DIY engineers 3D-print world's fastest drone with 363.5 mph top speed

DIY engineer Mike Bell and his son Luke Maximo Bell have reclaimed the title for the world's fastest drone in a bold new attempt with the third iteration of their Peregreen drone. The new quadcopter hit a top speed of 585 km/h, beating the previous record held by a Swiss team by 27 km/h.

The Peregreen 3 represents a significant leap in power compared to its predecessors. The new drone has a peak power draw of 16.2 kW, nearly double the 8.9 kW of the Peregreen 2 and more than triple the 5.2 kW of the original drone. This immense power comes from a battery capable of delivering 16 kW.

For this power, the engineers sacrificed lightness, with the Peregreen 3 weighing 2.77 kg (6.1 lbs) compared to the 1.85 kg (4.1 lbs) of the Peregreen 2. To translate this power into speed, the drone uses custom-built APC propeller blades with extreme pitch, a design choice they considered essential to keep the blades tip speeds from going supersonic.

The drone's design underwent several iterations. Early tests using a carbon fiber frame revealed balance issues and GPS signal problems, which were solved by mounting the GPS receiver directly onto the camera module. Dissatisfied with the frame limitations, the team moved to a 3D-printed body. After an air-cooled prototype caught fire, they designed a compact 50 ml water cooling chamber, which was far more effective than air cooling and allowed for the removal of air vents, reducing aerodynamic drag.

After refinements, the drone clocked 585 km/h (363.5 mph). The extreme performance comes at the cost of endurance; the battery drains in about 23 seconds at full throttle, and typical flights last only 110 seconds before landing with 20% charge remaining. The new record, while now documented, has not been validated by Guinness World Records, but given it's not their first rodeo, it will likely be accepted as a new record.

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