Best Drones for Racing in 2017

- in Tech Updates
3027
Comments Off on Best Drones for Racing in 2017

Drone racing is a relatively new sport that has taken over the planet by a storm. Every day, you can see new YouTube videos of people organizing drone racing events in every corner of our planet. The biggest and most prestigious competition is the DRL or Drone Racing League, and every freestyle FPV drone pilot dreams of competing in that league one day.

But, to be competitive in that competition, because it’s all about serious players and even more serious custom machines, you need to have great piloting skills and a drone that will go fast and be rock solid in the air and handle turns like a charm.

So, assuming that you already have the needed skills, all you need is a drone model to make you competitive. That’s where we jump in and save the day by reviewing some of the best racing drones for the year 2017.

Sky Viper Hover Racer

The Hover Racer from Sky Viper is a great entry-level racer, but it also comes with a few tricks up its sleeve that no other drones have. First of all, it is really cheap, you can get it for around $30. But that is not the best part. The best part is that this model comes with 4 beacons to spread anywhere you want and create a virtual track. The beacons will detect your drone every time you fly over them and track your lap times, which you can follow through a smartphone app.

This can improve your racing skills as you can get a much better idea of where to improve and make up time. The beacons can also support up to 4 drones on the track, so you can even organize races with your friends, but you all have to have this model.

Furthermore, through the app, you can also play a “war” against other drones and even progress as you virtually shoot down others and unlock new “weapons.”

However, we need to mention that this drone does not come with an FPV cam and cannot actually be considered the best FPV quadcopter. Adding a lightweight FPV cam and pairing it with goggles is not a problem, and that’s when this drone becomes really interesting.

READ MORE ARTICLES : 

LHI Full Carbon Fiber 220 Racer

The LHI drone’s specific purpose is freestyle FPV flying and racing, and it can reach great speeds. If you are new to FPV racing and more used to stabilized flights, this one might be a bit complicated for you to handle. On the other hand, if you are a master of Acro flying and feel ready for drone racing, this is one of the best choices.

Just by looking at this great racer, you can notice that plenty of work has been invested in it. It comes with a full carbon fiber frame, and a lot of weight has been saved by using a 3 mm body plate. Don’t let the thinness of the plate fool you, as the drone is fully capable of handling high speeds and even crashes.

As for the FPV equipment, the LHI racer is equipped with a 1000TVL camera tilted 0 to 15 degrees. The package also includes the 2.4 GHz RadioLink AT-9, 9 channel receiver, and a carrying bag, but you won’t get a battery for the drone, so you will need to buy a 3 or 4 S LiPo.

Walkera Rodeo 150

If you are a drone lover, then you probably know the name Walkera. They are famous for their larger, aerial filming drones, such as the Walkera Voyager, but they make great racing models.

The Rodeo 150 is considered one of the best drones for racing. This, uniquely designed drone, is fully equipped for FPV flights, and it also includes an infrared camera so that you can fly it even at night (which is not really recommendable, but hey, your choice).

The frame design comes with a smart, relatively durable, lightweight frame, which allows it to be extremely stable and easy to fly in stable mode and allows great maneuverability, acceleration, and high-end speeds in the Acro mode.

The drone comes with a 2.4 GHz Walkera Devo 7 transmitter, and you will get some 8-9 minutes of flight with the factory 850 mAh LiPo, but longer flight times can be achieved with greater capacity batteries.

Force 1 XDR 220 Kit

With the Force 1 package, you get all that you need for competitive drone racing. Even though this is a kit, it doesn’t require rocket science knowledge to set it up and get it flying as you only need to install the controller receiver (physically place it inside the drone and plug in the wire).

As for performance and speed, this model is one of the really faster ones. Its brushless SE2205-2300KV motors are fully capable of delivering plenty of power, even when you attach a GoPro or some other action camera on top of the FPV camera.

Speaking of the FPV camera, the Force 1 comes with a 2.5mm HD CCD camera. It’s small, lightweight, and delivers great lighting adjustment and colors. Also, the kit includes Force 1 FPV goggles, making this a complete racing package.

When it comes to the frame’s design, it is made of carbon fiber, and the unique “one-piece” design makes it really durable and crashes resistant. Other accessories included in this package are the RadioLink AT -9 transmitter, mushroom antenna, spare props, balanced charger, carbon fiber canopy, and tools needed for assembly or part replacing.

Rise Vusion 250 Racer

The Rise Vision 250 Racer is considered one of the best FPV racers. It comes as an RTF model, and all you have to do is charge the battery, bind the transmitter with the drone, bind the FPV transmitter with the goggles (all included in the package, and even the batteries for the transmitter are included). You are deary to hit the skies.

As for the drone’s design, we can only say that it has a never seen before modular frame design, which makes it extremely durable and makes replacing the parts a breeze.

All in all, if a really durable and fast racer is what you are looking for, the Vusion 250 might be one of the best choices today, as you will be able to reach really high, racing competitive speeds, and it can survive crashes (as long as you don’t hit a wall at full speed).

Walkera F210

Another racer coming from the house of Walkera, only this time it is a bigger model. The Walkera f210 comes with a similar design as the Rodeo 150 model, only it can deliver a much more serious punch.

Furthermore, the frame is more durable and even lighter, allowing you to achieve great speeds while maintaining excellent maneuverability. Don’t let that scare you if you are not comfortable flying in Acro mode yet, as it also offers flying in Stable and Horizon modes. When in Stable, it handles like a Phantom actually (perfect hovering and stabilizes all the time).

Another great feature is that, like the Rodeo 150, it comes with a 700TVL night vision camera but has a wider field of view and better details when flying at night. The drone can stay in the air for around 10 minutes, and with the package, you pretty much get everything you need to get it up and running (except the FPV goggles).

You may also like

Functional Freeze: Battling Foggy Brain and Low Energy

Functional Freeze is a term that encapsulates a