Know your RTF from your FPV
Mone
chinatopwin
2017-02-13 10:14:40
Like any hobby or technology, there's a whole lot of lingo and abbreviations that come with the territory. Here are some of the ones you'll come across the most.
Ready-to-fly (RTF): A drone that requires little to no assembly and is ready to fly out of the box.
Almost-ready-to-fly (ARTF or ARF): These drones may require some minor assembly and additional equipment such as a receiver (Rx) and radio transmitter (Tx) aka a radio controller.
Bind-N-Fly (BNF): BNF models are essentially RTF drones with a receiver, but not a radio controller (you must buy it separately). But you can then use that controller to pilot other BNF aircraft, saving you some money if you decide to grow your RC aircraft collection.
First-person view (FPV): The video feed direct from a camera on the drone. It can be used for framing your photos or videos as well as piloting. With drone racing, pilots usually wear FPV goggles for an immersive experience.
Return-to-home (RTH): A safety feature that allows the drone to autonomously fly back to the pilot's location or starting point.
Gimbal: A mechanical camera stabilization system that lets you get smooth video and sharp photos even with fast movements or in high winds.
Headless mode: Intended for beginner pilots, using this mode means the drone will always travel forward, backward, left or right when moving your remote's stick in those directions, regardless of which way the front of the drone is pointed.
Follow me: A feature that allows a drone to automatically follow a subject, typically using a GPS signal from a mobile device, remote control or a beacon attached to the subject being tracked.
Brushless motor: Though more expensive than their brushed counterparts, brushless motors are more efficient, last longer and are quieter.
Ready-to-fly (RTF): A drone that requires little to no assembly and is ready to fly out of the box.
Almost-ready-to-fly (ARTF or ARF): These drones may require some minor assembly and additional equipment such as a receiver (Rx) and radio transmitter (Tx) aka a radio controller.
Bind-N-Fly (BNF): BNF models are essentially RTF drones with a receiver, but not a radio controller (you must buy it separately). But you can then use that controller to pilot other BNF aircraft, saving you some money if you decide to grow your RC aircraft collection.
First-person view (FPV): The video feed direct from a camera on the drone. It can be used for framing your photos or videos as well as piloting. With drone racing, pilots usually wear FPV goggles for an immersive experience.
Return-to-home (RTH): A safety feature that allows the drone to autonomously fly back to the pilot's location or starting point.
Gimbal: A mechanical camera stabilization system that lets you get smooth video and sharp photos even with fast movements or in high winds.
Headless mode: Intended for beginner pilots, using this mode means the drone will always travel forward, backward, left or right when moving your remote's stick in those directions, regardless of which way the front of the drone is pointed.
Follow me: A feature that allows a drone to automatically follow a subject, typically using a GPS signal from a mobile device, remote control or a beacon attached to the subject being tracked.
Brushless motor: Though more expensive than their brushed counterparts, brushless motors are more efficient, last longer and are quieter.