Best Flight Controller for FPV Racing
Drone racing has become one of the most popular sports in the twenty-first century. Drone enthusiasts have a variety of drones to choose from when it comes to this rare yet thrilling sporting activity. However, an important aspect of drone racing is the flight controller aspect. While the expertise and experience of the pilot matters a great deal, the flight controller plays an equally important role especially when it comes to FPV racing. We have highlighted some of the best flight controllers of 2017 to help you win all your upcoming drone races.
CC3D
The CC3D drone flight controller does not come with several advanced features and is therefore good for beginners and first time drone users. It comes with a 32 bit microcontroller which is a major advancement from the past controllers and has an increased performance. It is mainly affordable and supports almost all flight configurations which make it versatile. It is relatively easy to setup and is compatible with most software packages. One greatest undoing of this controller is that it does not have an onboard screen which makes it cumbersome to configure.
Buy at Amazon: OpenPilot CC3D Evo Flight Controller 32-bit Case Side Pin 90 Degree +CablesNaze32
The Naze 32 comes with additional sensors and an inbuilt barometer with capabilities of adding GPS. It is fitted with a Baseflight software package but gives you an option of adding Cleanflight which is a plus as far as its performance is concerned. The Naze32 is a darling of first time drone racers and has 32 bit microcontroller that also ensures your performance is not limited. The Acro version is not only cheap to acquire but it is also relatively easy to set up thanks to the onboard screen. It is also compatible with Cleanflight which is one of the most advanced software in the FC industry.
Buy at Amazon: USAQ Naze32 Flight Controller for Racing Drones Acro 6DOF Rev.6 Betaflight CleanflightKISS
The KISS flight controller is comparable to the Naze32 and although it does not come with a barometer and magnetometer like the rest, it comes with an in built custom firmware that makes it easy to set up and configure. It is a great build especially if you intend to use it on a small quadcopter since it does not support octocopters. This means that it is meant for first time beginners in the world of drone racing. It is cheap to acquire and comes fitted with a 32 bit microcontroller that enhances its performance a great deal. It is easy to set up thanks to the inbuilt firmware which makes it ideal for beginners.
Buy at Amazon: Fluduino KISS FC V2 - 32bit Flight ControllerEagle Tree Vector
The Eagle Tree vector is one of the most versatile flight controllers thanks to its support of autonomous features. It is easy to program and supports multiple crafts. It requires very minimal tuning and is extremely powerful. It comes with a 32 bit microcontroller and is very versatile with several sensors and telemetry capabilities. Apart from just being easy to set up and tune, it supports very many different flight configurations.
Buy at Amazon: Eagle Tree Vector Flight Controller + OSD with Wire Leads (p/n: VEC-PKG-LEADS)Revolt F4
The Revolt F4 was designed by the Raceflight team to be used by reaceflight. It is said to allow the fastest gyro refresh rate. It comes with a powerful performance and many users have expressed confidence in its performance and versatility. It is fitted with in-built software, the Raceflight 1(RF1) which is relatively easy to use and configure. It has very low noise levels which makes it one of the quietest FCs in the market.
Buy at Amazon: RaceFlight Revolt F4 32KHz Flight Controller V2ArduPilot APM
The ArduPilot APM is a versatile flight controller that scales the height of performance and affordability quite easily. Being an entry-level flight controller, it supports GPS and autonomous flight which is an added advantage to the user. It comes fitted with additional sensors and a magnetometer and a barometer which supports telemetry and flight logs. It is easier to setup as compared to all the other autonomous flight controllers and has been tested and proven. One disadvantage of the ArduPilot APM is the fact that it comes with a smaller microcontroller which reduces its performance significantly. At only 8 bits, the microcontroller does not emit enough power to sustain a flight for long periods of time.
Buy at Amazon: APM2.6 Flight Controller Board with Top-Pin Connector for ArduPilot Mega 2.6 Flight Control Board