Man spent years dreaming of solar-powered flight so built drone himself to make it happen

For years, one man’s dream of solar-powered flight refused to stay grounded, which led him to build a homemade drone that could take off without a battery.

What started as a curious idea quickly turned into a full-blown engineering quest.

After months of computer design, 3D printing, testing, and the occasional cracked solar panel, he was finally ready.

And when that homemade drone finally lifted off, powered only by sunlight, it was nothing short of sci-fi magic.

SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie

The solar panels were extremely fragile

The creator, known online as Luke Maximo Bell, is no stranger to ambitious builds.

He’s the same YouTuber behind the world’s fastest drone, but this time he swapped speed for efficiency.

His new creation uses ultra-light T-Motor ‘anti-gravity’ motors, paired with massive 18-inch carbon fiber propellers.

These are the kind you would expect on an industrial flying machine, rather than a home workshop project.

The frame itself is a minimalist masterpiece: carbon fiber tubes, custom 3D-printed motor mounts, and a clever clamping system designed entirely in OnShape design software.

After getting the drone to hover smoothly using a conventional battery, Bell turned to the real challenge: the solar panel array.

He sourced 100 wafer-thin, featherweight solar cells and began assembling them into panels.

That was when he encountered a significant problem.

These panels were very fragile; so fragile in fact, that they broke when his cat decided to step on one – yes, that actually happened.

But after some careful soldering, carbon tube reinforcement, and strategic 3D-printed standoffs to angle the panels toward the sun, he managed to create a system capable of generating nearly 100 watts of power.

Chasing the Guinness World Record for the longest solar-powered flight

Then came the big moment: test flight day.

There was no battery or backup, just pure solar energy.

As the drone rose steadily into the sky, quietly humming on sunlight alone, Bell could hardly believe it.

He actually achieved solar-powered flight, using a homemade drone.

“As long as the sun is out, this thing can keep flying indefinitely,” he said.

While there are plenty of companies developing solar-powered cars or solar-powered aircraft, it’s very impressive that this was done by an individual using consumer equipment.

In the next phase, Bell plans to add GPS and autonomous flight software to chase the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest solar-powered flight using a drone.

While this may be an ambitious project for any other individual, for Bell, this seems like a pretty achievable feat.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie