A Maidenhead-area maker of heavy-lift electric drones, founded in 2013, now part of BAE Systems, whose drones carry loads for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
Malloy Aeronautics designs and builds large electric drones that can lift heavy loads. Its T-Series range includes the T80, T150, T400 and larger models, with payloads from about 30 kilograms up to a few hundred kilograms and ranges of tens of kilometres. The drones can fly themselves and have sense-and-avoid and automatic landing systems. The main use is logistics and resupply, delivering supplies to places that are hard to reach. Larger models have been shown for roles such as casualty evacuation and maritime work. The company started with a flying motorcycle, the Malloy Hoverbike, and adapted that technology into uncrewed aircraft.
The company was founded in 2013 by Chris Malloy, a New Zealand inventor who developed the Hoverbike design from 2006. The pages we could read give no formal mission statement, and we have not invented one. The drones were first meant for last-mile delivery and later moved towards demanding military and mission-specific uses. Wikipedia lists customers including the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and, through a US partner, the US Navy and Marine Corps, and a trial for the wind company Orsted in 2023. The company has been reported to have supplied T150 drones to Ukraine.
Malloy is based in the Maidenhead area of Berkshire. Sources give the address as Maidenhead, with another source placing the site at White Waltham airfield, southwest of London, so it is the same area. Wikipedia names Neil Appleton as chief executive. In February 2024 BAE Systems bought the company, which now sits within FalconWorks, BAE's research and development unit in its air business. The company was reported to keep operating from its Berkshire base and carry on its existing projects. The two had worked together on defence projects since 2021. ACQUIRED: by BAE Systems (2024) but still trading as Malloy Aeronautics at the time of the sources.
A 2024 report put the staff at about 80, and Wikipedia says staff grew from 30 to 90 in 2023 as production rose, so the team is a small one that grew quickly. BAE's air managing director Simon Barnes said the synergy between the companies would pave the way for greater achievements in uncrewed aircraft. We found no culture page, so we cannot say more about working life than that it is a small engineering firm working inside a large group.
The roles at a drone maker include aerospace and mechanical engineers, electrical and flight-control software engineers, test pilots and flight operators, manufacturing technicians and quality staff, and people who work with military customers. Aerospace, mechanical, electronic and software skills all matter. Because it is now part of BAE Systems, some work may involve security clearance. The company's own website and BAE's pages are the places to see what is open.
Website: www.malloyaeronautics.com
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