UK Firm’s Ultra Heavy Lift Jet Powered Drone Takes Flight

If a helicopter, a sci fi gunship, and a toolbox had a very loud British child, it might look something like the Hydra 400.

Developed by London based Hydra Drones Limited, this ultra heavy lift drone is not here to deliver pizza, film real estate, or politely hover for Instagram.

It is here to lift almost 900 pounds, strap on missiles, and casually launch itself using micro jet turbines like it just doesn’t care about your noise complaint.

Compact enough to ride in the back of a flatbed truck and ready to fly in minutes, the Hydra 400 is one of the more intimidating flying robots to emerge from the UK in recent years, as Interesting Engineering reports.

A jet powered quad that skipped leg day, then fixed it

Hydra Drones Limited was founded in 2019 and has been quietly building what is essentially a flying forklift with anger issues. The company focuses on hybrid electric VTOL drones for commercial and military use, and the Hydra 400 is its headline act.

The drone uses a hybrid setup combining electric rotors with single spool micro jet turbines. Each jet produces around 50 kilograms of thrust, and depending on configuration, the Hydra 400 can fly with two, four, or six jet engines alongside its rotors.

In its most aggressive configuration, six jets plus four rotors deliver up to 400 kilograms of lift, or roughly 882 pounds. That is not “carry a camera and vibes” weight. That is “carry a motorcycle, a generator, or something that really wants to explode” weight.

With a full payload, endurance is listed at around 25 minutes, which sounds short until you remember this thing is basically bench pressing a small car while hovering.

Hydra Drones says the aircraft can also be flown purely electric if required, presumably for moments when you want slightly less jet noise and slightly more stealth.

From supply drops to missiles, because of course

The Hydra 400 is fitted with the Gnat stores release system from L3Harris, allowing it to carry casualty evacuation pods, supplies, or weapons. And yes, weapons are very much part of the plan.

Through an ongoing partnership with MBDA, the Hydra 400 has already been displayed carrying mockups of three Brimstone missiles at DSEI 2023. Brimstone is a 50 kilogram anti armor missile with a success rate north of 98 percent, guided by millimetric wave radar and laser targeting.

In other words, if this drone points at something and politely asks it to stop existing, that request is usually granted.

Hydra Drones CEO Dr. Stephen Prior described the MBDA collaboration as a validation of the company’s approach, while also emphasizing the importance of keeping high skill jobs local in the UK. The company has received funding from the Royal Navy, innovation grants from the UK government, and roughly £1 million from private investors, family, friends, and even members of the armed forces.

Not bad for a drone startup that sounds like it should live inside a Bond villain’s hangar.

Big, loud, effective, and not pretending otherwise

The company openly describes the Hydra 400 as semi attritable. Translation: it is not cheap, but it is also not a priceless flying Fabergé egg.

That matters, because heavy lift drones are big, loud, and impossible to hide once they spin up. Ukraine’s experience with large heavy lift drones like the Baba Yaga has shown they can be incredibly effective, but also vulnerable.

Russian snipers have reportedly shot similar drones down with rifles, proving once again that physics does not care about your PowerPoint presentation.

The Hydra 400’s size also makes it a more attractive target for airburst ammunition and higher end counter drone systems. Smaller drones can hide. This one announces its presence like a jet powered lawn mower with a military budget.

Still, heavy lift drones are increasingly viewed as potential replacements for some helicopter roles, especially in logistics, resupply, and even strike missions where speed is less critical than cost and risk reduction.

DroneXL’s Take

The Hydra 400 is not subtle, quiet, or pretending to be friendly. It is loud, muscular, and unapologetically industrial, like someone strapped jet engines to a quadcopter and said “yes, this is fine.”

As a logistics platform, it makes a lot of sense. As a missile carrier, it gets… spicy. While it will never fully replace attack helicopters, it absolutely belongs in the same conversation, especially when cost, attrition, and flexibility matter more than elegance.

Also, let’s be honest. Any drone that lifts 400 kilograms, fires Brimstones, and still fits in a pickup truck deserves at least a slow clap.

Photo credit: Hydra Drones