Review: BetaFPV Air65 II (Freestyle/Racing/Champion) — The Lightest & Fastest Tinywhoop Yet

BetaFPV has been teasing the Air65 II release with its new frame, and we could see it coming — now it’s finally here. In my opinion, the original Air65 was without doubt the best tinywhoop in 2024 and 2025. In this new version, BetaFPV pushes it even further toward extreme weight reduction and power. I’ve been flying the Champion Edition, the wildest of the three options, and it’s easily one of the most aggressive 1S whoops I’ve ever flown. Do I recommend it? Which option should you get? Let’s find out in this review.

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Learn more about tiny whoops and check out my accessory recommendations: https://oscarliang.com/best-tiny-whoop/

Where to Buy

Get the Air65 II whoop from:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4BuzGvN
• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-npm0

There are three options:

• Freestyle – lowest KV, most forgiving
• Racing – middle ground
• Champion – lighter frame + highest KV (the one I’m reviewing here)

If you care about outright speed and power, the Champion is the one. If you want a more general-purpose indoor whoop, the Freestyle or Racing versions are more manageable and friendly.

It comes with the following accessories and hardware:

• Spare set of props
• Spare Air II canopy
• 4 × M1.4×2 screws
• 2 × M1.4×5 self-tapping screws
• 4 × M1.4×4 self-tapping screws
• 2 × H0.8 shock-absorbing balls
• 1 × Type-C to SH1.0 adapter board
• 1 × SH1.0 4-pin adapter cable

Get your batteries here (Lava II 1S 280/320mAh):

• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-mmed
• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Uuclsh

Get some spare propellers here (Gemfan 1207-3):

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Lzm74n
• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-br8f

Specifications

Here are the detailed specs of the Air65 II and how they compare to the original version.

Weight

Left: V1 Champio; Right: Air65 II Champion;

It may look very similar, but almost all components have been upgraded: new FC, new props, new frame and canopy, and new batteries. And it’s considerably lighter.

Left: Air65 II Champion; Right: V1 Champion

The new Air65 V2 Champion is over 1 gram lighter than the previous generation. The Racing and Freestyle editions are also over half a gram lighter than their counterparts from the last version. That might not sound like much, but for tinywhoops these weight savings are huge in terms of performance.

You can feel it in the air — how nimble it is, how quickly it changes direction, and how little momentum it carries through crashes.

Frame and Canopy

The frame in the Air65 II Champion edition has to be one of the lightest frames on the market — it weighs only 2.2g, nearly half a gram lighter than the previous generation. It’s also slightly lighter than the standard Air65 II frame.

BetaFPV achieved this by:

• Reducing the number of struts down to 3 (there were 6 in the original Air65 frame and 4 in the standard Air65 II frame)
• Removing unnecessary plastic, such as the small arrows at the front and back
• Making the motor mounts thinner

Left: V1 Champio; Right: Air65 II Champion;

The downside? The frame is noticeably more flexible when I twist it by hand. It’s not as stiff as the standard Air65 II frame, but it’s significantly lighter — roughly a 20% frame weight reduction.

However, the motor mounts are now so thin that you must use the shorter motor screws that come with this frame. Standard screws can protrude too far and damage the motor windings.

On the plus side, the motor screws sit recessed, so sliding the drone across a hardwood floor shouldn’t leave any scratches (hopefully).

We previously looked at the standard Air65 II frame and discussed its pros and cons in detail here: https://oscarliang.com/betafpv-air65-ii/#New-Air65-II-Frame-and-Canopy

The canopy is also improved. It now has extra mounting holes, allowing you to lower the camera angle for more comfortable slow cruising without any DIY mods, which is especially helpful for beginners.

Flight Controller

The new Matrix 1S 5in1 FC comes with an upgraded 12A ESC, which is much more robust than the previous 5A ESC.

BetaFPV also changed how the FC is mounted. They now use a so-called “3-point mounting” system. If you look closely, the front FC grommet is gone — the board “floats” at the front. BetaFPV claims this improves durability by up to 80%. The idea is that in a crash, the frame can flex slightly instead of transferring impact directly into sensitive components on the FC, helping to absorb shock.

So far in my crashes, it’s holding up well. That said, I’ve never broken a flight controller in crashes before, so I don’t think it was a major flaw to begin with, to be honest.

