A Western Cape father-and-son engineering team has made headlines around the world after setting a new Guinness World Record for the fastest battery-powered remote-controlled drone. Their custom-built quadcopter, Peregreen 2, achieved an average top speed of 480.23 km/h (298.47 mph) fast enough to cover 142 metres in just one second.
Luke Bell and his father Mike Bell officially secured the record following months of design, testing and overcoming technical obstacles, including wiring and battery malfunctions that caused electrical fires during development.
To meet Guinness World Records requirements, Peregreen 2 completed two successful flights in opposite directions to neutralise wind effects before the record was certified. While the drone peaked at speeds of 510 km/h during testing, the official record reflects the average speed achieved across both official runs.
The drone’s performance was made possible by a lightweight carbon-fibre shell 3D-printed locally and a fully redesigned aerodynamic shape, developed with input from aerothermal engineer Chris Rosser. Advanced motors, batteries and control systems were all finely tuned for maximum efficiency and speed.
This achievement marks a major milestone for South African innovation and drone engineering, adding the Bells to the list of Guinness World Record holders in cutting-edge flight technology.
