SpeedyBee has recently introduced their first flight controller (FC) designed specifically for the fixed-wing community: the SpeedyBee F405 Wing APP. It’s currently the cheapest wing FC you can get. In this review, we’ll delve into the details of this affordable flight controller, walk you through its features and capabilities, and I’ll offer my final thoughts on the product.
Check out my other fixed wing content: https://oscarliang.com/?s=fixed+wing
Table of Contents
Where to Buy?
Get your F045 Wing APP FC from the following vendors:
- Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-4o87
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-6g3s
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DcxxGvb
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-41sr
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tpGCUS
The F405 Wing APP FC stack comes in three separate boards: a power distribution board (PDB), the flight controller board, and a wireless communications board.
The package also includes a variety of wires, assembly hardware, pin headers, and a comprehensive manual featuring full-color diagrams and wiring schematics. In addition, you’ll receive an assortment of cables for various connections, ensuring a seamless integration into your fixed wing setup.
Key Features and Specifications
The F405 Wing APP Flight Controller is SpeedyBee’s first flight controller specifically designed for fixed-wing applications. It is built on the STM32 F405 chipset with 168MHz and 1MB of storage. This versatile flight controller works with both iNav and Ardupilot, making it suitable for a variety of fixed-wing models.
The F405 Wing FC has several unique features, including a built-in battery voltage checker with LEDs, four separate LED ports with an inbuilt LED driver, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features allow you to connect the flight controller to your phone or computer wirelessly, making it easier to make crucial firmware changes while out in the field.
The SpeedyBee F405 Wing flight controller consists of separate boards, including:
- TOP Board: SpeedyBee F405 WING Wireless Board
- Middle Board: SpeedyBee F405 WING FC Board
- Bottom Board: SpeedyBee F405 WING PDB Board
- Additional Board: SpeedyBee F405 WING USB extender
Assembling the flight controller is straightforward, thanks to header pin connectors on each board that stack on top of one another. Once the boards are connected, the stack is reinforced with four metal standoffs and screws.
Here are the dimensions of the SpeedyBee F405 Wing FC Stack:
- Dimension: 52 (L) x 32 (W) x 19 (H) mm
- Weight: 35g (with USB dongle)
Here’s the detailed specifications of the SpeedyBee F405 WING APP FC Stack.
SpeedyBee F405 WING APP FC Stack:
- Supports Wireless configuration
- Supports RGB LED strip
- Supports Battery level indicator
- Compatible FC Firmware: INAV / Ardupilot
- Power Input: 2-6S LiPo
- Dimension: 52（L） x 32（W） x 19（H） mm
- Weight: 35g（with USB extender）
SpeedyBee F405 WING FC board:
- MCU: STM32F405,168MHz,1MB Flash
- IMU(Gyro&Accelerometer): ICM-42688-P
- Barometer: SPL006-001
- OSD Chip: AT7456E
- Blackbox: MicroSD Card Slot
- 6x UART’s
- 1x I2C for magnetometer, digital airspeed sensor
- 4x ADC for VBAT, Current, RSSI, Analog AirSpeed Sensor
- 12x PWM 12x (11 PWM output + 1 LED pad)
- ExpressLRS (ELRS) and Crossfire (CRSF) Receivers Supported (UART1)
- Built in inverter for SBUS input (UART2-RX pad)
- 3x LEDs for FC STATUS (Blue, Green) and 3.3V indicator (Red) 1x RGB
- RSSI Supported (RS pad)
- Supported FC Firmware
- INAV FC target:SpeedyBeeF405WING (default)
- ArduPilot FC target: SpeedyBeeF405WING
SpeedyBee F405 WING PDB board:
- Input voltage range 7~36V (2~6S LiPo)
- Battery Voltage Sensor Connect to FC board VBAT, 1K:10K (Scale 1100 in iNav, BATT_VOLT_MULT 11.0 in ArduPilot)
- Battery Current Sensor 90A continuous, 215A peak Connect to FC board Current (Scale 195 in iNav, 50 A/V in ArduPilot)
- TVS Protective diode Yes
- FC BEC output Output 5.2V +/- 0.1V DC Continuous current 2.4 Amps, 3A Peak Designed for FC, Receiver, GPS module, AirSpeed module, Telemetry module, WS2812 LED_Strip
- VTX BEC output Output 9V +/- 0.1V DC Continuous current 1.8 Amps, 2.3A Peak Voltage adjustable, 9V Default, 12V or 5V via jumper Designed for Analog Video Transmitter,Digital Video Transmitter, Camera.
- Servo BEC output Output 4.9V +/- 0.1V DC Continuous current 4.5 Amps, 5.5A Peak Voltage adjustable, 4.9V Default, 6V or 7.2V via jumper Designed for Servos.
