The 5B’s Take Flight: Meadowlark Aircraft Company Rises as FAA’s BVLOS Era Begins

August 13, 2025 | Dawn Zoldi

As the FAA’s proposed Part 108 BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) rule lands, the stage could not be better set for Meadowlark Aircraft Company (MAC) to rise—bigger, better and bolder—alongside the drone industry’s own monumental leap. With new regulatory clarity unlocking heavier, longer-range uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations, MAC stands primed to deliver tailored aerial solutions for both defense and civilian markets, led by their pioneering CTO, Dr. Ned Tabat.

From Bell Labs to Bespoke Aircraft: Meet Dr. Ned Tabat

Before MAC’s breakthrough innovations, the company’s DNA was forged in the career of Dr. Ned Tabat. Tabat’s background not only brings credibility, it drives MAC’s push to redefine the boundaries of UAS. His broad expertise, from physics and electrical engineering to advanced sensor technology, has mapped Meadowlark’s vision for the future.

Tabat holds degrees in electrical engineering and physics, capped by a PhD from the University of Illinois. After roles at prestigious institutions like Bell Labs and as CTO for advanced sensor firms, he channeled this experience into launching Meadowlark Aircraft Company.

Meadowlark’s Origin: Born from Necessity

Many start ups arise from a gap in the market, the need for capabilities that simply don’t exist. Meadowlark’s story is no different, rooted in Tabat’s firsthand struggle to find aircraft that matched large and heavy advanced sensor demands. Off-the-shelf aircraft didn’t make the grade. Channeling his “inner Elon Musk,” Tabat decided to build his own platforms. Meadowlark Aircraft Company was created “to build uncrewed aircraft to their specifications, rather than producing standard models.” (For more on MAC’s origins see prior coverage here).

Setting up shop in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was both practical and symbolic for MAC. The region’s robust drone ecosystem, along with local and state support, enabled rapid growth in a place where innovation meets community. Tabat described this environment as “People with a very can-do attitude, very eager to make things work.”

Enter the “Five B’s”: Bigger, Better, Bluer, Bespoker, and BVLOS-er

The “Five B’s” provide a multi-dimensional approach that shapes MAC’s aircraft and business philosophy, This framework blends technical ambition with a distinctly human touch to ensure each drone excels in ways that truly matter.

Bigger

The FAA’s new BVLOS standard will catalyze scaled-up drone operations and usher in opportunities for larger, heavier platforms. MAC’s flagship aircraft focus on Group 3 UAS push the envelope for endurance and payload. “Attention now is going to focus to heavier aircraft…hybrid propulsion so you can have longer sorties, a lot more onboard power capability so you can do more interesting stuff in terms of edge computing as well as active sensors. Bigger is definitely in vogue right now with Part 108,” Tabat explained.

Better

Quality is never a luxury at MAC. It’s built into every circuit and airframe. The pursuit of “better” means stronger design, smarter onboard computing and more reliable results for clients.

“You can run many, many GPUs onboard, do a lot of onboard data processing,” Tabat detailed. With better sensors, analytics, endurance and flexible modules, MAC sets new standards in unmanned performance.

Bluer

“Bluer” captures MAC’s commitment to keeping manufacturing and technology U.S.-focused and NDAA-compliant. This blue supply chain remains vital for both defense contracts and economic development to ensure reliability and onshore control in every aircraft produced. Digital twinning enhances every subsystem, allowing rapid optimization and ensuring compliance with even the most demanding DoD requirements.

Tabat emphasized, “We’re tapping into a secular trend for onshore manufacturing…airframe manufacturing is not exactly heavy manufacturing but still very energy intensive.” MAC’s blue ethos positions the company as a trusted partner in an era of increasing domestic demand for secure supply chains.

Bespoker

Unlike monolithic manufacturers, MAC crafts drones as unique as their missions to merge customer imagination with engineering finesse. “We build it to your specs. We make your ideas take flight.”

Tabat coined the term “bespoker” to describe their ability to rapidly prototype and manufacture designs tailored to client needs, from payload to aerodynamic profile. Digital engineering lets clients test and alter their requirements before a single part is built.

BVLOS-er

MAC’s vision is inseparable from the power of flying BVLOS. Every aircraft comes native with onboard detect-and-avoid, rural operation capabilities and flexible integration with UAS traffic management (UTM) systems.

“What’s important for us is a lot of onboard detect and avoid capability. You can’t really expect to have UTM available in all rural settings…having onboard computing and machine learning capability is critical,” Tabat said.

