New FPV Drone Sets 374 MPH Speed Record

Drone Pro Hub has pushed drone performance into a new league. Their latest custom FPV machine reached a verified top speed of 374 mph (603.47 km/h), roughly Mach 0.49. That breaks previous unofficial quadcopter speed records and sets a new milestone for FPV engineering.

This build now claims the record formerly held by Peregreen 3, the craft developed by Luke Maximo Bell and his father. Peregreen 3 had reached 585 km/h, and its attempt had been widely covered on DroneXL by our friend Zachary Peery just weeks ago.

Bell himself described Peregreen as built solely to go “as fast as physically possible.”

At Drone Pro Hub, the goal was more than setting a number. Their engineers wanted to understand how a drone behaves at 167 meters per second. At those speeds, airflow, vibrations, power systems, and control dynamics all shift dramatically. Motors, ESCs, batteries, the frame and electronics all get tested in ways normal FPV drones never see.

The team argues the lessons learned can improve stability and performance even for slower drones.

Seventeen Months of Design and Testing

The record craft was not based on standard off-the-shelf racing gear. Engineer Ben Biggs and the Drone Pro Hub team designed the entire drone from scratch using CAD models.

In the first eight months they developed initial designs, built early prototypes, and ran basic tests reaching 200–300 km/h. At this stage they learned about balance, airflow, structural stress, motor loads, propeller dynamics.

Between months nine and twelve they stepped up testing. The drone flew over 30 test flights. Several frames were rebuilt because parts failed. Motors and ESC units overheated under stress. One prototype was destroyed beyond repair. The cost of lost components exceeded $3,000. Then they built a second prototype, stronger and more refined, with improved sensors and better layout.

The real breakthrough came between months thirteen and sixteen. Analyzing flight data revealed that the drone’s nose and body contour created too much aerodynamic drag. By redesigning the shape — slimming the nose and smoothing the body — they cut drag by about 18 percent. After that, the drone hit speeds around 540 km/h for the first time.

The Record Flight

Finally, in the seventeenth month, everything was ready. The drone was stable, all components had passed stress tests, and weather was optimal. The team performed final checks: balanced props, preheated batteries, validated control systems, monitored motor temperature and frame integrity.

When the drone launched, telemetry showed stable flight under full throttle. Unlike some earlier high-speed attempts (for example the water-cooled ESC approach tried by Peregreen this build handled power and heat without exotic cooling — the improved design and components handled stress natively. The drone accelerated smoothly, maintained stable flight, and eventually clocked 374 mph (603.47 km/h), the new official FPV quadcopter speed record.

DroneXL’s Take

This result is more than impressive. It shows what happens when engineers refuse to settle for existing designs and push toward the edge. The craft’s shape is efficient but not flashy — it speaks of function over style. That contrast makes me believe this design might influence future FPV builds, not only record pursuit drones.

At the same time, this milestone raises key questions. What practical value does an “extreme-speed” drone have beyond records and bragging rights? For most drone pilots speed isn’t the priority — stability, control and reliability matter more. The real next step is to see whether lessons from this project translate into better all-around drones, not only into speed machines.

Linking this to the Peregreen 3 saga gives us a story arc. From water-cooled carbon frames to highly optimized custom builds, the FPV community is learning fast. I believe readers will appreciate seeing how one project builds on, surpasses, and learns from another.

Photo credit: Drone Pro Hub