Quadrotor drones have the disadvantage that they have a limited flight range and cannot fly as fast as a conventional hovercraft. The reason this happens is because the battery power is still limited. WaveAerospace a company from the United States has shown their Huntress II drone which is claimed to be able to fly at a speed of Mach 0.4 (~494 km/h).
The Huntress II uses four electric motors for the vertical flight system and one turbofan jet engine that requires jet fuel. When high speed is required, the jet engine will be activated before returning to electric motor power for landing. Through the cargo storage area, this 4-meter-wide drone can carry a cargo weighing 50 kilograms, and fly 120 kilometers.
Another unique ability of the Huntress II is that it can be launched from an airplane. Clearly WaveAerospace is targeting military use. Some previous prototypes were developed on a small scale and only used electric motors. It is expected to start operations as early as 2025 after a five-year development process.
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