US college student builds ‘Reaper’ drone — which he says set a new world record speed of 491mph

• Georgia Tech student says his homemade Reaper aircraft reached 491 mph
• Three working prototypes reportedly sustained the same claimed top speed for four minutes
• The $13,000 aircraft carried a 2.6-pound payload during its fastest run

A Georgia Tech aerospace engineering student says his experimental jet-powered model aircraft reached 491 mph, potentially setting a new record for remotely controlled planes.

Tomas Salvo independently developed the Reaper and reported on X that it carried a 2.6-pound payload during its fastest recorded run.

If independently verified, the claimed result would surpass the 465 mph mark set in 2017 by German pilot Niels Herbrich’s Inferno aircraft.

Student builds a fast jet-powered aircraft

Salvo began developing the project in February 2025, designing and assembling its prototypes independently while living in university accommodation at Georgia Tech.

He has produced three operational versions, each reportedly capable of maintaining 491 mph for four minutes using a full fuel supply.

The drone uses a 250-newton turbojet, alongside a custom air intake and a titanium exhaust nozzle produced through 3D printing.

Its outer structure consists of molded carbon-fibre sections, while laser-cut parts form internal components.

The design can leave a launch rail or truck-mounted launcher before climbing to 6,600 feet (2,000 metres), within 20 seconds.

Salvo also says the aircraft can travel 31 miles (50 kilometres) when operating at its maximum speed, and that the project is “a reliable and repeatable system,” and repeated trials have produced closely matching performance results.

The development effort reportedly cost approximately $13,000, an amount Salvo funded personally while pursuing the project as a student.

He intends to conduct further flights and refine the aircraft, hoping eventually to exceed 500 mph (800 km/h).

Salvo’s post also attracted the attention of Prescott Paulin, Director of Industry Engagement at the Department of War’s Research and Engineering office.

Paulin, who leads industry engagement for the Pentagon CTO’s Mission Capabilities team, publicly invited the student to visit the department.

The Boom Prize offers a much larger speed challenge

The Reaper project also enters a field where amateur aircraft builders can compete for a substantial reward offered by Boom Supersonic.

The company’s chief executive, Blake Scholl, announced a $750,000 cash award alongside $50,000 in company shares for a qualifying supersonic flight.

Entrants must fly a radio-controlled, fixed-wing aircraft faster than Mach 1 for at least five seconds before bringing it down safely, and complete the required performance twice on the same day, using one aircraft, for their submission to satisfy competition rules.

The challenge excludes rocket propulsion, onboard oxidisers and aircraft designed for one-time use, requiring competitors to use air-breathing engines instead.

Eligible propulsion systems include turbojets, turbofans and ramjets, while corporate sponsorship or venture capital funding disqualifies competing teams.

The rules also exclude projects connected to aerospace businesses or directed by professional aerospace engineers, restricting participation to amateur competitors.

Applicants must be American citizens, permanent residents or people who have received legal asylum in the United States.

A judging panel includes former Boeing chief executive Phil Condit, SpaceX co-founder Tom Mueller and astrophysicist Scott Manley.

The competition remains open until 2030, giving builders several years to develop aircraft capable of meeting its demanding flight and landing conditions.

Although Salvo says he hopes to pursue the $800,000 award, the reported 491 mph performance alone does not satisfy its supersonic requirement.

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