The NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V3 is without doubt one of the most budget-friendly tiny whoops presently available on the market. Regardless of its low value, this tiny whoop gives spectacular sturdiness and a set of options that make it a wonderful alternative for these new to the FPV world. Nevertheless, it additionally has some limitations, which I’ll cowl on this evaluation. I’ll stroll you thru its specs, efficiency, and the way it compares to different widespread tiny whoops available on the market.
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The place to Purchase
You should buy the Hummingbird V3 from:
For $89.99, the Hummingbird V3 bundle consists of:
- The Hummingbird V3 drone
- A spare set of Triblade props
- A propeller elimination device
- A Nitro Nector 1S 300mAh battery
- A fast-start information and binding directions
Specs
- Propellers: NewBeeDrone Azi 31mm Tri-Blade (1.0mm Shaft)
- Flight Controller: Hummingbird V3 ELRS AIO Flight Controller
- Body: Cockroach65 V3 Body
- Complete Weight with out battery: 21.6g (PP Materials Cockroach65 body)
- Motors: Hummingbird 0802 25000KV
- Cover: Goober Cover v1
- Digital camera: BeeEye Digital camera
- Drone Measurement: 65mm
Flight Controller (FC) Specs:
- MCU: STM32F411
- Gyro: BMI270
- VTX: 25mW with BeeTX 5.8GHz Antenna
- ESC: 12A BLHeliS pre-flashed with Bluejay 0.19.2 Goal: O-H-10 48kHz
- ESC Connector: JST-1.0 3Pin
- OSD: NBD7456 Graphical OSD appropriate with Betaflight OSD
- Receiver: 2.4GHz ExpressLRS (SPI)
- Battery Enter: 1S Solely
- Battery Connector: Nectar Connector Gold Plated PH2.0 Stable Pin
Design and Construct High quality
The Hummingbird V3 stands out with its sturdy design and engaging white body accented by black and pink particulars. It’s constructed round NewBeeDrone’s signature Cockroach body, which is famend for its sturdiness.
In contrast to the most recent tiny whoops, the body and cover are thicker, making the drone extra strong and appropriate for brand spanking new pilots who’re nonetheless studying the ropes. Nevertheless, this added bulk comes at the price of elevated weight.
Weighing in at round 21.6 grams, the Hummingbird V3 is 20% heavier than the BetaFPV Air65, which weighs simply 17.1 grams. This extra weight considerably impacts flight efficiency, as I’ll focus on additional.
On the optimistic aspect, the bigger polycarbonate cover not solely shields the inner elements but additionally provides the drone a modern look. The eye to element is obvious, with small foam foot pads for smoother landings and solder pads on the motor base for simple replacements. Moreover, the brilliant RGB LEDs on the 4 corners of the flight controller add a pleasant visible contact, which might be configured in Betaflight.
Aside from weight, one other notable draw back is using the older PH2.0 battery connector as a substitute of the extra trendy BT2.0 or A30 connectors, which supply higher flight instances and decreased voltage sag. Whereas the PH2.0 connector isn’t a deal-breaker, it’s one thing to think about if you happen to want to standardize your battery connectors throughout your fleet.
Flight Efficiency
Utilizing the included 1S 300mAh Nitro Nectar LiHV battery, I used to be capable of get round 3 minutes of flight time with the Hummingbird V3. As compared, the BetaFPV Air65 can obtain over 4 minutes, highlighting the impression of the additional weight on flight time. To compensate for this added weight, NewBeeDrone outfitted the Hummingbird V3 with bigger 0802 25000KV motors, which ship extra energy however on the expense of effectivity.
You may positively really feel the additional weight, particularly throughout turns. It appears like flying a heavier 75mm whoop however with the ability of a 65mm. The extra momentum requires earlier response and bigger stick actions, making it much less nimble and more durable to fly than the Air65. Nevertheless, the drone flies easily and feels locked in, displaying that NewBeeDrone has executed a stable job tuning the whoop straight out of the manufacturing unit.
The ESCs come pre-flashed with Bluejay 0.19 firmware (48kHz PWM Frequency), with the RPM filter enabled in Betaflight out of the field, which reinforces flight efficiency. Nevertheless, the ESC settings may use a bit extra optimization, as some motors don’t all the time begin correctly when armed inflicting the drone to flip over at takeoff. That is a straightforward repair, which I’ll cowl within the “How you can Setup” part on this evaluation.
One other minor annoyance is the continually altering RGB LED lights. Whereas they give the impression of being cool, the reflections on the prop guards might be distracting for the pilot, particularly in low-light situations. Thankfully, you’ll be able to disable them within the settings.
The picture high quality from the BeeEye digicam is okay, on par with what you’d anticipate from different finances choices like Happymodel or BetaFPV.
What NewBeeDrone May Enhance
The Hummingbird V3 would have been a wonderful tiny whoop 2-3 years in the past, however the specs really feel considerably outdated in late 2024. Listed below are just a few options for NewBeeDrone to modernize this drone and enhance its efficiency:
- Improve to a BT2.0 or A30 battery connector.
- Use a lighter body and cover to scale back weight (ideally within the 17-18g stage).
- Instantly solder motors to the ESC pads to reduce resistance and additional scale back weight.
- After decreasing weight, think about using barely increased KV motors to maximise efficiency (e.g., 27000KV or 28000KV).
- Swap from an SPI receiver to a UART receiver for futureproofing.
One other limitation we’ve got not touched on is the video transmitter, which is capped at 25mW RF output energy. Whereas this is perhaps ample for many indoor and short-range flights, it’s much less versatile than different newest tiny whoops, which generally supply as much as 350mW and even 400mW. Increased energy output might be useful when flying by way of a number of rooms in a home or outside the place further vary and sign penetration are most well-liked.
Lighter LiteAF Racing Body
The Hummingbird V3 makes use of the sturdy Cockroach V3 body. NewBeeDrone lately launched a brand new “LiteAF” body product of polypropylene materials, with a barely decrease profile, decreasing the burden by about 0.5 grams. That is designed for racing, however I believe most pilot can profit from a lighter body. You may take a look at the LiteAF body right here: https://oscarliang.com/product-oexn.
How you can Setup
The flight controller comes with Betaflight 4.4.0 (launched a 12 months in the past), with the goal firmware being BETAFPVG473. You’ll find the default CLI diff right here.
To arrange your Hummingbird V3 for its maiden flight:
- Bind the Receiver: Enter your bind phrase within the Receiver tab.
- Load ExpressLRS Preset – what packet fee you’re utilizing.
- Set Your Charges within the PID Tuning tab.
- Configure Switches: Arrange your arm change, angle mode change, and turtle mode change.
- Tweak ESC Settings in Bluejay: Enhance the Minimal Startup Energy to 1070 and alter ESC energy settings to 1S. The default of 1020 is simply too low and might trigger some motors to not spin when armed.
Remaining Ideas
To be utterly sincere, after flying the BetaFPV Air65, it’s laborious to advocate the rest at this level. Whereas the Hummingbird V3 has some good options and considerate design touches, its heavier weight and use of the older PH2.0 connector really feel outdated. The Air65 is extra nimble, gives longer flight instances, has higher specs (like a better energy VTX and a UART receiver), and is even cheaper.
That mentioned, the Hummingbird V3 nonetheless has its deserves. It might not be my best choice for racers, however it may be a enjoyable tiny whoop for normal use, providing good sturdiness due to its strong body. Plus, being a product from a U.S.-based firm would possibly attraction to some pilots trying to assist home manufacturers.
You should buy the Hummingbird V3 from: