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Watch the World's Fastest RC Jet Reach 727 KPH (451 MPH)

You know how the FAA is worried about drones causing aircraft to crash? Well, we're curious how they would feel about an RC aircraft that can reach 727 kph (451 mph).
Watch the World's Fastest RC Jet Reach 727 KM/H 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Watch the World's Fastest RC Jet Reach 727 KM/HWatch the World's Fastest RC Jet Reach 727 KM/H
Fortunately, there's probably only one of these in the world, and it's in Germany. The guy who flies the RC Speeder "Inferno" clearly knows what he's doing, but we can't help but feel that something going at that speed can easily kill somebody.

Everything about this contraption looks custom and very weird. But you kind of expect that from a Guinness World Record holder.

For example, the aircraft hasn't got a separate fuselage, wing, and horizontal stabilizers. It's just one bin wing. They call it a "delta wing" and the last we heard, it's notoriously tricky to control. That's why jet fighters have all those computers helping the pilot out.

Inferno is light at only 7.5 kg (17 lbs). It has no running gear and instead takes off using a giant rubber band and a skid pad. The engine runs on kerosene and fuelling it looks a bit like giving somebody intravenous therapy. It's going about 1/4 the speed of a bullet, but it weighs 65 times more.

Once in the air, the little rascal darts around at high speed. Its record was set in 2017 at 750 kph. However, it's "only" doing 727 kph for this demo run. Unlike with a high-range commercial drone, there's no first-person view to help you out. Flying is strictly done by eye with the most delicate inputs possible. At several points in the video, it looks like the jet is piercing cloud cover, which is very plausible.

727 kph translates to 12,117 meters or 3,9688 feet per minute. The lowest clouds are usually about 2,000 meters or 6,500 feet, so the Inferno could get there in less than ten seconds.

Sometimes, words aren't enough to describe how amazing something is. That's why we suggest watching the video below.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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