Flight mechanics of a tilt-wing aircraft under harsh conditions

Dufour Aerospace AG shifts focus from controlled prototype tests to safe real-world operations for their eVTOL (Aero 2). ZHAW supports the project in the field of flight physics. Wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations are being used to improve the understanding of a tilt-wing aircraft under harsh conditions.

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Currently, many unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft companies are focused on flying prototypes in controlled, safe environments. This is also the case for Dufour Aerospace AG with their unmanned tilt-wing aircraft, the Aero 2. The previous project between Dufour and ZHAW (Innosuisse 106.064 IP-ENG) helped establish a safe flight envelope for prototype operations in controlled conditions.

This project (Innosuisse 120.300 IP-ENG) aims to improve the understanding of the flight physics of tilt-wing aircraft under real-world conditions (different wind patterns, turbulence, ground effects and emergency situations). To this purpose, wind tunnel tests are being carried out and numerical simulation tools developed as part of the project.

Dufour Aerospace AG aims to be a pioneer in this field by being the first company in Europe to apply for certification of their UAVs for flight over populated areas. This means that Dufour needs to take the step from flying prototypes in safe environments into real-world testing and operation of tilt-wing aircraft. This project will be among the first to systematically investigate and document the performance of modern eVTOLs / UAVs in real-world conditions.