FPV Glossary

Short, honest definitions of the terms this database uses. Deep dives are linked where we have them.

Aircraft & buying

BNF (Bind-N-Fly) - a built quad without a radio: bind your transmitter and fly. What most people should buy first. Browse ours in the quads hub.
RTF (Ready-To-Fly) - BNF plus a radio (and often goggles) in the box.
PNP (Plug-N-Play) - no receiver installed; you solder your own.
AUW (all-up weight) - the quad ready to fly, battery included. The number that decides how it flies: AUW explained.
Whoop / cinewhoop / freestyle / long range - the main airframe classes: ducted micros, camera-carrying ducted 3", acrobatic 5", and efficient 7"+ cruisers.

Stator size (2207, 2306...) - stator diameter and height in mm; the first thing that determines what a motor can spin. Motor sizes explained.
KV - RPM per volt, unloaded. Lower KV = more torque per amp, higher KV = more RPM on the same cell count. KV explained.
Thrust table / bench test - the manufacturer's measured thrust/current/RPM data. How to read one.
T-mount / 5 mm shaft - the two common prop mounting interfaces on micros vs 5"+ motors.

LiPo / Li-ion / LiHV - the chemistries. HV charges to 4.35 V/cell instead of 4.20. Li-ion vs LiPo.
Cell count (1S...6S) - cells in series; each adds ~3.7 V nominal.
C-rating - claimed discharge multiple of capacity. Marketing tier, not physics: the truth.
XT60 / XT30 / BT2.0 / PH2.0 - connectors, big to tiny. Match the quad natively; adapters add resistance.
Storage voltage - ~3.8 V/cell, where LiPos survive being left alone. LiPo care.

FC (flight controller) - the brain; runs Betaflight or similar.
ESC / 4-in-1 - drives the motors; rated in amps per motor. Stacks explained.
Stack / AIO - FC+ESC as separate stacked boards, or merged on one. Browse the stacks database.
UART - a serial port on the FC; receivers, VTX control and GPS each want one.
BEC - the regulator on the board that feeds 5 V/9 V to camera and VTX.

VTX - the video transmitter. Analog or digital; power in mW. Browse VTX modules.
Analog / DJI O3-O4 / Walksnail / HDZero - the video systems. Incompatible ecosystems; goggles must match: FPV video systems.
ELRS (ExpressLRS) - the open-source control link that took over the hobby; 2.4 GHz, long range, cheap receivers.
Crossfire (TBS) - the 900 MHz control link ELRS displaced for most pilots; still common on long range builds.
mW (VTX power) - transmit power. More is not always better: pit at 25 mW, cruise at 200-800, long range higher where legal.

Thrust-to-weight - total max thrust over AUW. Calculator, pre-filled on motor pages.
Punch-out - full-throttle vertical burst; where weak packs sag.
Sag - voltage drop under load; the battery aging tax made visible.
Betaflight - the firmware on nearly every freestyle/racing FC.

Missing a term you hit on a spec page? The About page explains how this database is built and sourced.

Related: All guides · Calculators