SpeedyBee F405 WING Wireless board:
- Wireless Configuration (long press BOOT button for 6 seconds to switch modes) BLE mode, connect to Speedybee APP
Wi-Fi mode, connect to QGroundControl APP, Speedybee APP, MissionPlanner, etc. - Classic Bluetooth SPP mode, connect to QGroundControl APP, MissionPlanner
- LED strip controller (short press BOOT button to switch effects, long press 2 seconds to switch modes) 4x WS2812 LED strip connectors, adjustable colors and flashing modes
- Max 5.2V 1.3A, supports around 70pcs 5050 WS2812 LED beads
- On-board battery level indicator 4x RGB indicator LED for battery level display by number of lights
Closer Look at The Speedybee F405 Wing FC
The F405-Wing Flight Controller stack consists of three boards: the main flight controller board, a power distribution board, and a I/O board with wireless capability. In the following sections, we’ll go deeper into the functions of each board.
FC Board
The F405 Wing APP flight controller board offers a combination of connectors and a cluster of solder pads with through-holes, providing flexibility in connecting motors, servos, and receivers (via connectors or direct soldering).
Most peripheral connections, such as GPS, airspeed sensor, video transmitter, and camera, can be made using plugs. While SpeedyBee designed this controller to minimize soldering, it might not always be practical. As a workaround, they’ve also provided a series of solder pads for these devices.
The flight controller doesn’t have a USB connector directly soldered to the board. Instead, it uses an extension board, similar to some Matek FCs. The USB extension board also has a beeper which makes it a versatile tool.
PDB Board
The PDB, located at the bottom of the stack, features large solder pads for easy XT60 lead and two-motor wire connections. This power board includes three onboard BECs (voltage regulators) that supply different voltages for various components.
PDB board features include:
- A voltage range of 2-6S battery input
- Separate BEC outputs for the flight controller, VTX, and servos
- Continuous 90A current sensing (with 215A peak bursts)
Wireless Board
The optional top board offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, with features including:
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
- LED strip controller and support for WS2812 LED strips
- Onboard battery level indicator
The boards are connected by header pins.
The stacks are held together by aluminium standoffs, with some rubber grommets isolating the board with the Gyro sensor to reduce vibration.
Setting Up and Configuration
The F405-Wing Flight Controller comes pre-loaded with INAV Version 6, but you’ll need to ensure you have the latest INAV configurator to use it. The controller is also compatible with Ardupilot.
One of the standout features of SpeedyBee controllers is their built-in wireless capability. It allows you to connect the FC to the SpeedyBee App on your smartphone via WiFi or Bluetooth.
Wirelessly Connecting to Speedybee APP for INAV
Check the color of the wireless status indicator. If it’s slow flashing green, open the SpeedyBee app and follow the instructions within the app to connect.
Wirelessly Connecting to QGroundControl APP for Ardupilot
Check the color of the wireless status indicator. If it’s not flashing white, press and hold the BOOT button for 6 seconds to switch it to white. Then, connect to the “SpeedyBee F405Wing” Wi-Fi and open QGroundControl. The app should automatically connect.
Firmware Flashing
The SpeedyBee F405 WING APP does not support wireless firmware flashing. To update the firmware, you’ll need to use a computer. Follow these steps:
Flashing Firmware with INAV Configurator
- Press and hold the BOOT button, and connect the FC to your computer using a USB cable.
- Open the INAV Configurator on your computer, navigate to the “Firmware Flasher” page, and select the flight controller target as “SPEEDYBEEF405WING”.
- Click the “Flash Firmware” button to begin the flashing process.
Flashing Ardupilot Firmware
- Follow the same steps as above to connect the FC to your computer.
- In the INAV Configurator’s “Firmware Flasher” page, click on “Load Firmware [local]” and select the downloaded Ardupilot firmware file.
- Click the “Flash Firmware” button to flash the Ardupilot firmware.
Wiring Diagrams
Here’s the wiring diagram using mainly connectors from the official manual.
Here’s the wiring diagram using direct solder.
Final Thoughts
The SpeedyBee F405 Wing flight controller has made a strong first impression with its thoughtful design, ease of use, and competitive price point, expected to be just under $40. This makes it an excellent value for fixed-wing pilots seeking a high-quality, feature-packed FC.
Get your F045 Wing APP FC from the following vendors:
- Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-4o87
- RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-6g3s
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DcxxGvb
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-41sr
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tpGCUS
Notable features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth set it apart from more expensive products by competitors like Matek.
However, there are a few areas where the SpeedyBee F405 Wing flight controller could improve:
- The board’s thickness and size might not be suitable for small models.
- A slightly longer USB cable would be beneficial.
- The SD card slot becomes inaccessible when the wireless board is installed.
If you’re in search of a wing flight controller that minimizes soldering, provides wireless connection, and is highly customizable, the SpeedyBee F405 Wing might be the perfect fit for you.
Edit History
- Apr 2023 – post created
- Dec 2023 – added some more images
27 comments
I’ve built a Vee-tail plane with the SpeedyBee F405 WING installed. Everything appears to work fine, but when I plug in the battery one of the servos rotates 90 degrees & broke the control surface. This happens every time for this one servo, but none of the others misbehave. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem & figured it out. I’ve done things like rebinding with the receiver, but no change. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Oscar, I have a Speedy Bee F405 wing and works flawless, the only area of improvement is the location of the SD card. the Flight controller location on my plane is very confined and to have access to the SD card I need to disassemble and unplug a lot of components and servos How I can transfer the SD data to my computer via USB without disassembling my plane . I appreciate your help.
