Racing

WHAT IS DRONE RACING?

Drone racing is a sport where drone pilots strive to build extremely fast and agile multi-rotors (otherwise known as drones) to fly around a set course as fast as possible. Almost all drone races today are done using FPV (First Person View) systems. FPV is a type of drone flying where pilots use cameras to fly drones as if they were sitting in the cockpit. Some pilots fly using FPV monitors, where as others use specialized FPV goggles to give them a more immersive experience.

FPV flying was originally done using RC Planes, but in recent years, multi-rotor drones have become extremely popular, much more stable, easier to fly, and more agile than RC planes. All of this has made multi-rotor drones the perfect platform for FPV flying. From late 2013 to 2015, people began making FPV drones that were much smaller than what was considered the standard. This allowed them to be even more maneuverable than before while also being able to fit through tighter spaces and hold up better in crashes. After flying these mini FPV drones, it became apparent that FPV Drone racing was going to become extremely popular in the future.

Drone racing is already starting to take off, but I believe that it’s still at it’s infancy stage, and what we’re doing right now is “nothing” compared to what drone racing will eventually become years down the road. That being said, people who race drones right now are truly the pioneers of a new sport. We are the ones who will define what FPV drone racing is, how it’s regulated, the technology that’s used and most importantly, what it means to be a drone racer in the future.

We believe that drone racing is here to stay, so there’s no better time to get into the sport than right now.

Image result for qav250

WHAT DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?

To get started, you’ll first need to buy all of the right components. You’re going to need a racing drone, batteries, a battery charger, a good controller, FPV goggles, a video receiver and a few other miscellanies items.

TO BUILD OR BUY – That is the Question

Okay, so you’re ready to move on to a full-size racing quadcopter. You have two options:

  1. Buy a ready-to-fly (RTF) or almost-ready-to-fly (ARF) quadcopter.
  2. Buy parts such as a frame, motors, props etc. and build it yourself.

We can’t really say which of these options is better for you. If you like building things, the second option is great. For many of us, building the quad is half the fun. The other main advantage of building your own quad is that you’ll have the knowledge and skills to fix it when you crash.

But if you really can’t wait to get in the air, there are now some decent RTF racing quads on the market. You might pay a little more than if you had built it yourself, but at least you’ll know it flies.

PARTS – What’s in a Quad

An FPV racing quadcopter is made up of the following parts:

  • Frame
  • 4 motors
  • 4 ESCs
  • 4 props
  • Flight controller
  • Lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery
  • Video transmitter (vTx) and receiver (vRx)
  • Radio transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx)
  • Antennas
  • Battery straps
  • FPV goggles or monitor
  • Board camera for FPV
  • HD camera for recording (optional)

Don’t be afraid to crash

Flying is crashing, and repairs are a huge part of drone racing and the FPV hobby. Crashing will help you learn from your mistakes, find the limits of your ability, and find your aircraft’s ability. Plus, the more you crash, the better you will become at repairing your aircraft. I’m not encouraging you to focus on crashing. I only want to express the importance of pushing past your fears.

CLASSES – Keep it Simple

In the early days of FPV racing, most groups were using frame size as the primary classification criteria, which gave birth to the famous “250” size quadcopter such as the Blackout Mini-H Quad.

However, as the sport has evolved, we have learned that frame size is not such a critical factor in competition. We have also learned to keep classes simple:

Spec Class (Beginner)

Pilots must use a quadcopter with 3S LiPo and 5″ diameter props.

Open Class (Advanced)

Anything goes! (Event organizers may choose to implement a maximum weight restriction for safety reasons.)

SAFETY – If You Hurt Somebody, We’ll Be Mad

Safety is very important. If you seriously hurt somebody with a multicopter, you will also hurt the hobby. And we will be mad. So please read these safety tips and keep them in mind.

General

  • Do not buy an FPV racing quad as your first multicopter. Practice with a micro quad first.
  • Always switch on your video receiver and check that the channel is not being used before you switch on the transmitter.
  • Do not race in a public place without taking steps to ensure that people will not accidentally walk out onto the course during a race.
  • Never fly near or above people or animals. If the multicopter fails, it becomes a falling brick.
  • Never fly whilst you are intoxicated.

Events

  • Do not turn on your video transmitter until you have checked that nobody else is using the channel.
  • Do not fly in a public place where people might inadvertently walk out onto the course.

LiPo Cells

  • Be very careful with LiPo cells.
  • Do not charge them inside the house and do not leave them unattended whilst charging.
  • Always check for signs of damage after a crash. Be aware that a damaged cell can spontaneously ignite in a spectacular fashion.
  • Never use a damaged LiPo cell. Dispose of it safely and properly.

Props

  • Props can cause very serious injuries. Even very small props hurt.
  • Disengage the battery immediately after picking up the multicopter.
  • Do not try to catch a multicopter in mid-air.