EMAX Tinyhawk 3 RTF FPV Drone Review: December 2021

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

I am a drone enthusiast with a knack for flying drones around but not so much FPV mini drones. I tried EMAX Tinyhawk 2 some time back and wrote a review about it too.

Please check the review if you have not yet so this time I was looking to upgrade my FPV flying skills because of a new contender is in town. The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 RTF FPV Drone promises to be the best micro drone out there.

Will it fulfil our expectations? How good is the Tinyhawk 3? Is it worth the hype? If you have any of these questions, then you’re in the right place. These and a lot of other questions will be answered today.

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is the perfect successor to the Tinyhawk II and the newest addition to the series. It is designed with capabilities and functionalities to overcome all the problems of the previous generation drones and does that at quite a reasonable price.

But that’s not even scratching the surface when it comes to the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone. There’s much more about it that you’re going to want to know.

That’s why, in this article, I’m going to talk about the drone itself, what comes with it, different features and specs of the drone. So, without wasting any further time, let’s get started.

EMAX USA:

EMAX USA is an American Drone and Electronics company which is widely known for manufacturing incredibly high-quality and affordable electronics for consumers across the world.

They’re based in California, USA. With a long background in the FPV racing product manufacturing industry, EMAX USA has an incredibly talented group of employees striving to provide the best products to the customers.

EMAX USA is an industry leader when it comes to high-quality FPV drones in the USA and their drones are famous around the globe. EMAX has a revenue of over $2 million which is incredible.

EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Drone:

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is the third installment in the Tinyhawk Mini-FPV drone series by EMAX. It has a very compact design, extraordinary look, small form-factor, and packs a lot of punch.

The drone itself is an upgraded version of the Tinyhawk 2, which was in itself quite an impressive drone. So, ideally, there’s going to be a lot of improvement in this version.

Seeing how popular the last one was, a drone lover like me thanks to my friend had to rush to the store immediately and get one for us. So, let’s begin with the unboxing and review of this drone.

What’s in the box?

The casing of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is quite impressive for the price it comes. The design is pretty decent as well. Everything will be wrapped and protected by plastic coverings when you open the box.

To my surprise, there were a lot of components within the box other than the necessities. So let’s take a look at what’s inside the box of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone.

• Tinyhawk 3 FPV Micro Drone
• FPV Goggles
• Remote Controller
• Antennas for Goggles
• Mounting Bracket for Screen
• Extra Propellors
• USB Charger
• Micro-USB cable
• QR Code
• Allen Tool

This drone costs much less than many of the top-rated FPV drones on the market, but the contents of the drone kit showcase the great value that this drone offers.

Features and Specs of the Tinyhawk 3:

When it comes to features and specs, the Tinyhawk 2 was a pretty decent contender, but with a better remote and FPV Goggles, there’s a lot else that the Tinyhawk 3 can be known for.

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 FPV Micro Drone has many excellent features and specs that you’re going to love. Let’s take a look at some of them and see what this drone has to offer.

Camera:

Unlike the EMAX Tinyhawk 2, which used the RunCam Nano 2 as its primary FPV camera, the upgraded Tinyhawk 3 utilizes the new and improved RunCam Nano 4 camera.

The image sensor used in this camera is 1/3″ CMOS which is quite impressive, and the FOV of the camera is 155 degrees. The housing material is ABS which makes it quite durable as well.

The camera quality is pretty excellent, and the FPV visuals of this drone, along with the optics, are fantastic. You’re definitely going to love this drone camera.

Performance:

Well, does the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 perform better than the Tinyhawk 2; You might be wondering. I’m glad to tell you that it does. The main reason for the better performance is the power of the motors.

The motors used in the Tinyhawk 3 are TH0802 II 15000kv brushless motors that are fast and high-performance. In addition, the TH Turtlemode-3 props also compliment the powerful motors to make it a controllable and high-quality performance drone.

Stability:

The stability of an FPV drone matters a lot because it needs to be precise in its movements. The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is relatively stable because of the 76 mm frame size.

The 360-degree blade guard and the 75 mm propellors really help in making the flight experience stable and capable of complete control. These are some features that make this one better than the previous drones.

Transmitter and FPV Goggles:

One massive upgrade is in the transmitter region. The previous generation of remote controllers wasn’t the best regarding quality, feel, and buttons. However, EMAX has made its mark with this one.

The remote controller of the Tinyhawk 3 is smooth, comfortable, durable, and well-placed. The toggle buttons and the sticks feel friendly and more accessible to control than the last one. It uses a single Lithium-Ion cell to function.

There are a few buttons below the sticks and a power button. There are a couple of position switches on the top, and in the middle, there is a mounting hook for the screen if you’re not using the FPV Goggles.

Talking about the new Transporter 2 FPV Goggles, they’re very comfortable and easy to use. The screen on the front is attached magnetically, so you can take it off if you’re not using the FPV Goggles. They can be used to monitor the footage as well.

