Luke and Mike Bell, a father-son duo from South Africa, have reclaimed the Guinness World File for the quickest quadcopter drone. Their 3D-printed Peregreen V4 drone clocked a high velocity of 657.59 km/h (408 mph).
The brand new file surpassed the 626 km/h (389 mph) flight set a month earlier by Australian engineer Benjamin Biggs. Earlier than Biggs, Luke and Mike Bell had clocked a record 480 km/h (298 mph) with their Peregreen 2 drone in June 2024, and 585 km/h (363.5 mph) with their Peregreen 3 in October 2025. The newest iteration has now introduced the file again to the Bells in what has been an intensely aggressive race.
Luke Bell on YouTube
The Peregreen V4 quadcopter was constructed by Luke Bell, an aerial videographer primarily based in Cape City, South Africa, with assist from his father, Mike. Because the title suggests, that is the fourth iteration of their customized drone, the results of greater than two years of enhancements on the primary model. They’ve additionally constructed a separate solar-powered drone that flies so long as there’s sunshine, however at considerably much less velocity.
Constructing the drone
3D printing enabled the father-son duo to quickly construct prototypes and change issues up when wanted. The Peregreen V4 was made with Bambu Lab’s H2D high-speed dual-nozzle printer, permitting the staff to mix totally different supplies in a single print. This mix got here in helpful, as totally different supplies have been wanted for sections just like the drone’s tail and digicam mount.
“The brand new printer’s bigger construct quantity and dual-nozzle system made it doable to print the physique as one steady piece,” Luke mentioned in a video showcasing their world file.
THE RETURN – World’s FASTEST Drone V4
The Peregreen V4 additionally sported new design and {hardware} upgrades. The Bells chosen T-Motor 3120 brushless motors for improved reliability, paired with 900-kV windings (up from 800-kV within the earlier iteration) to extend rotational velocity. The drone was additionally outfitted with lithium-ion polymer batteries designed to ship maximal energy through the shortest time.
AirShaper, a 3D modeling platform, was to optimize their drone’s exterior, making a smoother physique that decreased aerodynamic drag. Propeller blades have been additionally decreased to six inches to realize a greater high velocity.
Testing and flying
After experiencing problem capturing the Peregreen V4 in flight attributable to its small measurement and excessive velocity, the staff discovered an answer within the earlier file breaker – utilizing the digicam of the Peregreen 3 to video the flights.
Luke Bell on YouTube
Throughout top-speed testing, the Peregreen V4 flew in reverse instructions to offset wind results, as is customary apply. The typical high velocity was calculated at 657.59 km/h (408 mph), setting a new world record for the “quickest floor velocity by a battery-powered remote-controlled quadcopter.”
Given the fierce competitors on this area, that file could not maintain for lengthy. We might see this file surpassed by a rival or by Luke and Mike Bell themselves. In any case, these file makes an attempt are thrilling to look at.
Supply: Luke Bell
