2023 Long Range FPV Drones Showdown: Who Will Reign Supreme?

Long range FPV drones offer an exhilarating way to explore scenery and nature that would be otherwise inaccessible. As this hobby grows in popularity, there are more high-quality long range FPV drones on the market, each with its own unique features. Choosing the right one can be a daunting task, but I’ve screened through the most popular models to help you find the best one for your needs.

What is a Long Range FPV?

Long range FPV is a sub niche in FPV drone. It focuses more on long range flight capability instead of agility, power and speed. To cater for scenarios that pilots may face when flying long range, there are a few modifications done on the drone. 

Long range drones are always equipped with GPS to make sure it can come back safely. The radio and video transmitters are tuned for long range capability, sacrificing latency which is not as crucial. Hence, digital FPV is always preferred over analog for long range flight, unless you are willing to go below the conventional radio frequency which comes with additional regulatory hurdles. Meanwhile, the motors are usually designed with efficiency in mind. 

On top of that, long range drones are benefited from having self-powered buzzers to help locate it in the event of a crash. Some pilots would choose to use long range oriented iNAV instead of Betaflight to capitalize the additional features designed for long range FPV.

If you have never flown a long range FPV before, be sure to check out my tips on long range flight.

Buying a Long Range FPV Drone – Which Size to Choose?

In the past, 4” and 5” prebuilt BNF or PNP were popular. Then 7” came. In case you don’t know, 4”, 5” or 7” refer to the length of the props, not the drone frame. If you are new to this hobby, you may wonder which size to choose. 

4” long range FPV drones are suitable for those with a tight budget. They are built with a lower cost, in expense of performance. That results in a shorter flight range and time. The drone may be shaky when flying in strong wind.

5” drones are an upgrade that takes long range to another level. It uses more powerful motors, allowing it to carry heavier setups such as the DJI Air Unit or O3 and GoPro better than its 4” counterpart, without sacrificing the flight patterns. 

7” long range further maximizes the potential of long range FPV. It is bigger, stronger, more durable, and flies better than 5”.

If you want the best long range experience, 7” is definitely your best pick. If you prefer a smaller form factor and some synergist of parts with other drones you own, 5” will not let you down. If you have a budget concern, go for 4”.

7” Long Range FPV Comparison

In general, 7” drones give you the best long range experience. It can carry more weights, and fly smoothly without being affected by winds. The major downside is that it is not suitable for freestyle flight.

Here’s a comparison between 4 popular 7” BNF/PNP FPV drones.

iFlight Chimera7 Pro v2

The iFlight Chimera7 Pro v2 is a 7” quadcopter with updated frame design and support DJI 03 air unit. It is designed for smooth cruising and exhibits minimal vibrations even at high throttle positions. It offers a flight time of about 10-12 minutes with a 3000mAh lithium polymer battery.

The Chimera7 has a very interesting design. It has body plates that conceal all the chips and wiring, making the drone look more like a consumer-friendly product than a product for geeks. It also has LED battery indicators at the side, which is quite cool. Hardcore pilots may think it is unnecessary to have those added weight, though.

The other consumer-friendly feature added by iFlight is the battery spark arrestor. This prevents newbies from being spooked out by sparks when plugging in a 6S battery.

The flight controller supports iNAV on top of Betaflight. Coupled with robust GPS satellite searching and locking, this quad is ideal for those who focus on long range cruising instead of freestyle. 

The frame is designed to allow airflow to the DJI O3 Air Unit inflight to help dissipate heat, giving it a better and longer performance.

Pros:

• Smooth cruising
• Minimal vibrations
• Long flight time
• Durable frame
• Stylish design
• Has good tunings
• Support iNAV for long range enthusiasts 

Cons:

• Heavy weight
• Many useful Betaflight modes are not activated by default
• The included props are rather fragile

Overall, the iFlight Chimera7 Pro is a good choice for those who are looking for a strong and durable long range quadcopter with smooth cruising and long flight time. I would think it is the best 7” long range quad at the point of writing.

