May the Force1 Racer Be With You…

The Force1 DYS XDR220 is an awesome drone and it comes in one of the best all-in-one FPV packages we’ve ever seen for a real racing drone. The package, which includes a transmitter, balance charger, and goggles is a great deal. You won’t find a better or faster racing drone unless you have the time, money, and knowledge to build one yourself. The DYS Force1 is a real racer that you can really fly. Fast.

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What do you get with the XDR220?

The DYS XDR220 is sold as a package deal. In addition to the drone, you’ll get a 9-channel RadioLink AT-9 Transmitter, a balance charger, FPV goggles and a nice carrying case for your quad. Good luck finding a better package deal.

Is it Well Built?

This racer was built to fly fast and it was also built to last. It has a solid carbon fiber frame that has been reinforced quite well. The red cover not only protects the camera and other components but also has a nice sleek aerodynamic look to it. This drone has a nice build quality and clean wiring, something that a lot of DIY racers can’t claim. We crashed this bad boy pretty hard several times, but it still flies perfectly. Just wipe off the grass clippings, straighten out the props (or replace them), and you are ready to fly again.

Is it Fast?

Check out our flights with the DYS XDR220. We flew it on both 3S and 4S batteries and it is fun on both. The 4S definitely gives it more punch. In fact on a 4s battery this quad has a thrust-to-weight ratio of over 5. That is impressive.

This DYS XDR220 was built to be a racer and acrobatic drone. It doesn’t disappoint. Its powerful 2300KV brushless motors have plenty of punch to leave any typical consumer drone in the dust. If you are looking to get into racing or acro, but do not have the time to build your own machine then it is hard to go wrong with this quad. We recommend you go with this 1300 mAh 4S battery. This drone has plenty of juice with the smaller 3S version of this battery but you can definitely tell the difference with the extra voltage from a four cell.

Is it Really RTF?

Unfortunately it is not. For unknown reasons, this drone doesn’t come with two important items. First up, you will need to buy a battery. You can practice and learn with a 3-cell or just pick up a few of the 4-cell batteries mentioned above. Second, you will want a set of banana plugs for safer charging.

This quad is fully customizable in Cleanflight. In fact, before you can get it in the air you will have to do some setup. Unfortunately, is not just a plug and play drone. That is probably a good thing as you’ll need to understand some of the settings on this drone. You will have to install the receiver, update the receiver and check your Cleanflight settings before you fly. Calling it Ready-to-Fly is definitely a stretch.

Setting up Your Racer

None of the setup is particularly difficult, but you’ll need to follow the step-by-step directions. The included directions aren’t nearly as helpful as the USAToyz videos, so we’ve included them here for you.

This isn’t a Drone for Everyone

This quad is not a toy. This should not be your first drone. It probably shouldn’t even be your second drone. We’d recommend you fly something like the DYS Elf before you graduate to something this powerful.

The XDR220 is a great fit for pilots who know how to control a drone, are interested in a real racer or acro drone, but who don’t have the time or energy to build their own. If this describes you, then this package is worth taking a long hard look at. It is the closest thing on the market to a ready-to-fly racer.

Is This a Real Racer?

We took the Force1 DYS XDR220 to a local champion quad racer Francis Dominise to get his opinion. He was impressed with the build quality and materials used. While initially skeptical, he was impressed with the performance, particularly on a 4S battery. We were impressed with his ability to get the drone to do exactly what he wanted. He said it was head and shoulders above a typical Walkera or Eachine RTF model and on par with many DIY builds.

Cleanflight Settings

Francis even helped us tune the drone and set up MultiShot on the ESCs. Check out our PID settings below. They work great on 4S batteries.

FPV Goggles

The components included with the XDR220 are nice. The FPV goggles are fairly basic, but will get the job done. The Force1 007 goggles are almost identical to the Eachine 007 FPV goggles. You may want to look into upgrading the antenna to increase their range as they do not have the same long range that the transmitter does. If you want to get a better pair of goggles then check out this article.

Radiolink Transmitter

The Radiolink AT-9 transmitter is a really nice remote. It has a nice solid feel and a bright colorful LCD screen. It has 9 channels and is customizable.  It boasts a fast 3ms response time. The AT-9 supports S-BUS, and has a micro USB input. It has four VR switches, three 3-gear switches, four 2-gear switches, and a reset trainer switch. You can use it to control other fixed wing, multirotor or single-rotor aircraft as well.

Should I Buy the XDR220?

If you are looking to take the next step into drone racing, but aren’t quite ready to build your own then you need to take a look at this Force1 DYS XDR220. Purists are probably cringing at the thought of an all-in-one racer, but that is what you get with the XDR220. And don’t let them fool you, many of them need help fixing their drones too! Will the Force1 blow the doors off your local pro’s DIY build? No, but it likely will blow the doors of the RTF Walkeras and Eachines out there.

Don’t forget to order some batteries. Both 3S and 4S batteries will work. There is also the banana plug adapter you’ll need.

Force1 DYS XDR220 Specs

Size: 220 mm (diagonal motor to motor)
Weight: 0.68 lbs.
Range: 900 meters
Camera: 5V 2.5mm CCD fixed at 30°
Transmitter: 5.8G 40 channel 25mW/200mW
Motors: Brushless SE2205-2300KV
ESCs:XS20A BLheli_S
FPV Goggles: Eachine 007
Charger: Sky RC Imax B6 Balance Charger

What Would Make This Even Better?

First, this drone should come with two batteries and the charging plug. We’d even suggest one 3S and one 4S so you can experience the drone at two different levels. Being able to manually tilt the camera angle would also be a welcome addition. It would also be nice to not have to deal with installing the receiver and changing settings on the remote and in CleanFlight. We understand having to fine tune the drone to your personal preferences, but you shouldn’t have to be worried about switches being reversed and things like that. We like the goggles, but they seem a little basic for an awesome drone like this one. We would like to see DVR capable goggles, but maybe that is a little nit picky. We are often disappointed by written instructions, and this drone is no exception. Luckly the videos from USA Toyz were a big help.

The Verdict

Overall, this is still one heck of a drone and a fantastic all-in-one package. We were blown away by this drone and we think you will be too. Go get yours today!

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