Two languages, one set of facts
Build it yourself, fly it legally
Mode 2 covers how an FPV drone is put together, from frame geometry to the tune, and the rules that apply the moment it leaves the ground. Every figure on this site carries a source.
- A1–A3
- Open category
- C0–C4
- Class marks
- 250 g
- First threshold
- EN / DE
- Languages
Where to start
Four ways in
- 01
Never flown
From picking a radio and a simulator to a first flight that does not end in a repair.
- 02
Building a rig
Frame, stack, motors and props, and how each one constrains the next.
- 03
Flying in the EU
Operator registration, remote pilot competency, class marks and where you may actually fly.
- 04
Choosing a camera drone
What the spec sheets mean, and which numbers change how it flies.
The technical core
Components, in depth
- CAT-01
Frames
Geometry, carbon layup and what a frame decides for the rest of the build.
- CAT-02
Flight controllers
Processors, firmware and mounting patterns.
- CAT-03
Motors and ESCs
KV, stator size, current headroom and how they pair.
- CAT-04
Printed parts
TPU mounts, guards and the print settings that survive a crash.
Calculators
Work it out before you buy it
Each calculator states its formula and its assumptions. Where a result depends on something we cannot know, it says so instead of guessing.
Regulation
European rules are common at the top and national underneath
EASA sets the framework, but registration, minimum age and geographic zones are decided nationally. Every rule on this site names the regulation it comes from and the date it was checked, because a rule without a date is a guess.
Archive
This domain was Mode 2 FPV, 2013–2020
Before it lapsed, mode-2.com belonged to Mode 2 FPV, an FPV frame maker whose Ghost, Shredder, Kilowatt and Splinter frames were built and flown widely enough that links to those product pages are still live on Thingiverse and RotorBuilds today.
This site is not a continuation of that business and has no connection to it. The archive documents what those frames were and points at the original design files, which were published under the GNU GPL v3.
Documented
- Ghost
- Shredder
- Kilowatt
- Splinter