Review: Speedybee Bee35 Cinewhoop

I recently had the opportunity to review the SpeedyBee Bee35 Cinewhoop, an 3.5″ FPV Drone that caught my attention for its design and surprisingly affordable price. In this review, I’ll share my experience and insights about the Bee35, exploring its features and performance.

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Learn about what cinewhoops are in our buyer’s guide, and what the popular choices are: https://oscarliang.com/cinewhoop/

Where To Buy?

Get the Speedybee Bee35 cinewhoop from:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCGC1Ul
• Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-9db3

I am reviewing the BNF version of Bee35 (analog ELRS version), which comes with the following accessories:

• HQD90-3 Propellers (2 CW, 2 CCW) x1
• Spare Screw Pack x1
• Battery Strap (220mm) x1
• Hex Wrench (1.5mm and 2.0mm) x1
• TinyBee V2 Antenna (SMA) x1

Bee35 Frame Kit

You can also get just the frame and build it yourself (from US$40.99):

• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-i1qd
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-l1hf

The frames are available in different colors.

Easy Assembly: The Bee35’s assembly is straightforward, involving only 4 screws for quick disassembly and access to internal components.

Video Transmitter (VTX) Mount: For the O3 version, the CNC bracket at the bottom is designed for the O3 Air Unit, enhances durability and aids heat dissipation. The flexibility to mount different VTXs is a plus.

Flight Controller Mounting Options: The Bee35 offers versatility with multiple mounting options, accommodating various flight controller sizes and orientations.

Motor and Propeller Specs: The frame supports 12×12 mm motor mounts and is compatible with 3.5-inch props, providing a solid foundation for powerful and stable flight characteristics.

Specifications

Here are the specs for the different versions of the Bee35. The HD Power version is basically the O3 version without the O3 air unit and radio receiver.

The actual drone (analog version) is slightly heavier than specified, weighing in at 305g without battery.

Closer Look at the Bee35

At first glance, the Bee35 stands out with its robust design and has plenty of room for installing electronics. It’s a relatively large cinewhoop, powerful enough to carry a full-size GoPro Hero 12 or DJI Action 4. It comes with a 3D printed mount for securing an action camera.

It’s considerably larger than small cinewhoops I’ve been reviewing recently such as the BetaFPV Pavo20 (on the right). But unlike the Bee35, the Pavo20 isn’t really designed to carry anything at all apart from the O3, that’s why they are so compact.

You can mount the LiPo battery side way (toilet tank mounting), or the traditional way (front to back) with this frame. You can unscrew the top plate and rotate it around, which allows you to wrap around the battery strap in a different orientation.

The frame’s structure is designed for ease of access and maintenance, a characteristic I particularly appreciate. To access the FC and VTX inside the frame, you just need to remove 4 screws on the bottom.

I have the Analog version, but the Bee35 is also compatible with the DJI O3 Air Unit (just requires different 3D printed camera spacers).

External USB Access

The Bee35 excels in user-friendly design. A standout feature is the external USB port, allowing easy connection to the flight controller. This thoughtful design saves time and hassle during setup and adjustments.

The external USB port is actually an extension from the USB port on the FC. This is the first time I’ve seen this design in a BNF, a very innovative idea.

Design and Build

They are using their latest budget F405 Mini Stack, which is rare for a cinewhoop. Most cinewhoops these days would use an AIO board due to the limited space (ESC and FC built on the same PCB). By using their own separate FC and ESC boards, it should offer better reliability as well keeping cost to a minimum.

As you can see, the frame supports a wide range of components and offers plenty of space for various setups. The mounting options for the flight controller are versatile, accommodating stacks of different sizes. However, the battery strap is stretching for battery sizes they recommend, it would be better if it was 25cm long instead of 22cm.

3D Printed Accessories

The 3D printed antenna mount at the rear is versatile, it can be used for different setup including 2.4GHz and 900Mhz T-style antennas, as well as analog VTX and DJI Air Unit. While these 3D printed parts are totally functional, their print quality has room for improvement.

GPS mount is also included. It’s removable with the capability for tilt angle adjustment. However it only supports micro size GPS modules that measure around 12.5×16.0mm. I believe they offer different sizes but you might need to ask their support for the design files and print them yourself.

