Let’s take a look at the NewBeeDrone AcroBee75 BLV5 BNF on this assessment, a 2S Tiny Whoop designed for each indoor and outside flying. This drone is constructed across the newest BLV5 flight controller, that includes the STM32G474 MCU and MPU6000 gyro. Notably, it integrates the first-ever built-in ExpressLRS range receiver in an AIO whoop flight controller, making it a standout in its class.
Study extra about Tiny Whoop in my purchaser’s information: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
The place to Purchase
Get the Acrobee75 from NewBeeDrone: https://oscarliang.com/product-k69l
Equipment within the field:
- AcroBee75 BLV5 Drone
- NewBeeDrone Azi 40mm Tri-Blade Propellers
- Accent Pack (spare screws and zip ties)
- Fast Begin Information
- Stickers
Batteries usually are not included, get them right here: https://s.click on.aliexpress.com/e/_DdND8Op
Get some spare propellers too: https://oscarliang.com/product-xi7f
Specs
- Body: NewBeeDrone 75mm Cockroach75
- Propeller: NewBeeDrone Azi 40mm (Tri-Blade) Micro
- Flight controller: BeeBrain BLV5
- Motors: Move 0804 14000KV
- Digicam Mount: Goober Cover V2
- Digicam: Runcam Nano 4
BLV5 Flight Controller Specs:
- MCU: STM32G474
- Gyro: MPU6000
- 4in1 ESC: 18A, Firmware goal Z-H-40, Preloaded with Bluejay 0.19.2 48kHz
- Receiver: TCXO ELRS 2.4GHz Range Receiver (UART)
- VTX: 25mW / 100mW / Good-Max (400mW)
- Motor Plug: JST-1.0 3Pin
- Receiver: Constructed-in TCXO Crystal Oscillator ExpressLRS 2.4GHz Range Receiver (UART Base)
- Flight Management Weight: 5.8g
- Flight Management Dimension: 29x29x7.6mm / 25.5×25.5mm
- Battery Enter: 1S-2S
- UART1: 0.84pin JST
- UART3: Free
- UART4: Free
Body and Sturdiness
In contrast to most 75mm whoops that rely solely on plastic frames, the AcroBee75 incorporates a mixture of carbon fiber and plastic. This design enhances the stiffness of the body, lowering vibrations from the motors, which not solely improves sturdiness but additionally positively impacts flight efficiency. The carbon fiber, which is about 1mm thick, supplies a strong spine with out considerably including to the load.
Whereas the body is pretty sturdy, after a number of arduous crashes, the plastic components might bend out of practice. Happily, it’s simple to reshape them by hand. You may as well use a hairdryer to softly warmth the plastic, maintain it in place whereas it cools, making it simpler to revive its authentic form. The carbon fiber, nevertheless, held up flawlessly all through my check flights, which is a promising signal for the long-term sturdiness of the drone.
Parts
At first look, the AcroBee75 seems to be much like its predecessor, nevertheless it’s full of new {hardware} and now helps 2S enter, giving it extra energy.
The AcroBee75 BLV5 packs plenty of tech right into a small kind issue.
One of many standout options is the flight controller, which integrates a VTX with variable energy ranges. It gives 25mW for racing, 100mW for freestyle, and a Good-Max mode that enhances output as much as 400mW for long-range flying. Utilizing the FPV vary estimator (https://oscarliang.com/js/fpvrange.html), and with a 9dBi patch antenna, you would theoretically obtain a variety of as much as 2km on the 400mW setting underneath perfect circumstances.
A shocking addition is the twin antenna setup on the flight controller, which I haven’t seen earlier than on a whoop. This built-in ExpressLRS range receiver is probably going the primary of its form on a whoop flight controller. One antenna is mounted horizontally, whereas the opposite is positioned vertically within the body, guaranteeing optimum sign reception irrespective of the drone’s orientation.
Nevertheless, having a range receiver on a tiny whoop is perhaps overkill since we sometimes don’t fly these small drones lengthy distances. ExpressLRS excels at lengthy vary, even a single antenna receiver would seemingly suffice for this goal. I hope NewBeeDrone places this flight controller to good use sooner or later, maybe in a micro FPV drone designed particularly for long-range flights.
The FPV digicam is the Runcam Nano4, housed in NewBeeDrone’s Goober Cover V2, offering a sturdy and compact setup. The motors are Move 0804 14,000KV, geared up with twin ball bearings, which ought to supply smoother and longer-lasting efficiency in comparison with bushings. The propellers are NewBeeDrone Azi 40mm tri-blades, and also you get an additional set within the field, which is all the time a pleasant contact.
Battery and Weight
The AcroBee75 BLV5 makes use of a 2S LiPo/LiHV battery with an XT30 connector, and contains a light-weight, versatile 3D-printed TPU battery holder. This mount is designed to securely maintain varied battery sizes in place, even throughout crashes, providing versatility for various flying types.
Nevertheless, the mount is designed for particular battery sizes. The inventory holder is designed for 2S 450mAh batteries, whereas a spare mount included within the package deal suits a 2S 850mAh. The mount is hooked up with 4 screws, so if you wish to swap to a distinct battery measurement, you’d should swap out the mount, which generally is a bit inconvenient within the area. Fortunately, I discovered the bigger 850mAh mount is versatile sufficient to additionally maintain smaller packs like 650mAh or 450mAh batteries while not having to change mounts, including some comfort.
The AcroBee75 weighs 36.6g with out a battery. With a BetaFPV 2S 450mAh LiPo, the entire weight is 64.5g, and with a Tattu 2S 850mAh, it weighs in at 76.2g.