Salvador Sordo
I think you can put the FC in “mass storage mode” so the SD card shows up as external drive on your computer when USB is plugged in?
See this doc: https://github.com/iNavFlight/inav/blob/master/docs/USB_Mass_Storage_(MSC)_mode.md
Very interesting! Instead of an ELRS receiver, I can connect my Flysky receiver instead, using IBUS, right? thanks.
Yes.
Hi Oscar, thank you so much for your informative review.
I found this article looking for a stabilizer for my MPX Easy Star 3 (Trainer airplane). I have been considering options like HobbyEagle, Sparrow, etc. All the options are easily above 60 EUR. However, there is this fantastic full flight controller with tons of features around 40 EUR? This seems to be no brainer! Am I missing something?
Thanks again!
it is one of the best deals out there in 2024.
When you configure your transmitter for a flying wing with the f405 controller – do you setup the transmitter for a wing or just a basic airplane ? I am trying to help my 92 year old Dad who is a long time r/c flyer but new to flight controllers. His transmitter has flying wing options but only with a tail (futaba 16SX). I would appreciate any help. I am thinking the FC does the mixing so the radio maybe should be a generic airplane ? or not ?
Setup the model on the transmitter as a plane out plane. You will find everything you need in the flight control software, wihich I assume is iNav or similar.
I am using the f 405 wing fc with a 03 air unit. I can’t it to work as a receiver.. no movement in receiver tab! How do i set it up in receiver tab? Any help will be awesome.. i wanna get this thing flying
Is the problem still there? Could I be of any help?
Hello,
Just connected my speedybee f405 wing app. via usb to my pc.
Installed the app on my mobile and connected it. Nice.
Next day connected the speedybee to my pc not pushing the boot button.
Green led on the usb extender board.
After this it is not possible to make contact to the speedyee. Not wi-fi not usb via the pc and mobile app.
I would like to change to ardupilot.
Howe to proceed ?
On the app. I get the notice “Initialize failed” please ensure the uart6 has MSP(boud Rate: 115200) enabled.
Howe to set this?
Like to hear.
Regards,
Theo
INAV 7 doesn t been acept by speedbee app
Hi, I setup fully my FC. All the plane servos and throttle are working. But I created 2 more servos, 1 for my buzzer and 1 for the reverse function of my ESC. Unfortunately I can’t make them working. Do you have any tips from your side?
can this be coinfigured for a quad? similar to the matek f405 wing which could be?
it can be setup for a quad. i went ahead and ordered it
Can I use speedybee f405 v3 drone fc to fix wing
Not the most practical use, but sure you can.
Yea, i configured the FC for a quad/ardupilot no problem but it seems the PDB with the FC isnt powering the FC properly. It works thru the USB. I’m thinking i might rewire the FC off the other PDB i was using to power my ESC’s. Returning the FC is a pain in butt. It looks like i got a defective stack. Thanks for the response. The reason i wanted to use try this one it is a less expensive than a Pixhawk to use with Missionplanner/qgroundcontrol. I was able to connect the FC to my phone which i couldn’t do before with my Pixhawk. Thats a great feature.
Hi Oscar,
Do you know how to wire the FC for a VTOL?
There are only two solder pads for two esc’s
And furthermore how to make the proper Ardupilot setup?
Thanks and have a great day.
Dom
How do you hook this up to a drone
Hello.
I installed 405 Wing. I tried different tabletops as rover and airplane. I can’t get output from S3. I did a solder check, everything seems normal. Thanks (google translate translation :( )
Well, it works. However, the LED battery indicator stopped working as expected (after flashing iNav 6.1.1) and now all the 4 LEDs are flashing in forth and back sequence all the time. Not a big deal, but it would be nice to work again.
But the bigger problem for me, is huge power consumption at idle. It consumes 0.8-0.9A at idle (!): ESC disconnected, GPS disconnected, Camera disconnected, VTX at 25mW. I don’t know how to troubleshoot it further.
SpeedyBee F405 Wing.Hi Oscar can you tell me where I connect for Frsky Smatport.Thanks in advance.
Same way as sbus but using only tx (s.port and f.port has 3 wires). But the uart on f4 must be inverted or use s.bus inverter or made it by your own. There is a diagram on ardupilot and px4 page.
I had some reward points at one of the shops and was able to get two including shipping for a grand total of $50. Great deal I was thinking until I mentioned my newest purchase on a couple of discord servers only to get told my multiple people :Ohhh I’ve heard there are some issues with them” yet not having any specifics at all. So I’m going to just take it with a gain of salt because there is no way they could be worse than the the FC Jumper made for the Xiake 800 which is what one of the Speedybee’s is earmarked to replace..
I’m looking forward to trying these out.