Meteor LED Kit

SpeedyBee also sent me their Meteor LED Kit with the Bee35. It’s a fantastic addition for drone enthusiasts looking to add a dash of style and functionality to their flights. Its ease of installation, wide range of supported voltages, and the ability to wirelessly configure it via the SpeedyBee app make it a valuable accessory for any compatible drone.

The Meteor LED kit is not included with the Bee35, it needs to be purchased separately from these vendors:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DmTUp49
• Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-cuwp

Beyond lighting, it doubles as a Bluetooth module, allowing wireless configuration of your flight controller, a feature particularly handy if your controller lacks a built-in Bluetooth module.

The RGB LED strip can be tailored to fit up to 3.5-inch frames like the Bee35. It also features a boot button for entering DFU mode on your flight controller, a convenient feature when the controller is not easily accessible.

The Meteor LED Kit comes neatly packaged, containing the RGB LED strip pre-soldered to a controller board, a 3D printed TPU cover, screws for mounting, spare wires and connector.

Meteor LED Specifications

• Input Voltage: 7.4V-25.2V (2S to 6S)
• Bluetooth: Supported
• WiFi: Supported, activates automatically only for firmware updates
• Communication Interface: Serial (UART)
• Baudrate: 115200
• Power Indicator: Red light stays on, indicating power
• Button Function: Power on/off, switch effects
• Dimensions: 23 x 15 x 6.3 mm (excluding screws and fittings)
• Controller board weight: 2g
• RGB LED Strip (full length): 13g

Installation

The installation process is quite straightforward. There’s a plug already soldered to the Bee35 at the rear, and you just need to connect it directly to the LED controller board. The included 3D printed TPU part is a thoughtful addition, ensuring the LED board is securely positioned and protected.

Peel off the paper on the LED strip and stick it to the outside of the prop guard.

After assembly and powering up, the Meteor LED kit came to life. You can switch to different modes by pressing the button on the LED controller board. The LED effects are impressive, especially in low-light. From the halo and twinkling effects to the mesmerizing rainbow and flame animations, the Meteor kit adds a significant wow factor to the drone.

Customization and Control

For those who prefer manual control, a short press on the LED controller’s button cycles through the available LED modes.

You can also use the SpeedyBee app for configuration. The app detects the Meteor kit upon drone power-up, allowing for easy switching between various lighting modes.

Power Consumption

The LED strip consumes around 3W of power (about 0.12A for a 6S battery), which means it won’t have a noticeable effect on flight performance or flight time.

Flight Performance

The PID and filters are already set up at the factory. The tune is configured by entering the numbers directly, rather than using sliders, which is an interesting approach. The flight performance is quite good for a pre-built model; there’s really nothing to complain about.

When flying without the GoPro, the Bee35 hovers at around 27% throttle, which feels powerful for a large cinewhoop of this size. There’s no noticeable bounce-back or prop wash when performing flips and rolls, demonstrating the effectiveness of the stock tune.

Using a 6S 1100mAh LiPo battery, you can expect around 6 to 7 minutes of flight time (cruising without GoPro), which is longer than the average for cinewhoops in this class.

How to Setup

The Speedybee Bee35 comes with Betaflight 4.4.2. FC Board target is SPEEDYBEEF405MINI. Stock CLI diff can be found here: https://intofpv.com/t-original-cli-dump-for-speedybee-bee35-analog-elrs

Before my maiden flight, I had to bind the receiver first.

It’s an ExpressLRS (ELRS) receiver, so to put it in bind mode, you could simply plug in battery and unplug 2 times, the 3rd time you plug it in, it should be in bind mode.

It binds fine with my ELRS Radio which has V3.3 firmware, which suggests the receiver also has V3 firmware.
You can also re-flash the receiver firmware with your own bind phrase.

See my tutorial for more detail how to bind ExpressLRS receivers: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/

Next, setup modes/switches for arming and flight modes. See my tutorial for how: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-modes/#How-to-Setup-Arm-Switch 

That’s it, you are good to go for your first flight.

Conclusion

The SpeedyBee Bee35 Cinewhoop impresses with its thoughtful design, versatility, and performance. Details like the external USB access and multiple setup options add convenience and practicality. It’s budget-friendly price point makes it a strong contender to other popular models such as the Cinelog35.

Get the Speedybee Bee35 cinewhoop from:

• AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCGC1Ul
• Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-9db3