Indoor and Outside Flights
Whereas the AcroBee75 is technically able to flying indoors, its 2S setup makes it fairly highly effective and quick, which might make indoor flights difficult in an average-sized home. Flying a 1S 75mm whoop indoor is fairly arduous, the additional thrust from 2S means throttle administration can much more tough, particularly for newbies. Should you’re simply beginning out in FPV, I like to recommend getting comfy flying outside earlier than making an attempt indoor flights in tight areas. If indoor flying is your major objective, particularly in smaller areas, you would possibly wish to think about a 1S whoop just like the Air65 for higher management and ease of use: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-air65/
In my expertise, the AcroBee75 is extra suited in outside environments. The elevated energy from the 2S battery setup and the 14,000KV motors make it perfect for quick, aggressive flying. It handles bigger maneuvers and fast strikes with ease, making it a enjoyable and versatile flyer. Nevertheless, should you’re primarily flying outside, I might think about a ductless micro drone, just like the 2S 3″ quad I beforehand constructed, which tends to be quicker, extra environment friendly, and higher at dealing with wind because of the lack of duct weight. The AcroBee75’s foremost benefit lies in its propeller guards, which add a layer of safety, particularly when flying round folks or in tighter areas.
Flight Efficiency
The AcroBee75 on 2S is plenty of enjoyable to fly. The flight efficiency met my expectations—it’s precisely what you’d need from a 75mm whoop. With a 2S 850mAh battery, it hovers at round 35% throttle, it’s not not overly highly effective and management feels manageable, making it extra beginner-friendly in comparison with different, extra highly effective freestyle-oriented 2S FPV drones. The drone is fairly locked in and responding effectively to stay inputs. I didn’t discover any important bounce-back or extreme propwash.
By way of effectivity, I achieved over 8 minutes of flight time with a 2S 850mAh battery, mixing acro flying and cruising. Utilizing a smaller 2S 450mAh battery diminished flight time to about 4 minutes, and I additionally observed extra voltage sag. I like to recommend sticking with bigger packs like 850mAh for extra balanced efficiency, particularly in windy circumstances, the place the additional weight truly helps stability. For instance, I flew this quad in 20MPH winds as proven within the video, and whereas not perfect, it remained manageable. In calm climate, the drone performs even higher.
As for sign and vary, they’re spectacular. Because of the variety ExpressLRS receiver and the 400mW VTX, you would theoretically fly 1km to 2km with out challenge. Nevertheless, I don’t suggest newbies try flying that far—discovering this tiny quad in bushes after a crash might be a problem!
What Can Be Improved
There are a number of areas that might be improved with the Acrobee75.
One of many foremost points I encountered was with the OSD (On-Display screen Show). The OSD textual content would randomly disappear for a number of seconds earlier than reappearing. Whereas not a deal-breaker, this may be distracting throughout flights.
The Betaflight configuration additionally wants some refinement. For instance, the present sensor wasn’t correctly calibrated and it was under-reporting, and the RSSI warning was set too excessive, triggering alerts prematurely. Adjusting these settings would enhance the general expertise.
I discovered the FPV digicam barely too darkish, even with the brightness on my goggles set to most. It may be the shortage of dynamic vary, which made the shadows seem too darkish, particularly when flying on a sunny day.
Though the AcroBee75 has prop guards, I misplaced a number of propellers on my first day of testing as a result of crashes. The props are press-fitted onto skinny motor shafts, which makes changing them simple, however they’ll additionally come off simply as simply. I like to recommend conserving further props available.
The U.FL connector for the VTX antenna is well-secured however may benefit from a dab of glue for added safety, particularly for these susceptible to crashes. I recommend utilizing a pliable glue like E6000 relatively than sizzling glue, which tends to soften because of the warmth from the VTX.
Moreover, the drone doesn’t stand flat when utilizing a big battery mounted on the underside, making takeoffs a bit tough at occasions.
How one can Setup
Organising the AcroBee75 in your first flight is pretty simple. Right here’s the included person handbook.
The drone’s flight controller comes preloaded with Betaflight 4.5.0 firmware, and the board goal is ARCOBEE_75. The ESC firmware is Bluejay 0.19 48KHz with the goal Z-H-40.
Binding the Receiver:
- The built-in receiver makes use of ELRS 3.4.3 firmware with the goal NewBeeDrone Range 2.4GHz RX.
- Plug within the flight controller USB cable to energy the receiver. After a minute, the receiver will enter WiFi mode.
- Join your telephone to the ExpressLRS RX WiFi hotspot and open a browser. Go to the IP deal with 10.0.0.1 to entry the ExpressLRS internet interface, and enter your bind phrase there.
- You may as well comply with different binding strategies offered within the directions: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/
Betaflight Configuration:
- Configuration: Allow DShot beacon and set the arming angle to 180°.
- PID Tuning: Regulate the charges to your private preferences.
- Modes: Assign switches for arming, angle mode, beeper, and turtle mode.
- OSD: Arrange the OSD to show RSSI_dBm and hyperlink high quality. Take away the RSSI worth, and modify the RSSI warning threshold to a decrease worth, reminiscent of -90.
Conclusion: Is the AcroBee75 Value It?
The NewBeeDrone AcroBee75 BLV5 is a good selection for pilots searching for a sturdy 2S analog Tiny Whoop. Whereas it’s not the most suitable choice for tight indoor areas, it’s extra fitted to outside environments and bigger indoor areas, and the additional safety from the propeller guards is efficacious. Its flight efficiency is clean and environment friendly, sturdiness is spectacular, and the general construct high quality is respectable. My solely minor concern is the occasional flickering OSD, not a deal breaker by any means, only a bit distracting.
