GoKawiilGeorgia Tech student's dorm-built jet drone unofficially tops 491 mph speed record
Aerospace engineering student Tomas Salvo built a jet-powered drone called Reaper in his Georgia Tech dorm room, which unofficially hit 491 mph, surpassing the previous 465 mph record for small jet-powered drones. The $13,000 aircraft uses a custom carbon fiber shell, laser-cut internal structure, and a 250N jet engine with a titanium 3D-printed nozzle, and Salvo says three such Reapers can sustain that speed for four minutes per tank.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project has drawn attention from Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl, who is offering an $800,000 prize for hobbyists who can break Mach 1 with an air-breathing, oxidizer-free aircraft that lands intact and flies twice in a day. Salvo's record suggests the Boom Prize's goal of pushing amateur-built supersonic flight may be achievable outside corporate or government-funded labs, and could spur further competition from projects like Mach Initiative's Kingchaser.
- Tomas Salvo's dorm-built Reaper drone unofficially hit 491 mph, beating the prior 465 mph record.
- The $13,000 aircraft uses carbon fiber, laser-cut parts, and a 3D-printed titanium nozzle jet engine.
- Boom Supersonic's CEO is offering an $800,000 prize for hobbyists who achieve sustained supersonic flight under strict rules.
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Published there as: “College student unofficially breaks world record for fastest jet-powered drone with 491 mph aircraft built in his dorm”
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