Drones Modern Flying News

SiFly Shatters Drone Endurance Record

Company’s all-electric Q12 completes a 3-hour, 11-minute flight, beating the previous benchmark by nearly one hour.

Thursday, August 21, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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SiFly’s Q12 completed a 3-hour, 11-minute flight to claim the Guinness World Record for longest flight by an electric drone. [Courtesy: SiFly]

Key Takeaways:

SiFly, a California startup, set a new Guinness World Record for electric drone endurance, with its Q12 model flying for 3 hours and 11 minutes, significantly surpassing previous benchmarks.
This achievement is particularly relevant as the FAA nears finalization of its Part 108 rule for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, which will enable more expansive commercial drone missions requiring extended flight times.
SiFly achieved this by optimizing the quadcopter design through innovations like a high battery weight fraction, efficient battery discharge, large low-disc loading propellers, and aerodynamic enhancements, aiming for "helicopter performance with drone economics."
The Q12's long endurance and payload capacity are expected to meet substantial demand in agriculture and public safety, with SiFly also developing larger drones for integrated operations and exploring future applications in general aviation.

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As the FAA nears a final rule on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations that could unlock more expansive commercial missions, a California-based startup has set a new benchmark for the longest flight of a prototype electric drone weighing 5-20 kilograms.

Uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) developer SiFly, which emerged from stealth in May, this week said Guinness World Records validated a 3-hour, 11-minute flight of its Q12 drone, eclipsing the previous high by nearly one hour. With the record-setting flight, the company believes it is close to unlocking the full potential of quadcopters, which are characterized by a quartet of rotors.

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.