Chimera7 comes with 4 VTX options: DJI O3 Air Unit, RunCam Link Wasp, and analog 1.6W or 2.5 W.

GEPRC MOZ7

The GEPRC MOZ7 is a long-range drone with a starship-inspired design. It is equipped with strong and efficient motors, a robust GPS, dual antennas, and an anti-spark filter much like what we have in Chimera7. It also has a spacious interior that can accommodate a variety of components, and allows air cooling inflight.

In terms of features, MOZ7 is very similar to Chimera7. I guess the most prominent difference is on the FC. The FC in MOZ7 can connect to Bluetooth, allowing easy configuration. 

MOZ7 comes with 3 VTX options: DJI O3 Air Unit, RunCam Link Wasp, and RAD 5.8G 1.6W analog VTX.

Here are the pros and cons of MOZ7:

Pros:

• Long flight time
• Durable and sleek design
• Spacious frame
• Good performance
• Bluetooth capable F7 FC
• Removable side plate

Cons:

• Not as agile as Chimera7
• No cool-looking LED

Overall, GEPRC MOZ7 is a good drone for those who are looking for a long-range and durable quadcopter. It is a cheaper alternative to Chimera7 Pro.

GEPRC Crocodile75 V3

The GEPRC Crocodile75 V3 is a 7” long range FPV drone with a durable build and high-quality components. It is designed for long-range flights and can carry a heavy camera on top for cinematography purposes.

This drone has the same FC as MOZ7, which is a powerful SPAN F722-BT-HD V2 capable of bluetooth connection for ease of setup. 

Compared with the MOZ7, Crocodile75 is slightly more bulky. It has more vents on the frame to help cool the components. However, the camera plate is not aluminum, unlike the one on MOZ7. It also lacks a spark arrester.

Here are the pros and cons of Crocodile75:

Pros:

• Durable build with high-quality components
• Powerful and stable flight performance
• Removable side plate
• Bluetooth capable F7 FC

Cons:

• Not as agile as Chimera7
• No cool-looking LED

Overall, GEPRC Crocodile75 is very similar to MOZ7. It is a good drone for those who are looking for a long-range and durable quadcopter. It is a cheaper alternative to Chimera7 Pro.

Axisflying Kolas7

While folding drones are usually impractical and have downsides that outweigh the benefits, this is not the case for Kolas7.

The Axisflying Kolas7 is a folding drone that allows it to be stored in a backpack. It has a well-engineered folding mechanism that makes the joints durable. 

The frame design is basic and utilitarian and is sized for a large long-range battery. It also has a flexible camera mounting so that you can adjust the camera position accordingly. The analog version includes a powerful Rush Solo VTX, which stands out among competitors.

At a glance, you may think that Kolas7 has a unique AIO FC/ESC. However, it is actually an FC/ESC stack packed in a small container, which makes the setup looks neat. Connecting wires is easy thanks to the plugs on the FC.

Pros:

• Compact size
• Foldable, ideal to bring along when traveling
• Well-engineered folding mechanism
• Flexible camera mounting
• Can be dismantled easily for part replacement
• Powerful video transmitter (analog version)

Cons:

• Compromised weight and durability due to folding mechanism
• Some wobbling issues in flight, potential caused by PID tuning

Overall, Axisflying Kolas7 is a good choice for those who prefer a compact drone and need the folding feature. It allows you to bring along the drone wherever you go, without compromising the quality too much on the product. However, those who are looking for a drone with the best possible flight performance may want to consider other options.

Best 5” Long Range FPV Drones

5” long range FPV drones are versatile setups that can be used for cruising and some freestyle. They perform well in strong winds. However, their size limits the weight they can carry. 

Here is the comparison between several popular 5” BNF and PNP drones for long range.

Diatone ROMA L5

The Diatone ROMA L5 is a 5-inch long-range FPV drone with an ultralight setup and a dead cat design. It has powerful motors and comes with a universal GoPro mount. With a high capacity Li-Ion battery pack, it can achieve a 30 minutes flight time! 

