The iFlight DC3 HD is a 3″ drone with the DJI Air Unit on board. That means you can get crystal clear FPV video and record full HD flights on your tiny little quad. Not only that but this little iFlight DC3 packs a punch. If you are like me and you love flying micros but you want to experience the clarity of HD FPV then you’ll definitely want to check out the iFlight DC3 HD. Right now you can save 8% with the code BGifDC3 if you order from Banggood.
iFlight DC3 HD
The iFlight DC3 HD is a bind and fly quadcopter that comes prebuilt with the DJI Air Unit installed. It has some impressive specs starting with the XING 1404 4600 KV motors. They are of course pushing 3″ HQ propellers. The flight controller is the SucceX-D mini 20 x 20 stack featuring an F7 FC. The all-in-one BL Heli 32 ESCs are rated for 40 amps. Like the DJI Air Unit the F7 has a USB-C port, not a micro USB so keep that in mind when setting it up in Betaflight 4.1.
I found the fame of the DC3 HD to be fairly durable. It is made from 3K carbon fiber. That’s mostly fancy marketing for 3 mm bottom plate thickness. It is a dead cat style frame, which keeps the propellers out of view when you are flying or filming. The quad weighs about 160 grams if you opt for one without a receiver and use the DJI Air Unit and DJI remote transmitter. Mine was about 170 grams after adding a receiver, zip ties, battery pad, and some electrical tape. You could probably get it under 250 grams with a 500 mah 4S battery if you didn’t add any extra weight. I personally found it to perform best with a larger 850 mah 4S battery. Of course, you could tune it to suit your needs. I fly mine with the stock PIDs.
FrSky vs DJI Transmitter
I opted for the FrSky version so it came with an installed receiver. I wanted to test flying it with my Taranis QX7. My other DJI FPV drone uses the DJI Transmitter and I wanted to compare the experience of flying it with a different transmitter. The advantage of not using the DJI transmitter is two-fold. One, the radio link and video link are separate. If you are flying DJI and lose video you lose radio too and your drone will fall out of the sky. However you’ll know that when you are getting close to that as the video feed will get bad and you’ll want to turn around. The other advantage is if you already have a remote you are used to and like you can keep it.
I found the DJI transmitter’s range to be superior to that of an RXSR or XM+ receiver. It is almost as good as Crossfire. In fact, I’ll be converting this one to use the DJI transmitter. It has a good feel and works well. Unless you have Crossfire or don’t need to fly far that is what I would recommend. I lost transmission on my RXSR and XM+ before I lost my video feed.
3″ vs 5″ FPV drones
There are a lot of advantages that come with flying a smaller 3″ drone like the iFlight DC3 HD. They are obviously smaller and more portable. Their batteries are also typically smaller and less expensive. Lighter drones typically withstand crashes better than their heavier counterparts as well. Smaller drones also are quieter and won’t draw a crowd when you are flying like a full-size 5″ drone. Probably the most important thing, especially for beginners is they are safer. The smaller motors and propellers are less dangerous and the lighter weight of the drone won’t cause nearly as much damage as a big rig. You’ll still need to operate them with care of course but you’ll get a little more grace if you make a mistake.
Should you buy the iFlight DC3 HD with DJI?
If you are looking for a micro FPV drone with digital FPV then this is absolutely the drone for you. It isn’t cheap starting at $350 and you’ll, of course, have to have the DJI goggles to fly it. However, once you fly digital HD FPV it is hard to go back. If you are like me and you love flying the little quads you’ll want to give the DC3 HD a serious look. Unfortunately, I don’t see digital FPV coming to my whoops and toothpicks. I’d love to fly my Mobula 6 on this system…
DJI Digital FPV
There is a lot going on with this new DJI digital FPV system. It is a game-changer for sure but it is also pretty darn expensive. Thankfully the price has started to come down. Learn more about the DJI digital system here and see how we put it into a drone.
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