First-person view(FPV) is a feature that allows drone users on the ground to receive a live feed with an aerial view.
This allows you to see where you’re flying in real-time so you do not have to wait until the drone returns home to see the footage.
A live feed can be beneficial when racing or if you need to see what you’re capturing.
Most professional and hobbyist drone users look for this feature in a pre-built drone while some may look for an FPV drone kit to create their own FPV unit.
You can check out these FPV drones and micro FPV quadcopters by clicking on the links or take a look at some of the best FPV drone kits in this article to build your own.
Drone
Features
Price
- 1 X-Speed 250B V3 Racing Quad Frame
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CW
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CCW
- 4 5045 3-blade Propeller (2CW + 2CCW)
- 1 Flycolor S-Tower w/30A 4 in 1 ESC + F4 + OSD + PDB
- 1 Foxeer HS1177 V2 Fpv Camera
- 1 5.8G 200mw 32CH FPV TX
- 1 FPV Transmitter Antenna
- 1 Radiolink AT9s Transmitter + Receiver
- 1 LED
- 1 4S 1500mah Lipo Battery
- 1 frame with canopy
- 4 Xing 1404 3800kv motor
- 1 Micro 15A V2.1 ESC
- 1micro F4 V1.5 FC
- 1 whoop force VTX
- 1 turbo eos v2 camera for caddx.
- 4 pairs 4030 propeller
- 1 ufl antenna
- 1 bag with screws
- 1 nylon Fiber Frame
- 2 pair JMT 920KV CW CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 pair 1045 Carbon Fiber Propeller
- 1 PIXHAWK PIX PXI PX4 Flight Controller
- 1 6M GPS with 25cm Cable
- 1 Radiolink AT9 2.4GHz 9 Channel Transmitter Radio and Receiver
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 4 Black 140MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod
- 1 11.1V 4400MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 2-axle Gimbal Camera Mount with Brushless Motor Controller
- 1 A85 A85 body frame
- 1 C85 carbon fiber plate
- 1 FPV Cam & TPU Bottom Stand for NakedGoPro
- 1 FC bottom cover TPU
- 4 Arm Guard TPU
- 1 Antenna Mount TPU
- 1 pack screw
- 1 Nylon Fiber Flamewheel Frame
- 2 CW Brushless Motor
- 2CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 CW CCW propeller 9443
- 1 APM2.8 APM 2.8 Multicopter Flight Controller 2.5 2.6 Upgraded Built-in Compass
- 1 6M GPS with Compass L5883 25cm Cable
- 1x 40MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod Black
- 5 10cm Servo Extension Lead Wire Cable MALE TO MALE KK MK MWC flight control Board For RC Quadcopter
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector Silicone Wire With 11.5CM 14awg
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 1 11.1V 2200MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 Flysky FS-i6 6CH 2.4G AFHDS 2A LCD Transmitter iA6 Receiver Mode 2
- 1 Gimbal Mount Gopro Hero 3
Best FPV drone kits
- 1 X-Speed 250B V3 Racing Quad Frame
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CW
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CCW
- 4 5045 3-blade Propeller (2CW + 2CCW)
- 1 Flycolor S-Tower w/30A 4 in 1 ESC + F4 + OSD + PDB
- 1 Foxeer HS1177 V2 Fpv Camera
- 1 5.8G 200mw 32CH FPV TX
- 1 FPV Transmitter Antenna
- 1 Radiolink AT9s Transmitter + Receiver
- 1 LED
- 1 4S 1500mah Lipo Battery
The Arris X-Speed 250B is the best FPV drone for racing.
It is quite sturdy and zippy with a strong build featuring components made from carbon and glass fiber.
This unit comes fully unassembled and is ideal for those who have an interest in electronics and have an idea of assembling a drone from scratch.
The Foxeer HS1177 V2 FPV camera included in the package delivers clean and crisp images right back to the user.
