World’s Fastest Drone Hits 408 Mph as South African Father and Son Reclaim Guinness Record

A South African father-son team broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest quadcopter drone on December 11, 2025, reaching an officially verified average speed of 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph) in Cape Town. Luke Bell and his father, Mike Bell, set the record with their custom-built Peregreen V4 drone. This marks the third time the pair has held the title, making them the most dominant force in competitive drone speed racing today.

The Guinness World Records entry reads: “The fastest ground speed by a battery-powered remote-controlled (RC) quadcopter is 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph) and was achieved by Luke Bell and Mike Bell (both South Africa) in Cape Town, South Africa, on 11 December 2025.”

What separates this record from others is how it was earned: not with corporate funding or aerospace labs, but with a desktop 3D printer, off-the-shelf motors, and more than two years of relentless iteration.

What Is the Peregreen V4?

The Peregreen V4 is the fourth custom drone Luke and Mike Bell built from scratch. It is a fully 3D-printed quadcopter, meaning its entire body, camera mount, and landing gear were printed as one continuous piece using a Bambu Lab H2D dual-extruder printer. The printer combined 3 distinct materials: PETG for structural rigidity, PA6-CF (carbon fibre-reinforced nylon) for strength, and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) for flexible impact zones, such as the nose cone.

Printing the body as a single, uninterrupted piece eliminated seams and weak joints. It also produced a smoother outer surface, which directly reduced aerodynamic drag at speeds where even small imperfections cost measurable performance.

The frame is slightly larger than earlier Peregreen versions, but Luke Bell confirmed the size increase did not reduce speed. Every millimetre of additional size was offset by better aerodynamic shaping developed through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software on the AirShaper platform.

How Did They Break the Record?

Luke Bell spent 5 months redesigning nearly every component of the V4 after Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs briefly took the record with his Blackbird drone at 626 km/h (389 mph) in November 2025. The Bell team did not simply add more power. They rebuilt the drone’s aerodynamics, refined its surface finish, tested 3 motor options, and ran the props through bench tests at 70,000 RPM before selecting the final configuration.

For the official Guinness attempt, the Peregreen V4 completed 2 high-speed passes in opposite directions, a required method that cancels out any wind advantage. The fastest downwind run reached 659 km/h (410 mph). The fastest upwind pass recorded 599 km/h (372 mph). Guinness averaged these to produce the official figure of 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph).

Conditions on December 11, 2025, were ideal: minimal wind and cool temperatures, both of which allowed the drone to perform at peak efficiency.

Motors, Batteries, and Propellers

The Peregreen V4 runs 4 T-Motor 3120 brushless motors rated at 900 kV. The kV rating tells you how many rotations per minute (RPM) a motor produces per volt of electricity. Upgrading from 800 kV in the Peregreen V3 to 900 kV in the V4 increased motor rotational speeds without sacrificing reliability.

The team tested 3 motor candidates before settling on the T-Motor 3120. The AOS Supernova 3220 produced the highest raw thrust on the bench, but failed under real-world heat stress. The T-Motor ran cooler and showed zero wear across multiple test flights, making it the right choice for an attempt that demands consistent performance over repeated runs.

High-output lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries power the system. These batteries deliver maximum current in very short bursts, which suits the Peregreen V4’s operating profile: sprint fast, land, recharge, repeat. Flight time at record speeds is measured in seconds, not minutes.

The propeller blades were trimmed from 7 inches down to approximately 6 inches (roughly 15 centimetres). Shorter blades spin more efficiently at very high RPM. It’s reducing the aerodynamic losses that longer blades experience as they move faster than they can handle.

The Role of 3D Printing in Breaking Drone Speed Records

Most competitive speed drones at this level still rely on hand-laid carbon fibre or machined aluminium components. The Peregreen V4 challenges that assumption. The Bambu Lab H2D printer enabled Luke Bell to iterate quickly. It’s designed a part in CAD, printed it overnight, tested it the next morning, and redesigned based on real data.

The dual-nozzle system made multi-material printing possible in a single session. Hard structural sections printed in PA6-CF are surrounded by softer TPU zones that absorb landing impact. No glue joints. No separate assembly steps. One print, one piece, ready to fly.

