Page 23 - AAA March / April 2023 Latest Magazine | GBP

Cargo UAV
READYING Startups Step Up
In January this year, California-based startup

FOR ACTION Natilus, which is currently developing giant-
sized autonomous cargo drones that it claims
will cut the cost of air freight by 60per cent
and reduce its carbon emissions by 50per
cent, announced that Ameriflight, the larg-
est Part 135 cargo airline in the U.S., has
signed an agreement to purchase 20 Natilus
Kona feeder aircraft. The company has so far
obtained US$6.8 billion worth of preorders for
more than 460 aircraft.

The Kona feeder aircraft being designed by
Natilus requires a runway; the drone has a
maximum payload of 4.7 tons and a 900-
mile range. The company long-term plan is
to produce four models - a short-haul version
with a 3.8-ton payload, a medium/long-haul
Large-size cargo drones could start version with a 60-ton payload, and two long-
moving goods across the globe haul versions with 100- and 130-ton payloads.
Deliveries of the short-haul version of the
sooner than you think drone are expected to begin in 2025.

In September 2022, California-based
 Arun Sivasankaran Sabrewing Aircraft Company’s RH-1-A
cceleration of autonomous and AI technologies, rapid “Rhaegal” VTOL air cargo drone successfully
improvements in propulsion system technologies that completed its first hover flight while lifting a
A allows drones to fly farther for longer, and the falling price record-setting payload. The air vehicle lifted
a 829-pound (374 kg) payload, breaking the
of lithium-ion batteries are fueling the growth of the cargo drone world record for the “dead-lift” of any com-
industry. The exponential increase in e-commerce is acting as mercial, vertical takeoff, uncrewed air vehicle
another major catalyst with drones fast becoming an important (UAV). Not long after that, Ameriflight for-
part of the delivery supply chain. mally expressed interest in purchasing 35
With so many significant tailwinds, the cargo drone market is Rhaegal drones.
projected to grow from US$ 534 million in 2022 to US$ 17.9 billion The Rhaegal RG-1-B “Bravo” production air-
by 2030, at a CAGR of 55.1per cent. period. Eager to cash in on craft is designed for first, middle and last mile
skyrocketing demand, several companies are in various stages cargo deliveries. According to the company,
of developing cargo drones of different sizes. the world’s first autonomous cargo aircraft
that is capable of both vertical and conven-
Growing Demand tional take-off can lift over 10 times more
cargo than its closest competitor, fly 5 times
The demand for large cargo drones is expected to spike in the farther, and operate in any airspace – from
future. Among the cargo carriers that are intent on incorporat- the most congested city to the most remote
ing them into their fleet is Kenya’s Astral Aviation. All Nippon location.
Airways is another, having signed a partnership with Wingcopter.
Meanwhile, Air Canada Cargo is functioning as a sales agent for “This is only a fraction of what this aircraft can
Drone Delivery Canada. carry. But it proves that we’re able to lift more
cargo on our maiden flight than any previous
Astral Aviation has its eyes on the 2-tonne payload FlyOx Cargo cargo UAV that has ever flown,” said Ed De
Drone. Drones have a unique advantage in that they can land Reyes, chairman and CEO of Sabrewing.
in unpaved airfields and on water, which cannot be done by The Rhaegal VTOL air cargo drone aircraft has
fixed wing aircraft, says Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and CEO of been developed in partnership with Safran
the company. “The cost of operation is significantly lower than (turboshaft motors), Leonardo Aerospace (avi-
commercial aircraft with a visible saving of 50per cent and is onics), Toray (composite materials), Garmin
environmentally friendly. The use of large cargo drones has been (navigation), Attollo Engineering (LIDAR),
a part of Astral’s vision to bring innovation in last-mile delivery,” Spider Tracks (remote positioning), and US
he adds. Cargo Systems (cargo floors). Cal State

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