Best FPV Flight Controllers - 2017

Find the right flight controller for your FPV quadcopter. We've taken a look at all the options on the market and put together the best options. This list features flight controllers designed specifically for use with standard sized racing / freestyle drones. You won't find options for larger photography drones or micro builds here. All these options are the standard 36 x 36 mm boards with a 30.5 x 30.5 mm mounting pattern. This is the standard miniquad form factor which fits on the frames found in our FPV frames product section.

The flight controller (FC) is the brain of your quadcopter. It takes your inputs and information from on-board sensors and translates that into correct power for each motor. If you'd like to learn more about this central piece of hardware, take a look at our Component Spotlight on FPV Flight Controllers.

Our Picks for Best FPV Flight Controllers

We will be highlighting the main specs of each controller and talking about best application for each. Specifically we will be looking at 3 main features:

• The processor type - all the processors on this list use STM32 processors from ST.
• Gyro Chipset
• Firmware/GUI Configuration Support

Flyduino KISS FC 32bit

The KISS flight controller from Flyduino is one of the most popular FC's on the market for good reason - simplicity. The Keep It Super Simple acronym is seen in practice through the very simple custom KISS GUI for configuration. The board has a fairly standard, yet solid feature set with a 32 bit F3 processor and 6050 gyro.

The board is performance focused and really shines when connected to the KISS 24A ESC's via advanced programming and telemetry features. The weakest point of the board (literally) are the solder pads which can be pulled if you're not careful when soldering. If you're focused on a proven feature set to you in the air with a focus on performance - this is a great option.

Main Specs:

• STM32 F303CCT6 F3 Processor
• MPU6050 Gyro
• KISS GUI Configuration

Browse: Flyduino - KISS FC 32bit
Price: 39.99

RaceFlight Revolt

The guys at Raceflight built the Revolt flight controller with a performance focused mindset. The board uses a cutting edge F4 processor and a 'Super Secret Gyro' which allows the board to run up to a 32kHz gyro sample rate and PID loop. There is also a focus on simplicity akin to the KISS line with a driverless connection to Raceflight and a pre-programmed setup with the latest official release on board.

The board packs a standard set of features and adds a couple nice to have items on top. You'll find solder points for a buzzer, LED driver, and integrated race transponder. Ease of build is supported with ESC output ports located in each corner of the board. The through-hole solder pads are also a plus as they are our preferred wiring method.

Main Specs:

• STM32 F405 F4 Processor
• Super Secret Gyro
• Raceflight GUI Configuration
• Integrated Race Transponder

Browse: RaceFlight - Revolt
Price: $38.88

Furious FPV KOMBINI FC + PDB

Furious FPV has been releasing a stream of interesting products lately with a focus on combined components and small scale builds. The KOMBINI is a particularly interesting offering in the flight controller space with it's integrated power distribution board. What really caught our eye was the solid feature set that has been well layed out on the board. You'll find the ESC connections in the appropriate corners and through hole or pin header connections for signal.

Our only gripe is the race transponder LED is only available on one side of the board. Depending on how you mount the FC or which side the lap counter is on, this might end up being unusable for some. At under $50 this board is popular for those looking at a quality FC that simplifies your build with the built-in PDB.

Main Specs:

• STM32 F3 Processor
• MPU6000 SP1 Gyro
• Cleanflight/Betaflight GUI Configuration
• Integrated Power Distribution Board
• Integrated Race Transponder

Browse: Furious FPV - KOMBINI Flight Controller + PDB
Price: $48.95

BrainFPV RE1 FC + OSD

Continuing with the integrated options, the BrainFPV Race Edition 1 (RE1) is the first of it's kind flight controller with integrated on-screen display. In addition to the OSD you'll find a high powered F4 processor and a unique BMI160 Gyro. The through-hole board also features a dual sided built-in race transponder which supports both iLap and Trackmate.

Although you'll still need a PDB, the integrated OSD is a big plus as something external can end up taking up lots of space. This board is a great high-end, high-performance option for a race minded build.

Main Specs:

• STM32 F446RET6 F4 Processor
• Bosch Sensortec BMI160 Gyro
• dRonin or Betaflight GUI Configuration

Browse: BrainFPV - RE1 Flight Controller + OSD
Price: $79.00

Lumenier LUX V2

Lumenier has upgraded the popular LUX FC with a second version. The now white board brings blackbox logging (via microSD), an MPU6000 SPI gyro, and dedicated UARTs for better connectivity. Similar to the KISS board, you're looking at a straight forward no-frills feature set here which isn't a bad thing. The LUX V2 is a solid choice for a to the point flight controller.

Main Specs:

• STM32 F303RCT6 F3 Processor
• MPU6000 Gyro
• Cleanflight/Betaflight/Raceflight GUI Configuration

Browse: Lumenier - LUX V2
Price: $36.99

X-Racer F303 V3.1

The X-Racer F303 v3.1 is a solid choice for a beginner pilot looking for an affordable, well performing board. The V3 release updated this board with the popular MPU6000 gyro which improved performance. The thru-hole design is a great choice for direct soldering or using pin headers.

Main Specs:

• STM32F3 Processor
• MPU 6000 SPI Gyro
• Cleanflight/Betaflight GUI Configuration

Browse: X-Racer - F303 V3.1
Price: $29.97

For a full listing of flight controllers for FPV drones, please visit our flight controller product section.