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-based startup, set a new Guinness World Record for the longest flight of a 5-20 kg prototype electric drone (Q12), achieving 3 hours and 11 minutes.
This endurance milestone is critical for enabling expansive commercial missions under the FAA's impending Part 108 rule for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations.
The Q12's extended flight time results from innovations including optimal battery integration (60% of its weight), aerodynamically efficient large, multi-bladed propellers, and a refined fuselage design.
SiFly aims for the Q12 to deliver "helicopter performance" with "drone economics" for applications in agriculture and public safety, with plans for even longer flights and a larger Q250 drone for heavier payloads and coordinated operations.

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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.