DarwinFPV BabyApe Pro V3: Still the Best First Drone

Look, you want to get into FPV without selling a kidney. We get it. The DarwinFPV BabyApe Pro V3 is the rite of passage, the cheap-and-cheerful hero that gets you in the air. This legendary 3 inch freestyle drone is light enough to dodge most of the CAA's paperwork headache and tough enough to survive your... ambitious learning curve. As the go-to affordable FPV drone in the UK, the V3 fixes the old sins with beefier arms and a proper ELRS receiver. It's time to fly.

Why You Want It

This isn't the drone you'll fly on DRL. It's the one you'll crash, laugh, bend a prop back, and fly again. It's for chasing squirrels in the park and learning what 'turtle mode' really means. DarwinFPV took the original, read all the angry forum posts, and actually fixed it: stronger 3mm arms, a Caddx camera that isn't a potato, and a VTX so powerful your nan's telly might flicker when you fly past. It's the perfect disposable-yet-capable quad. Honestly, you should probably buy two.

Features and Highlights

• Beefier 3mm Arms: Less time on the bench, more time terrorising the local pigeons.
• 1200mW Video Transmitter: Absolutely overkill power. Blast through obstacles with signal to spare (Disclaimer: Do not actually blast through obstacles).
• Sub-250g All-Up-Weight: With a sensible 3S battery, it stays under the magic number. Fly more, fill out forms less.
• "Cement" ELRS Receiver: They say it's water-resistant. We're not brave enough to test that, but it's a nice thought for those dewy morning sessions.

Specifications

• Weight: 70g (Before you add a battery, you absolute monster)
• FC/ESC: DarwinFPV F411 15A AIO (The little engine that could)
• Motors: 1104 4300Kv (Spinny things that make the happy noise)
• Camera: Caddx Ant (You can actually see where you're going now)
• Receiver: ELRS 2.4GHz (The one true link, praise be to the ELRS devs)
• Props: Gemfan 3016-3 (Press-fit, because who has time for tiny screws?)
• Recommended Battery: 3S 450-550mAh (Not included, because we know you have a drawer full already)

What’s in the Box*

• 1x DarwinFPV BabyApe Pro V3 Drone
• 1x Spare Set of Gemfan 3016-3 Propellers (You'll need these in about 5 minutes)
• 2x Battery Rubber Bands
• 1x Small bag of screws we haven't identified

Disclaimer

Your box will contain a drone. We can't guarantee your flying skills will be included, but we're rooting for you from behind this screen.

Still Here?

Seriously, you've read this far? You've probably watched ten review videos already. You know this is the best budget 3-inch FPV drone for beginners. It’s the perfect blend of cheap, capable, and eminently crashable. Stop overthinking it. Add it to your basket before the next batch sells out to people who are less indecisive than you are.