To make the headband perfectly adjustable, three latches allow you to retract the frame as back as you want to. The screen itself is an LCD that is really well-designed and decently sized, so the FPV goggles are great.

Battery:

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 comes with an upgraded and advanced battery as well. The battery used in this drone is 1S HV 450mAh, and it offers a flight time of around 4 minutes on a fully charged battery.

The battery doesn’t need a long time to get charged. For a drone, the Tinyhawk 3 has a pretty decent battery, and you’re going to have a great time flying it.

Flight Range:

For a drone, the Tinyhawk 3 is a perfect one when it comes to flight range. If you’re thinking of flying it outside the house in case there’s no strong wind, you’ll be able to have a good time with it.

You can fly it above 20-30 feet without experiencing any connectivity issues.

Drone Speed:

The Tinyhawk 3 is a proper improvement on the last drone in the Tinyhawk series, which translates into the drone speed. The previous drone had a max speed of around 50 kilometers per hour.

This drone comes with a top speed of 54 kilometers per hour, and the brushless motors generating higher power definitely help the drone achieve this feat. However, even at high speeds, the flyer always controls this drone.

Flight Modes:

This particular drone also comes with three main flight modes that were common in the last drone of the series as well. Let’s take a look at what these modes are capable of.

• Acro – The Acro mode is the default mode where stick input is mandatory to level the drone.
• Angle – This is the mode where the drone will remain at a level without flipping.
• Horizon – The drone will remain level without needing stick input and will flip in this mode.

Pros and Cons of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Drone:

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is a pretty impressive drone and packs quite a punch. However, if you’re thinking of buying it, you need to learn about all the advantages and disadvantages it comes with.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Drone.

Pros:

• Massive Improvement on the Tinyhawk 2 – Whether we’re talking about the drone’s speed, durability, functions, or modes, the Tinyhawk 3 is an enormous improvement on the Tinyhawk 2.
• Decently Priced – The price of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 compared to other FPV drones and the previous generation drones of the Tinyhawk series is quite impressive, and the value is excellent.
• Robust and Durable – The frame of the Tinyhawk 3 is pretty durable and strong despite being very lightweight and compact. It won’t break on a hit or take too much excessive damage as long as you’re in control.

Cons:

• Batteries hard to find – Batteries of the Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone are hard to find because they’re usually not very readily available in the market on their own. They’re available in packs or the RTF kit of the drone.
• Bad for Windy Weather – One problem that this drone might face when you’re flying it around your backyard is that in case of windy weather, it might not be able to fly well due to the light frame it comes with.

RTF VS BNF Version: Which One Is Better?

The RTF Version of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone is Ready-to-fly out of the box. It contains all the essentials including the remote controller and the FPV goggles for support and usage.

But the BNF or Bind-to-fly version, doesn’t come with a bound remote controller out of the box with it. Other than that, it is just the same as the drone in the RTF version.

The difference is the number of components, flyability, and the price. If you have the budget for it, you should definitely go for the RTF version, otherwise, get the BNF one.

How to Set up and Fly the EMAX Tinyhawk 3?

So, you’ve got your very own EMAX Tinyhawk 3, but you’re not certain how you can set up and fly it; Well, lucky for you, I’ve made a step-by-step guide that you can follow to learn to fly this drone exquisitely.

Let’s take a look at all the steps you’re going to need to go through to be able to fly the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 well.

Step 1: Unboxing the Drone:

If you’re just got the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 RTF kit, and you haven’t opened it, that’s going to be the first thing you’re going to do. After that, everything within the box will come in handy one way or the other.

Take the drone out of the plastic wrap and set it down on one side. Then, you’re going to take the remote controller out of the covering and put it aside. Then, finally, you’re going to take the FPV Goggles out as well.

Other than that, there will be a few tools and trinkets that you should take out and store in a safe place because those extra propellors and Allen key might come in handy at some point.

Step 2: Charging the Drone Battery:

The next step is to charge the drone battery. Right out of the packaging, the battery will have a bit of charging in it, but ideally, you’re going to want to charge the drone battery before you use it.

With the help of the USB charger, you can plug the battery in and let it charge completely. Make sure you’re plugging the battery in the correct port to provide the proper voltage.

After the battery is ultimately charged, you’re going to take it and slide it into the holder under the drone. Once that is done, connect the battery plug into the drone, and you’re good to go.

Step 3: Understanding the FPV Goggles and Monitor:

The next step is to understand the FPV Goggles and the monitor attached. As I said before, the monitor on the front is entirely magnetically attached, and you can remove it.

On one side of the monitor, there are three buttons labeled Band, Channel, and Record button along with a headphones jack to listen to the recording of the FPV drone.

On the other side, we have the Power Button and the Automatic Channel Scan buttons. There’s also an SD Card opening to place the card and store the recordings.

After disconnecting the monitor, you will take the plastic peel off and attach the antennas on top of the FPV monitor. You can fold them down for storing as well.

