YouTuber builds 'world's most efficient drone' with 3.5 hours flight

Engineer and drone specialist Luke Maximo Bell has developed a custom drone that achieved an unprecedented endurance milestone by flying continuously for over 3.5 hours on a single battery charge. Unlike his previous speed-focused designs, Bell prioritized maximizing flight time through careful engineering choices. Key to the drone’s efficiency are large 40-inch carbon fiber propellers paired with low-KV MN105 V2 Antigravity motors, which spin slowly to reduce power consumption. The drone is powered by high energy density Tattu semi-solid state NMC lithium-polymer batteries, delivering about twice the energy density of standard cells. Bell also reduced battery weight by removing packaging and using lighter connectors, saving nearly as much mass as the carbon fiber frame itself. Bell optimized the drone’s frame and wiring for aerodynamic and electrical efficiency. Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, he settled on an 800 mm arm length to minimize propeller wake interference without adding excess weight. Wiring was carefully selected at 18 AWG to balance electrical resistance and copper mass