Windracers ULTRA MK2 can take-off, fly and land safely without the need for a remote pilot and with minimal ground operator oversight, whether day, night or in fog. ULTRA MK2 is controlled by its proprietary autopilot system, Windracers Autopilot, a multi-layered flight control system that its developers describe as robust against flight control unit failures and sensor failures. ULTRA MK2 includes Windracers Mission Control, a route planning and aircraft monitoring system, with an intuitive interface, that requires minimal training.
With the launch of its ULTRA MK2 self-flying cargo aircraft, Windracers further extends its position as the low-cost cargo drone of choice for middle-mile logistics. The robust 10m-wingspan ULTRA MK2 features two 50hp Hirth F23 engines, doubling the power output of its predecessor. ULTRA MK2 provides a significantly enhanced useful payload of 150kg while halving fuel costs per kg.
“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. “I am so proud of the Windracers team who have performed phenomenally to bring ULTRA MK2 to market in a very short time period and for ULTRA development over the last eight years. I know the team shares my excitement as we see the operational im-pact of ULTRA MK2 for our customers to help people around the world.”
“From eliminating the need for a pilot to developing a multi-mission platform that is dependable and easy to use and maintain, our ultimate goal is to bring down the cost for the end user,” added Simon Thompson, group CEO of Windracers. “In ULTRA MK2, we have halved our operational fuel cost per kilogram and we will find even more efficiency in the future for our customers.”
Originally conceived to bring down the cost of delivering humanitarian aid to remote communities, the Windracers ULTRA aircraft is designed and manufactured in the UK. It is able to detect, drop and deliver, and has numerous practical applications in sectors ranging from mail and parcel, humanitarian assistance, and defence, to medical, and environmental protection. Windracers’ clients include British Antarctic Survey, Aviation San Frontières, NORCE, Lancashire Fire and Rescue, Royal Mail, Royal Navy and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Windracers has completed hundreds of thousands of kilometres of autonomous flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in some of the world’s most hostile environments, from Scotland’s Orkney Islands to Antarctica. Its UAV has also been conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and supporting resupply for the Armed Forces of Ukraine since 2023, as part of the MoD UAV support programme.