What is more, is that the camera can be adjusted to give you the freedom to capture imagery from various angles ranging from zero to 45 degrees.
The weight of the camera is just 5.8 grams and ideal for this mini quad to help provide a stable flight for clearer pictures.
The kit features a simple frame with a tower structure and the ESC/PDB already installed.
The tower comes with integrated OSD so there is no need for you to install it separately.
This makes it easier to assemble this unit and to repair the unit if something goes wrong.
- Simple structure frame installed with tower structure ESC/PDB, easy to assemble and easy to repair....
- The tower comes with integrated OSD, no need to install it separately. The angle of the FPV camera...
- Newly released high efficiency S2205 2300KV motor provides you better performance and longer working...
- 1 frame with canopy
- 4 Xing 1404 3800kv motor
- 1 Micro 15A V2.1 ESC
- 1micro F4 V1.5 FC
- 1 whoop force VTX
- 1 turbo eos v2 camera for caddx.
- 4 pairs 4030 propeller
- 1 ufl antenna
- 1 bag with screws
The iFlight TurboBee 160RS kit comes with everything you need to build your drone except a 650mah 4S Lipo XT30 connector.
You will have to purchase this separately but you won’t have to look too hard since it is readi
However, it isn’t too expensive and the brand you go with will all depend on you.
The iFlight TurboBee drone is designed for micro FPV racing with its compact and lightweight canopy design.
This 4-inch quadcopter features a carbon fiber main plate that adopts a long x-type look which is becoming one of the most iconic shapes for racing quads.
Its shape along with its lightweight frame allows for more flexible spinning during intense racing activities.
You will be challenging your friends in no time due to the FPV live feed which is sharp and crisp thanks to the unit’s Turbo Eos V2 1200TVL FPV camera.
For speed, iFlight TurboBee 160RS delivers speeds you wouldn’t expect from such a small unit.
This is because there is a strong power system backing the unit including the 4 Xing 1404 3800kv motors that come with it.
- 1.TurboBee 160RS carbon fiber main plate with compact canopy design,super clean
- 2.TurboBee 160RS is designed and born for micro FPV racing
- 3.This 4inch drone frame adopt long X type, the iconic shaft type of the racing drone, for more...
- 4.The speed of the micro drone flying is as good as the big drone due to a strong power system
- 5.Pack list:1* frame,4*xing 1404 3800kv motor,1*SucceX Micro 15A V2.1 ESC,1*succeX micro F4 V1.5...
- 1 nylon Fiber Frame
- 2 pair JMT 920KV CW CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 pair 1045 Carbon Fiber Propeller
- 1 PIXHAWK PIX PXI PX4 Flight Controller
- 1 6M GPS with 25cm Cable
- 1 Radiolink AT9 2.4GHz 9 Channel Transmitter Radio and Receiver
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 4 Black 140MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod
- 1 11.1V 4400MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 2-axle Gimbal Camera Mount with Brushless Motor Controller
The QWinOut DIY kit comes fully unassembled and will be quite the challenge.
This kit is definitely not one for those who are now entering the world of building drones and is not the kit you should select as your first build.
However, those who are passionate about building their own FPV drone will have a ton of fun putting together this drone since this unit comes with all the parts you’ll need.
Furthermore, the manufacturer has also pitched in and helped out by programming the ESCs.
This way you can totally eliminate this step and move on to the next when building your unit.
Everything in this drone kit will lead to a spectacular build from the nylon fiber frame to its 2-axle gimbal mount.
With its 2-axle gimbal mount, you can choose a compatible camera to give you the best FPVs.
The gimbal will also stabilize images so there will be no distortion when receiving the live feed.
Meanwhile, the PixHawk flight controller and the Radiolink 2.4GHz Transmitter radio and receiver offer seamless and smooth communication between the unit itself and its operator.
- HJ 450 Multicopter 450F nylon Fiber Frame Airframe kit Strong Smooth RC KK MK MWC DIY Quadcopter...
