Dufour Aerospace Aero2 (cargo drone)

Aero2 (cargo drone)
Dufour Aerospace
Visp, Switzerland
www.dufour.aero

Founded in 2017, Dufour Aerospace, a Switzerland based company, is in the business of making hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for fast and clean advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. Thomas Pfammatter is Dufour Aerospace’s Co-founder & CEO. He operates alongside Dominique Steffen, a Co-founder of Dufour, and Jasmine Kent, who functions as Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer. The company has over 30 years experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations and building their AAM aircraft for rugged operations in harsh environments with high performance parameters.

Dufour Aerospace's goal is to manufacture and sell hybrid-electric and electric tilt-wing VTOL aircraft. They maintain that such aircraft allow transport to and from any location at five times the speed of a car but at the same cost per kilometer in mountainous and rural environments. The company proposes their aircraft can perform more than 80 percent of today's helicopter operations. The company notes that it was inspired by Canadair’s pioneering work 50 years ago with the CL-84 tilt-wing aircraft.

Aero2 autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL tilt-wing air cargo drone
The Aero2 is an autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL tilt-wing air cargo drone. The aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter and flies like a plane. The aircraft's tilt-wing configuration was chosen for high-load and long distance air travel. The air cargo is loaded in the front of the aircraft. While the aircraft is made for vertical takeoffs and landings, the aircraft can land like an airplane in an emergency.

The cruise speed of the aircraft is 150 km/h (93 mph). The aircraft has a flight time three hours with a 400 km (216 nm) range with a 40 kg (88 lb) maximum payload weight. The aircraft has a 10.5 hour flight time with a 1,390 km (750 nm) range with a 10 kg (22 lb) maximum payload weight. 

The aircraft has four propellers, four electric motors and has a hybrid-electric power source. The empty weight of the aircraft is 156 kg (345 lb), has a maximum payload weight of 52 kg (114 lb) and has a maximum takeoff weight of 208 kg (459 lb). The aircraft has one high main tilt-wing with one conventional tail with a downward vertical stabilizer. The fuselage is made from carbon fiber composite to give the aircraft a high strength to low weight ratio. The landing gear has front fixed two wheels with a tail dragger configuration.

In early October 2022, the company carried out test flight with its Aero2 prototype aircraft and their smaller software testing platform called the AeroMini. The Phase 1 flights include hover tests and Phase 2 flights include transition flights.

On November 4, 2022, Spright (USA) announced the purchase of 40 Aero2 cargo drone aircraft with options for additional 100 aircraft. The company states this is their largest commitment by an operator to-date for the Aero2 design and one of the largest civilian unmanned aerial vehicle purchases in U.S. history.

The company expects the aircraft to not only be used for air cargo in urban and remote areas but also for search and rescue (SAR) operations (with a camera or infrared equipment) and long endurance terrain and infrastructure surveillance.

Production
The company plans for serial production in 2026.

Specifications:

• Aircraft type: Hybrid-electric VTOL air cargo drone
• Piloting: Autonomous
• Capacity: Cargo only (front loading)
• Cruise speed: 150 km/h (93 mph)
• Flight time and range: 3 hour flight time with a 400 km (216 nm) range with a 40 kg (88 lb) payload
• Flight time and range: 10.5 hour flight time with a 1,390 km (750 nm) range with a 10 kg (22 lb) payload
• Empty weight: 156 kg (345 lb)
• Maximum payload: 52 kg (114 lb)
• Maximum takeoff weight: 208 kg (459 lb)
• Propellers: 4 propellers
• Electric motors: 4 electric motors
• Power source: Hybrid-electric power source
• Fuselage: Carbon fiber composite
• Wings: 1 main high tilt-wing
• Tail: 1 conventional tail with a downward vertical stabilizer
• Landing gear: Fixed wheeled tail dragger configuration
• Safety features: Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP), provides safety through redundancy for its passengers and/or cargo. DEP means having multiple propellers (or ducted fans) and motors on the aircraft so if one or more propellers (ducted fans) or motors fail, the other working propellers (or ducted fans) and motors can safely land the aircraft. There are also redundancies in the sub-systems of the aircraft. The drone can land as a conventional airplane in an emergency.

Related Aircraft:

• Dufour Aerospace VTOL Technology Demonstrator
• Dufour Aerospace aEro 2 (defunct)
• Dufour Aerospace aEro 3 (defunct)
• Dufour Aerospace Aero3 (production design)

Company Insights:

• Pitchbook
• Crunchbase
• MarketWatch
• Traxcn

Resources:

• Dufour Aerospace website
• Dufour Aerospace Facebook
• Dufour Aerospace Twitter
• Dufour Aerospace YouTube
• Dufour Aerospace LinkedIn
• Article: Dufour Aerospace launches Aero2 – the “Swiss Army Knife” of small unmanned aircraft, Dufour Aerospace, Nov. 4, 2021
• Article: Dufour Aerospace and Blueberry Aviation enter a long-term commercial partnership, Dufour Aerospace, Apr. 4, 2022
• Article: Dufour Aerospace and V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation announce partnership, Dufour Aerospace, July 12, 2022
• Article: Dufour Aerospace completes successful trials with Elsight's Halo connectivity solution, Dufour Aerospace, July 26, 2022
• Video: Test flight with Aero2 at Dübendorf airfield, Dufour Aerospace, Oct. 3, 2022
• Article: Test flights at Dübendorf airfield, Dufour Aerospace, Oct. 3, 2022
• Article: Dufour Aerospace and RUAG to begin cooperation on unmanned aerial vehicles, Dufour Aerospace, Oct. 5, 2022
• Video: Dufour Aerospace eVTOL demonstrator full transition with sound, Dufour Aerospace, Oct. 14, 2020
• Article: Dufour Aerospace and Blueberry Aviation announce commercial partnership, Vertical Magazine, Apr. 4, 2022
• Article: Dufour Aerospace and RUAG to cooperate on UAVs, Vertical Magazine, Oct. 5, 2022
• Article: Spright and Dufour Aerospace announce purchase for up to 140 Aero2 unmanned tilt-wing aircraft, Dufour Aerospace, Nov. 4, 2022
• Article: Swiss Helicopter to purchase eVTOL aircraft from Dufour Aerospace, Vertical Magazine, Mar. 23, 2023
• Article: Dufour Aerospace receives US$2.8M grant from Swiss innovation agency, Vertical Magazine, May 17, 2023
• Article: Dufour Aerospace unveils final Aero2 design and specs, Vertical Magazine, June 15, 2023
• Article: Dufour retires second generation Aero2 prototype from flight service, Vertical Magazine, June 23, 2023
• Article: Dufour Aerospace selects Aerolite as partner for composite structural parts, Vertical Magazine, July 14, 2023
• Article: Aero2 X2.2 masters full transition from vertical take-off to horizontal cruise, Vertical Magazine, Sept. 14, 2023
• Article: Armasuisse S+T engages Dufour Aerospace for design study, Vertical Magazine, Sept. 14, 2023
• Article: Dufour Aerospace achieves drone milestone with hybrid-electric engine, Vertical Magazine, Jan. 28, 2025
• Article: Dufour Aerospace successfully performs first functional test with RIEGL Lidar system, Vertical Magazine, Feb. 13, 2025