There are a ton of great options for flight controllers these days. We've taken a look at all the options on the market and put together the top 5 best flight controllers for June 2017. This list features flight controller boards 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 30.5 x 30.5 mm mounting pattern. This is the standard mini quad 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.
The flight controllers featured here are chosen from community feedback, product ratings and customer reviews. Although this has all been taken into consideration, we apologize if your favorite FC is not listed here. There are so many good options out there.
We will be highlighting the main specs of each controller and talking about best application for each.
Please be aware that some of the following product links are affiliate links. If you decide to purchase through these links, I may receive a small amount from the sale however all prices are the same for you regardless (nothing is marked up). Thank you for your support!
The Betaflight F3 flight controller how grown in popularity quickly, and for good reason. This flight controller has been designed to utilize every feature of Betaflight for maximum configuration options and versatility. Using the popular MPU6000 motion sensor, built in OSD and PDB, along with a current sensor and blackbox, there is a lot packed in.
Browse: Betaflight F3
Price: 32.99
Processor | F3 |
Sensor | MPU6000 |
Built-in OSD? | Yes |
Built-in BEC? | Yes |
Built-in PDB? | Yes |
Voltage | 3-6s |
Mount | 30.5x30.5mm |
Size | 35x35mm |
Weight | 8.6g |
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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. This is one of two FC's on our list without built in OSD which has become the new standard in 2017.
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.
Browse: Flyduino - KISS FC 32bit
Price: 31.19
Processor | STM32 F303CCT6 F3 |
Sensor | MPU6050 Gyro |
Built-in OSD? | No |
Built-in BEC? | No |
Built-in PDB? | No |
Voltage | 2-6s |
Mount | 30.5x30.5mm |
Size | 35x35mm |
Weight | 4.6g |
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The guys at Raceflight built the Revolt flight controller with a performance focused mindset. The board uses a cutting edge F4 processor and a Invensense 20602 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.
Browse: RaceFlight - Revolt
Price: $41.88
Processor | STM32 F405 F4 |
Sensor | Invensense 20602 |
Built-in OSD? | No |
Built-in BEC? | No |
Built-in PDB? | No |
Voltage | 3-6s |
Mount | 30.5x30.5mm |
Size | 36x36mm |
Weight | not listed |
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The BrainFPV Race Edition 1 (RE1) was 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 a PDB is still required, the integrated OSD is a big plus and can be configured through Betaflight's OSD feature or dRonin. This board is a great high-end, high-performance option for a race minded build. Although the price is high on the RE1, people still love this board and thats the main reason why its on this list.
Browse: BrainFPV - RE1 Flight Controller + OSD
Price: $65.00
Processor | STM32 F446RET6 F4 |
Sensor | BMI160 Gyro |
Built-in OSD? | Yes |
Built-in BEC? | Yes |
Built-in PDB? | No |
Voltage | 3-6s |
Mount | 30.5x30.5mm |
Size | 36x36mm |
Weight | 8g |
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DYS has made a great board with their F4 flight controller. Using the Omnibus F4 firmware, it comes with integrated OSD, PDB and current sensor on the one board. Coming in a bit larger than its competitors at 42x35mm, the extra 7mm are a great addition to allow for the large and easy to use solder pads.
DYS has included an XT60 power lead, buzzer and soft mounting kit out of the box which are nice additions. Soft mounting everything seems to be the way everyone is heading as it helps reduce vibrations and improve flight performance. Its no surprise we are starting to see both FC's and motors with soft mount kits in the box.
Browse: DYS F4 Flight Controller
Price: $35.99
Processor | STM32F405 |
Sensor | MPU6000 |
Built-in OSD? | Yes |
Built-in BEC? | Yes |
Built-in PDB? | Yes |
Voltage | 2-6s |
Mount | 30.5x30.5mm |
Size | 42x35mm |
Weight | 11.2g |
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Thanks for reading our list of Top 5 Best Flight Controllers. For a full listing of flight controllers for FPV drones, please visit our flight controller product section.
Last updated on June 17, 2017
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