- 30A Brushless ESC Speed Controller For RC Quadcopter Hexacopter
- Radiolink AT9 2.4GHz 9 Channel Transmitter Radio & Receiver TX &RX for RC Toy Helicopter
- Before Producing, The Manufacturer Have Set Up The Program, The Esc Do Not Need Additional Program.
- This ESC Do Not Have The English Instruction
- 1 A85 A85 body frame
- 1 C85 carbon fiber plate
- 1 FPV Cam & TPU Bottom Stand for NakedGoPro
- 1 FC bottom cover TPU
- 4 Arm Guard TPU
- 1 Antenna Mount TPU
- 1 pack screw
The iFlight Alpha C85 can be used to mount your Insta360 GO or NakedGoPro Hero 8 camera for smooth cinematic footage or FPV.
This partial kit requires you to make some separate purchases since the kit does not include everything you need to build your quad.
You will be required to buy an AIO Board, FPV micro motor, 2-inch propellers, 25.5*25.5mm FC pattern, 14mm cam spacing, and 4S 450mAh HV 75C Lipo Battery.
You may need a NakedGoPro Hero8 case TPU with BEC board as well if you are going to be using a GoPro Hero 8 camera.
Now let’s take a look at the included components in the kit.
The iFlight Alpha C85 features a lightweight and durable whoop-style frame which allows the cameras and batteries to be placed on top of the unit.
This allows you to better control the drone while it is in flight as the center of gravity is concentrated.
- 1 Nylon Fiber Flamewheel Frame
- 2 CW Brushless Motor
- 2CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 CW CCW propeller 9443
- 1 APM2.8 APM 2.8 Multicopter Flight Controller 2.5 2.6 Upgraded Built-in Compass
- 1 6M GPS with Compass L5883 25cm Cable
- 1x 40MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod Black
- 5 10cm Servo Extension Lead Wire Cable MALE TO MALE KK MK MWC flight control Board For RC Quadcopter
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector Silicone Wire With 11.5CM 14awg
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 1 11.1V 2200MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 Flysky FS-i6 6CH 2.4G AFHDS 2A LCD Transmitter iA6 Receiver Mode 2
- 1 Gimbal Mount Gopro Hero 3
The QWinOut 450mm airframe quadcopter ARF combo is very similar to the other QWinOut kit mentioned earlier.
Similarities include the difficulty in setting it up and once again, only choose this kit if you are an experienced FPV drone builder.
Some users have found it easy to build while others have run into issues so make sure you know what you’re about before purchasing this unit.
On the other hand, the differences lie with the transmitter and receiver among other things.
However, both the kits are awesome on their own and should not be compared since they have a bit of a big price difference.
This unit also comes with a Gimbal mount so you can mount your GoPro 3 camera for sharp FPV imagery.
- Pls note: from January 2023, this DIY drone is not include Camera Gimbal Mount anymore.
- APM2.8 APM 2.8 Multicopter Flight Controller Built-in Compass. 920KV Brushless Motor CW CCW
- Flysky FS-i6 2.4-G AFHDS 2A LCD Transmitter iA6 Receiver Mode 2
- HJ 450 450F Nylon Fiber Flamewheel Frame Airframe kit
- Full Set RC Quadcopter ARF Combo DIY Drone
What are FPV drones used for?
FPV drones can be used by professional photographers and videographers to capture stunning aerial pictures and videos.
This is because you can shoot a ton of videos and photos since you see what you’re capturing.
These drones are also suitable for racing which is a popular sport among drone enthusiasts.
The live feed is transmitted by the transmitter to a screen on the ground to give you a first-person view.
This way you feel like a pilot in the cockpit while your feet are still planted firmly on the ground.
To immerse yourself fully, you can opt for FPV goggles that kicks flight experience up quite a notch.
