Review: EMAX Tinyhawk 3 III 1S Whoop RTF Kit

by Oscar
Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit

The Emax Tinyhawk has probably been one of the most successful beginner FPV drone RTF kits. However Emax is not stopping, they continue to improve it, and here’s the latest Tiny Hawk III.

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This RTF Bundle gives you everything you need to start flying, including the FPV Goggles, Radio Transmitter, battery, charger, and of course the TinyHawk 3 FPV drone too!

Where to Buy?

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It comes with a sturdy carrying case for the drone and all the parts and gear, making transportation easy and safe.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Unbox Accessories Case You get the following accessories:

  • 1x EMAX TinyHawk 3 BNF Quadcopter
  • 1x  Avia TH 4-Blade Propellers (Set of 4)
  • 1x EMAX Transporter 2 FPV Goggles
  • 1x EMAX E8 Radio Transmitter
  • 1x 1S HV 450mAh LiPo battery
  • 1x USB 4-port USB Charger
  • 1x Phillips screwdriver
  • 1x Carrying Case
  • 1x USB Cable

Features and Specs

One of the biggest downside of the previous Emax Tinyhawk RTF kit was probably the lack of features and quality in the FPV goggles and remote controller. In this new version (Tinyhawk 3), Emax made some significant improvements which is clear from the specs.

EMAX TINYHAWK III RTF

  • STM32F411 FC with MPU6000 gyro
  • Support SmartAudio (VTX Control)
  • Receiver: built-in SPI Frsky_D8
  • VTX: 5.8GHz 25/100/200mW 37CH
  • RunCam Nano 4 FPV Camera
  • Propeller: Avia TH 4-blade prop
  • Motor: TH0802 II 15000KV
  • ESC: 4in1 5A ESC
  • Battery: 1S HV 450mAh
  • Wheelbase: 76mm
  • Size: L*W*H=105x105x45mm
  • Weight (Without battery): 31g

EMAX TRANSPORTER 2 GOGGLES

  • Screen resolution: 800x480px
  • Screen size: 4.3 inch
  • Frequency: 5.8GHz
  • DVR: supports up to 32G micro SD card, file format: MJPEG, AVI
  • Video: VGA/D1/HD (Off/3min/5min/10min)
  • Working Voltage: 3.7V – 4.2V
  • Battery: 1S 1300mAh Lithium-ion battery
  • Built-in battery charging via micro USB connector (5V 1A)
  • Maximum Size: (Without antenna) 155x100x90mm
  • Weight (with battery): 398g

EMAX E8 RADIO TRANSMITTER

  • Frequency: 2.4GHz (2400MHz-2483.5MHz)
  • 8 channels
  • Frsky D8 Protocol
  • Output Power: 22dbm
  • Micro USB connector for charging and FPV simulator
  • Trainer port available (3.5mm Audio connector)
  • Working Voltage: 4.2V-3.3V
  • Battery: 18650 Lithium-ion battery
  • Charging System: Built-in USB 5V–1A linear lithium-ion battery charging system
  • Maximum Size: L*W*H=150x140x45mm
  • Weight (Without Battery): 260g

Closer Look at the Tinyhawk III

The old tinyhawk used to support both 1S and 2S batteries, but the new version only support 1S. I guess Emax wants to focus more on indoor flying this time, and it also helps reduce the complexity and weight of the quad too.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone

One of the most significant improvements would be the durability of the frame. It’s made of nylon with a more durable design. Camera angle can be adjusted easily based on your flying experience and speed.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone Camera Angle The tinyhawk 3 is basically a 75mm size whoop, which is just slightly larger than a 65mm tiny whoop. Therefore it’s perfect for indoor flying, and is even powerful enough to fly outdoor when it’s not too windy.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone Size Compare

They carried over the unique quad-blade propellers from the tinyhawk 2 – they cover the whole motor bell which they claim would improve efficiency and flight time over traditional propeller design.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone Motor Propeller

It only comes with 1 battery so you might want to grab some spare if you want to avoid waiting around between flights: https://oscarliang.com/product-dzo6

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone Lipo Battery

The tinyhawk 3 comes with a charger, which allows you to charge up to 2 batteries simultaneously. However this charger is only powered by USB, so it’s quite slow (takes almost an hour to fully charge). I got one of this aftermarket chargers instead, it’s much faster and allows me to charge up to 6 of these 1S battery at the same time: https://oscarliang.com/product-hf2v

The PH2.0 battery connector on the drone uses solid pins, which has smaller resistance and is better for performance. The little capacitor attached helps reduce voltage spikes and noise to improve flight performance and reduce the chance of damaging electronics.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Drone Ph2.0 Battery Connector The Tinyhawk III drone has a built-in FrSKy D8 receiver, so you can bind the drone to other popular radios too, such as the Jumper T16, Radiomaster TX16S and Frsky Taranis X9D/QX7.

Goggles

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Goggles

The kit comes with the EMAX Transporter 2 FPV Goggles, and it’s actually a really nice and usable goggle. The face plate is retractable – there are 3 tabs on each sides that allow you to move the screen away or closer to your eyes to improve focus.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Goggles Side

The FPV goggle is actually pretty feature packed. It has onboard DVR (flight footage recording), diversity receivers, as well as channel auto search feature. It has a built-in 1S 3000mah battery that can be re-charged via the micro USB port which is handy.

