- Homemade Blackbird drone reaches 428.8mph/690kmh in outback Australia
- Ben Biggs is an aerospace engineer by profession.
- The record remains unofficial due to lack of a professional observer
I consider myself something of a drone expert, but then I come across a story like this and realize I'm on the novice end of the scale compared to some pilots. Drone Pro Hub recently posted a video on its YouTube channel, in which its quadcopter reached an astonishing world speed record of 428.8 mph / 690 kmh in the skies over outback Australia.
This drone is also not a multi-million dollar prototype from the likes of DJI or an American aerospace giant. The 'Blackbird' was designed and built from scratch by Australian engineer Ben Biggs, and its components are worth around $3,000 in total, which isn't much more expensive than a premium consumer camera drone.
The drone's 100m average on this recent flight is around 410mph/661kmh (averaging the upwind run of over 635kmh and the downwind run of 690kmh), around 3kmh faster than the official Guinness World Record for drone speed, set in December 2025 by Luke Maximo Bell with his own custom-built Peregreen V4 aircraft.
So this means Biggs and Blackbird are the new official world record holders, right? Unfortunately for him, that's not the case. Because he couldn't find a professional observer to witness his attempt (getting a professional drone pilot available to venture into the wilds of rural Australia on short notice is no easy task), it remains unofficial and out of the record books.
How the Blackbird reaches top speed
As reported by Drone XL, the key to the upgraded Blackbird's incredible airspeed appears to be Biggs' choice of engines. He chose four AAX 2826 Competition motors with extended cables, which are powered directly through the drone's arms and are soldered directly to the speed controllers. That means there's no extra wiring or extra weight and those arms can remain as thin and light as possible.
Biggs also uses two batteries, setting it apart from most of its rivals trying to set the drone speed record. These batteries have a high-voltage ceiling to keep heat production low and power high, and are slightly overcharged to supply more power to the motors at full throttle. This means that the drone cannot fly for a long time, but when it flies at full speed, it runs faster and cooler.
Prior to Luke Maximo Bell's record-setting attempt late last year, Biggs held the official speed record himself, and we hope he returns with an official observer in tow to make another attempt soon, one that this time will truly go down in the record books. And after that? Well, it won't be long until the world's first 700kmh drone flight takes place, right?
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