Aircraft
Team
Aero3 is designed to respond to the requirements of both today’s helicopter operations and tomorrow’s advanced air mobility markets. As a tilt-wing aircraft, it is extremely versatile, efficient, and safe. It combines the best features of the worlds of both helicopters and airplanes. Aero3 is capable of taking off and landing like a helicopter while being as energy efficient and fast as an airplane in cruise flight.
Aero3 will be the perfect aircraft for transporting patients between hospitals and for on-site emergency interventions, enabling emergency medical services with even better patient outcomes. It will also be able to serve urban and regional air mobility markets in passenger transportation as well as logistic applications and private transport needs – all of this at much lower operating costs than today's solutions.
Max. take-off weight
2'800 kg (6'173 lbs)
Useful load
750 kg (1'653 lbs)
Range
1'020 km (551 NM) / 3 hours
(electric with hybrid system)
Design cruise speed
350 km/h (189 kts)
Persons on board (POB)
Up to 8
Wing-span / Rotor-span
13.6 m (44.6 ft) / 14.8 m (48.6 ft)
Length / Height
12 m (39.4 ft) / 4 m (13.1 ft)
Propulsion
Distributed electric propulsion with
6 main motors/propellers and
2 tail motors/propellers
As Aero3 combines both the vertical take-off and landing capability of a helicopter and the efficiency and speed of an airplane. It is the perfect tool for modern HEMS (helicopter emergency medical services) and air ambulance operations. As some members of the Dufour Aerospace team have significant experience in this field, Aero3 has been designed to be able to replace today’s helicopters which are used to transport patients between hospitals by being more efficient and operating at significantly lower cost.
Aero3’s cabin offers enough space to transport a patient and all necessary medical equipment. The wide cabin doors make it easy to load and unload the aircraft. The reduced noise signature during lift-off and landing is beneficial to the patients and their neighbours. The decentralized, redundant electric propulsion system makes the aircraft inherently safe, while the hybrid system allows for long range missions.
cheaper than a single engine helicopter, 10x cheaper than a twin engine helicopter, competing with the price of a ground ambulance but much faster: Aero3 is the perfect tool for helicopter emergency medical services and patient transports, not only in remote areas but also in urban environments.
Aero3 helps improving the performance of helicopter emergency medical services as it makes remote locations accessible in less time and at lower costs. Bringing patients to a suitable hospital as quickly as possible, in cases of serious trauma injuries within the "golden hour", is key to patient outcome.
Electric propulsion will make Urban Air Mobility a reality. However, we see the most potential not in inner-city flights, but in Regional Air Mobility: combining the ability to take-off and land vertically with long-range and high-speed is what will make new aircraft attractive for customers and operators alike. This is where Dufour Aerospace’s Aero3 has its biggest strengths. It flies from the airport to the city centre in 10 minutes, for sure. But it does not stop there.
Aero3 covers distances of up to 1'020 km in three hours, making it the most versatile aircraft in its class. It also offers improved safety: the decentralized electric propulsion system is fully redundant. If any power battery fails, the remaining batteries and lift/thrust units can continue safe flight and landing. If the energy system fails, there is enough reserve energy in the power batteries to complete a full landing procedure, including a go around in case of an unplanned event.
Aero3 is the most versatile aircraft of its class. Combining the VTOL capability of helicopters with the efficiency and the speed of airplanes, it meets the requirements of existing helicopter markets and future Advanced Air Mobility. With CTOL and STOL capability, Aero3 integrates seamlessly into today's airspace structure, airport infrastructure and flight procedures.
A cabin spacious enough for the transport of patients is also fit for the transport of logistic goods. Aero3 can cover short-, mid- and long-range distances, and it offers the possibility to deliver the goods virtually “at your doorstep”. The hybrid system avoids long turnover times as no batteries need to be recharged or swapped, thus making this aircraft an efficient workhorse in modern supply chains.
Aero3 is more than just affordable, as the use of decentralized electric propulsion and simple, but functional design principles result in little maintenance and low operating costs. And if there is no cargo to be carried but passengers to be flown, the entire cabin configuration can be changed within minutes. Why should you settle for anything less?
Aero3 is extremely versatile and efficient when it comes to point-to-point transportation of personnel or the daily supply of goods, especially in remote locations. The combination of VTOL capability and efficient cruise speed make it the perfect tool for aerial transport.
ABOUT:
With over 30 years of experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations, we understand the real world requirements of VTOL aircraft. Our engineering team with years of aircraft construction experience is building aircrafts for rugged operations in harsh environments. Our patented combination of proven aerodynamic concepts with the latest technology makes our aircraft rock solid with unparalleled performance.