Sabrewing Takes Flight

Sabrewing announced on Sept. 28 that it has conducted the maiden flight of its RH-1-A Rhaegal hybrid-electric VTOL cargo drone. The Rhaegal conducted a hover flight while carrying an 829-lb (374-kg) payload, a new record for commercial drones, the company claimed. “Our design and tests teams — and our development partners — invested tens of thousands of hours to make this milestone such a history-making success,” said Ed De Reyes, chairman and CEO of Sabrewing, in a statement. The pre-production “Alpha” model of the Rhaegal, which weighs approximately 2,700 lb (1,225 kg), is powered by a turboelectric drivetrain based on the Safran Helicopter Engines Ariel 2E. The Oxnard, California-based company is developing autonomous cargo drones for long-distance deliveries.