Aerial package delivery becomes reality with DJI FlyCart 30 cargo drone

DJI FlyCart 30
Last year, our City Hall did some tests on aerial medical transportation between two hospitals. The cargo drone they used was custom-made and did not look good or professional like the DJI FlyCart 30. The proof of concept was somehow successful, except the drone needed to emergency land two times due to poor weather conditions. Instead, the DJI FlyCart...

CaddxFPV Ratel Pro: Analog FPV isn’t dead (yet)?

CaddxFPV Ratel Pro
Although one of the best manufacturers of analog FPV cameras for a long time, CaddxFPV has joined DJI's digital HD FPV platform, then quickly made another change and focused exclusively on the Walsknail Avatar HD FPV transmission system. Honestly, I was surprised when I read about the release of the Rate Pro camera for the analog FPV systems that...

HoverAir X1: Selfie drone for TikTok and other content creators

HoverAir X1 Airselfie
This morning, scrolling through TikTok videos, I came across a post from a content creator that showed its new selfie drone, the HoverAir X1. Like the AEE Sparrow, AirSelfie Air Neo S, or Simtoo Hoshi 007, the Zero Zero Robotic X1 Airselfie drone also has a caged design. The drone can be folded to fit inside your pocket, making it...

MEPS SZ F7 HD: Easy to wire high-performance flight controller

MEPS SZ F7 HD
Here at FirstQuadcopter, we start 2024 with a flight controller review. The MEPS SZ F7 HD is the company's second FC we tested. Both have similar features, mainly just the mounting pattern difference. The smaller 20x20mm is suitable for compact 3-5" CineWhoop drones, and the bigger 30x30mm for 5-9" freestyling and long-range FPV drones. The flight controller is one of...

BLUETTI AC70: 1000W Battery Backup for Power Outages

Bluetti AC70
One of my friends recently moved to a village with electricity problems. As gas boilers, pellet stoves, and heating water recirculation pumps don't like power outages, he asked me to recommend a battery backup solution, knowing that lately, I have reviewed a couple of power stations. Starting from its budget (willing to spend around $600) and its needs, I...

Master Airscrew 9″ propellers for Long-Range FPV drones

Master Airscrew 9-inch propellers
Last week, I built a long-range FPV drone using the Chimera 9 ECO frame, and while researching the required components, I came across Master Airscrew, a US brand with a tradition in propeller manufacturing. So far, I have only used HQprop, Dalrop, and Gemfan propellers, and although they never disappointed me, I was curious to test if these 9"...

Betaflight 4.5 firmware released: What’s new?

BetaFlight 4.5
While everyone was busy unwrapping Christmas gifts, the BetaFlight team released a new upgrade for its popular open-source flight controller firmware. In this article, we will focus on what's new in Betaflight 4.5 and if it's worth upgrading from previous BF versions with the risk of undetected bugs of a new release. The BF 4.5 is an incremental release, meaning...

iFlight Chimera9 ECO: Let’s Build a 9″ Long-Range FPV Drone

iFlight Chimera9 ECO
Every time I build a new FPV drone, it's like an adventure that begins with acquiring the parts and ends with a maiden flight. In this review, I will focus on how you can build a professional-looking 9-inch long-range drone on a budget using the iFlight Chimera9 ECO frame kit. Usually, every DIY drone project should start with your needs...

MEPS SZ2207: Are these FPV motors better than company’s reputation?

MEPS Space SZ2207 motor
The SZ2207 will be the second FPV motor from MEPS reviewed here on FirstQuadcopter. Both motors are intended for 5-6" racing drones. While the SZ2306's stator has 23mm width and 6mm height, the SZ2207's stator is 22 mm/7 mm. The 2207 has a narrower stator width, so you can expect lighter rotational inertia that allows for faster RPM changes,...

iFlight BLITZ F7 V1.1 flight controller: Is it good?

iFlight BLITZ F7 V1.1
The flight controller (FC) is the brain of the FPV drone and is probably the most critical component, as it is responsible for stabilizing the drone. The FC generates the motors' control signals based on the pilot's and sensors' inputs. If you are starting with this hobby, I strongly recommend using BetaFlight-based flight controllers like this iFlight BLITZ F7...