Red Bull and Drone Gods claim world speed record for FPV drones
The Dutch engineers behind Drone Gods joined forces with Red Bull’s Formula 1 team to push the limits of tiny, high-speed drones. The collaboration produced what is described as the fastest FPV drone to date, capable of outperforming some ground-based race machines in raw speed. This claim comes from coverage in Interesting Engineering (IE).
According to IE, the drone reaches a peak speed of 350 km/h. But the real breakthrough is how quickly it can accelerate. The publication notes that the quadcopter can move from 100 km/h to 300 km/h in just two seconds. In terms of continuous speed and acceleration, the device demonstrates capabilities that outpace even the most rapid Formula 1 cars on certain measures.
Development took about a year of work. The project relied on precision manufacturing and advanced materials. Body components and the frame were machined on CNC equipment and then fashioned from carbon fiber using additive manufacturing techniques. The result is a lighter airframe that carries less inertia during extreme maneuvers. Despite the dramatic speed, engineers kept the mass in check, achieving roughly a 10 percent reduction versus the drone’s earlier iterations. The lighter frame is essential when the vehicle can experience forces in the multiple-G range during aggressive flight.
Red Bull has discussed using this high-speed platform to capture racing footage from unconventional angles during Formula 1 events. The drone’s camera system supports 4K video capture at 60 frames per second, enabling sharp, high-detail footage even at race speeds. The goal is to offer new visual perspectives that complement traditional trackside filming and onboard camera work for broadcasts and marketing.
In related developments, other teams have explored rapid propulsion concepts for unmanned aerial systems. For instance, earlier projects unveiled compact turbine-assisted options designed to sustain high speeds and brief bursts of power. While those concepts differ from the drone created for Red Bull, they illustrate the broader interest in combining lightweight construction, advanced propulsion, and high-speed aerodynamics to achieve dramatic performance gains.
Industry observers and enthusiasts note that the pursuit of extreme FPV speed involves careful attention to stability, control, and safety. At such velocities, any vibration, motor torque variation, or airframe flex can affect handling. The collaboration between Drone Gods and Red Bull emphasizes engineering discipline, from component selection to flight testing, as teams work to ensure reliability under demanding flight profiles. The project illustrates how cross-disciplinary collaboration—combining drone design, motorsport engineering, and high-speed videography—can yield results that push the envelope for unmanned aerial systems. (IE)