The Strix Drone: Where Vision Meets Reality

The FH125 Strix, MAC’s answer to the industry’s demand for rugged, customizable, long-endurance drones, embodies the Five B’s with every component and line of code.

MAC crafted the Strix hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing UAS for heavy payloads and exceptional endurance. The platform features a robust carbon fiber frame, 16-foot wingspan and rapid field assembly for fast and flexible deployments (only 15 mins in the field). 

 Powered by modular hybrid propulsion, Strix achieves 10 hours of flight time with a 35lb payload, and up to 20 hours with additional fuel. Tabat boasted, “We could do a 20 hour flight. You just have to slap another gas can on it.”

Strix specializes in integrating active sensors such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) multispectral cameras and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to enable advanced missions that traditional platforms cannot. As Tabat put it, “We can inspect 1,000 miles of buried pipeline for (methane) leaks in one sortie, replacing two or three manned aircraft. The drone can hover and return for deeper data if anomalies are detected.”

The Grus Drone: Expanding the Kingdom

Anticipating the next leap in the UAS sector, MAC is set to launch the Grus drone, a 300lb takeoff weight platform built for the intermediate-range cargo and delivery market. Distinct from Strix, MAC designed the Grus for heavier transport tasks, such as “four tires, 150 mile” deliveries.

Tabat explained, “Grus is for intermediate goods transport…We’ll unveil our design here in about six months.” This new VTOL will share MAC’s commitment to modularity and American manufacturing, with hybrid propulsion and advanced payload integration.

White Glove Manufacturing: Setting the Bespoke Standard

MAC’s approach to manufacturing goes beyond technical ability. It’s about precision service and relentless quality. From concept to completion, clients experience a bespoke “white glove” process tailored to each aircraft mission.

At the heart of this process lies rapid prototyping and digital engineering so that specifications are met with accuracy and delivery timelines stay predictable. Proprietary systems allow MAC to price and build custom aircraft in as little as two weeks, a testament to their manufacturing prowess.

 “You can’t just build one Strix—you’ve got to be prepared to build many. The molds are expensive. We want to be cost leader as well,” Tabat explained. The factory’s planned capacity will approach 600 Group 3 UAS annually. Each build will pass through in-house certification, compliance review and come with pilot training.

White-label manufacturing further extends MAC’s agility by enabling partnerships with designers and other manufacturers seeking to contract with an onshore, trusted operator.

Use Cases: MAC Drones in Action

The versatility of MAC’s platforms opens up a wealth of possibilities across multiple sectors, each benefiting from the Five B’s. The company aims to place its drones across defense, agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and logistics markets.

Stealth Missions & Defense

For defense customers, MAC’s drones deliver low-profile, rugged reliability. Modular payloads and blue supply chains meet the stringent requirements of sensitive government operations. MAC designs its technology for rapid deployment and security.

Agriculture & Precision Irrigation

In agriculture, MAC’s technology allows farmers to manage vast acreages more efficiently, for crop mapping and irrigation. Strix, with active sensors, delivers real-time moisture and chlorophyll data to enhance field management.

Infrastructure Inspection

MAC’s drones can provide long-range asset support for pipelines, powerlines and energy infrastructure. With GPR and SAR sensors, they offer unparalleled detection and mapping capabilities that can replace costly traditional manned flights.

Mid-Range Delivery

The company seeks to disrupt medium-duty logistics with its Grus platform, capable of lengthy rural runs with sizable loads. These drones will not just replace trucks. They will streamline supply chains from farm to factory.

Up Next: Timelines and Ambitions

MAC’s roadmap outlines aggressive timelines for product launches and manufacturing scale-ups, all designed to shape the new BVLOS paradigm with engineering excellence and a strong commitment to advancing the UAS industry.

The company will unveil the FH125 Strix and begin taking orders at major industry conferences later this year, with initial deliveries under North Dakota waivers before national deployments. MAC has slated 2026 for the Grus platform’s design and rollout, to target intermediate cargo missions and new use cases.

Meanwhile, MAC continues innovating in its manufacturing, digital engineering and client support efforts. “In the long run, our contribution to the industry is creating this manufacturing system that can be full yet flexible,” Tabat said.

With its “5B” focus now taking flight, Dr. Ned Tabat and his team remain the living embodiment of UAS industry transformation: driven by bold vision, rigorous engineering, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. For the drone industry and Meadowlark Aircraft Company, the sky is only the beginning.

Watch Ned Tabat on the Dawn of Autonomy for “Bigger and Better” Month here.

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