How to put together the FPV quadcopter parts
The FPV quadcopter kit that you purchased will most likely have all the parts and accessories you will need to build your FPV unit.
Ensure your unit supports FPV functionality because a quadcopter kit that doesn’t will just waste your time and money.
All that will be required from you is to assemble the parts.
Let us take a look at the various parts that may be included in your FPV kit.
The base
The first step in building an FPV quadcopter is creating the base.
You start by building the base with the frame that you have.
Check out the best drone frame here.
The base is going to house the motors and the electronic speed controllers so you need to ensure that the base is strong.
The base will also include a bottom plate and a PCB board with the arms wedged in between.
You will have to connect them using screws and nuts.
Once that is finished, your base is ready for use.
Motors and ESC’s
After completing the base it is time to mount the motors and ESCs.
The motors and ESC are what determines the performance of the finished drone.
First off you will need to solder the ESCs onto the motors themselves.
Most drones will include four motors which mean two of those will work in a clockwise direction on the other two in an anticlockwise direction.
Make sure that you know which motor goes on which side of the drone to avoid any issues.
You can check the instruction manual to make sure this is done correctly.
Once you have figured this out, you can now move on and connect the ESCs.
After the ESC’s are connected, you will need to solder the power cables to the PDB.
Now that we have the ESC’s connected to the motor and the wires attached, you can go ahead and attach the motor to the arms of the drone.
Your kit may include screws to do so.
When attaching the motors to the arm ensure that the wires point down the arm for a clean sleek look.
As an extra step if you have any cables sticking out you can stuff them under the ESCs.
The flight controller
The flight controller is what gives you the power to control the drone from a certain distance
The controller should be strong and durable to survive a few crashes here and there.
When installing the flight controller, it is crucial to secure the device correctly since most controllers work in a certain orientation only.
After mounting the controller onto the middle of the frame you can then attach the speed controllers.
The flight controller then transmits the instructions of the operator to the ESC’s to help manage or alter the speed of the drone when in flight.
The wires usually have different specifications including ground voltage and signal wires which you should be able to differentiate between due to their different colors.
Receiver connection
After the flight controller has been installed, it will need to receive information from the operator on the ground via the drone controller.
This is done from the receiver which is connected to the input pins of the flight controller.
Your kit will include specific cables to make this connection and you will need to ensure that they are attached in the correct orientation.
FPV system setup
Since you are building an FPV quad, this is the most important step in the process.
The FPV system setup will include a camera and a transmitter.
These two work together to give you that preferred first-person view while the drone is in the air.
You will find that various kits have different ways of achieving this setup.
However, most will have a pretty basic setup.
First, you will need to connect the wires going to the ground, voltage and signal from the camera to the transmitter.
The cables are usually found in the camera pack or the transmitter package.
Once that is completed, connect a balance lead connector to power the entire system so that it can fly.
You can choose to heat shrink the connection just to make things look a bit tidier.
Final touches
After you’ve made all the attachments and connections, it is now time to fix the system together.
Attached to the camera system to the drone frame and the transmitter to the side of the drone.
Once completed it is time to mount the battery pack.
You can place this anywhere you like since there isn’t a certain place but is considered best for the battery.
The last step includes attaching the propellers for the motors which then completes your FPV drone making it ready to hit the skies.
How to choose the best FPV camera
FPV drones provide an awesome aerial view of the world around you.
You can opt to purchase a pre-built FPV drone or build your own FPV drone.
If you’re not a builder, you can check out our best drone with camera reviews and if you are building your own FPV drone, keep these few things in mind when choosing the FPV camera.
You can also check out our drone kit guide for other units to build.
Imaging sensor
There are two different kinds of imaging sensors on the market with the first one being CCD and the second is called CMOS.
CCD comes with effective light sensitivity and has a much greater dynamic range while CMOS is a lot cheaper and smaller in size.
However, CMOS sensors are best for FPV quadcopters.