The biggest selling point for me, however, is probably the magnetic detachable screen, and it can be used as a standalone monitor too.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Fpv Goggles Screen Detachable

For example, you can mount it on a tripod (it has a mounting hole on the bottom), or even on your radio transmitter (it comes with a mount). This is great if you want to share the video with other spectators in the field, or if you won’t like wearing the goggles, you can use it as an external screen. Even when you upgrade to a much nicer FPV goggles in the future, you can still use this as a testing device, it never goes to waste.

Radio

Next up is the EMAX E8 radio transmitter. They did a complete redesign this time from the previous version, and I have to say, it’s a much better design, and it no longer feels like a toy, but a proper drone radio.

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Remote Radio Transmitter

With that said, it’s still a beginner grade radio, and it’s probably not something I would recommend someone to spend money on. It feels cheap and doesn’t have all the features we look for in a good radio. However, it’s certainly good enough for beginners to learn the basics, fly the TinyHawk and get some flight time in.

You probably don’t want to spend too much money at the beginning if you are unsure if you will stick with the hobby, so it’s actually nice to have this cheap radio to come with the drone. When you are ready to upgrade, check out my radio recommendations :)

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Remote Radio Transmitter Connectors The radio is shipped with a 18650 Li-ion battery, and can be charged through the USB port. It even works with FPV simulators (by connecting the micro USB port to your PC), so that’s nice :)

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit Remote Radio Transmitter 18650 Battery

Flight Performance

I am pleasantly surprised how easy it was to fly the Tinyhawk 3. It basically just works right out of the box, absolutely no setup or changes needed. I took the drone out, powered up everything and it just took off. And it actually flies super nice too! Very smooth and stable for a tiny whoop.

Honestly, this is perfect for beginners, all you need is to just spend 15 minutes going through the manual and you are ready for your first flight :)

Emax Tinyhawk Iii 1s Whoop Rtf Kit The drone is pre-configured to have 3 modes: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Flight Modes. Out of the box it’s in beginner mode which is basically angle mode in Betaflight with low rate, and it’s indeed very easy to control.

It’s not super powerful as expected, it’s a tiny whoop grade FPV drone after all. It’s designed primarily for indoor flying, you can fly it outdoor too but when there’s wind it will get pushed around, making it harder to control.

Is it for advanced pilot too? It’s probably not the most fun drone to get. But for new pilots, the Emax Tinyhawk 3 is definitely an excellent platform to try FPV on and learn the basics. It can take a beating and flies fantastically out of the box. Both the radio and goggles work great… Really, I have nothing to complain about. It’s probably one of the best beginner RTF kits I have tried so far.

Also Emax offers spare parts so if anything breaks you can easily find replacement to fix it yourself, which is another bonus for newcomers.

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9 comments

Sam 24th May 2023 - 1:20 pm

This is fantastic info.

Anyone know what is used as the SPI antenna for the built-in FrSKy D8 receiver. I updated my TH 3 to TBS Crossfire and now I have a buyer who needs to have it connect to the built-in receiver and I do not have the original antenna wire that came with it. Can anyone tell me:
(1) What I can use as a replacement?
(2) What length does it have to be; and
(3) Do I need to ground the antenna or just solder it back on the pad where the original one was soldered to?

Thanks,

Reply
Jadon Corra 29th March 2023 - 4:01 am

Would it work to use the NewBeeDrone nitro nectar gold 1s batteries with it or do you have to use the ones it comes with produced by emax? Would there be any benefits?

Reply
Vern 30th April 2022 - 7:13 pm

As others have said, the board can support 2S, but keep in mind that the TinyHawk 2 had a profile and rateprofile that were specific to 2S, with different tuning, rates, and a 75% throttle scale to help it fly right and avoid burning out the board. With “set auto_profile_cell_count” you can set it up to auto swap to the right profile based on the cell count of the battery you plug in.

Reply
AngryPepper 9th April 2022 - 2:56 am

Absolutely love the TinyHawk series of quads, I have 2 of the Th 2s, and one TH3. They are so fun to fly in or outdoors with little to no wind. The TH 3 is little high on the price, but it flys like a dream, sooo smoooth. I plan on swapping over from the ph2 battery connector to the Beta FPV bt2 connector, according to Bardwell they make a significant difference in less resistance which should lead to longer flt. times. If your contemplating purchasing a TinyHawk 2 or 3 don’t wait, just get one you will love it. Yes you will.

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Chris 5th April 2022 - 9:18 am

This drone can fly by 2 s but u need the connector for 2 1s , and dont need upgarde!!!
U find the connector a Banggood ?

Reply
LMA1980 12th March 2022 - 5:37 am

The TinyHawk iii board actually supports 2S, just need to solder an extra spare connector with a capacitor (they sold them as one in their spare parts inventory). A new PID profile is required. The official support channel does provide the configuration on demands.

Reply
Tim Newman 26th January 2022 - 8:45 am

4 blades reduces efficiency not increases it. FACT. all that 4 blades does is allow for more power to be drawn into the space. At lower efficiency per Watt due to the props running into dirty air from the one just 90 degrees ahead of it.
much better off getting a higher kv motor and running 2 or 3 blades.

Reply
David 22nd January 2022 - 5:30 pm

Flight time?

Reply
Shu Avelino 20th January 2022 - 12:28 am

Wohh just what I was looking for, thanks for putting up.

Reply