Crosses a football pitch in half a second: Ultra-fast drone tested in Germany
Germany's Quantum Systems company reported that its experimental electric-motor drone, the Apex Recordhunter, reached a speed of 777 kilometers per hour during a test. This is equivalent to covering a distance of nearly 110 meters in half a second. However, another flight must be conducted for the result to be officially recognized as a record.
Crosses a football field in half a second: Ultra-fast drone tested in Germany
According to DW, the company announced this on its LinkedIn page. On October 22, several media outlets drew attention to this result.
Quantum Systems stated that the test was observed by independent experts. The demonstrated speed was confirmed by GPS data and the drone's flight recorder logs.
Nevertheless, this result has not yet been officially recognized as a record. For this to happen, the Apex Recordhunter must also fly in the opposite direction. The second test serves to rule out the possible effect of wind on the speed. The company stated it will conduct such a flight in the coming days.
In June, Quantum Systems also announced that the same drone had reached a speed of 699 kilometers per hour. The new figure is 78 km/h higher than the previous one.
The June report mentioned that the experimental device was equipped with a battery from V4Smart, a subsidiary of the Porsche automotive concern. However, it has not yet been disclosed how far the record-breaking drone can fly on a single charge.
Quantum Systems was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Gilching, Bavaria. One of its co-founders is Florian Seibel, a former German armed forces officer and military pilot.
The company originally specialized in developing unmanned aerial vehicles for agricultural use. According to DW, after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it increased its focus on the military sector and began supplying Kyiv with devices designed to intercept Russian Shahed drones. The company has also set up drone production in Ukraine.
High speed is an essential feature for interceptor drones: they need to catch up with targets in the air. However, the Apex Recordhunter is an experimental device, and the report does not state that it is itself being delivered to Ukraine or used in combat missions.