World's smallest cinewhoop drone goes on sale
BetaFPV has launched the smallest cinewhoop drone, which looks like a baby DJI Avata (and can carry a DJI O3 Air Unit)
After a period of, you've guessed it, beta testing, the BetaFPV Pavo Pico is now available, and it's tiny. This cinewhoop frame looks a bit like DJI's Avata, but it is a lot smaller (and can still take a DJI digital camera).
How small? Well the DJI Avata is 180mm long, while the Pavo Pico is slightly under 81mm and weighs 71.2g plus the roughly 66g of the DJI 03 VTX (video transmission system), but without a battery.
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BetaFPV tells us that pilots can expect a flight time of 4 minutes from the brushless motors and a 2S 450mAh battery. That might not sound long, compared to bigger camera drones, but it is competitive in the compact space, and imagine where you can fly what is an excellent camera.
It might not actually be the smallest drone there is, but being the smallest with a digital HD video system is likely more significant to videographers and enthusiasts. Either way, the design uses a rubber damper to reduce vibrations and a PA12 nylon frame to protect the VTX.
The flight controller (brain of the drone) is newly developed, called the 'F4 1S 12A AIO Brushless FC V3' – these guys really know how to welcome newcomers with easy-to-follow product naming, huh? Seriously, though, this board has a 16MB black box and a barometer (it even supports external GPS, not that you'll likely need it with a tiny drone like this).
The drone's 45mm props are powered by 1102 14,000kv props while the weight is kept down using a carbon frame. The camera needs to be set in place before take-off, but the angle be adjusted and a filter can be fitted.
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BetaFPV hasn't restricted its tiny whoop to the DJI O3 VTX, either; there is also a version of the frame for the Walksnail Avatar or the Vista HD digital VTX systems. For frames like this, the system is typically bought separately.
BetaFPV's Pavo series has larger options for drone fans looking to capture FPV video, as well as the very interesting Pavo360 built to work with a special Insta360 all-round camera. BetaFPV also offers a beginner's kit that we've seen in our best FPV drones guide.
With over 20 years of expertise as a tech journalist, Adam brings a wealth of knowledge across a vast number of product categories, including timelapse cameras, home security cameras, NVR cameras, photography books, webcams, 3D printers and 3D scanners, borescopes, radar detectors… and, above all, drones.
Adam is our resident expert on all aspects of camera drones and drone photography, from buying guides on the best choices for aerial photographers of all ability levels to the latest rules and regulations on piloting drones.
He is the author of a number of books including The Complete Guide to Drones, The Smart Smart Home Handbook, 101 Tips for DSLR Video and The Drone Pilot's Handbook.