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The multi-million dollar drone racing league goes live.
What’s that you say? You STILL don’t believe me, your humble neighborhood drone writer, that FPV racing is taking over in 2016? Well then, I implore you to check out the upcoming DRL or Drone Racing League. While organizations like Multi GP have been taking a community-driven, “grass roots” approach to FPV racing (which is AWESOME, by the way. Multi GP is a fantastic organization and I [...]
FAA in Federal Court Over Drone Registration Rules
Coming as no surprise to anyone, the backlash associated with the recent FAA registration news has begun. In a move that seems to be the next logical progression from the model aircraft community, the FAA is being challenged in federal court with the hopes that hobbyists – including children as young as 13 – won’t have to file their names and home addresses [...]
Lumenier RaceBlade FPV Racing Quadcopter
Don’t believe me about X-Frames and +-Frames being the future of mini-quads yet? Check out the new RaceBlade from the team at Lumenier. Born from tried-and-true QAV DNA, the RaceBlade continues Lumenier’s tradition of staying on the cutting edge of FPV quadcopter frame design. I have flown QAV 250’s, 210’s and 180’s and can tell you that the RaceBlade looks to continue the [...]
- 1/6/2016
- 5:03 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
FAA shuts down 36+ model aircraft clubs in Washington, DC
With what is sure to be the first of many headlines generated on the heels of the FAA’s mandatory registration news, here is an…. *ahem* “interesting” piece of news from our nation’s capital. The Federal Aviation Administration has shut down at least 36 model aircraft clubs in the Washington, DC area, citing a new, extended no-fly zone for drones around the nation’s capital. Beginning in [...]
Shen Drones Mitsuko 4 – FPV mini quadcopter frame
Now here is some brilliant engineering from Shen Drones. Mitsuko is a 150mm quad frame designed for 4″ props. Having released the Krieger last year to great success, Mitsuko is the next evolution of the X-Frame design from Shen Drones. This little guy is a +Frame! X-Frames and sub-200mm builds are the talk of the town in FPV mini quad-land right now and [...]
- 12/31/2015
- 6:46 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
RMRC Mudskipper 250 Plug-N-Play FPV Quad
Looking for a quadcopter that is seriously durable and can get you in the air and flying FPV quickly? Check out the 250mm-sized Mudskipper PNP FPV from Ready Made RC. With very few RTF options in the mini quad market, the Mudskipper is a standout rig. This drone is built with the best possible components straight out of the box to give customers [...]
- 12/27/2015
- 2:06 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
Lumenier QAV180 RTF FPV Quadcopter
New from the team at Lumenier comes the QAV180 RTF FPV Quadcopter. The QAV180 is already an extremely popular frame and has established itself as one of the strongest and most reliable rigs on the market. Bred from the DNA of the legendary QAV250, the QAV180 RTF is quite an impressive package. The Lumenier QAV180 Carbon Fiber FPV Quadcopter airframe is Lumenier’s smallest FPV [...]
- 12/22/2015
- 2:43 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
FAA Drone Registration Q&A
Since the news broke from the U.S. government that all drone pilots will be required to register their UAS (unmanned aerial system), the FAA ruling has been dominating headlines. I (like many of you) have questions regarding the specifics of these new laws. Is there size restrictions? Weight? Altitude? Licensing? What are the penalties if I don’t register? The FAA has finally [...]
ImpulseRC Singularity Flight Controller
Now here’s some smart thinking from the boys over at ImpulseRC. The just-announced Singularity Flight Controller is an awesome little piece of kit. Why? Well I’ll tell you! The Singularity FC combines a flight controller, BEC and video transmitter all into one, tiny unit. This one little board takes the place of 3 common pieces of FPV gear. I’d say [...]
- 12/16/2015
- 12:27 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
World Drone Prix – The $1,000,000 FPV Race
I suppose it’s safe to say that FPV drone racing is blowing up. The recently announced World Drone Prix promises to pay out a ridiculous $1 million in prize money. Set to take place in March of 2016 in Dubai, the announcement was made on the last day of the World Air Games at Skydive Dubai’s Palm drop zone by [...]
Voodoo Quads VDQ 250 FPV Quadcopter
Looking for a 250mm (also available as a 280mm) frame that stands out amongst all those flying bricks out there? Check out the VDQ 250 Pro from Voodoo Quads. This thing is a work of art and a machinists wet dream. Just look at it! 100% made in the USA, the VDQ 250 Pro edition features a custom engraved bottom deck and [...]
- 12/12/2015
- 12:22 pm
- New Products
- By: Joe Davis
RunCam 2 Ultra Lightweight FPV HD Camera
Looking for a high-quality, lightweight GoPro alternative for your miniquad? The new RunCam 2 HD camera fits the bill. This mini HD camera provides high resolution video and images at 1080P @60fps or 720P @120fps. Built wth FPV racing in mind, the camera is built from RF-shielded materials to reduce RF noise from your video gear or receiver. My favorite [...]
FPV Common Sense – Fly Smart.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you should be fully aware that drones and all things UAS have dominated recent headlines. That being said, I think it’s very important that; as the visibility of our beloved hobby continues to grow, we all become ambassadors for what we love to do. Now… I’m not here [...]
- 12/10/2015
- 12:33 pm
- In Other News
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tips - By: Joe Davis
Team Black Sheep Powercube – Multirotor Stack
New from the boys at TBS (Team Black Sheep) comes the Powercube multirotor stack and let me tell you… I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new multirotor product! The Powercube is such a brilliantly simple concept, I’m amazed that no one has thought of it yet. Simply put, it makes all of your miniquad [...]
ImpulseRC Alien – FPV Miniquad Frame
Aliens are coming! With what seems like a million frames to choose from when building an FPV racing mini-quad, it feels almost impossible to decide which one is the right choice for you. I would definitely consider the 2015-Drone-National-winning Alien from ImpulseRC as one for your short list. Available in three sizes (4″, 5″ and 6″), this frame can accommodate a huge [...]