The next step is to click on the power button, which will turn the display on, and a static screen will be displayed because the Tinyhawk 3 isn’t actually turned on yet.

Step 4: Understanding the Remote Controller:

If you haven’t used remote controllers of a drone yet, on the left side, the stick can control the horizontal rotation to the left and right and also the throttle to increase or decrease drone speed.

On the right side, the stick controls the pitch of the drone. You can pitch the drone towards the left and right and forward and backward if you want to.

There are also trim buttons on the bottom of the analog sticks. And on top are the two significant switches. The left-side switch controls the arming and disarming of the drone.

The right-side switch controls which particular mode your Tinyhawk 3 drone is. With all this information, you’ll be able to manage very well and fly the drone independently.

The remote that you might not like is that the buttons aren’t labeled. For a beginner flyer, this could serve as a problem because labels help understand the drone’s mechanics quite well.

Step 5: Flying the Drone:

The last and final step is to fly the drone. Turn the drone on, and you’ll immediately be able to see the drone camera footage on the monitor. You can adjust the camera angle depending upon where you’re flying the drone.

You have the capability of flying the Tinyhawk 3 s as well as outdoors and recording all the fantastic footage that you want. Flying this drone will be a tremendous experience for all drone flyers.

We do not have our YouTube channel but hopefully coming soon but here is a great video-

How did I test the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Drone?

The Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone was tested according to standard protocol. Let me take you through each of the sections of the testing process to ensure every aspect was taken into view for this review.

Flight Test:

First and foremost, the flight test of the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 needed to be taken. So I flew the drone around, indoor and outdoor, and the experience was pretty smooth.

The next perimeter was checking the communication between the transmitter and the drone. Again, the footage and the instructions are very responsive, and the drone makes for a great flight experience.

Testing Video:

The next phase of the testing involves checking the video input. This FPV drone streams video directly on the monitor placed on the FPV goggles, and the footage was self-explanatory and uninterrupted.

The video processing is pretty decent. An external SD card’s storage capability to add to the monitor makes the overall recordability much more accessible and better for longer recordings.

Testing Software:

The last testing phase involves looking closely at the software integrated into the FPV monitor to know if the work is proper and without any errors.

The software interface showcases the drone’s battery, the mode the drone is in, and many other elements while you’re flying it—everything you need to know while flying is already showcased on display.

Is the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Beginner-friendly or not?

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is actually not the most beginner-friendly or easy-to-use drone. The previous generation of the Tinyhawk series was advertised as beginner-friendly, but this one is a bit more complex.

The added complexity is due to the excessive options, capabilities, buttons, elements, and components of the Tinyhawk 3 drone. That’s why it isn’t the easiest drone to fly.

So, if you’re a complete beginner, I’d suggest that you start your drone flying journey with a drone that is easy and ready to fly without any excessive requirements, and once you get the hang of drone flight, buy this Tinyhawk 3, and you’ll love flying it.

Is the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 worth the hype?

So, finally, is the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 worth the price and the hype created around it; You might be thinking to yourself. Well, definitely yes.

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is the perfect FPV drone for you if you know your way around using and flying an FPV drone.

It comes with tons of features, great specs, many capabilities, multiple modes, fast speed, good stability and control, and all the things that the previous generations missed out on.

So, if you’re thinking of buying it, you should definitely make your move as fast as you can.

GEPRC TinyGO FPV Drone: Best Alternative to EMAX Tinyhawk 3-

The best alternative for the Tinyhawk 3 FPV drone is none other than the vastly popular GEPRC TinyGO FPV Drone. This drone comes in two versions, one is the standard, and the other is the 4K drone.

This drone offers incredible speed, fantastic recordability, high-quality resolution for the FPV goggles, and the remote transmitter is very neatly designed as well. In addition, the camera and image capturing of this drone are much better than the Tinyhawk 3.

However, you might not like that it is a bit more expensive than the EMAX Tinyhawk 3. So, if budget is an issue, you should definitely go for the Tinyhawk 3.

If not, then with the unique features and specs that come in the GEPRC TinyGO FPV Drone, you’re going to have a wonderful experience with this drone since it is easy to use and beginner-friendly as well.

Conclusion:

The EMAX Tinyhawk 3 is a significant improvement on the last one in the Tinyhawk series, but it’s also a more complex FPV drone. So, if you’re a seasoned drone enthusiast, this drone is the right choice for you.

With a plethora of features and specs, this drone is going to perform amazingly for you. I hope that you learned a lot from this review and that you’re going to enjoy flying this drone around the house and even outside.

May you have an excellent drone flying experience with the EMAX Tinyhawk 3 Drone!

HAPPY FLYING!!

Summary

Reviewer

Nick Cast

Review Date

2021-12-15

Reviewed Item

Drone

Author Rating

4

Product Name

EMAX Tinyhawk 3 RTF FPV Drone

Price

USD 310

Product Availability

Available in Stock