One thing to note: the FC doesn’t have a built-in USB port. Instead, it uses a USB adapter board to connect to Betaflight — so make sure you don’t lose that dongle!

Motors

Apart from KV differences, the motors in the Champion edition use dual ball bearings, while the Freestyle and Racing editions use brass bushings.

Dual ball bearings are smoother and works better at higher RPM compared to brass bushings. They also reduce friction and long-term wear, making the Champion motors both more powerful and potentially more durable over time. One drawback is a slight increase in motor weight, but this is more than offset by weight savings elsewhere in the Champion build, such as the lighter frame, monopole VTX antenna, and lighter props.

Speaking of motors, the Champion edition motors are soldered directly to the flight controller instead of using connectors. This saves weight and reduces electrical resistance — exactly what you want in a high-performance build. However, motor replacement is easier on the Freestyle and Racing editions, where the motors use plug connectors and don’t require soldering.

Propellers

The included Gemfan 1207 3B propellers are among the lightest 3-blade props available, weighing only 0.58g per set of four. For comparison, most 3-blade props are in the 0.6–0.7g range, while even the HQ ultralight 2-blade is around 0.51g.

These lower-pitch props are better suited to high-KV motors, helping maintain efficiency. Running high-pitch props on these motors, current draw would be brutal.

Another thing I noticed is the sound — these props produce a slightly different tone and are actually a bit quieter than the previous generation.

BetaFPV appears to have moved away from HQ props in this generation. I don’t blame them, HQ props are typically more expensive than Gemfan, and as long as performance is good, I don’t really care which brand they use. Of course, if you prefer HQ, you can always get some yourself.

Replacing props is surprisingly easy. They’re not overly tight, to remove props, I didn’t even need a prop tool — I could remove them by hand. The downside is that props can pop off during crashes. I’ve already lost two during testing, so it’s wise to keep spares on hand. Luckily, a spare set is included.

Get some spare propellers here (Gemfan 1207-3):

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Lzm74n
• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-br8f

Battery

The battery connector is the same U-shaped BT2.0.

I’m glad BetaFPV released the new LAVA II batteries recently, which offer improved discharge performance as tested in my review – important for keeping up with the demands of these higher-KV motors.

Because of the battery holder size, you’re limited to 300mAh-class packs. If you are getting the batteries from BetaFPV, your options are:

• LAVA II 1S 320mAh
• LAVA II 1S 280mAh

The larger 1S 480mAh and 1S 580mAh packs do not fit in the Air65 II — those are intended for 75mm whoops.

Get your batteries here:

• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-mmed
• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4Uuclsh

Camera, VTX & Image Quality

The camera remains the C03, arguably one of the best analog cameras available for tiny whoops. It’s an excellent all-rounder, offering a great balance of color reproduction, image detail, and field of view.

The VTX is integrated into the flight controller, just like in the previous version. Output power remains 25–400mW, so paired with the same camera, you can expect very similar video link performance and image quality as before.

The standard antenna is still the dipole (BetaFPV calls it the Copper Tube Antenna). However, the Champion edition uses a lighter monopole antenna — essentially the same copper tube antenna but without the outer tube. When flying in the house, I didn’t notice any difference between the two antennas. Both provide a solid video link.

Flight Performance

The moment I spooled up the Air65 II Champion Edition, I knew this wasn’t a beginner whoop. These 36,000KV motors are absurdly high for 1S. Throttle response is instant and razor sharp. Indoors, it feels almost overpowered. Outdoors or on a race course? It’s an absolute rocket, and punch-outs are explosive.

Compared to the previous Air65 Champion, overall handling, smoothness, and PID tune feel very similar. The motors do sound slightly quieter and smoother though, which is a nice bonus. The new version is clearly faster and more powerful, mainly due to the significantly higher motor KV, it makes throttle way more sensitive, making fine control more challenging when flying under tables or through tight gaps. I don’t think I ever needed to use more than 60% throttle during flight, and I was already feeling a bit overwhelmed. :)

36,000KV might be a little too much for indoor — it’s better suited for outdoor flying. The good news is you can easily tame it by applying a throttle limit or throttle scaling, making it more manageable for tight spaces. This actually can be more flexible than choosing a lower-KV motor, since you can still unlock the full power when needed. I have a tutorial on how to do this here: https://oscarliang.com/throttle-scale/

For learning or casual indoor cruising, the Champion edition is certainly an overkill. The Racing or Freestyle versions, with their lower KV motors, are more suitable.

