Uncrewed air vehicles promising a trifecta of four-digit payload and range plus markedly lower operating costs compared with fixed-wing aircraft carry the potential to significantly reshape the air freight business. Sabrewing is in pursuit of this Holy Grail with its hybrid-electric Rhaegal design and now the California-based company is looking to further boost performance with a switch to a more powerful Ardiden turboshaft engine provided by helicopter engine manufacturer Safran.

 The Sabrewing team is now building the first full-scale prototype of the Rhaegal B aircraft, which is expected to carry a 5,400-pound payload when operated in VTOL mode, rising to 10,000 pounds for a conventional takeoff from a 300-foot runway. According to chairman and CEO Ed De Reyes, this could deliver CTOL operating costs of just 28 cents per ton/mile, or 54 cents for VTOL operations.