Drones are getting popular very quickly and people are getting crazy to fly their first drone. Are you a newbie and looking for suggestions for the best racing drone? Then you are in the right place.
This guide is for beginner drone racers who wish to enlighten themselves on three things:
- What drone racing/first-person view (FPV) racing is all about
- The features one should consider when buying racing remote-controlled drones.
- Recommended best-racing drones.
A racing drone is a small-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/quad copter designed for competing in FPV (first person view) racing event which is held in various technologically advanced cities all over the world.
The racing drones (RTF: Ready to fly) should not be mistaken for camera drones (ARF: Almost Ready to Fly) such as the phantom 4 pro which is quite slow and low. Drones like that are only used for capturing quality videos for events like surfing contest, soccer matches, landscaping and real estate.
A racing quadcopter can’t be used in the events mentioned earlier. They are not designed to stay in the air for a very long time.
FPV racing is a sporting event whereby its competitors control drones or quadcopter with cameras mounted on the drone that enables the competitor wearing a head-mounted display, to have a live stream feed from the drone with the goal of completing a set course the fastest way possible. The images viewed from the drone are transmitted through radio waves (usually of frequency 2.4GHz or 5.8GHz).
This sport started as a new amateur sport in Australia in the year 2014. Now it is done in different places and there will always be new improvements for years to come. Example of this improvement is the different types of races such as drag race, time trial, and robot-motocross. The event is similar to air racing but the course is mostly set indoors to prevent hazards.
Your drone will have to be registered by the body in charge of the sport in your country. You should note that you can’t fly your drone outside or in a race without registering it.
Features to consider before buying a racing drone
As someone new to FPV racing there are some features you should look out for when buying the best-racing drones, such as:
1. Speed
This is an important feature to take into account when buying your first FPV racing drone because a racing drone can’t win a race without being fast. This is a necessary requirement for a racing drone in order for your drone to compete against other drones. This feature will come in handy when drag racing.
2. Maneuverability
It’s equally as important as speed and acceleration. In gated races where there’s a lot of acrobatic twists and turns that are needed to be performed in the race at high speeds. This feature maneuverability is determined by the following components, which are:
- Control response time: It is how long it takes for the drone to act as commanded by the flight controller
- Flight stability: It is decided by the flight controller and the flight controller software
- Lift power: This is determined by motors, props, and ESCs
3. Durability
It is known that pilots can’t be 100% perfect because they would eventually crash their drones, especially beginners. Whether the crash causes your drone to be rendered useless or it breaks some propellers off, your drones’ endurance will play a major factor. The light in weight drones tends to be more durable than the heavy ones. The light drones are recommended for the beginner pilots that wish to race.
4. Flight time
As mention earlier drones are not built to last very long in the air. However, they are designed for a quick and short outburst of high power and speed. The FPV races don’t last longer than 5 minutes because even most drones can’t last that long, that why you should get a drone with high flight time.
5. Affordability
For a beginner, it is advisable to purchase a drone that is quite cheap. The prices can be as low as $200 for a basic racing drone.
Recommended drone
Holy Stone HS 150 bolt bee mini racing drone
This is the drone for the new generation of racing drones which is also quite affordable. The manufacturer of this quadcopter has successfully brought down the price of racing drones without altering the personality that makes them fun and exciting.
The excellent design is eye-catching with the black and yellow high-quality bodywork accompanied by LED lights which looks like eyes at the front. It has great aerodynamics that enhances its performance in the air such as speed. Because of its small design, it helps to preserve its battery life.
Specifications:
- 70m Operational Range
- 7 minutes of flight time
- Chagrining takes 90 minutes
- 7v 600 mAh lithium polymer battery
- 4Ghz radio transmission
- 6-axis gyro
- 5-speed modes
- Features altitude hold function
- Low power alarm
It comes with a 2 3.7v 600 mAh LiPo batteries, according to the manufacturers which give 5-7 minutes of flight time. It takes about 90 minutes to charge the battery fully. The controlling is very easy due to it’s 6-axis gyro stabilization system. You can perform cool tricks with this system in places such as 3D flips and U-turns.
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