Man builds a 100% solar-powered drone and is in disbelief when it successfully lifts off

This YouTuber decided to build a 100% solar-powered drone and he was shocked with the result.

Luke Maximo Bell decided to take on the challenge and documented his progress.

For the build, he focused on efficiency across three key areas.

And luckily for us, Luke captured the first flight on video.

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South African YouTuber builds solar-powered drone

South African YouTuber Luke Maximo Bell is at the heart of today’s story.

Luke has a passion for all things videography and engineering.

So he decided to combine the two in his latest video.

He decided to build a quadcopter drone that can fly using 100% solar energy without relying on its internal battery.

Solar planes themselves are common, but quadcopters are notoriously difficult to create.

This is because they require much more power just to stay in the sky.

So, how did Luke approach the task at hand?

Three key areas of the design

For the frame, He used a minimalist, lightweight carbon fiber and 3D-printed design (using PA6-CF filament) to keep the weight as low as possible.

In terms of propulsion, high-efficiency T-Motor Antigravity motors were paired with 18-inch propellers.

Lastly, there is the solar array itself.

The nature of the challenge called for using high-efficiency monocrystalline solar cells.

Luke hand-soldered these and mounted them on a custom-built lightweight platform.

How the first flight went

So how did Luke get on with the actual attempts to fly?

After several tweaks and tunings here and there, Luke got the perfect clear, sunny day.

And following several attempts, the drone successfully lifted off.

It is important to note that the solar-powered drone is extremely sensitive to clouds.

But it proves that the concept can successfully work.

A quadcopter can indeed sustain flight on solar power alone, provided it is ‘over-propped’ and extremely light.

Props to the YouTuber for his incredible, solar-powered drone creation.