For those who’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 spot that holds it again from being the proper newbie quad—the battery connector. Thankfully, this may be simply addressed, and I’ll present you ways later on this assessment. Let’s dive into the small print and show you how to resolve if the Hummingbird V4 is the fitting drone for you.
Study extra about tiny whoops and beneficial elements right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
The place to Purchase
You will 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
Notice: Batteries should not included. You’ll must buy your individual 1S 300mAh LiHV batteries with PH2.0 connectors: https://oscarliang.com/product-qifg
Hummingbird V4 Specs
- Drone Measurement: 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 Gentle
- Motors: Hummingbird 0702 30,000KV
- Propellers: Azi Tri-Blade 31mm
- Digicam: BeeEye Digicam
- Cover: Goober V2
- Battery Connector: PH2.0
- Really useful 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 assessment 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 smooth and clear.
The body and cover are constituted of sturdy plastic, and so they’re among the many most crash-resistant supplies obtainable within the tiny whoop class. The digicam angle is adjustable from 5° to 55°, providing nice flexibility relying how briskly you need to fly. It is a beginner-friendly function that makes the Hummingbird V4 extra adaptable in comparison with many different fashionable whoops in the marketplace.
The flight controller options 4 vibrant RGB LEDs, one on every edge, which could be custom-made to show varied patterns. This makes the drone stand out in low-light environments—excellent for racing with pals, the place the lights could be custom-made and assist differentiate between pilots.
Each the radio receiver and VTX are built-in into the flight controller, and the digicam plugs straight into the FC as nicely. The motors are plug-and-play, which means no soldering is required anyplace on this drone. This makes repairs and half replacements extremely simple. Do notice, nonetheless, that the digicam and motor have particular connectors that aren’t suitable with parts from different manufacturers, so replacements should come from NewBeeDrone.
In the back of 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, lowered voltage sag, higher energy supply, and finally longer flight occasions. 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 novices who received’t instantly discover efficiency variations, you’ll finally outgrow it. Upgrading later to raised batteries will value extra in the long term.
I raised this identical concern in my Hummingbird V3 assessment, and it’s disappointing that it hasn’t been addressed. That mentioned, the repair is easy—I swapped the connector myself in beneath 10 minutes. I had no alternative anyway, since I now not personal any batteries with PH2.0 connectors.
For those who’re in the same place, I like to recommend getting a BT2.0 U Cable, which can 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 wonderful throttle response and nimble dealing with. Even utilizing inventory charges and PIDs, I felt completely answerable for the drone. For novices, 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 may count on a shorter flight time (round 2.5 minutes) and early low-voltage warnings, because of the worse voltage sag.
I additionally appreciated the broad digicam angle adjustability. For those who’re simply beginning out, I like to recommend setting the angle between 10° and 15°—excellent for gradual, exact flying in tight indoor areas.
Room for Enchancment
Other than the battery connector, there are a number of different areas the place the Hummingbird V4 may very well be improved.
The Goober V2 cover is powerful and crash-resistant, however it presents little to no digicam safety. The lens stands out past the cover, making it weak to direct impacts. This seems like a design oversight. For those who are likely to fly aggressively or crash incessantly (let’s be sincere—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 digicam mount additionally makes use of a 3D-printed insert that doesn’t lock the lean angle in place. After a tough crash, the digicam angle may shift, which could be disorienting. A locking mechanism can be a pleasant contact in future variations.
One other level: the onboard ExpressLRS receiver is SPI-based. This isn’t ideally suited, particularly contemplating NewBeeDrone already launched the RaceSpec V2 with a more moderen flight controller that makes use of a UART-based ELRS receiver. That mentioned, 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 essential, you’ll in all probability have moved on to a different higher and newer whoop anyway.
Find out how to Setup for First Flight
The FC comes with Betaflight 4.5.1, and the FC goal is HUMMINGBIRD_F4_V4, authentic CLI Diff could be discovered right here. 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. Comply with this information when you don’t know the way: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/#Methodology-1-Bind-Button-in-Betaflight-Configurator
For maiden flight, listed below are the Betaflight configurations:
- Load ExpressLRS Preset
- Set Your Charges
- Set Arm swap, angle mode swap, turtle mode swap
- Set OSD (disable “Core Temperature” beneath warnings, substitute RSSI with RSSI_dBm)
- Regulate your VTX channel and energy (25mW to 400mW) based mostly in your flying atmosphere.
Closing 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 when you select to improve it—making repairs and upkeep simple, even for novices.
You will get your Hummingbird V4 from these retailers:
Nonetheless, the continued use of the PH2.0 connector in 2025 is a severe downside. For those who resolve to select up this whoop, I extremely advocate swapping it out with a BT2.0 U cable and utilizing A30 or BT2.0 batteries.
For knowledgeable pilots in search of most efficiency, you may need to contemplate extra highly effective alternate options just like the NewBeeDrone RaceSpec V2 or BetaFPV Meteor65 Air. Take a look at my suggestions right here: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/
