THE BIG PICTURE: Quantum Systems Group is a German outfit focused on developing advanced technologies for unmanned vehicles. The company is now "officially" pursuing the world record for the fastest drone ever built, with internal tests already confirming that its new aircraft is capable of achieving impressive speeds.
Quantum Systems has built a UAV capable of reaching speeds of up to 699 km/h in "straight and level flight" and is now seeking official recognition for the achievement. The German drone maker recently announced that its Apex Recordhunter drone reached an "unofficial" world record during internal testing conducted on June 26.
The Apex Recordhunter was developed by N3XT, one of Quantum's internal teams. Quantum Senior Prototyping Engineer Robert Gardemin described the project as a complex engineering effort that took more than a year and involved several setbacks before reaching the unprecedented 699 km/h milestone.
The feat serves as a technology demonstrator showcasing what Quantum's platform can achieve, and the company plans to apply the innovations developed for the UAV to future programs. Quantum will now seek official certification for the speed record, although the team appears confident that the result will be validated. Meanwhile, N3XT is already working on new UAV prototypes designed to push performance even further.
