Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 17 hrs ago
Georgia Tech student says his Reaper drone reached 491 mph
Georgia Tech student Tomas Salvo says his Reaper aircraft reached 491 mph in a test flight.
Salvo developed the jet-powered model aircraft himself and says it carried a 2.6-pound payload during its fastest run.
The claimed speed would beat the 465 mph mark set in 2017, if it is independently verified.
Salvo says three working prototypes have each sustained the claimed speed for four minutes.
The project cost about $13,000, which Salvo funded himself while studying at Georgia Tech.
The result could put the aircraft among the fastest remotely controlled planes, but the reported speed is below the supersonic threshold of Boom Supersonic’s competition.
Salvo plans more flights and improvements, with the aim of exceeding 500 mph.
He also hopes to pursue the competition’s $800,000 prize, which requires a qualifying supersonic flight and safe landing.
Georgia Tech student Tomas Salvo says his jet-powered Reaper model aircraft reached 491 mph.
The reported speed could surpass the 465 mph record set in 2017 by German pilot Niels Herbrich.
Salvo says three working prototypes sustained 491 mph for four minutes.
The aircraft carried a 2.6-pound payload during its fastest recorded run.
The project reportedly cost about $13,000, which Salvo funded himself.
- Who
- Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student Tomas Salvo.
- What
- He says his jet-powered Reaper model aircraft reached 491 mph, potentially setting a new speed record for remotely controlled planes.
- When
- Salvo began developing the project in February 2025; the date of the fastest run is not stated.
- Where
- The aircraft was developed while Salvo lived in university accommodation at Georgia Tech. The flight location is not stated.
- Why
- Salvo developed the aircraft as an experimental project and hopes to refine it and eventually exceed 500 mph.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Salvo began developing the Reaper project.
Salvo's aircraft reportedly reached 491 mph during its fastest recorded run.
Salvo said he intends to conduct further flights and refine the aircraft.
- Claimed top speed
- 491 mph
- Previous speed mark
- 465 mph, set in 2017 by Niels Herbrich's Inferno
- Payload on fastest run
- 2.6 pounds
- Working prototypes
- Three, each reportedly able to sustain 491 mph for four minutes
- Reported project cost
- About $13,000
1 source
What people are saying
a reliable and repeatable system
Posts on X
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