A father-and-son duo broke the world's fastest drone record with a modified machine.

Mike Bell and his son, Luke, reached a top speed of 585 km/h (354 mph) using their latest DIY quadcopter, the Peregreen 3, in South Africa on October 22.

In test flights, the drone reached 570 km/h in an early configuration before achieving its best record in its final, optimised form.

At full throttle, the battery lasts just 20 seconds, with the total flight covering approximately 5.5 km.

Mike Bell said: ‘Flights last 110 seconds with only 20 per cent battery left on landing. The drone accelerates from nearly 300 km/h to record speed in under 30 seconds.'

They previously held drone speed records in 2023 and 2024 but were dethroned in December 2024 by a US team, whose record was later broken by a Swiss drone this February.

The Peregreen 3 is said to surpass the Swiss record by 27 km/h, an achievement the pair is now celebrating.

Mike Bell and his son built the drone from scratch, with the father focusing on the aerodynamics and powertrain, while Luke handled heat resistance and cooling.

The drone's battery delivers a staggering 16 kW, double the power of their previous model. At 2.77 kg, Peregreen 3 is heavier than its predecessors, requiring precise engineering to maintain balance and speed.

The drone also features custom-built APC blades with extreme pitch to optimise performance, while a 50 ml water-cooling system keeps the electronics safe under extreme load.

The father-and-son duo used advanced 3D printing, carbon fibre-infused nylon, and computational fluid dynamics to refine Peregreen 3's frame, ensuring stability, minimal drag, and effective cooling.