- 3D-printed drone sets new verified speed record at 408 mph
- DIY quadcopter regains Guinness title after record changes hands
- Project shows how amateur engineering continues to push speed limits
A fully 3D-printed quadcopter has set a new speed benchmark for DIY aircraft, reaching 408 mph during verified test flights.
The drone, called Peregreen V4, was built and flown by engineer and YouTuber Luke Maximo Bell with his father.
At that speed, it is probably the fastest DIY aircraft in the world, faster than the P38 Lightning at around 414mph, although it is still behind the Tu-95’s figure of around 575mph.
A new Guinness world record
The speed was recorded as part of an official attempt overseen by Guinness World Records, using an average of two runs to account for wind conditions.
The fastest downwind run reached 659 km/h (410 mph), while the fastest upwind run clocked in at 599 km/h (372 mph), producing a verified average of 657 km/h (408 mph).
That performance puts the drone ahead of its immediate competitors in the DIY category, reclaiming the record from Australian engineer Ben Biggs.
Biggs had previously set a record of 626 km/h with his Blackbird drone, briefly taking the title from the Bell team.
The Peregreen V4 project lasted more than two years and relied heavily on computational fluid dynamics simulations and repeated flight tests.
Its fuselage was printed as a single continuous piece using multiple materials including PETG, PA6-CF and TPU.
Bell said: “The new printer’s larger build volume and dual nozzle system made it possible to print the body as one continuous piece. That gave us smoother aerodynamics and much higher surface finish quality than before.”
Three different engine designs were evaluated before the team settled on the T-Motor 3120, prioritizing temperature stability over maximum thrust.
The chosen motors were modified from 800 KV to 900 KV to allow for higher rotational speeds and improved top performance.
Aerodynamic refinements also included sanding and polishing the body and trimming the 7×5-inch propellers to approximately 6 inches.
Although exceptionally fast for a quadcopter, Bell has suggested that the record is unlikely to hold for long, and development work on future versions is already underway.
If you want to create your own drone and try to take the record yourself, we can only wish you good luck and suggest you take a look at our roundup of the best 3D printers to get started.
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