- 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 the speed limits
A fully 3D printed quadcopter has set a new speed benchmark for DIY planes, reaching 408 mph in 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’s probably the fastest DIY plane in the world, faster than the P38 Lightning at around 414 mph, although it still lags behind the Tu-95’s 575 mph.
A new Guinness World Record
The speed was recorded in an official attempt overseen by Guinness World Records, using an average of two races to account for wind conditions.
The fastest downwind run reached 659 km/h (410 mph), while the fastest upwind pass recorded 599 km/h (372 mph), producing a verified average of 657 km/h (408 mph).
This performance places the drone ahead of its immediate competitors in the DIY category, recovering the record from Australian engineer Ben Biggs.
Biggs had already set a record of 626 km/h with his Blackbird drone, briefly taking the title from Team Bell.
The Peregreen V4 project lasted more than two years and relied heavily on computer fluid dynamics simulations and repeated flight tests.
Its airframe 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 allowed the body to be printed in one continuous piece. This gave us smoother aerodynamics and a much higher surface finish quality than before.”
Three different engine designs were evaluated before the team chose the T-Motor 3120, prioritizing temperature stability over maximum thrust.
The motors chosen were modified from 800KV to 900KV to enable higher rotational speeds and improved high-end performance.
Aerodynamic improvements also included sanding and polishing the body and adjusting the propellers from 7 x 5 inches to approximately 6 inches.
Although exceptionally fast for a quadcopter, Bell suggested the record probably won’t last long, and development work on future versions is already well underway.
If you want to make your own drone and try to take the record for yourself, we can only wish you good luck and suggest you take a look at our roundup of the best 3D printers to get you started.
Via Tom’s material
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