Western Asia’s First Major Race, Modular Dev Kits, and Teen Education Initiatives

May 21, 2026 – The First-Person View (FPV) drone community continues to evolve at breakneck speed this week, with significant developments emerging from Armenia, China, Croatia, and the United Kingdom. From the first-ever Western Asia Regional Championship to sustainable packaging solutions for defense drones and new software updates for 360-degree platforms, here are the latest headlines shaping the "Air F1" world.

Western Asia: Armenia Hosts Inaugural MultiGP Regional Championship

In a landmark event for the Middle Eastern and Western Asian FPV scene, Armenia successfully hosted the first-ever Western Asia Regional FPV Drone Race on May 17. Supported by telecom giant Ucom and organized by the ArmDrone Community NGO, the event brought together over 100 top pilots from Armenia, Russia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan

The competition adhered to strict international MultiGP standards, featuring categories for Beginners, Semi-Pros, and Professionals. In the highest tier, Dmitrii Savinovskii took the top spot, followed by Maksim Nor and Matvey Pochekunin. Beyond the racing, the event served a dual purpose: promoting UAV technology for industrial applications (like agriculture and aerial filming) and positioning Armenia as an emerging tech hub. Organizers specifically highlighted the potential for pilots to apply their skills in commercial sectors post-competition 

China: "Air F1" Thrills Crowds in Changzhou

Over the weekend of May 16-17, the 2026 Biyixing Drone Racing City Open took place at the brand-new Xingdongli FPV Flight Training Base in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The event featured 116 pilots from across China, including Hong Kong and national team members, battling it out on a course designed with "gravity doors" and triple gates 

The venue itself is a significant development for the sport. Spanning 15 acres with 8,000 square meters of grassy跑道, it is the first professional FPV training base in Changzhou. Certified for the official F9U drone racing events by the General Administration of Sport, the base is also a testing ground for global brands. The drones used here accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in under one second, reaching speeds over 200 km/h, which has earned the discipline the nickname "Air F1" 

Industry & Technology: Modular Kits and Croatian Synergy

Modular FPV Developer Kit Launches in the US
In a move aimed at streamlining industrial and defense applications, Rogue Cortex and UAS Nexus have released a modular FPV drone developer kit. Announced on May 8, the kit combines UAS Nexus’ "Platform One" airframe with Rogue Cortex’s software development kit (SDK). The goal is to allow engineers to skip the six months of "plumbing" usually required to build custom drones from scratch, enabling immediate work on autonomy, perception, and swarming algorithms 

Croatian Tech: EcoCortec & Orqa Partner for Secure Shipping
Two Croatian exporters have joined forces to solve a logistics problem for high-end drones. EcoCortec is now supplying Orqa with sustainable, recyclable packaging specifically designed to protect sensitive FPV electronics during global transit. The new grey EcoSonic VpCI-125 ESD bags emit vapor corrosion inhibitors that prevent micro-corrosion and electrostatic discharge without messy sprays. This is critical for Orqa’s defense and industrial clients, ensuring drones are "mission-ready" straight out of the box. The collaboration is also remarkably efficient, with the two companies located just 20 minutes apart in eastern Croatia 

Antigravity A1 Spring Update
Antigravity pushed a major firmware update to the A1 360-degree drone on April 28, addressing one of the biggest criticisms of the original release: obstacle avoidance. The update adds omnidirectional obstacle avoidance (previously only forward/downward), voice control, and a timelapse mode. This is a significant safety upgrade for pilots flying in tight spaces while wearing goggles 

Education & Esports: RAF Launches "Race to RIAT"

The Royal Air Force Charitable Trust (RAFCT) has launched a new eDrone racing competition titled "Race to RIAT" . Aimed at students aged 14-16 and Air Cadets, the competition runs for six weeks using Velocidrone simulator software. Participants will design, fly, and race digitally before the top 16 finalists compete live at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) this summer. Supported by DXC Technology and the British Esports Federation, the initiative focuses on building STEM and digital skills, showing how gaming can lead to careers in aviation and engineering 

On the Horizon: World Drone Expo in Shenzhen

Looking ahead, the FPV world will converge on China later this week. The 10th World Drone Congress and Expo is taking place from May 21-23 at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. CADDX (Caddx), known for their Walksnail Avatar HD system, has announced they will be unveiling "mystery new products" at booth 1B82. The company is expected to showcase their latest low-latency digital HD systems and the GOFILM20 4K cinematic drone, focusing on expanding the boundaries of "low-altitude imaging" 

In Other News: On the defense technology front, reports from the Donetsk region indicate that Russian specialists are continuing to upgrade FPV drones specifically programmed for air defense missions, modifying ignition boards to intercept heavy Ukrainian hexacopters like the Baba-Yaga

The information and images in this article are sourced from https://fpvstorerc.com/, and represent the latest industry news and tidbits compiled today.