaJet’s membership program for frequent flyers. The company acquired 117 new aircraft last year and now operates a global fleet of more than 360 business jets.</p>
<p>“We are looking forward to supporting the team at Dufour in advancing their sustainable aviation solutions with huge potential to supplement Vista’s global service network in the future,” said Vista Global founder and chairman Thomas Flohr. “It is an exciting time for Dufour, and this investment is in line with our strategy of supporting environmental air mobility solutions which further reiterates our commitment to ensuring a greener future for our industry."&nbsp;</p>
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<p>This new funding will help support Dufour’s ongoing development of its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/aero">Aero family of hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft</a>. The company’s flagship aircraft, the Aero 3, is an eight-seat, piloted eVTOL that the company plans to offer for emergency medical transportation as well as private air taxi operations. It can carry 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds) of payload to distances of up to 551 nautical miles, cruising at a speed of 189 knots. The Aero 3 has a distributed electric propulsion system with six main propellers mounted on the front of a tilting wing and two additional vertical lift propellers mounted on the tail. It is expected&nbsp;to achieve type certification in 2025, with deliveries beginning in 2026.</p>
<p>Dufour is also developing the smaller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-11-04/dufour-will-bring-autonomous-aero2-evtol-commercial-service">Aero 2</a>, which is an autonomous VTOL tiltwing drone that can carry up to 40 kg (88 pounds) of payload. While the Aero 2 has a similar design to that of the Aero 3, it has only four propellers mounted on the wing, and it has a much shorter range of 216 nm and a slower cruise speed of 92 knots. It says the Aero 2 could be useful for search and rescue operations, terrain and infrastructure surveillance, and the transportation of medical cargo, such as blood, vaccines, and human organs bound for transplant surgeries.&nbsp;</p>
<p>According to Dufour the&nbsp;Aero 2 will be certified in Europe under EASA’s rules covering light uncrewed air vehicles, with the expectation that the FAA will validate this approval for the U.S. market. Type certification of the Aero 2 is anticipated by the end of 2024, with first deliveries to follow in 2025.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Over the past year or so, a growing number of <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-06-21/some-evtol-revolutionaries-may-be-moving-closer-business-aviation">private aviation service providers</a> have started seeking roles in the advanced air mobility sector. These include competitors of Vista such as <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-07/lilium-targets-premium-private-travelers-through-evtol-alliance-netjets">NetJets</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-04-13/blade-orders-20-beta-alia-aircraft-air-mobility-services">Blade</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-12-05/private-aviation-group-volare-operate-new-pioneer-edition-lilium-jet">Volare</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-09-30/globeair-agrees-add-dozen-lilium-jets-its-european-private-charter-fleet-0">Globe Air</a>, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-05-20/business-aviation-group-luxaviation-operate-evtol-flights-lilium">Luxaviation</a>.</p>


Private Jet Group Vista Invests in Swiss eVTOL Developer Dufour Aerospace

<p><span><span><span>Aviation services group Ruag is supporting fellow Swiss company Dufour Aerospace in the development of the Aero2 uncrewed air vehicle (UAV). Announcing the collaboration this week, the partners said they plan to extend the work into a long-term strategic partnership for developing, manufacturing, and maintenance of eVTOL aircraft, but Ruag would not comment on whether it might also provide Dufour with engineering services for its larger, hybrid-electric <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/aero">Aero3</a> passenger-carrying model.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Initially, Ruag will help Dufour to complete the design and testing of the Aero2 airframe, as well as work on its propulsion system and the integration of avionics and automated flight systems for the tilt-wing design. Ruag is a long-established aerospace and defense group with extensive experience in activities such as aerostructures, including the development and manufacturing of fuselage sections, wings, and control surface components.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“We believe the eVTOL market will be transformational for manned and unmanned aviation, and we’ve been looking for an OEM partner to further develop and apply our technology and expertise for this market,” said Thomas Kipfer, senior vice president of Ruag Business Area Air. With Dufour, we’ve found a company with credible technology in an advanced development stage, a strong team, and a clear plan to become a key player in this market.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Dufour is conducting hover and full-transition flight tests with a pair of Aero2 prototypes at Dübendorf airfield in Switzerland. It is also developing software for the aircraft using its AeroMini platform, and earlier this year it announced plans to base some aspects of the program in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-07/dufour-locate-some-work-aero-evtol-aircraft-family-montreal">Montreal</a>. </span></span></span></p>
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<p><span><span><span>The company aims to start the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-11-04/dufour-will-bring-autonomous-aero2-evtol-commercial-service">Aero2 production line</a> in 2023 and says it has received interest in multiple logistics applications from prospective operators. The hybrid-electric light eVTOL will have a payload of 40 kilograms&nbsp;(88 pounds) and a flight duration of up to three&nbsp;hours.</span></span></span></p>
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<figcaption>Dufour Aerospace's Aero3 hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft could carry eight passengers. (Image: Dufour)</figcaption>
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<p><span><span><span>In August 2021, Dufour published a new design for the <a href="///s:/www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-08-16/dufour-reveals-updated-design-aero3-tiltwing-evtol-aircraft">Aero3 model</a>, increasing the number of wing-mounted propellers from four to six&nbsp;and adding two more propellers on a tail section that formerly had ducted fans. The company aims to have a full-scale prototype of this aircraft ready to start flying in early 2023 and recently reported provisional sales to <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-04-04/aircraft-sales-group-blueberry-agrees-add-dufours-aero-evtol-family-its">Blueberry Aviation</a>.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The Aero3 is expected to carry up to eight passengers or a maximum payload of 1,650 pounds with a range of almost 640 miles at speeds of 217 mph. Dufour aims to achieve type certification in 2026.</span></span></span></p>
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Aerostructures Group Ruag Backs Dufour's Aero2 UAV Project

