When you’re new to FPV, the NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V4 is a superb tiny whoop to begin with. After spending time flying it, I can confidently say: this drone flies superbly—however it has one weak point that holds it again from being the proper newbie quad—the battery connector. Thankfully, this may be simply addressed, and I’ll present you the way later on this evaluate. Let’s dive into the main points and provide help to determine if the Hummingbird V4 is the appropriate drone for you.
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The place to Purchase
You may get your Hummingbird V4 from these retailers:
Contained in the field, you’ll discover the next equipment:
- One set of spare propellers
- Prop removing software
- Spare screws and rubber grommet equipment
Observe: Batteries will not be included. You’ll have to buy your individual 1S 300mAh LiHV batteries with PH2.0 connectors: https://oscarliang.com/product-qifg
Hummingbird V4 Specs
- Drone Dimension: 65mm
- Flight Controller: Hummingbird V4 AIO FC
- Receiver: ExpressLRS 2.4GHz SPI (built-in into the FC)
- VTX: SmartMax 25mW / 100mW / 400mW switchable (built-in)
- Body: Cockroach V3 65mm Extremely Mild
- Motors: Hummingbird 0702 30,000KV
- Propellers: Azi Tri-Blade 31mm
- Digicam: BeeEye Digicam
- Cover: Goober V2
- Battery Connector: PH2.0
- Beneficial Battery: 1S 300mAh LiHV
- Weight (with out battery): 19.35g
What’s New In comparison with the Hummingbird V3?
NewBeeDrone has made a number of notable enhancements over the Hummingbird V3 (full evaluate right here: https://oscarliang.com/newbeedrone-hummingbird-v3/):
- Lighter: V4 is roughly 2g lighter than V3
- Extra energy: VTX max output elevated from 25mW to 400mW
- Increased motor KV: Upgraded from 25,000KV to 30,000KV
Nearer Look
The propellers and cover are available in random colours for a little bit of shock—mine arrived in a translucent white, which appears to be like glossy and clear.
The body and cover are produced from sturdy plastic, they usually’re among the many most crash-resistant supplies accessible within the tiny whoop class. The digital camera angle is adjustable from 5° to 55°, providing nice flexibility relying how briskly you need to fly. It is a beginner-friendly characteristic that makes the Hummingbird V4 extra adaptable in comparison with many different fashionable whoops in the marketplace.
The flight controller options 4 shiny RGB LEDs, one on every edge, which will be custom-made to show numerous patterns. This makes the drone stand out in low-light environments—good for racing with buddies, the place the lights will be custom-made and assist differentiate between pilots.
Each the radio receiver and VTX are built-in into the flight controller, and the digital camera plugs instantly into the FC as effectively. The motors are plug-and-play, that means no soldering is required wherever on this drone. This makes repairs and half replacements extremely simple. Do be aware, nonetheless, that the digital camera and motor have particular connectors that aren’t suitable with parts from different manufacturers, so replacements should come from NewBeeDrone.
Behind the cover, you’ll discover two antennas: an extended one for the receiver and a shorter one for the VTX.
Outdated PH2.0 Battery Connector
Sadly, the Hummingbird V4 nonetheless ships with PH2.0 battery connector, which feels outdated in 2025. Most trendy 1S batteries and chargers now use BT2.0 or A30 connectors, which give decrease inside resistance, diminished voltage sag, higher energy supply, and in the end longer flight instances. Contemplating the V4 now runs on 30,000KV motors—very power-hungry by nature—making this older connector battle much more.
Whereas the PH2.0 connector won’t be an enormous deal for newcomers who gained’t instantly discover efficiency variations, you’ll finally outgrow it. Upgrading later to higher batteries will value extra in the long term.
I raised this identical concern in my Hummingbird V3 evaluate, and it’s disappointing that it hasn’t been addressed. That stated, the repair is easy—I swapped the connector myself in underneath 10 minutes. I had no alternative anyway, since I not personal any batteries with PH2.0 connectors.
