Editor’s note: The following article is not intended to be a ranking, but is only to serve as a list of possible options. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary.
The best racing drone is the one that wins, right? There are several factors to consider when deciding which racing drone is the best for you. Price, speed, size, weight, agility, transmission speed, battery life, motor power, etc. are some of the things to think about when purchasing the best racing drone for you. We have listed the top rated racing drones for 2021 along with their features, pros, cons, and pricing.
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Quicklook: Best Racing Drone
- Best For Overall Features: Walkera F210 3D
- Best For Value: Ryze Tech Tello
- Best For Pocket Drones: ImmersionRC Vortex 150 Mini
- Best For All Skill Levels: EMAX Tinyhawk Freestyle BNF
- Best For Overall Design: ARRIS X-Speed 280 V2
5 Best Racing Drone Options
Selected as the 5 best racing drone options, from best overall racing drone to best build, these drones are the top racing drones for 2021.
Walkera F210 3D
Best For: Overall Features
The Walkera F210 3D drone comes with a receiver that delivers fast response times and high power. The drone has a solid center of gravity, providing maximum agility, and even has an aerobatic mode, which allows the drone to perform acrobatic aerial maneuvers.
Camera Quality: Low
Flight Time: 12 minutes
Configuration: Ready to Fly
Special Features:
- 3D aerobatic mode
- Optimized OSD
- Optimized controller
- Optimized receiver
Benefits:
- Covered motor
- Agile turning radius
- Good for beginners and experts
Disadvantages:
- Low resolution analog camera
Ryze Tech Tello
Best For: Value
The Ryze Tech Tello racing drone is a nimble flying machine that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It has a double antenna to aid in smooth signal transmission and a battery pack lasting up to 13 minutes of flight time. The speedy, agile Ryze is great for beginners and performs fun maneuvers that will keep you entertained for hours.
Camera Quality: Low
Flight Time: 13 minutes
Configuration: Ready to fly
Special Features:
- Speed
- High power
- Agility
- Stunt maneuvers
Benefits:
- Affordable
- Indoor and outdoor
- Good wind resistance
Disadvantages:
- Low camera resolution
ImmersionRC Vortex 150 Mini
Best For: Pocket Drones
The ImmersionRC Vortex 150 Mini drone is an outstanding racing drone for beginners. Binding the receiver to your radio is an easy set-up before you quickly learn how to fly in angle, horizontal, and acrobatic modes. The drone is nimble, easily controlled, and sturdy for those inevitable crashes. The camera takes excellent shots at various light levels.
Camera Quality: High
Flight Time: 4 minutes
Configuration: Bind to fly
Special Features:
- Aerobatic mode
- Excellent camera
- Easy to control
Benefits:
- Small 3” design
- Agile
- Durable
Disadvantages:
- Manual is poorly written
EMAX Tinyhawk Freestyle BNF
Best For: All Skill Levels
The EMAX Tinyhawk Freestyle BNF racing drone was designed for first-timers and pros, alike. It has an onboard CMOS camera and dual battery connectors for longer flight times. A small model that flies like a full size drone, this aircraft is great for small courses but does not have a broad range for open spaces. The self-leveling feature is great for newbies!
Camera Quality: High
Flight Time: 4 minutes
Configuration: Ready to fly
Special Features:
- Dual battery connectors
- Brush motor
- 2.5” propellor system
- CMOS camera
Benefits:
- Flies like a full-sized drone
- Excellent camera quality
- Fast and lightweight
- Durable
Disadvantages:
- Short video range
ARRIS X-Speed 280 V2
Best For: Overall Design
The ARRIS X-Speed 280 V2 is built for speed and durability. It is a sleek, fast, and agile racing drone equipped with a 5.8 GHz antenna providing longer flight range. This racing drone is best for advanced pilots who fly during the day, as the drone has no LED lighting for safe night flying.
Camera Quality: Medium
Flight Time: 10 minutes
Configuration: Ready to Fly
Special Features:
- 5.8 GHz antenna
- Sleek design
- Optimized OSD
Benefits:
- Fast
- Built tough
- Lightweight
Disadvantages:
- No LED lights
- 700 TVL camera resolution
What Is a Racing Drone?
