2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Dufour Aerospace has appointed Scandinavian rotorcraft sales and marketing group Savback Helicopters as a distributor for its planned Aero2 and Aero3 hybrid electric eVTOL aircraft in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. The Switzerland-based manufacturer indicated that Savback’s main priority will be finding commercial operators for the eight-seat Aero3 tilt-wing&nbsp;model, which is expected to achieve type certification in 2026. It will also market the Aero2 autonomous air vehicle, which could enter production in 2023.

The Aero3 is expected to have a payload range of almost 640 miles at speeds of 217 mph. Last year, Dufour unveiled a revised design that&nbsp;increased the number of wing-mounted propellers from four to six, as well as adding two more propellers on a new tail section that formerly incorporated ducted fans. The company expects to start test-flying&nbsp;a prototype by the end of 2022 as it prepares for certification under EASA’s special-condition VTOL rules.

In November 2020, Dufour said that it had received interest from prospective operators of the Aero2, which it intends to certify under EASA’s special-condition rules for light unmanned aerial systems. It will offer a payload of just under 90 pounds and a flight duration of up to around three hours at speeds of almost 106 mph. The Aero2 first flew in 2020, initially to serve as a technology demonstrator for the much larger Aero3, but Dufour subsequently decided to bring the model to market.

“We strongly believe that Dufour Aerospace’s eight-seater Aero3 provides options for today’s helicopter market&nbsp;as well as new-use cases which its cutting-edge technology opens up for us,” said Reja Savback, CEO of Savback Helicopters. 

The Swedish company has sold more than 900 helicopters over the past 30 years, and has marketed&nbsp;preowned models as well as new light helicopters such as the VRT500,&nbsp;GHT Helicopters’ G-250 Eagle, and the Zefhir Ultra Light. It is active in multiple markets, including VIP transportation, cargo operations, and parapublic missions (e.g. police, ambulance,&nbsp;and search and rescue flights).

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Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Helicopter Marketing Group Appointed Distributor for Dufour's Aero eVTOL Models

Dufour Aerospace this week confirmed plans to bring its Aero2 autonomous air vehicle into production in 2023 after receiving market interest for commercial applications with the tilt-wing eVTOL model. The hybrid-electric vehicle—which will offer a payload of 40 kg (88 lb) and a flight duration of up to three hours at a cruise speed of almost 106 mph—has been flying as part of the development work for the Swiss company’s larger Aero3 piloted eVTOL.

In a November 4 announcement, Dufour said it intends to certify the Aero2 under EASA’s special-condition rules for light unmanned aerial systems. The company first flew the Aero2 as a technology demonstrator in 2020. 

According to co-founder and CTO Jasmine Kent, the start-up will use a succession of prototypes&nbsp;“to add and certify more features such as the hybrid propulsion module, de-icing capabilities, and a usage and health monitoring system. She said that positive reaction from prospective operators to the performance of the first prototype convinced the company of the business case for bringing the Aero2 to market.

The Aero2 is expected to have a range of around 310 miles. “It is as versatile as a Swiss Army knife,” commented Dufour co-founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter. “This innovative&nbsp;small, unmanned aircraft will greatly support our customers in their activities. With its quickly interchangeable nose cone, it is the perfect tool to carry different customer payloads, be it logistics, topographical surveys, mappings, measurements or for public safety applications.”

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. In August, Dufour said it had&nbsp;increased the number of wing-mounted propellers from four to six, as well as adding two more propellers on a redesigned tail section that formerly incorporated ducted fans. The company is still refining the design and expects to start test-flying&nbsp;a prototype by the end of 2022, with a goal of achieving type certification by early 2026.

In September, Dufour signed a cooperation agreement with Swiss Air Rescue Rega to develop an air ambulance version of the Aero3. Rega, which&nbsp;has been employing&nbsp;helicopters for almost 70 years in emergency medical and rescue operations, is eager to explore the potential for these to be replaced with eVTOL aircraft. 

Meanwhile, Dufour continues to work on its Aero1 all-electric aerobatic trainer aircraft. With a pair of electric motors, the aircraft has also been used as a testbed for the technology to be deployed on both the Aero2 and 3 vehicles, and the company said it will soon make its second test flight. 

Pfammatter is an experienced helicopter pilot who still flies rescue missions with Swiss operator Air Zermatt. Last month, he told FutureFlight that Dufour holds letters of intent, mainly from existing helicopter operators, covering prospective sales for both the Aero2 and 3. He said that the company opted to base its eVTOLs on hybrid propulsion,&nbsp;to increase range and payload, and also to avoid the need for purpose-built vertiports with charging stations for all-electric aircraft.

Dufour is also in talks with several logistics companies about switching to eVTOL operations. Pfammatter gave the example of a biotech manufacturer&nbsp;in the Swiss Alps that needs around 1,000 ingredients for each of its medications. “If you are missing even one ingredient, it can bring the whole plant to a standstill,” he said, making the case for versatile and responsive eVTOLs for light freight deliveries.

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Dufour Will Bring Autonomous Aero2 eVTOL into Commercial Service

Dufour Aerospace this week provided the latest design for its planned Aero3 hybrid-electric tiltwing eVTOL aircraft. The Swiss start-up has increased the number of wing-mounted propellers from four to six and has added two more propellers on a redesigned tail section that formerly incorporated ducted fans.

According to chief commercial officer Sascha Hardegger, the latest design changes were made to improve performance&nbsp;and increase system redundancy and safety. He told FutureFlight that further design changes could be in the works as Dufour works on a full-scale manned prototype that it aims to start flying in late 2022 or early 2023.

