Student's Jet Drone Hits Unofficial 491 MPH

The unofficial record tops the prior 465 mph drone mark and targets the $800,000 Boom Prize, though the Reaper remains a research-stage build.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Robotics

Isometric editorial illustration of a slender matte jet airframe with a single flared nozzle, set against a flat field in muted teal, cream, and mustard. — Georgia Tech student Tomas Salvo unofficially flew his jet-powered Reaper drone to 491 mph, topping the prior 465 mph drone record while pursuing the $800,000 Boom Prize. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student Tomas Salvo unofficially set a jet-powered drone speed record of 491 mph with his Reaper aircraft. The record is unofficial and the Reaper is a research-stage build, not a commercial product; Salvo is pursuing the $800,000 Boom Prize posted by Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl.

Why it matters

The result shows how far a small, low-cost jet-powered airframe can be pushed, with a previous drone speed world record of 465 mph now surpassed by roughly 26 mph. It also sits within a broader push toward faster small aircraft, as the Boom Prize ties a cash reward to speed and engineering achievement.

The Reaper uses a 250N jet engine and weighs 11 pounds in total, and it can climb to 6,500 feet in under 20 seconds and fly 31 miles at full speed. Its 491 mph result is an unofficial measurement, and its performance figures are self-reported by the builder rather than certified by a standards body.

The players

Tomas Salvo

Aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech who built the Reaper and set the unofficial 491 mph drone speed record.

Blake Scholl

CEO of Boom Supersonic, the company that posted the $800,000 Boom Prize.

Niels Herbrich

Holder of the prior record for the fastest jet-powered RC aircraft, whom the Reaper project aimed to beat.

Mach Initiative

Organization that estimated a top speed of 550 mph for the Kingchaser if it had sufficient space to accelerate.

The details

The Reaper's fuselage is a custom-molded carbon fiber shell with a laser-cut internal structure, which keeps the airframe light and stiff. The stock engine nozzle was replaced with a titanium 3D-printed nozzle, which lets the 250N jet engine sit further forward in the airframe. The nozzle changes the engine's placement and therefore the aircraft's balance, which is part of how the team pursued higher speed.

August: Salvo launched a crowdfunding request for $50,000 after raising $20,000.

The Tech Race

The Reaper's 491 mph unofficial result builds on the prior drone speed world record of 465 mph set by Niels Herbrich's jet-powered RC aircraft. Salvo's build is positioned against the Kingchaser, whose Mach Initiative estimate of 550 mph assumes more acceleration space than the Reaper's current test environment.

The Reaper is a research-stage build assembled in a dorm room, not a product available to buyers, and no commercial release date has been announced. Its practical significance for everyday users is limited to the design techniques it demonstrates, such as lightweight carbon fiber construction and 3D-printed engine components.

The takeaway

Watch whether Salvo's 491 mph result is submitted for official verification and whether it qualifies for the $800,000 Boom Prize. The Reaper's 11-pound, $13,000 design shows that competitive jet-powered speed is reachable at a small scale.