Flight Time

With LAVA II 1S 320mAh packs, I get around 4 minutes of flight time. That’s about 20–30 seconds less than the older Air65 Champion on the same battery, which is expected due to the higher motor KV. Still, 4 minutes is a good duration — any longer and I start to lose focus, especially when flying this fast :D

With the LAVA II 280mAh, flight time drops to just 3 minutes. The quad feels even more agile because of the lighter battery, but the trade-off is significantly shorter flight time. Voltage also sags quickly near the end of the pack. Several times I couldn’t make it back before voltage dropped too low, causing video loss and a walk of shame to pick up the quad. If you use these smaller packs, I recommend setting your warning voltage higher and landing earlier.

Personally, for casual flying and fun sessions, I prefer 320mAh. If you’re trying to get the best lap times on a race course, the 280mAh is undoubtedly the better choice.

RC Channel Jittering

Roll/pitch channel seems to have some tiny jitters at center stick. If yours does the same, simply set RC Deadband to 2 or 3. It won’t fix it, but it tells Betaflight to ignore this jitter and it should prevent it causing any issues in flight.

Also make sure you center all the trim buttons first, when your trim buttons are cantered your radio should say “trim cantered”.

How to Setup for First Flight

Firmware:

• The FC comes with Betaflight 4.5.3, and the FC target is BETAFPVG473_V2. You can find the default CLI diff here.
• ELRS Receiver: BETAFPV 2.4GHz AIO RX, ExpressLRS firmware version 3.5.6
• ESC: Bluejay, 0.19, 96kHz (A-X-5)

Firstly, bind the receiver, follow this guide if you don’t know how: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/

Here are the Betaflight configurations:

1. Load ExpressLRS Preset (based on your packet rates)
2. Set Your Rates
3. Enable Telemetry
4. Set Arm switch, angle mode switch, turtle mode switch
5. Set OSD (disable core temperature)
6. Adjust current sensor scale for more accurate reading

You are ready for first flight.

Custom Tuning & Settings

The stock PID and filter tune flies well — you don’t have to change anything really. That said, I think there’s still room for improvement. Here’s my custom tune that I think improves the overall flying experience (for me personally), feel free to give it a try, but make sure you backup your existing config so you can go back if you don’t like it.

I changed a few things, but the main changes are:

• Filters can be lower to reduce latency
• PID can be set much higher for snappy stick response
• Feedforward 0.7
• Vbat sag compensation 100%
• Thrust Linearization 10

Also check out other improvements you can do on any whoops: https://oscarliang.com/best-tinywhoop-settings/

Final Thoughts: Should You Get It? Which Version?

The original Air65 was already the king of tiny whoops, and BetaFPV has pushed the platform even further. If you’re shopping for a new whoop, the Air65 II is an easy recommendation.

The real question is which version you should get: Freestyle, Racing, or Champion?

Don’t feel restricted by the names. You can freestyle with the Racing edition, race with the Freestyle edition, and you certainly don’t need the Champion edition to fly like one :) Your choice really comes down to skill level, how much space you have, and how fast you plan to fly.

Choose Freestyle / Racing if:

• You’re new to flying
• You mostly fly indoors
• You want longer flight times
• You prefer easier throttle control
• You want slightly better crash resistance

Choose Champion if:

• You’re an experienced pilot
• You want maximum power-to-weight performance
• You don’t mind slightly shorter flight times
• You accept reduced frame durability
• You fly both indoors and outdoors

If you’re an experienced pilot, and want the fastest possible tiny whoop, the Champion edition is hard to beat. It’s one of the lightest and most powerful off-the-shelf whoops available right now. If it feels too aggressive, you can always scale back throttle in Betaflight, or in your radio settings. The dual ball-bearing motors are smoother, quieter, and more durable. It’s only about $5 more, and you get the highest performance ceiling.

For beginners, the Freestyle and Racing editions make more sense. The frame is slightly heavier but more durable, and the plug-and-play motors are easier to replace (no soldering required). Between those two, I’d lean toward the Racing version — the only difference is motor KV, and you can always reduce throttle output if it feels too powerful. There’s little reason to permanently limit your performance ceiling with the lowest-KV option.

Get the Air65 II whoop from:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4BuzGvN
• BetaFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-npm0