DIY engineers 3D-print drone with 408 mph top speed, breaking a Guinness World Record

Father-and-son engineers Mike Bell and Luke Maximo Bell have once again broken the Guinness World Record for the world's fastest drone after losing the crown to Benjamin Biggs of Drone Pro Hub, who took it with a 626.44 km/h (389.25 mph) drone.

To achieve this feat, the Bells made improvements to the latest iteration of their drone — the Peregreen 4, the most significant being a shift back to T-motor motors, which were used in Peregreen 2, discarding the AOS Supernova 3220 motors which featured in Peregreen 3. Even though the AOS 3220 generated more thrust in tests, the T-motor 3120 offered better stability. Having learned their lessons from the loss of seven drones during the last record run, the engineers chose more stability over more performance — and the result? Zero motor issues in all the runs, though a propeller did fly off mid-air, leading to a crash.

As shown in the image above, the drone underwent four significant structural changes. The modification with the most gains was the addition of “spinners,” which led to a speed gain of 30 km/h. The spinners got rid of the blunt end of the motors, allowing for a tapered design, which improved airflow. The shape of the drone was also altered, the body sanded, and the 7-inch propellers trimmed down to about 6 inches. All these changes contributed to efficiency and speed. Thanks to the genius modifications, the Peregreen 4 had a peak power draw of about 12 kW, making it much more efficient than the Peregreen 3, which had a peak power draw of 16.2 kW.

While the Bells now hold the record for the fastest remote-controlled battery-powered quadcopter, they achieved something else — they beat Rolls-Royce's record with what is now the fastest battery-powered aircraft ever made. The Bells are now inviting the competition to beat them, just so they can get a chance to take the crown again.

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