“The new printer’s larger build volume and dual-nozzle system made it possible to print the body as one continuous piece,” Luke Bell said. “That gave us smoother aerodynamics and a much higher surface finish quality than before.”

After printing, the team hand-sanded and polished the carbon fibre composite surface to remove micro-level imperfections. At 408 mph, surface texture is not cosmetic. It directly affects how air flows over the drone’s body and the amount of drag it generates.

The Bell Family’s Drone Speed Record History

The Bells did not arrive at 408 mph overnight. Their record-setting history shows 4 distinct milestones:

• 2024, Luke and Mike Bell set their first Guinness World Record at 480 km/h (298 mph) with the Peregreen 2.
• June 2025, the Peregreen V3 pushed that to 585 km/h (363.5 mph).
• November 2025, Australian engineer Benjamin Biggs temporarily took the crown with his Blackbird drone at 626 km/h (389 mph).
• Then, on December 11, 2025, the Peregreen V4 reclaimed the record at 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph).

Each iteration added speed through specific engineering changes, not random experimentation. The jump from V3 to V4 focused on 4 primary improvements: a single-piece 3D-printed body, higher kV motors, trimmed propellers, and a CFD-optimised aerodynamic shell.

Benjamin Biggs and the Blackbird Drone

Benjamin Biggs, an aerospace engineer from Australia, briefly held the record for the fastest drone with his custom Blackbird drone. His 626 km/h (389 mph) run in November 2025 pushed the Bell team to accelerate their V4 development timeline.

Biggs’ record demonstrated that the competition for the fastest drone title is genuinely global and growing faster. His entry into the record books forced Luke Bell to address weaknesses in the V3 design: drag, motor reliability at extreme RPM, and surface finish quality. The pressure from Biggs directly improved the final Peregreen V4.

Why These Drones Are Different From Consumer Drones

A standard consumer racing drone tops out at around 200 km/h (124 mph) under ideal conditions. The Peregreen V4 travels at more than 3 times that speed. Consumer drones prioritise camera stability, battery life, and ease of control. Speed record drones discard all of that. Every design decision exists to maximise velocity over a short measured course.

The Peregreen V4 is faster than a French TGV high-speed train at full speed, faster than most propeller-driven World War II fighter aircraft, and approaches the cruise speed of some smaller commercial aircraft. It does this using a battery, 4 electric motors, and a frame anyone can print at home with a consumer-grade 3D printer.

For comparison, you can read about Japan’s maglev train targeting 603 km/h on the ground: the Peregreen V4 flies faster through open air.

What Makes the Peregreen V4 Significant Beyond Speed

The military and defence community noticed this record. The drone’s shape, a dome-shaped head with 4 propellers extending from the lower body, closely mirrors the interceptor drone designs used in active conflict zones. Analysts noted that the Bells built their record-breaking drone using consumer parts and documented the entire process publicly on YouTube.

This signals an important shift: extreme drone performance is no longer restricted to governments or aerospace corporations. A father and son, using a desktop printer and consumer-grade motors, can now build machines that outperform purpose-built military prototypes from a decade ago.

Luke Bell also works on other experimental projects, including a solar-powered drone designed to fly indefinitely during daylight hours. That project trades speed for endurance, but the engineering overlap is real. You can follow more robotics and drone innovation coverage at MyElectricSparks Robotics and browse the latest Gadgets and Drones category for related stories.

Filming the Peregreen V4 at 408 MPH

Capturing video of a drone moving at 408 mph proved as challenging as building one. The V4 disappears from a fixed camera frame in under a second. The Bell team attempted to solve this by mounting an Insta360 X5 camera in the tail of a second high-speed chase drone. The idea was to capture the record run in 360-degree video and reframe the shot in post-processing.

The follow drone handled the added tail weight without issue, but keeping both drones in frame simultaneously during high-speed passes proved near-impossible. Bell acknowledged in his YouTube video that the follow-cam concept needs more work. The footage that exists from the record run captures the Peregreen V4 as a brief blur: the visual proof of how fast 408 mph actually looks in practice.