<p><span><span><span>Switzerland-based Dufour Aerospace is establishing facilities in Montreal as it steps up development work for its Aero family of hybrid-electric tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft. The company said on April 6 that it has started to <a href="https://www.dufour.aero/open-positions">recruit software engineers</a> in the Canadian aerospace hub to work on its Aero2 and Aero3 designs.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“Canada and Montreal have such a historic pedigree in both aviation and software engineering,” said Dufour CEO Thomas Pfammatter. “We were initially inspired by the Canadair Dynavert [CL-84], where Canadian engineers established the aerodynamic principles of tilt-wing flight and built prototypes with hundreds of hours of flight time.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The larger Aero3 model will be piloted and be able to carry up to eight passengers or cargo on flights of up to around 1,020 km (637 miles) at a cruise speed of 350 km/h (218 mph). Dufour views it as an ideal replacement for helicopters involved in transportation services, as well as for roles like emergency medical support, search and rescue, and surveillance. It expects to complete EASA type certification in 2025 and start deliveries in 2026.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>The smaller,&nbsp;remotely piloted Aero 2 will carry a payload of 40 kg (88.18 pounds) as far as 400 km (250 miles). Calling the Aero2 ideal for surveillance and mapping activities, critical cargo delivery, and public security activities such as search and rescue and firefighting, Dufour expects the vehicle to win certification in 2023 and enter service in 2024. </span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>“Montreal boasts high-quality universities and a strong community of software engineers,” said Dufour CTO Jasmine Kent.&nbsp;“With a strong background in advanced software engineering, the local talent community is well qualified to help us build tomorrow’s fleet of air ambulances.”</span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span>Earlier this week, it was announced that global commercial aircraft and helicopter marketing specialist&nbsp;Blueberry Aviation plans to be a distributor for Dufour Aerospace. In a&nbsp;statement on April 4, Dufour said that Monaco-based Blueberry has agreed to acquire 100 examples of each of its Aero2 and Aero3 models.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>
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Dufour To Locate Some Work on Aero eVTOL Aircraft Family in Montreal

<p><span><span>Global commercial aircraft and helicopter marketing specialist&nbsp;Blueberry Aviation plans to be a distributor for Swiss eVTOL aircraft developer&nbsp;</span></span><span><span>Dufour Aerospace. In an announcement on April 4, Dufour said that Monaco-based Blueberry has agreed to acquire 100 examples of each of its Aero2 and Aero3 hybrid-electric tiltwing aircraft.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p>Plans called for Blueberry to market the new models as part of trade-in deals with existing helicopter operators, and also to make loan or leasing arrangements for customers. Dufour sees the collaboration as a way to further develop its customer base and sign up launch customers for aircraft that it says will combine the benefits of VTOL and conventional STOL runway operations.</p>
<p><span><span>The larger Aero3 model will be piloted and be able to carry up to eight passengers or cargo on flights of up to around 1,020 km (637 miles) at a cruise speed of 350 km/h (218 mph). Dufour views it as an ideal replacement for helicopters involved in transportation services, as well as for roles like emergency medical support, search and rescue, and surveillance. It expects to complete EASA type certification in 2025 and start deliveries in 2026.</span></span></p>
<p><span><span>The smaller,&nbsp;remotely piloted Aero 2 will carry a payload of 40 kg (88.18 pounds) as far as 400 km (250 miles). Calling the Aero2 ideal for surveillance and mapping activities, critical cargo delivery, and public security activities such as search and rescue and firefighting, Dufour expects the vehicle to win certification in 2023 and enter into service in 2024. </span></span></p>
<p>Blueberry Aviation was founded in 2023 and also has operations in Dublin, New York, and Singapore. The company says it has completed over 460 helicopter transactions with a combined value of around $1.7 billion, as well as 155 commercial, fixed-wing aircraft deals with 65 customers worth more than $3.4 billion.&nbsp;</p>
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Dufour Aerospace

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Dufour Reveals Final Design for Aero 2 Cargo Drone, Flies New Prototype

Dufour Selects Suter as Engine Supplier for Hybrid-Electric Aero 2 VTOL Aircraft

Private Jet Group Vista Invests in Swiss eVTOL Developer Dufour Aerospace

Aerostructures Group Ruag Backs Dufour's Aero2 UAV Project

Dufour To Locate Some Work on Aero eVTOL Aircraft Family in Montreal

Aircraft Sales Group Blueberry Agrees to Add Dufour's Aero eVTOL Family to Its Portfolio

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