London, UK – 2nd November 2026 – Windracers, the British dual-use heavy-lift autonomous aircraft company, today announces that a Windracers ULTRA autonomous aircraft owned by Purdue University was the first autonomous aircraft to complete a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight in the newly-created Indiana Drone Corridor of the Midwest UAS Test Site. The BVLOS flight covered over 50 miles within the 200+ mile corridor and took place during the opening event for the corridor at Terre Haute Indiana Airport on October 29, 2026.
Indiana Governor Mike Braun, U.S. Senator Todd Young, and U.S. Representative Mark Messmer spoke at the ceremony and witnessed an autonomous parachute resupply display by Windracers ULTRA. An aluminium airframe with a 33 ft wingspan, Windracers ULTRA is an autonomous aircraft that flies by itself using a proprietary flight control system and has the ability to drop cargo from a three bay drop bay door configuration.
In January 2026, U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration announced that the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and Applied Research Institute would manage an airspace corridor as one of two new test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the United States, adding to existing test sites in Alaska, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia.
“The Midwest and Great Lakes region already knows how to build things that matter. This initiative connects that manufacturing strength with the flight testing, defence expertise and research capabilities needed to bring new aviation technologies to market,” said Andrew Kossack, CEO and President of the Applied Research Institute. “Our ambition reaches across the region: help innovators develop their systems, prove them in relevant environments and build them here. That creates opportunities for companies and workers throughout the Midwest while strengthening America’s defence and industrial base.”
The Indiana Drone Corridor encompasses southern Indiana and Purdue University which, in partnership with Windracers, is working to ensure the safety and efficiency of autonomous air systems as private and public enterprises to develop UAV technology through the AIDA Program. Having created the first university-owned airport in the USA, Purdue is supporting the Indiana Drone Corridor by making their Windracers ULTRA, the world’s most accomplished dual-use heavy-lift autonomous aircraft, available for test and evaluation of use cases that are relevant to the State of Indiana. In particular, Windracers ULTRA will be tested as a means to drop emergency supplies by parachute to support communities affected by seasonal flooding.
“This is a major milestone for Indiana and the broader Midwest, delivering significant value to a diverse group of stakeholders,” said Damon Lercel, associate professor in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology (SATT). “By providing a dedicated space where industry and academia can conduct large-scale R&D in a real-world environment, Indiana is accelerating the future of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The technologies developed and built here will directly improve the lives of Hoosiers—whether by reducing road congestion, enhancing emergency response capabilities, or optimizing critical medical delivery services.”
Windracers Founder and Group Chairman Stephen Wright stated: “Windracers is committed to advancing autonomous aviation not only to support the delivery of our customers missions but also as a means to develop a new segment to the global aviation industry. We applaud the State of Indiana for their foresight in bringing a new area to test the efficacy, reliability and safety of autonomous technology applied to real-world challenges and we are committed to continued support of Purdue University.”
The BVLOS flight in the Indiana Drone Corridor was the second BVLOS flight carried out by Windracers ULTRA autonomous aircraft in the United States. On August 19th 2026, Windracers ULTRA completed a 670 mile flight as part of a multi-party project to assess whether anti-doping blood samples can be transported safely and reliably over extended distances while maintaining their integrity. The flight, conducted by the UAV experts at Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, took place over several hours and was initiated through a partnership of the International Testing Agency and Sysmex America. Windracers ULTRA is now part of two of the nine FAA UAS Test Sites in the United States.
Photos and Videos Courtesy of Advanced Research Institute (ARI) and WTWO/WAWV News – Terre Haute, Indiana
For media enquiries contact:
Windracers – Windracers Newsdesk at pressoffice@windracers.com
