Every FPV pilot has experienced something along these lines – having a great time flying or getting close to learning a new trick, and then BOOM! You hit a tree, crash into the ground and break something.
It gets worse from there as well, since you have to order a new part and wait for shipping before you can fly your drone again.
Also, sometimes parts go out of stock really fast so you have to wait for them to get back in stock. Then by the time you get back flying you’ll probably forget the trick you were learning or just lose a lot of flying time.
However, most pilots don’t want to/have the money to have an entirely new setup of parts lying around. You want to have enough parts to get yourself back in the air without a wait, so here are the best five spare parts to have for an FPV pilot.
Propellers – MUST HAVE!
Any learning FPV pilot and even pros break a LOT of props.
Props are the part that gets the most broken on a drone and extras are must-have, especially when you are learning to fly. It might seem obvious that you need props but some pilots, especially beginners, forget to buy enough extras.
It’s always good to keep a spare 5 sets of props on hand since they’re cheap, and the last thing you’d want to wait for. I personally have hundreds, they can be a lot cheaper when you buy in bulk.
VTX Antennas
Drone crashes aren’t forgiving, and a hard crash can easily break a VTX antenna, or they can come unscrewed and get lost.
If your FPV antenna is on a rigid mount, it’s a lot more likely to snap, crack, and break. Regardless of how often your antenna breaks though, it is still a good idea to have a few extra antennas.
From our experience, having at least one extra on hand is recommended.
Extra Frame Parts
You’re probably not going to break every part on your frame, so keeping a top or bottom plate sitting around is a waste of money.
The most common parts on your frame to break or lose are your arms and any screws/hardware. Especially on beginner builds where you will crash a lot, it is good to have a few extra arms and a lot of extra frame screws.
For flying fast over concrete or by trees, two extra arms is a good idea.
Most pilots should buy a screw kit with a lot of different assorted sizes of screws. A good screw kit can be found here on Amazon.
Motors
Motors will most likely not break as often as the rest of the parts on our list but chances are, especially if you are a beginner or if you like to fly in difficult environments (bandos, over concrete…), you will definitely break a few motors.
Another perk to having extra motors is that after a couple of years, they stop production and are impossible to find. Having an extra can help prevent having to replace all of your motors or flying with mismatched motors.
If you plan on flying over concrete, it’s a good idea to have two extra motors on hand. For normal flying over grass or dirt, having one extra is perfect.
ESC’s (Electronic Speed Controller)
You don’t need to have a spare 4 in 1 ESC sitting around, but if you have individual ESC’s it’s a good idea to keep an extra.
Like motors, ESC’s don’t break that often but when they do, having an extra is helpful. A lot of times when you break a motor it can burn out an ESC, and vice versa.
Runner up: 3D Printed Parts
Another great addition to your spare parts collection would be any 3D printed parts on your drone.
These often break more easily than other parts on your drone, but not all people use them in their drones so I didn’t include them in the main list.
Final Thoughts
Having spare parts is a must-have for any serious drone pilot, and getting the right parts shouldn’t be too much of a burden on your wallet.
To keep from breaking your expensive electronics like your ESC, flight controller, VTX, and camera, we’d recommend waterproofing your drone.
Reversing your propeller direction can also help keep your drone and electronics safe, depending on your flying style.
Hopefully this list helps you feel more prepared for many inevitable crashes!
Comment with any questions, and let us know if there are any other good spare parts that you think are necessary.
Happy flying!