The Competitive Landscape for Fastest Drone Records

The Guinness World Record for fastest battery-powered RC quadcopter has changed hands 4 times in under 2 years. The Bell team held it twice before Biggs, then reclaimed it in December 2025. This pace of turnover suggests the record will not hold for long.

3 Primary Factors Drive Continuous Improvement in This Category

1. Better 3D printing materials enable the production of more complex aerodynamic shapes.
2. Higher-kV motor options push top RPM ceilings higher.
3. Open-source CFD tools make professional aerodynamic simulation accessible to independent builders.

Each of these 3 factors gets cheaper and more capable every year.

Luke Bell himself acknowledged in his video that he expects someone to surpass 408 mph soon, possibly including his own team. The drone speed record now advances on a timeline measured in months rather than years.

For readers interested in other world-record engineering milestones, the Skoda Superb diesel Guinness World Record story on MyElectricSparks covers how efficiency records also push engineering boundaries.

Watch the Official Record Run

Luke Bell documented the entire development process and record attempt on YouTube:

The video walks through motor selection, CFD testing, prop trimming, surface finishing, and the official Guinness attempt. It is one of the most detailed public records of extreme drone engineering available from any independent builder.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the world’s fastest drone in 2025?

The world’s fastest drone in 2025 is the Peregreen V4, built by Luke Bell and Mike Bell of South Africa. It reached an officially verified average speed of 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph) on December 11, 2025, in Cape Town, setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest battery-powered RC quadcopter.

Who built the Peregreen V4?

Luke Bell, a YouTuber and aerial videographer based in Cape Town, South Africa, built the Peregreen V4 with his father, Mike Bell. Luke leads the engineering and design work. Mike assists with development and testing. The two have now held the Guinness record for the fastest drone 3 times.

How fast is 408 mph for a drone?

408 mph (657.59 km/h) is faster than most propeller-driven aircraft from World War II, faster than a French TGV high-speed train, and more than 3 times the top speed of a typical consumer racing drone. At that speed, the Peregreen V4 covers the length of a football field in under half a second.

What materials does the Peregreen V4 use?

The Peregreen V4 body uses 3 materials printed together in a single session: PETG for structure, PA6-CF (carbon fibre-reinforced nylon) for strength, and TPU for flexible impact zones. The frame was printed on a Bambu Lab H2D dual-extruder 3D printer as one continuous piece.

How does Guinness verify a drone speed record?

Guinness World Records requires the drone to complete 2 full-speed runs in opposite directions. The official record speed is the average of both runs. Running in both directions cancels out any wind advantage that could artificially inflate a one-direction speed measurement.

Can anyone build a drone this fast?

Yes, technically. The Peregreen V4 uses consumer-grade parts: a Bambu Lab H2D printer available to the public. T-Motor 3120 brushless motors, standard LiPo batteries, and free CFD simulation software. The barrier is not access to equipment. It is the time investment: Luke Bell spent 5 months redesigning the V4 after his previous record was beaten.

What motors does the fastest drone in the world use?

The Peregreen V4 uses 4 T-Motor 3120 brushless motors with 900 kV windings. The kV rating means the motor produces 900 rotations per minute per volt of electricity. Higher kV allows higher top speed but requires careful balance with prop size and battery output to maintain reliability at extreme RPM.

Will someone break the 408 mph drone record?

Yes. The fastest drone record has changed hands 4 times in under 2 years, and the pace of improvement is accelerating. Luke Bell himself expects the record to fall soon, either to another builder or to a future Peregreen version. Better printing materials, higher-kV motors, and improved CFD tools are all available today to anyone willing to invest in development time.

Conclusion

Luke and Mike Bell proved that world-class engineering does not require a corporate lab or government budget. With a desktop 3D printer, consumer motors, and 5 months of focused development, they built the Peregreen V4 and reclaimed the Guinness World Record at 657.59 km/h (408.60 mph). Their story shows what disciplined iteration delivers.

The fastest drone record will fall again. It always does. But the Bell family has now held this title 3 times, and each version of their drone sets a higher benchmark for every builder chasing them. The next record is already being designed in someone’s garage.