When you’re in an analogous place, I like to recommend getting a BT2.0 U Cable, which can also be suitable with A30 batteries: https://s.click on.aliexpress.com/e/_DDTv0pr
Flight Efficiency
The very first thing I seen when flying the Hummingbird V4 indoors was how clean and predictable it felt. Proper out of the field, this quad flew superbly—no PID tuning required. Management felt locked in, with glorious throttle response and nimble dealing with. Even utilizing inventory charges and PIDs, I felt completely accountable for the drone. For newcomers, that is precisely what you need: a drone that flies nice with minimal setup.
After upgrading to a BT2.0 connector, I used to be getting about 3:00 to three:half-hour of flight time utilizing a 1S 300mAh battery. That’s pretty typical for 1S whoops. With the inventory PH2.0 connector, you’ll be able to count on a shorter flight time (round 2.5 minutes) and early low-voltage warnings, as a result of worse voltage sag.
I additionally appreciated the vast digital camera angle adjustability. When you’re simply beginning out, I like to recommend setting the angle between 10° and 15°—good for sluggish, exact flying in tight indoor areas.
Room for Enchancment
Apart from the battery connector, there are just a few different areas the place the Hummingbird V4 might be improved.
The Goober V2 cover is robust and crash-resistant, however it gives little to no digital camera safety. The lens stands proud past the cover, making it weak to direct impacts. This appears like a design oversight. When you are likely to fly aggressively or crash regularly (let’s be trustworthy—everybody does with a whoop!), that is one thing to be careful for. A easy repair is so as to add a few small items of froth subsequent to the lens as bumpers.
The digital camera mount additionally makes use of a 3D-printed insert that doesn’t lock the lean angle in place. After a tough crash, the digital camera angle would possibly shift, which will be disorienting. A locking mechanism could be a pleasant contact in future variations.
One other level: the onboard ExpressLRS receiver is SPI-based. This isn’t superb, particularly contemplating NewBeeDrone already launched the RaceSpec V2 with a more recent flight controller that makes use of a UART-based ELRS receiver. That stated, this probably isn’t a dealbreaker. For most individuals, it’s merely not essential to replace the firmware on the FC or receiver—and by the point it’s good to, you’ll most likely have moved on to a different higher and newer whoop anyway.
Tips on how to Setup for First Flight
The FC comes with Betaflight 4.5.1, and the FC goal is HUMMINGBIRD_F4_V4. ESC firmware is Bluejay, 0.19, 48kHz (O-H-10).
Firstly, bind the receiver, go to the Receiver tab in Betaflight, and enter your bind phrase there. Alternatively, click on “Bind Receiver” button on the backside., then go to ExpressLRS LUA script in your radio and allow Bind mode. Observe this information if you happen to don’t know the way: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/#Technique-1-Bind-Button-in-Betaflight-Configurator
For maiden flight, listed here are the Betaflight configurations:
- Load ExpressLRS Preset
- Set Your Charges
- Set Arm swap, angle mode swap, turtle mode swap
- Set OSD (disable “Core Temperature” underneath warnings, substitute RSSI with RSSI_dBm)
- Modify your VTX channel and energy (25mW to 400mW) based mostly in your flying surroundings.
Ultimate Verdict
The NewBeeDrone Hummingbird V4 is a superb beginner-friendly tiny whoop. It’s light-weight, responsive, well-tuned proper out of the field, and performs superbly indoor. The plug-and-play design means minimal soldering is required—solely the battery connector if you happen to select to improve it—making repairs and upkeep simple, even for newcomers.
You may get your Hummingbird V4 from these retailers:
Nevertheless, the continued use of the PH2.0 connector in 2025 is a critical downside. When you determine to choose up this whoop, I extremely advocate swapping it out with a BT2.0 U cable and utilizing A30 or BT2.0 batteries.
For skilled pilots in search of most efficiency, you would possibly need to contemplate extra highly effective alternate options just like the NewBeeDrone RaceSpec V2 or BetaFPV Meteor65 Air. Try my suggestions right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
