Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss developer of hybrid eVTOL aerial vehicles, has concluded the first hover flight for its Aero2 unmanned eVTOL prototype.

The aircraft, known as “X2.3,” is designed for multiple industrial applications, including cargo delivery, medical supply, organ transportation, and surveillance. The 6.1 mi eVTOL has a gross weight of 205 kg, a payload capacity of 40 kg, and a range of ~400 km at 150 miph with the hybrid propulsion module.

The prototype combines various design changes, including an H-tail and skid landing gear, replacing the preceding prototypes' cruciform tail and wheeled gear.

The company is also gearing up for the production of its Aero2 eVTOL with various suppliers, including Aerolite and Connova for composite airframe structures, Suter Industries for the combustion engine, Air Energy for battery modules, Mejzik for propeller blades, Plettenberg for the tail thruster, and Volz Servos for actuators. Dufour Aerospace has planned deliveries of the Aero2 to begin in 2025.