It goes without saying that the heavier the payload an aircraft can lift, the more useful it can be in performing a variety of tasks. And more recently, the RG-1-A Alpha Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft has set a new record, lifting more weight than any other VTOL aircraft to date.

The RG-1-A Alpha aircraft is the development of the California company Sabrewing and is the first real prototype of the future machine called Rhaegal, production of which is planned to begin in the near future. During the record climb, the RG-1-A Alpha lifted a load weighing 374 kilograms, and according to calculations, the final version of this device will be able to lift up to 1,406 kilograms.

It should be noted that the previous official weight-lifting record was broken in 2018 by the Skyf drone, which lifted a payload of 220 kilograms. The same weight can be lifted by a modern Volocopter and Elroy Air’s Chaparral C1 VTOL – 227 kilograms.

It is worth noting that the RG-1-A Alpha device can not only take off vertically, distributing its turbines in a horizontal plane, but also take off from the runway like a fixed-wing aircraft. At the same time, its load increases to 1,814 kilograms, thanks to the additional lifting force created by the planes of the apparatus.

The RG-1-A Alpha device itself weighs 1,225 kilograms, can reach speeds of up to 370 kilometers per hour in flight and climb up to 6,700 meters. All these capabilities are provided by the hybrid propulsion system, the heart of which is the Ariel 2E turbo engine manufactured by the French company Safran. Running on standard aviation fuel, this engine spins an electric generator that produces up to 1 MW of electricity and powers four turboprop electric motors.

The final version of the Rhaegal device will be slightly larger than the first prototype. Its length will be 14.6 meters and its wingspan will be 17 meters. In vertical take-off mode, its payload will be 2,454 kilograms and in fixed wing mode 4,545 kilograms.

It should be noted that Sabrewing company already has an order for 28 Rhaegal devices to be used as part of the global World Food/World Health programme. According to the plans, delivery of the first devices will begin in December next year. Source