Father and son from South Africa set a new Guinness World Record by creating an unmanned aerial vehicle with a flying speed of up to 480 kilometers per hour, faster than a high-speed train.
According to a report on the Guinness World Records website on June 5, South African man Luke Bell and his father reside in the Western Cape province of South Africa. They spent several months designing and testing to ultimately complete the world’s fastest quadcopter.
Named “Peregreen 2,” the drone achieved an average top speed of 480.23 kilometers per hour (298.47 miles), breaking the world record for the fastest ground speed set by a battery-powered remote-controlled quadcopter.
Prior to the completion of “Peregreen 2,” the duo had built a previous version called “Peregreen,” which had a maximum speed of 397 kilometers per hour (247 miles) but did not receive official recognition from Guinness World Records.
To qualify for official Guinness World Record certification, the unmanned aerial vehicle had to successfully complete flights in two opposing directions to eliminate the effects of tailwind or headwind.
During the two flights, “Peregreen 2” reached a top speed of 510 kilometers per hour (317 miles), equivalent to flying at a rate of 142 meters per second.
Bell and his father encountered several malfunctions during testing, such as overheating wires and batteries catching fire, but they persevered and ultimately set the world record.
The 3D-printed drone “Peregreen 2” combines motors and batteries, with its redesigned shape optimized for aerodynamics.
The carbon fiber shell of the drone makes it easy to operate and lightweight. Aerospace engineer Chris Rosser provided assistance on successfully controlling the drone.
Bell is a content creator who often reviews drones and cameras on his YouTube and Instagram channels. His father is an architect known for designing the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, the venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup matches.
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