For drone pilots looking for an affordable, American-made drone flight controller, there’s a new product that checks all kinds of boxes. Rotor Riot announced the launch of its Brave F7 Flight Controller this month. And while it’s not technically ready to ship yet, it’s set to be a super compelling option.
The Rotor Riot Brave F7 Flight Controller suits many DIY drone pilots focused on flying FPY drones. Made in the USA. It is fully NDAA compliant. And it’s affordable at just $58.
Although it’s obviously not something you can just send into the air. For this you will need the rest of the drone parts. Although luckily no soldering is required unless that’s your jam.
The Rotor Riot Brave F7 Flight Controller features an STMF722RET6 processor equipped with a Bosch accelerometer and barometer and has 16MB of built-in Blackbox memory.
The 37mm x 37mm controller has 30mm x 30mm mounting holes that have connection options for GPS, HD VTX, Analog VTX, Camera, RX and ESC. And while you don’t technically need to do any soldering, there are soldering pads. For those who prefer direct soldering, pads are placed in front of each plug.
Ideal for FPV pilots who require lightweight equipment to maximize flight time and speed, it weighs just 8 grams.
It retails for $58 directly from the Rotor Riot store. But you can’t get it yet. It is not expected to ship until early August. But it’s now available for pre-order – and there’s an advantage to being an early adopter. The pre-order price is just $49.50. This introductory contract expires in August. 15, which goes up to $58.
Brave F7 highlights calls for US drones
The Riot Brave F7 Flight Controller Rotor is not only made in America, but is NDAA compliant. This means that it avoids using certain Chinese telecommunications and video surveillance equipment in its systems. It is also in the middle of the Blue UAS approval process. Blue UAS approved drones indicate products that have been specifically approved for use by the US Department of Defense.
This product was designed by the pilots of the Rotor Riot team, which focuses on drone racing and other types of FPV drone flying. But while it was designed by FPV pilots for FPV flying – which is primarily considered a hobbyist recreational activity – it could have a much wider appeal. This includes use among corporate and military customers who have higher security standards.
“This underscores our commitment to supply chain transparency and compliance.” said Allan Evans, CEO of Unusual Machines, Rotor Riot’s parent company. “This US-based manufacturing is our first step in providing a safer and more reliable supply chain for our commercial and government customers.”
In fact, this is the first Unusual Machines part made in the USA.
“The Brave F7 Flight Controller represents a significant milestone for our company and is the first step in our ambitious plan to have a set of American components,” said Drew Camden, COO of Unusual Machines.
The news comes in light of the heavy emphasis on American-made drone products — or at least the heavy disdain some politicians and drone pilots have for Chinese-made products. Proposals like the Countering CCP Drones Act seek to ban DJI drones. The Countering CCP Drones Act has already passed the House of Representatives in a narrow vote. However, it is unclear whether this particular Countering CCP Drones bill will actually pass. After all, it still has to go to the Senate and ultimately win presidential approval. Still, other laws are also trying to promote American products like the Brave F7 Flight Controller.
For example, the proposed First Responders Act would create a 30% tariff on drones made in China. Meanwhile, the proposed US Security Drone Act of 2023. This law, which would specifically prohibit federal agencies from purchasing drones made in countries linked to the Chinese government.
(None of the three proposals above have yet passed.)
What you should know about unusual machines
Unusual Machines is a compelling player in the drone space. It made an initial public offering in February 2024. It currently includes both Rotor Riot and another FPV-focused drone company, Fat Shark.
Puerto Rico-based Red Cat previously owned both companies. Red Cat then sold the two companies that made up its consumer division to Unusual Machines in late 2022. They sold for $18 million.
When the companies were sold, Red Cat CEO Jeff Thompson specifically said that a big reason for dropping the two FPV companies from his portfolio was to erase all of Red Cat’s ties to China. (As manufacturers of low-cost drone parts, both companies relied on China for production. Thompson specifically said he decided to spin off Fat Shark “because it has parts made in China and we can’t have any connection to China” in an earlier statement.
That being said, it’s compelling to see Unusual Machines embrace American manufacturing.
Of course, Unusual Machines — and its emphasis on American-made products like the Brave F7 — isn’t the only company banking on consumer-oriented DIY drones that are made stateside. 3D Robotics, the American drone company known for the Iris and later Solo consumer drones, is back. But unlike products advertised as ready-to-fly like the Solo (which spectacularly crashed and burned), 3DR leaned into DIY-oriented individual parts production. Not unlike the Unusual Machines route.
These days, Unusual Machines is focused on dominating the drone parts manufacturing market.
According to Fact.MR, the global drone accessories market is currently valued at $17.5 billion. In addition, it is set to reach $115 billion by 2032, and Unusual Machines is trying to lead it.
“Unusual Machines strives to be the dominant Tier-1 parts supplier to the rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar U.S. drone industry,” the company said in a statement.