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 engine, which will run on gasoline or avgas and work in tandem with electric motors and batteries.
The selection of the TOA288 has allowed the Dufour engineering team to make progress with the preliminary design review for the Aero 2. A 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.
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.
Both aircraft are tilt-wing designs with propellers mounted on the wing, and, in the case of the piloted, passenger-carrying Aero 3, 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, for which a propulsion system supplier has not been announced, envisages initial deliveries in 2026.
The company has begun a design verification process with EASA to prepare for the start of a full certification process. 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 Ruag is another key program partner.
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.
Dufour, which in January landed Series B funding from private aviation group Vista Global, also has provisional sales agreements with prospective distributors, including Blueberry, Savback Helicopters, AirMobility, and Spright. It anticipates multiple roles for the new aircraft, including air taxi services, cargo deliveries, and search-and-rescue missions.
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Suter Industries is providing its TOA288 engine as part of the hybri-electric propulsion system for Dufour's Aero 2 autonomous drone.
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