BetaFPV Beta85 Pro 2: 85” Freestyle Acro Whoop Review & Testing
Today we’re going to check the Beta85 Pro 2 micro brushless whoop from BetaFPV. We’re quickly go over it’s features and specs and show you how to set it up. The Beta85 is a powerful 2″ micro quad that I would recommend for intermediate pilots that want to progress in FPV, practice flying and learn some freestyle. You can also fly it safely indoor, yet capable of handling breezy conditions outdoor too.
I must say this quad is hands down one of the best whoops where you can relax and just rip it out. I didn’t care about jello or video quality in general. All about that minute resolution control.
No diodes, no buzzer: the Beta85 Pro2 only carries the essential.
It is therefore planned for fast, nimble flying, the opposite of flights with Cinewhoop, like those of Beta85X HD! Perfect for practicing Freestyle and having alot of fun.
In the box you’ll get:
Beta85 Pro 2
2S 300mAh battery
25o camera mount
Info card
| Model | Store Options | Receiver | Type | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta Pro 2 | Amazon | FrSky | Acro Whoop | ★★★★★ |
SPECS
Weight: 42.5g (without battery)
FC: F4 2S AIO FC (with XT30 cable )
Motors: 1103 11000KV Brushless Motor
Camera: Z02 AIO Camera VTX
Props: EMAX AVAN 2 inches 4-Blade 1.5mm Shaft Props
Battery: 300mAh 2S 45C Lipo
Receiver: Frsky FCC
Flight time: 2 min 30 sec with 300mAh 2S 45C lipo battery
Note that the Beta85 Pro2 was given to us by BetaFPV . As usual, tell us if you think that practice has influenced our judgment.
Micro quads are great way to get started into FPV and learn various maneuvers. It’s a lot easier to pick up some stick time with small brushless quad where you can’t hurt anyone around you while practicing. Here we feature Best Micro FPV Quads that will get you started.
You can also check our recent BetaFPV CetusPro review. It’s a newer version of Betafpv whoops and it flies great. Highly recommended for beginnenrs.
FRAME
It has that classic 85 millimeter BetaFPV 85 X frame, super durable plastic frame that you will not break easily. Comes in translucent white color and includes non-removable propeller protections.
The motors are fixed directly on the plastic, without material intended to damp the vibrations.
It is designed for 9x9mm motor hole (11XX motors) for AIO FC board.
FC/ESC
It comes with BetaFPV F4 2S AiO 5A (6A peak) BLHeli_S ESCs. We have a USB port for Betaflight under side,make sure you’re using a data cable to be able to connect. Depending on your cable you may need to unscrew the FC to access the USB port.
Under here in the front you’ll see the bind and the boot button.
Receiver
My FrSky version has a built-in SPI D8/D16 FCC receiver. It’s also available with XM EU-LBT. The Beta85 2 is available with multiple radio receiver options: Frsky, DSMX, FlySky, Futaba, TBS Crossfire and you can also get a plug-and-play version and simply add your own receiver.
MOTORS & PROPS
We have EMAX Avan 2 inch props with 1.5mm shaft hole. One of the negative points is the props are not fixed with screws, they are simply pressed on the axis of the motor, so they can detach in small crashes.
It comes with brushless 1103 10,000 KV super hopped up motors which can handle up to 2s lipo batteries. The motors are plug-and-play which is super sweet, so if you have a motor go out you can just plug in a new one no soldering needed there.
We have two bolts on each motor here front and back so not a lot of bolts I’d recommend tiny a little bit of Loctite on the tip of the bolt there. The motors are screwed onto the frame with 2 screws.
CAMERA
Z02 AiO camera (NTSC) with 35o and 25o camera mounts, mounted on a very soft plastic anti-vibration support.
Canopy
The canopy is held onto the frame with 2 screws. These BetaFPV canopies are very fragile. I usually stack a lear one on top.
VTX
The VTx is 48CH 0-25-200mW with Smart Audio. This does have 200 milliwatt transmitter and a lot of people want 200 milliwatts on a whoop. It’s just a little bit annoying to be stuck to 25 milliamps.
It has dipole antenna that comes out of the back of the device. It seems to have been placed in such a way that it does not get caught in the propellers.
LIPO BATTERIES
It has XT30 Battery connector, no battery cage this time thank god there’s no battery cage, they used strap this time. You get a 2S 300 milliamp battery and that should get you about two and a half to three minutes flight time.
2S or 3S batteries?
I flew with 2S 300 mAh Lipo which weigh 18.1 grams, then 3S of 300 mAh which weigh 25.2 grams, and finally 3S 450 mAh of 40.3 grams. I immediately dismiss the 450 mAh, which weighs down the Beta85 Pro2 too much and makes it clumsy.
The sensations with the 2S and 3S are very similar, with a small gain in power with the 3S.
Autonomy is optimal with a 3S battery of 300 mAh, it exceeds 3 minutes in very committed flight. By flying less aggressively, you can reach 4 minutes of flight.
HOW TO SETUP BETA85 PRO 2 FOR FIRST FLIGHT?
Setting up the radio link is easy: just plug in the Beta85 Pro2’s battery and then press the bind button on the bottom of the device for about 3 seconds. It is then in Bind mode.
Placing the radio control in pairing mode starts the procedure and makes the connection with rx.
Betaflight Settings
The flight controller is flashed with Betaflight version 4.0.0
The PID settings have been made in the factory, it remains only to choose the operating modes, possibly the function “Flip Over After Crash”.
Although there is no beeper on board, it is possible to turn on ESCs beeper. The sound is weak, but it can be beneficial in some cases.
Note that the propellers rotate in the opposite direction to that usually used by BetaFlight, the “props out.
FLIGHT TEST
To take the measure of the reactions of the model, I equipped it with a 2S battery of 300 mAh, in visual flight.
The takeoff is surprising! Beta85 Pro2 goes strong vertically. You have to be gentle on the controller so you do not stick it directly to the ceiling.
On Goggles we receive very good feed quality for an analog video return. On screen you can monitor the RSSI in addition to the battery voltage and flight duration. There is virtually no Jello on the image, except in the presence of strong wind.
No problem to make loops, Split-S, passages on the back. The device is so light that it takes time to come back down, time that can be used to make figures.
“Flip Over After Crash” works perfectly. She saved me several times, allowing me to detach from a high tree branch.
SPARE PARTS
Quick list on spare parts that could come usefull:
Props: EMAX AVAN 2 inch 4-Blade Props
Frame: Beta85X Frame
Motors: 1103 11000KV motor
FC: F4 2S AIO FC No RX
Camera: Z02 AIO Camera
Battery: BetaFPV 300mAh 2S Lipo
CONCLUSION
If you want to progress in flight, to go beyond the flight simulators and practice flights with Goggles, yes, the Beta85 Pro2 is an excellent choice! It’s nimble, fast, holds in front of the wind, and very responsive for acro flight.
This is not a model for beginners, even if it has stabilized flight modes Angle and Horizon, but rather a machine to progress and train your acro skills.
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