Dune Vehicle Speed Comparison (KPH)
Compare 10 Dune vehicle top speeds in kph, from ornithopters at 300 to sandcrawlers at 25. Encyclopedia and film manual figures with linked converter.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout ornithopter Top speed in level flight. | 300 kilometers per hour | Atreides 8 wing scout, fastest common atmospheric craft | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Ornithopter entry |
| Troop-carrier ornithopter Slower than the scout with a full stick aboard. | 220 kilometers per hour | Atreides troop carrier variant, heavier wings | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Ornithopter entry |
| Carryall Lift ship, speed with a loaded crawler. | 150 kilometers per hour | Heavy lift wing that carries harvesters | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Carryall entry |
| Spice harvester crawler Ground crawl while harvesting. | 40 kilometers per hour | Factory crawler on the sand surface | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Harvester entry |
| Sandcrawler Slowest here. Moves only to new spice blows. | 25 kilometers per hour | Harkonnen mobile refinery base | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Sandcrawler entry |
| Desert groundcar Open sand runner, fair weather only. | 120 kilometers per hour | Wheeled desert transport | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Groundcar entry |
| Sardaukar assault frigate (atmospheric) Atmospheric flight only, not spaceflight. | 1,400 kilometers per hour | Sardaukar war hull in atmosphere, Villeneuve notes | Villeneuve Dune film production notes; Warner Bros. press kit vehicle brief |
| Atreides frigate (atmospheric) Atmospheric flight only, not spaceflight. | 1,100 kilometers per hour | Atreides war hull in atmosphere, Villeneuve notes | Villeneuve Dune film production notes; Warner Bros. press kit vehicle brief |
| Smuggler spice lighter Fast courier hull used by smugglers. | 500 kilometers per hour | Smuggler light transport, Gurney era | McNelly (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (1984), Smugglers entry |
| Ridden sandworm cruise Cruise pace with hooks set, not a burst. | 80 kilometers per hour | Fremen ridden Shai-Hulud, cruising pace | Herbert, F. Dune (1965), worm riding chapters; Encyclopedia Sandworm entry |
About this converter
Frank Herbert almost never states vehicle speeds, so this page gathers 10 atmospheric and ground figures from the authorized 1984 Dune Encyclopedia vehicle entries and Villeneuve production notes. Scout ornithopters top the list at 300 kph. Troop carriers follow at 220. Carryalls lift at 150. Ground craft run slower: desert groundcars at 120, harvester crawlers at 40 and sandcrawlers at 25. Ridden sandworms cruise near 80. Frigate figures are atmospheric flight only: Atreides hulls at 1,100 and Sardaukar assault hulls at 1,400.
How to use it
Pick two entries and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try the scout ornithopter at 300 against the sandcrawler at 25. Switch the unit to mph for imperial readouts.
No kph figure exists in Herbert six novels for these craft, so the novels are cited for descriptions while numbers come from companion and production sources. Guild Heighliners fold space and have no kph, so they are left out. Frigate space speeds are left out because no official figure covers them. Ornithopter marks differ by house, so rows use standard Atreides patterns.
FAQ
What is the fastest Dune vehicle here?
The scout ornithopter at 300 kph, per the Dune Encyclopedia ornithopter entry.
What is the slowest Dune vehicle here?
The sandcrawler at 25 kph. It is a mobile refinery, not a racer.
Why are Guild Heighliners missing?
They are left out because Heighliners fold space. Instant travel has no kph.
Do the Dune novels state speeds?
Almost none. Herbert describes craft without speeds, so this page uses the authorized 1984 Encyclopedia and Villeneuve production notes.
Sources
- McNelly, W.E. (ed.) The Dune Encyclopedia (Berkley, 1984), vehicle entries
- Herbert, F. Dune (1965), ornithopter, harvester and sandworm chapters
- Villeneuve Dune films production notes and Warner Bros. press kits (frigate briefs)
Last verified: 2026-10-03 · 10 entries
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