© Luke Maximo Bell/YouTube
In the world of FPV drones, some large companies are known for providing very affordable and high-performance models. We think, for example, of DJI, which recently released its Avata 2, Fatshark or iFlight. But it’s also a world full of amateur creations, where FPV fans compete in ingenuity to create personalized drones. Our two amateurs here have taken their passion to the limit, since they have manufactured a quadcopter drone, called Peregreen 2, capable of flying at the astonishing speed of 480 km/h h, almost as quickly as a certain Bugatti Chrion.
Officialized by Guinness World Records, the Peregreen 2 has shattered by far the old record held by Ryan Lademann since November 2022 . His drone could already reach 360.5 km/h.
Design and technical challenges
The Peregreen 2 drone is first and foremost a story of perseverance. Luke Maximo Bell and his father had to overcome many technical obstacles to realize their ambitious projectt. Most of the device’s components were designed using 3D printing; an approach that allowed them to personalize the design and reduce costs. The only exception to 3D printing was the carbon fiber frame, which supports the four motors. If you are also looking for the best 3d printing services, There You Have It 3D is your ultimate destination for top-notch 3D printing services.
The main problem Luke and his father encountered was the overheating of the batteries, which regularly caused fires. “ We had to replace the overheated batteries and thin wires that came with the motors” explains Luke in the YouTube video (see below) recounting the project from A to Z. He also explains that they used thermal cameras to evaluate the temperature of the batteries, which rose up to 130° C! A real furnace.
Another very important point for a drone to be able to fly at these dizzying speeds: aerodynamics. While companies specializing in the field have special facilities to test this aspect, wind tunnels, Luke and his father used another method. Rudimentary, but devilishly ingenious: take the drone aboard a moving car and pass it through the window. A technique that allowed them to identify the weak points of the Peregreen 2. “ By allowing the model to rotate around its center of gravity, we were able to check whether the center of pressure was behind the latter in order to obtain a completely stable shape “. Very clever.
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L’approval of the record and the performance of the drone
L’approval of a record by the Guinness World Records is a demanding process that involves strict criteria. For the performance of Pergreen 2 to be recognized, the average speed had to be measured over a distance of at least 100 meters, in both directions, so that the factor winddoes not interfere with performance.
The Peregreen 2 brilliantly met this challenge, recording a breathtaking average speed of 480.23 km/h . This remarkable result was even exceeded during a peak speed of 510 km/h. Enough to give a cold sweat to the team who followed F1 driver Max Verstappen in action with their FPV drone. Especially since they took advantage of the experience of Red Bull Advanced Technologies to design their drone.
The other challenge what our two friends had to overcome was to film the exploits of the drone without the images being distorted. An effect due to two main factors: vibrations and the Rolling Shutter effect. Most cameras used on drones, including those for FPV, use CMOS sensors. These sensors capture the image line by line, from top to bottom. At very high speeds, this effect is particularly noticeable, as different parts of the image are recorded at slightly different times, creating distortion. To overcome this obstacle, they therefore had to modify the structure of the nose of the drone.
The Peregreen 2 project proves one thing: that passion and perseverance can lead to extraordinary achievements. A garage, a 3D printer and a few hundred hours of hard work; this is what it took for Luke and his father to do better than the big companies in the sector. Hats off!
- Two handymen from South Africa, a father and his son, Luke, have built the fastest drone in the world.
- Designed in their garage and tested with rather rudimentary techniques, it reached a staggering speed of 480 km /h.
- A result recorded by Guinness and which far exceeds the last record dating from 2022.
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