Windracers ULTRA Mk2 extends payload and power

The second iteration of UK UAV company Windracers’ autonomous ULTRA platform, offering increased performance and payload, is set to offer operational advantages to the aircraft’s many mission profiles.

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Windracers has unveiled the latest iteration of its autonomous cargo drone, with a variety of operators and mission profiles set to leverage the significantly increased payload of the redesigned ULTRA (Uncrewed Low-cost TRAnsport) Mk2.

With double the power of its predecessor, the ULTRA Mk2 “brings a 50% increase in useful payload as well as a significant reduction in fuel costs while strengthening its position as the low-cost cargo drone of choice for middle-mile logistics,” explained its manufacturer.

The the upgraded aircraft – featuring a new inverted V-shaped tail – incorporates an almost 10m wingspan and two customised 50hp Firth F23 engines. These approximately double the power output of its predecessors, a pair of commercially-available Briggs & Stratton Vanguard powerplants. With its maximum take-off weight now increased from 400g to 510kg, the Mk2’s “significantly enhanced” useful payload of 150kg also supersedes its predecessor’s 100kg.

Able to cruise at up to 77kts/hr with a range of up to 1,000km, the Mk2 has a service ceiling of 13,000ft. It can operate from a variety of runways (including paved, grass, ice, gravel and dirt) and runs on a mix of unleaded fuel and oil. Three optional drop doors can provide the capability to deliver supplies via parachute, while the craft can also be augmented with specialised survey equipment or an extended endurance fuel tank (offering between seven to nine hours of endurance).

“The launch of ULTRA MK2 is proof that Windracers has moved rapidly from an idea to a commercial organisation that is meeting the needs of customers today,” said founder and group executive chairman Stephen Wright. Acknowledging the increased adoption of the capabilities offered by autonomous platforms worldwide, Windracers  added that the unveiling comes as governments regulators and logistics companies “increasingly recognise the inevitable  transition to autonomous flight”.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, the ULTRA platform was originally developed in collaboration with a team at the University of Southampton. It has subsequently received three rounds of UKRI funding and further investment from Aerospace Cornwall.

The first generation of the drone is currently operational today in Antarctica, Ukraine, the UK and the US, “enabling organisations to transport meaningful payloads to hard-to-reach places quickly, safely and cost-effectively”. Its numerous applications already include missions for fire and rescue services, mail and parcel delivery, the British Antarctic Survey, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions for the UK MoD. Since 2023 it has also been supporting the resupply of Ukraine’s armed forces through the UK MoD UAV support programme. EASA certification is also pending.

In December 2024, Windracers announced its partnership with Aviation Sans Frontières to deliver supplies for humanitarian organisations in Africa from early 2025, building on the charity’s previous experience with drones. Speaking at the unveiling, head of mission for Aviation Sans Frontières welcomed the new platform which “will for the first time, integrate a heavy-lift, long-distance drone into the humanitarian aid supply chain”.

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