Harris Aerial — Tethered Heavy-Lift
Carrier HX8 Tether
Uncompromising heavy-lift capabilities meet virtually limitless flight duration. Powered by the LEAP Solo 5K tether system for continuous power and secure gigabit data transmission in the most demanding environments.
Redefining
Aerial Persistence.
The Carrier HX8 Tether is not just a drone — it is a complete, persistent aerial infrastructure. By merging the extreme redundancy of the HX8 coaxial octocopter with the 5,000w continuous power of the LEAP Solo 5K, operators can maintain uninterrupted airborne operations for up to 24 hours.
Housed in highly portable, rugged cases, the entire ecosystem is designed for rapid two-person deployment — engineered for the most demanding industrial, scientific, and military applications.
Up to 400 ft AGL
Leave Range Anxiety Behind.
The LEAP Solo 5K.
The LEAP Solo 5K provides 5,000w of continuous power via a specialized hybrid tether. Operating off 220VAC shore power or a 12,000w AC generator, the system allows the HX8 to maintain an overwatch position up to 400 feet AGL for up to 24 hours without the need to land.
The auto-tensioning winch keeps the line at optimal tension across full altitude transitions — no operator intervention, no risk of slack.
Built for RF-Denied Operations.
Up to 30 Gbps Secure Data.
The hybrid tether houses dedicated fiber optic lines capable of transmitting secure air-to-ground data via 2 Fibers (20Gbps) or 3 Fibers (30Gbps). This true Fly-By-Tether capability ensures unjammable command, control, and data backhaul even in heavily RF-contested or denied environments.
Two Gigabit Ethernet ports, PoE+, and dedicated fiber pairs deliver the headroom mission-critical work demands — without the latency or security exposure of any wireless radio link.
Mission Control on the Ground.
The Electronics Bay.
The brain of the operation resides safely on the ground. The ruggedized Electronics Bay houses a customized shock mount rack — available in 8U, 10U, or 12U — featuring direct fiber and ethernet connections.
It acts as an integrated data hub, actively routing multi-sensor intelligence to satellite, cellular, or microwave backhauls so commanders have real-time situational awareness from the rack to the cloud.
Heavy-Lift Redundancy.
21 lbs of Payload Capacity.
The airborne component relies on the proven, USA-made Carrier HX8 coaxial octocopter. Stripped of heavy flight batteries, payload capacity is increased to a massive 21 lbs — enough to deploy multiple heavy professional payloads simultaneously with absolute stability and motor redundancy.
Eight coaxial motors deliver layered fault tolerance, the foldable airframe collapses for streamlined transport, and aircraft-grade aluminum keeps the platform mission-ready in the harshest field conditions.
The Complete Tethered Architecture
Three integrated components ground the airborne overwatch — click any node to inspect specs across the full ground-to-air stack. Every link is engineered for persistent, secure, mission-critical operation.
HX8 with AC-DC Converter
The proven HX8 coaxial octocopter wired to an onboard AC-DC converter so the tether can feed the airframe directly with shore-fed power. 21 lbs of professional payload capacity via a universal connector, X8 coaxial propulsion, and foldable booms that collapse to roughly 40% of operational size for transport.
Rapid Deployment
Persistent Presence
Two-person deployment in rugged transport cases. Plug into 220VAC shore power or a standard generator and the system is airborne — ready to hold station for up to 24 hours.
Every Detail
Precisely Engineered
Where the HX8 Tether Holds Station
Persistent overwatch unlocks operating models that battery-powered platforms simply can't sustain. The HX8 Tether is built for environments where landing breaks the mission.
Persistent Surveillance & Overwatch
Achieve unbroken aerial situational awareness for major events or border security operations — mounting heavy multi-sensor optical arrays that require continuous power and zero downtime.
Disaster Communication Relays
Deploy high-capacity communication nodes over disaster zones to rapidly restore cellular, radio, and wireless network coverage for first responders when ground infrastructure goes dark.
Secure Infrastructure Monitoring
Operate safely in complex industrial environments or RF-denied zones where traditional wireless radio links are impossible — utilizing the system's hardwired Fly-By-Tether commands and fiber-optic data backhaul.
Download the HX8 Tether
Product Brochure
Full technical specifications, payload compatibility matrix, LEAP Solo 5K ecosystem details, and ordering information — in a single field-ready PDF.