With a projected payload of just over 1,650 pounds, the Aero3 is now expected to have a range of almost 640 miles and a cruise speed of 217 mph. For surveillance missions, this would equate to a flight endurance of 180 minutes.

The Aero3’s powertrain will consist of an as-yet-unspecified turbine engine supporting the eight electric motors that drive the propellers. The company indicated that it may be ready to name partners and suppliers by the end of 2021.

In addition to conducting extensive wind-tunnel testing, the Dufour team has already flown a roughly one-third scale demonstrator aircraft designated the X2.1. This will continue flying in Switzerland while the company works on the X2.2 version, which will be followed by the unmanned X3 prototype&nbsp;and eventually the manned prototype. 

The Aero3 is intended for a variety of applications that could include passenger transportation, but also search and rescue, cargo, surveillance, and other parapublic roles. According to Hardegger, who is the former head of helicopter operations with emergency medical support operator Rega,&nbsp;the aircraft could replace a lot of existing rotorcraft, providing more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable performance. Company founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter is still an active mountain rescue pilot with Swiss operator Air Zermatt.

In tandem, work is also underway to develop the smaller unmanned Aero2 model that would form part of a family of aircraft. It will likely have four propellers but would otherwise be quite similar in terms of aerodynamics.

“The tiltwing design gives both versatility and efficiency,” said Hardegger. “In cruise flight mode you are as fast as an airplane.”

Dufour is now preparing for a further round of fundraising that will mainly focus on the type of professional investors who are already backing the company. The company says it has sufficient capital to support the current pace of development work but has not published a firm timeline for getting the new aircraft to market.

Dufour Reveals Updated Design for Aero3 Tiltwing eVTOL Aircraft

Dufour Aerospace this week signed an agreement to allow AirMobility to promote and distribute its Aero 3 eVTOL aircraft in Japan. The Tokyo-based company has an option to purchase an unspecified number of the vehicle, but the partners provided no further details on the terms of the agreement.

According to the “Public-Private Council for the Air Mobility Revolution” established by the Japanese government’s ministries of economy, trade, and industry, and land, infrastructure, transport, and tourism, the country aims to see initial eVTOL aircraft operations in 2023. Authorities also have set a more specific goal of establishing air taxi services for the 2025 Osaka Expo event.

“We know that Japan has high expectations and ambitious plans when it comes to eVTOL [aircraft], and with our versatile and efficient concept and our development philosophy, we can fulfill these expectations,” said Dufour Aerospace co-founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter.

AirMobility was established in August 2019 as a “sales and services platform” for eVTOL aircraft. The company intends to be&nbsp;involved in preparing infrastructure to support operations and also has an agreement with Japanese industrial drone manufacturer Terra Drones.

Switzerland-based Dufour Aerospace was founded in 2017 and has been working on several concepts for a hybrid-electric tilt-wing eVTOL design. Pfammatter co-founded the company with Jasmine Kent and Dominique Steffen, and its team includes experienced engineers from Airbus, Boeing, Google, and the Solar Impulse project.

The company&nbsp;is developing a prototype for a five- to seven-seat model called the Aero 3 that it says will be suitable for a variety of passenger transportation and emergency medical applications with a potential range of up to 1,000 km (625 miles). In April it secured an unspecified amount of fresh funding from venture capital group Investor Session.

“When choosing Dufour Aerospace, we carefully considered several factors, such as the maturity of the management team, certification pathway, technology readiness, corporate philosophy, and product feasibility,” said AirMobility president and CEO Hisashi Asai. “As a result, Dufour Aerospace’s eVTOL is extremely attractive compared with&nbsp;other companies.”

AirMobility Agrees to Market Dufour's Aero 3 eVTOL In Japan

Dufour Aerospace this week announced the completion of the first phase of flight testing for the technology demonstrator it is using to develop its planned Aero family of eVTOL aircraft. The Swiss company has been experimenting with a tiltwing configuration but has yet to indicate what form the full-scale prototype will take.

In a statement issued on July 27, Dufour said that it has conducted 550 test flights, expanding the flight envelope incrementally to demonstrate, “a high degree of stability and control in all conditions, including transitions from hover to cruise and back again.” 

According to Dufour co-founder and chief technology officer Jasmine Kent, the company is now focused on developing a five- to seven-seat eVTOL designated the aEro 3, having for shelved plans for a two-seat aEro 2 model. She said that the aEro 3 is intended as a replacement for existing helicopters in a variety of roles, including passenger transportation and emergency medical services.

The aircraft will have a hybrid-electric propulsion system, with batteries providing power for vertical takeoff and landing and an unspecified conventional engine powering cruise flight to support longer-range missions. Projected speed for the tiltwing design is around 220 mph.

The company’s engineering team said they have drawn inspiration from Canadair’s work back in the 1960s to develop the CL-84 as a V/STOL turbine tiltwing, which never achieved commercial traction. The program is also building on experience Dufour has gained in developing the Aero 1 fixed-wing aerobatic aircraft.

Dufour has not revealed any timeline for the development or service entry of either the Aero 2&nbsp;or 3&nbsp;models, but is currently recruiting more staff. Very limited performance information is available, but the company website does show a sample use case of air taxi flights from Milan in northern Italy to the Swiss Alps resort of Zermatt. According to Dufour, this 79-mile flight could be accomplished in 22 minutes, compared with a 144-mile drive that would take more than three hours.

According to Dufour’s lead aerodynamics engineer, Felix Rubin, the flight tests on the technology demonstrator focused on challenges such as ensuring that slipstream airflows over the technology demonstrator’s tiltwing&nbsp;were sufficiently stable. The company says that the performance and stability results exceeded its expectations.

Dufour Aerospace

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