A racing drone is a drone designed for speed and agility as opposed to hovering, for which a hobby drone is designed. Both can be FPV drones, but racing drone cameras are typically mounted on the front of the drone since the drone is usually moving forward. Racing drones also have faster transmitters, better antennas and the ability to stop and accelerate faster than a hobby drone.
How Does Racing a Drone Work?
Pilots of racing drones must maneuver over, under, and around obstacles throughout a designed course at speeds of up to 120 mph. Racing drones have the ability to test pilot’s skills, requiring them to pull off acrobatic feats, at incredible speeds. Many pilots even like to design and build their own DIY courses.
What to Consider With a Drone for Racing
Listed below are several factors to consider when selecting a drone for racing, depending upon your skill level, budget amount, and desired features.
Configuration
Racing drones are available in different configurations. Most hobby drones or beginner drones come ready to fly (RTF), meaning they are functional right out of the box and require little to no assembly.
Bind and Fly (BNF) drones come without a radio controller, which you will have to supply and bind to your drone. Some enthusiasts prefer the range and capabilities of a purchased controller.
Do it yourself (DIY) or almost ready to fly (ARF) are terms referring to kits that allow beginners or pros to build a custom drone and teaches them how to understand the technology at a deeper level.
Expertise Level
Beginners typically prefer to purchase RTF racing drones because they are cheaper and can sustain crashes, which will happen more frequently until your skill level builds. Racing drone pilots with higher skill levels often prefer DIY kits or building from scratch due to the ability to customize their drone.
Beginners can also build their own drone as DIY kits are less complex than in the past. However, keep in mind that the cost can exceed that of a RTF drone.
Build
The weight and design of your racing drone will affect how it flies. Also, a sturdy frame will help minimize damage in a crash and the weight of the frame will impact the control of your drone.
If it’s too heavy, you will lack mobility, but if it is too light, your drone will lack control. It is recommended to use a standard, proven frame for your first build. It is also important to choose a frame that has enough space to fit your desired components.
Goggles or Monitor
To view the flight path of your racing drone you can use FPV goggles or a LCD screen, located on the control unit. Using a LCD screen allows you to see the whole picture, see multiple views at once, and they are affordable.
However, you will have to fight glare in brighter areas. FPV goggles are lighter, smaller, use less battery, and block the sunlight, but they are costlier than LCD screens. You may also find FPV goggles slightly disorienting until you become used to using them.
Camera
It is important to have a camera with a clear image and high resolution. FPV cameras work on analog so the resolution is measured in TVL, as opposed to the ratio measurement of digital resolution.
A FPV camera can typically have a TVL of 420, 460, 700, or 800. It is recommended to get a camera with a resolution of 80 TVL so you have clear image quality and minimum latency issues.
Transmitter and Receiver
The transmitter sends the camera’s feedback to the receiver in real time, which is important because you do not want to miss an obstacle causing a crash. To avoid this issue, you will require a powerful-enough transmitter and receiver.
These will mitigate the risk of latency during the video transmission. You will need to ensure that your transmitter and receiver are compatible and that the power is sufficient for your desired range and transmission speed.
Racing Drones For Beginners and Pros
Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, a do it yourself “drone engineer” or a straight out-of-the-box drone pilot, there is a perfect drone on the market for you. You now know what options exist for purchasing the best racing drone for you.
So, the next step is to subscribe to FLYING Magazine! It’ll make sure you stay on top of the latest and greatest information about drones along with all other aspects of the exciting world of aviation.
FAQ
Skilled quadcopter pilots are capable of flying racing drones across three-dimensional courses at speeds of up to 120 mph.
Racing drones are typically more expensive than hobby drones, and thus more durable. Although, they can still break when they crash if the impact is hard enough. The propellers are the most vulnerable part which should be thoroughly checked if your racing drone crashes.
There are four components to a drone that creates speed and make a racing drone faster, those being the frame, the motor, the propellers, and the battery.