Pros:

• Long flight time
• Powerful motors
• Good performance in strong winds
• Aluminum camera plate
• Split deck design

Cons:

• Requires some tuning before flying
• TPU print for crossfire antenna not ideal

Some users reported that the quad had tuning issues that cause vibrations, which can be fixed. The main issue comes in the provided TPU for the radio antenna. It positions the antennas closely to the props, which is dangerous as the props may cut the antennas.

Overall, ROMA L5 is a good choice for FPV pilots who are looking for a long-range drone from a trusted brand with a stable performance.

GEPRC Crocodile5 Baby LR

The GEPRC Crocodile5 Baby LR is a versatile drone with good flight performance and flexible camera size options. It comes with the dead cat design, and powered by efficient motors.

Pros

• Good flight performance for cruising
• Efficient motor
• Tuned well out of the box
• Arm braces strengthen the drone arm
• Maneuverable with a good power-to-weight ratio
• Long range flights and cinematic footage with a heavier battery
• Flexible camera options

Cons

• Shorter and wider body – may not fit big batteries and a GoPro at the same time.

Overall, GEPRC Crocodile5 Baby LR is a capable long-range FPV drone that is well-suited for both cruising and freestyle flying. 

Rekon5 Mini LR

Specs and performance-wise, the Rekon5 Mini LR is similar to competition. However, it stands out by having a self-powered buzzer – a must-have feature for long range FPV.

On top of that, it has a well-designed 3D-printed TPU camera bracket to protect the camera lens in case of a crash. It also has arm braces to strengthen the drone arms, and folding radio antennas.

Pros

• Good flight performance
• Efficient motor
• Arm braces strengthen the drone arm
• Self-powered buzzer included
• Foldable props

Cons

• Poor camera protection
• Shorter body, restricting the size of batteries and use of full-size GoPro
• Run on 4S batteries

Overall, Rekon5 Mini LR is a good long range FPV drone on par with competitions. It is suitable for those who do cruising only, since the protection of the camera is inadequate for freestyle flight.

Best 4” Micro Long Range FPV Drones

4” micro long range FPV drones are suitable for those looking for a light setup below 250 g. With the right batteries, long flight time can be achieved. However, it struggles in the wind. Hence, it is more suitable for flight at lower heights.

Here’s a comparison between some of the popular 4” long range BNF and PNP drones.

GEPRC Crocodile4 LR

The Crocodile Baby is a 4″ drone capable of long range flight. It is equipped with GPS and a self-powered buzzer, which are crucial for any long range flight.

This quad weighs only about 160 g without a battery. Even with a battery, it weighs no more than 250 g. Most importantly, it can fly for around 30 minutes with the right battery! That is a lot!

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Self-powered buzzer

Cons:

• Weak frame
• May struggle in strong winds

Flywoo Explorer4 LR HD

Flywoo Explorer4 LR HD is probably the first micro long range that supports DJI O3 and Walksnail Avatar, thanks to the modification on its frame. It comes with a self-powered buzzer which is important for long range flight.

The Explorer4 frame is rather weak, as it is only 3 mm thick. The frame can be strengthened by installing the arm brackets.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• DJI O3/Avatar-compatible
• Arm bracket for added strength
• Self-powered buzzer

Cons:

• Weak frame

iFlight Chimera4 LR

iFlight Chimera4 LR is a versatile long range/freestyle FPV drone. It has an X-layout frame with 4 mm thick arms for better aerodynamics and increased durability. It also comes with a camera bumper to protect the camera from crashes. Thanks to its powerful motors, Chimera4 performs well in winds. 

There are a few downsides in this quad. Firstly, it is heavy. It easily exceeds 250 g after mounting the batteries. It also has a unibody frame design which means you need to change the whole frame if any of the arms break.

Those who want clear shots from their FPV camera should not choose this drone though, because the props are visible from the camera.

Pros:

• Versatile for freestyle and long range cruising
• Stable flight
• Strong frame

Cons:

• Not dead cat design
• Unibody frame design
• Heavyweight