The Drone Racing League's Racer3 is Ready for Competition

Competition between multi-rotor R/C racing series is beginning to heat up. While the DR1 Racing series Has added a Micro Series To their competitive menu, the Drone Racing League (DRL) has introduced the latest version of their race-bred quadcopter; Racer3.

Race-ready

From a competition viewpoint, the DRL Racer3 brings both speed and agility to the league’s races, using a custom-built LiPo battery (1,800-milliamps/7,000kg static thrust) to power this new quadcopter.

Three, 6” tri-blade propellers lift this machine into the air and Help accelerate it from zero to 80mph in just under one second. That’s right. One. Second. For broadcast purposes, a long-range, internal radio system is tucked neatly within body shell and chassis of Racer3. A quick glance at this updated aircraft reveals clean lines without much added (or dangling) wires and cables.

Speaking of the body, Racer 3 features a redesigned polycarbonate shell To aid in durability. Another crash survival enhancement is the use of a 5k carbon fiber mid-plate Which is sandwiched between the upper and lower layers of the quadcopter. The body housing also encloses most of the FPV camera, increasing aerodynamics and giving this R/C drone a sleek visual appearance.

Spectator-focused

One of the key elements in making radio-controlled quadcopter racing “the sport of the future” is improving in-race visibility of the aircraft. One of my earlier gripes about this sport was, and continues to be, the fact that these multi-rotor racers are so incredibly quick, that it’s hard to keep an eye on the action without losing your place and understanding where your favorite pilot’s machine has gone.

The DRL Racer3 has received a big boost in visibility and tracking by including over 200 LED lights in the airframe of each racing quad. The lights are color-coded to each pilot, making identification of your favorite racer easier and increasing the overall enjoyment of the sport.

Ready for Prime-time?

In-all, I like the direction that the DRL has taken with Racer3 and am excited to see it hit the various courses on the DRL circuit. I’ve slowly warmed up to drone racing as a spectator sport and my kids and I have had some fun experiences watching these events and cheering for our favorite pilots. My Hope is that this continues to build when this new aircraft takes flight.

If you’re looking for a new spectator sport to check out, or even have aspirations of becoming a quadcopter racer yourself, visit the DRL website for more information on their series and events.

Image credit: The Drone Racing League