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My college dorm project just broke the world speed record.
Reaper hit 790 km/h (491 mph) carrying a 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) payload.
These 3 Reapers are now the world’s fastest small jet-powered drones.
Each of them can hold that speed for 4 minutes on a full tank.
Reaper can be rail- or truck-launched, climb to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in under 20 seconds, then fly for 50 km (31 mi) at full speed.
This is now a reliable and repeatable system. Future testing and small optimizations should push the top speed past 800 km/h (500 mph). October 30, 2026
Tomas Salvo’s Reaper project, which aimed to beat Niels Herbrich’s world record for the fastest jet-powered RC aircraft, went viral and caught the attention of Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl, who sponsors the $800,000 Boom Prize ($750,000 cash, $50,000 Boom stock). The prize’s conditions are: First, pass Mach 1 for at least 5 seconds while climbing or level, not descending. Second, it must be an air-breathing aircraft with no on-board oxidizers or rockets for propulsion. Third, it must land intact, and lastly, the same aircraft (wings, fuselage, engine, and flight computer) must fly twice in one day. The participants must be individuals or teams, not corporations or people backed by venture capitalists or government funding; they want garage hobbyists.
We recently covered Mach Initiative’s Kingchaser , a 3D-printed jet-powered RC aircraft also aimed at beating Herbrich’s world record. They were beaten by Tomas Salvo, but Tomas’ run was not officially recorded by Guinness. The Kingchaser project was inspired by the Boom Prize; however, since they are not US citizens, they are not eligible to win it, but are still aiming to have an officially recorded Guinness World Record. The Reaper has a smaller engine than the Kingchaser at only 250N, compared to the Kingchaser’s 300N, but achieved a flight speed of 491 mph, beating the Kingchaser’s test flight of only 273 mph, as the latter did not have enough space to accelerate. However, Mach Initiative estimates a top speed of 550 mph if they had the space.
While the Reaper isn’t made out of PETG like the Kingchaser, it still utilizes some 3D printing, albeit in a much more expensive fashion — it has a titanium 3D-printed nozzle for its engine that replaces the stock nozzle, allowing the engine to sit further forward, improving the center of gravity without adding ballast on the front, weighing in at a total of 11 pounds. It’s made out of custom-molded carbon fiber on the outside with a laser-cut internal structure, all designed by Tomas Salvo and assembled in his dorm.
The Reaper was able to achieve its 491 mph speed while carrying a 1.2kg payload, with Tomas’ post further explaining that it could hold the speed for four minutes on a full tank, climb to 6,500 feet in under 20 seconds, and fly for a distance of 31 miles at full speed.
World’s first 3D-printed remote control aircraft with a jet turbine takes flight, aims for Mach 0.8 to beat world record for fastest model aircraft
3D-printed sound-powered jet engines propel micro drones
Key considerations
- Investor positioning can change fast
- Volatility remains possible near catalysts
- Macro rates and liquidity can dominate flows
Reference reading
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/SPONSORED_LINK_URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/drones/college-student-unofficially-breaks-world-record-for-fastest-jet-powered-drone-with-491-mph-aircraft-built-in-his-dorm-reaper-aims-to-grab-the-usd800-000-boom-prize#main
- https://www.tomshardware.com/membership
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Informational only. No financial advice. Do your own research.