DIY engineer and YouTuber Max Imagination is turning heads with a tiny, custom-built quadcopter that’s anything but slow. In his latest build video, he reveals ESP-Blast, a miniature drone powered by the low-cost yet surprisingly capable ESP32 microcontroller. Despite its compact frame, this lightweight speed machine has already hit an eye-watering top speed of 108 km/h (67 mph).
The idea for the project was sparked by the ongoing friendly rivalry in the high-speed RC drone world, where builders have been pushing the limits of what small quadcopters can do. Max credits inspiration from two groups known for chasing speed records: Benjamin Bigg, and the Bell brothers, Luke and Maximo. Their rapid back-and-forth progress motivated him to attempt his own ultra-fast micro drone build.
To make sure the drone wasn’t just fast on paper, Max teamed up with Benjamin Bigg for guidance on designing and tuning a quadcopter built specifically for high-speed performance. The result is a purpose-built drone focused on aerodynamic efficiency, tight packaging, and a component selection aimed at extracting maximum speed from a very small platform.
Max says the parts for the build came in at around $155, covering essentials like the propellers, the ESP32-based controller, electronic speed controllers (ESCs), a barometer, a GPS unit, and other supporting hardware. The frame and body were 3D printed, using PETG filament for durability—an important choice for a project that involved real-world testing, inevitable crashes, and repairs along the way.
After assembly, tuning, and multiple test runs, ESP-Blast consistently pushed beyond 100 km/h. It’s powered by a 450 mAh battery that delivers roughly five minutes of flight time, and the entire drone weighs only 136 grams—an impressive combination of low weight and high speed that makes the achievement even more notable.
Max isn’t stopping here. He’s already planning future iterations to push speed even further, which means this tiny ESP32 drone may just be the beginning of an even faster lineup of open, DIY-friendly high-speed builds. For makers interested in affordable drone engineering, 3D-printed RC projects, and ESP32-based flight control experiments, ESP-Blast is a clear reminder that big performance can come in very small packages.
