Is This THing for real?

05 December 2025

Some of the wackiest experimental drones we've seen have been designed by an engineer from Peru who calls himself Starsistor.

Starsistor likes to transform bizarre ideas involving physics, chemistry, electronics, and engineering into working prototypes to "share knowledge and spark curiosity."

For example, his latest unconventional and strange-looking drone is based on the Magnus Effect for generating lift.

Huh?

Let's go to AI for an explanation: "The Magnus Effect is a physical phenomenon where a spinning object moving through a fluid (like air or water) experiences a sideways force, causing its path to curve. This happens because the spin affects airflow, speeding it up on one side (lowering pressure) and slowing it down on the other (increasing pressure), pushing the object toward the low-pressure side."

It may not sound like it from that definition, but there is an aeronautical aspect to the Magnus Effect, as aircraft designs could potentially utilize rotating cylinders to create lift.

Learn More About the Magnus Effect

For Starsistor's drone, the off-center wing—aided by a single propeller to provide a rotational force—spins to generate lift. It's likely not going to challenge conventional drones for maximum ceiling or longest flight, but it's certainly a thought-provoking design—and that's one of Starsistor's goals.