Drone Racing Kits: Everything You Need to Know!

Drone Racing Kits: Everything You Need to Know!

Drone racing has quickly become one of the most popular hobbies in the world, and it’s easy to see why! Whether you’re interested in trying your hand at drone racing or you’re just wanting to spend an afternoon flying around with your friends and family, there are tons of options out there for drone kits that will let you get started in the exciting sport of drone racing. Before you buy your first drone kit, though, be sure to read through this guide on everything you need to know about drone racing kits!

What is drone racing?

Drone racing isn’t exactly new, but it’s certainly a niche sport. Drone racing leagues like Drone Racing League have been popping up, offering competitions where drone pilots compete in first-person view (FPV) races, with video displayed live via a camera that is mounted on their drones. These groups are all working towards one goal: getting drone racing into Olympic events. While some people might not understand what all of the fuss is about, you can easily get swept up in drone racing’s growing popularity—especially if you start thinking about drone race kits.

Which drones should you buy for racing?

For starters, if you want to learn how to make a racing drone, you’ll need two things that don’t come in drone-racing kits: (1) a drone frame and (2) a set of propellers. That means buying your quadcopter parts. A typical racing frame will range from $50–$200, while sets of props will be priced similarly depending on quality and quantity. Here are some popular choices for beginner drone racers looking for frames and kits.

How do you get started with drone racing?

The first step is deciding if drone racing is for you at all. If it is, then you need to figure out how much money you want or are willing to spend on a racing drone. The other major consideration is how long you want or are willing to stick with it. Drone racing can be quite expensive and there aren't many leagues or organizations that offer races where beginners can compete. If cost isn't an issue and you have some time and persistence, then let's get started.

What are drone racing kits?

If you’re interested in drone racing but aren’t ready to build a drone from scratch or get stuck with a bunch of useless parts, drone racing kits are an ideal choice. They come with everything that you need to be competitive right out of the box. They even have all of these components pre-soldered so that you don’t need any experience soldering to put your kit together. Many kits also come with video goggles so that you can see what your camera sees (aka first-person view) while flying your drone around. And if they don’t, they almost certainly offer different FPV options.

The different types of drone racing kits

As a beginner, it’s good to understand how you can get started in drone racing. There are two different types of kits that beginners can purchase, and both of them include everything that a beginner would need. Each of these kits costs about USD 1,000. The first one is self-assembly you have all of your components shipped separately so that you have to put everything together yourself with nothing more than a screwdriver or other basic tools (they do give you some help by including an instruction manual). When compared with pre-assembled kits, self-assembly has advantages and disadvantages.

How will you use your drone racing kit?

Drone racing kits allow beginners or professionals to get into drone racing quickly and easily. Some come with everything you need, including a pre-built drone, while others require you to build your drone from scratch. If you've never built a drone before, it might be best to go with a kit that requires assembly. You'll spend some time getting familiar with tools and basic mechanics if you do things yourself—and that's just fine. However, if you want your first experience building a new drone and racing it to be as seamless as possible, buying a kit is probably your best bet. But how much will it cost? What is each of these parts going to do for me? And what about all those extra accessories?

What is DRL drone racing?

The drone racing league, or drl, has become a major part of professional drone racing. Learn all about it with our comprehensive guide. By October 2016, almost $6 million had been paid out to pilots competing in races organized by five different leagues across America. Teams of drone racers are being sponsored by major brands such as T-Mobile and Intel and even have their games in which you can pay real money for virtual drones and equipment. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about the sport here so you’ll be able to dive into it yourself or entertain your friends at parties from now on. Ready? Let’s get started!

What is FPV drone racing?

FPV drone racing is a growing hobby and industry. Like traditional racing, FPV drone racers pilot remote-controlled drones through complex courses. But instead of watching from afar, participants wear goggles that stream video from their drones' first-person view. The immersive experience brings a new dimension to drone flying—and FPV racing is only getting more popular. If you're interested in taking up the hobby, one of your first questions may be how much does a racing drone cost? It's not as expensive as you might think, depending on what kind of equipment you want in your collection. There are tons of kits and parts out there that can help you get into FPV drone racing if it's something you're interested in learning about further.

Regulatory Framework of drone racing

Drone racing is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration FAA. The regulatory framework that exists today was created by Congress in 2012 when it passed a law called the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. Under that law, drones are considered aircraft, which means they must adhere to both federal regulations as well as and state laws governing their use. Currently, seven states have enacted drone laws — Montana, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, Arkansas and Virginia. But even if your business is located in one of those states you still need to follow all federal regulations because state laws only apply in cases where there is no overlap between state and federal rules.

How much does a racing drone cost?

Small, entry-level racing drones can be purchased for less than $150—but those are only suitable for very basic racing. If you’re serious about getting into drone racing, a much more expensive (and impressive) drone is in order. At a minimum, you need a quadcopter that supports first-person view (FPV) functionality; if you want to compete at high levels, your drone will also need durable components and smooth flight controls. Even inexpensive FPV drones can set you back $200 or more.