Video encoding standard
NTSC and PAL are the different standards for video encoding and it is not a very important issue but it is recommended to use the standard that is followed by your country.
North America for example follows the NTSC standard while in some countries in Europe, they follow PAL.
Lens Focal Width
You will find a bunch of options when it comes to the focal width of the camera FPV lens.
The most common values you can find are 3.6mm and 2.8mm.
The 3.6mm will give you a field of view of about 90 degrees while 2.8mm will give you a field of view of about 112 degrees.
Make a choice based on your preference since some people do not like the bigger field of view.
Camera size and operation
Today, FPV cameras are usually square with a length of either 32mm or 38mm.
The weight should be around 20 grams to 50 grams and for micro fpv quadcopters, then the weight should be as low as 5 grams.
Moving on to voltage, go for a 12-volt power so that you can connect the camera to the Li-Po battery.
IR Block or IR sensitivity
The camera of the FPV system will come with IR Block or IR sensitivity.
IR Block gives you a better color range while IR sensitivity works better in low-light conditions.
Drone
Features
Price
- 1 X-Speed 250B V3 Racing Quad Frame
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CW
- 2 S2205 2300KV Brushless Motors CCW
- 4 5045 3-blade Propeller (2CW + 2CCW)
- 1 Flycolor S-Tower w/30A 4 in 1 ESC + F4 + OSD + PDB
- 1 Foxeer HS1177 V2 Fpv Camera
- 1 5.8G 200mw 32CH FPV TX
- 1 FPV Transmitter Antenna
- 1 Radiolink AT9s Transmitter + Receiver
- 1 LED
- 1 4S 1500mah Lipo Battery
- 1 frame with canopy
- 4 Xing 1404 3800kv motor
- 1 Micro 15A V2.1 ESC
- 1micro F4 V1.5 FC
- 1 whoop force VTX
- 1 turbo eos v2 camera for caddx.
- 4 pairs 4030 propeller
- 1 ufl antenna
- 1 bag with screws
- 1 nylon Fiber Frame
- 2 pair JMT 920KV CW CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 pair 1045 Carbon Fiber Propeller
- 1 PIXHAWK PIX PXI PX4 Flight Controller
- 1 6M GPS with 25cm Cable
- 1 Radiolink AT9 2.4GHz 9 Channel Transmitter Radio and Receiver
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 4 Black 140MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod
- 1 11.1V 4400MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 2-axle Gimbal Camera Mount with Brushless Motor Controller
- 1 A85 A85 body frame
- 1 C85 carbon fiber plate
- 1 FPV Cam & TPU Bottom Stand for NakedGoPro
- 1 FC bottom cover TPU
- 4 Arm Guard TPU
- 1 Antenna Mount TPU
- 1 pack screw
- 1 Nylon Fiber Flamewheel Frame
- 2 CW Brushless Motor
- 2CCW Brushless Motor
- 4 30A Brushless ESC
- 2 CW CCW propeller 9443
- 1 APM2.8 APM 2.8 Multicopter Flight Controller 2.5 2.6 Upgraded Built-in Compass
- 1 6M GPS with Compass L5883 25cm Cable
- 1x 40MM High Landing Gear Skid Wheels Tripod Black
- 5 10cm Servo Extension Lead Wire Cable MALE TO MALE KK MK MWC flight control Board For RC Quadcopter
- 1 DJI GPS Folding Antenna Mount Holder Metal
- 12 3.5mm Bullet Connector ( banana plug )
- 1 Hook & Loop Fastening Tape
- 1 T Plug Male Connector Silicone Wire With 11.5CM 14awg
- 1 IMAX RC B3 Pro Compact Balance Charger
- 1 11.1V 2200MAH 30C 3S1P battery
- 1 Flysky FS-i6 6CH 2.4G AFHDS 2A LCD Transmitter iA6 Receiver Mode 2
- 1 Gimbal Mount Gopro Hero 3