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Comment by blacklion | Hacker News Reader

Interesting, that this form-factor was popularized by DIY builders. First one was dutch-built, sponsored by Red Bull after prototyping stage, to film Verstappen's full F1 lap (so semi-DIY, so to say), but then record was taken back and forth between two DIY builders — Ben Biggs in Australia and Luke Maximo and his father

Latest record by Ben Biggs was 626kph (389mph). Latest record by Luke Maximo was 655kph (408mph).

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You can only go so fast with propellers, as the propeller tips approach speed of sound and then life gets complicated.

And old assumption, widely held until the soviet Bear bombers shattered the misconception that propellers must remain subsonic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95

Or the appropriately named Thunderscreech.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_XF-84H_Thunderscreech

Ya, three years after the bear. Call it an experimental fighter, but it was sputnik-style catchup. It was US designers saying WTF is that? They needed to figure out what the bear was capable of, so they needed to study supersonic propellers asagdp.

Yes, it is why last iteration by Luke Maximo & Father used trimmed-down propellers rotating really fast :-)

Fans are pretty much like propellers and the F15 uses a turbofan and goes supersonic. It works by inlets and exhaust nozzles that slow the air the speed it up again. The only reason that might not work on an electric drone with fans and nozzles is not enough power.

They should look at Prantle Wing (also applies to propellers) to get more efficiency out of the design.

> this form-factor

"It must be pointy".

The photo is so murky you only notice the shiny propeller cones.

Rocket-like, yes. Like illustration from old "Amazing Stories" or other "pulp" magazine of golden age of SciFi :)

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