FPV Drone World News — Mid-October 2026
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Cover · TU Delft's autonomous racing drone MonoRace flying through a MAVLab gate (archive photo)
Mid-October delivered one of the most consequential weeks in FPV history. An AI-piloted drone beat human world champions and the science behind it was published; DCL opened the final Cup of its 2026 season; and the biggest Open-class championship in the United States begins in Dallas today. Here is your roundup of the latest FPV news, races and gear from around the world.
01 AI vs. Humans: TU Delft's MonoRace Makes History
Researchers at the Micro Air Vehicle Lab (MAVLab) of Delft University of Technology published the science behind MonoRace on October 14 in the journal Science Robotics — the autonomous drone that beat human champions at the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), taking first place ahead of every other AI team and three former human world champion pilots.
The result marks the first time an AI-piloted drone has beaten human pilots in an international racing competition. MonoRace tops speeds around 62 mph and issues roughly 500 control commands every second, guided by a single monocular camera fused with onboard IMU motion data — no GPS, no external reference.
What makes it remarkable is how stripped-down the system is: a small onboard computer, a reinforcement-learning approach trained in simulation, and minimal sensors. If a lightweight drone can race acrobatically at over 60 mph on perception alone, it is a strong signal for where physical AI is heading.
02 MultiGP Championship 2026: The Decider Starts Today in Dallas
The 11th MultiGP Championship kicks off today, October 15, and runs through October 17 at Dallas Drone Racing in Carrollton, Texas. 69 Open-class pilots will battle for a $10,000 cash purse split among the top four, with free admission for spectators.
Reigning champion Joaquin “JBOX” Ybanez returns to defend his crown at the event that grew from the grassroots FPV community in 2015. Over three days of qualifying and finals, Dallas will decide who takes the 2026 Open-class title — the race to follow this weekend.
Photo 1 · Outdoor racing gates — the MultiGP Championship 2026 races in Dallas, Texas, Oct 15–17 (archive photo)
03 DCL Hawk Cup 2026: The Final Cup Begins
The race to the DCL Super Final entered its decisive stage. The Hawk Cup, the third and final Cup of the 2026 Drone Champions League season, premiered on October 14 with six teams in virtual competition: Spain Drone Team, Wildcard Team, Cyclone Racing, Raiden Racing, ASPAN and Squadron78.
The standings set the stakes. Spain Drone Team leads on 20 points after maximum scores at the Falcon Cup and Eagle Cup; Wildcard Team and Cyclone Racing are locked on 15, with Raiden Racing on 12, ASPAN on 8 and Squadron78 on 6. Only the top two teams in the final standings advance to the Super Final for the 2026 World Championship.
Hawk Cup qualification mixes 2v2 heats with a closing 4v4 heat. Ten qualification episodes premiere from October 14 to November 13 (Wednesdays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 18:00 UTC), with the Hawk Cup Finals on November 22 on DCL's YouTube channel.
Photo 2 · Course gates on grass — the DCL Hawk Cup opens the final chapter of the 2026 season (archive photo)
04 China: DRA Pilots Dominate as the National Games Drone Racing Event Wraps
Chinese drone racing continues its rapid institutional growth. DRA pilots dominated the leaderboard as the National Games drone racing individual event came to a close this week, a milestone for a sport now fully integrated into the country's official competition system.
It follows a strong September on home soil: the FAI Drone Racing World Cup Changchun station wrapped on September 30 — the first time the World Cup landed in Northeast China — while the China Drone Racing League (DRA), the world's first national official drone racing league, completed its 2026 opening round in Xiangshan, aligned with National Games and FAI systems.
05 New Gear: What Pilots Are Flying Right Now
BetaFPV Meteor65 Pro II — DJI O4 Wide in a 1S Package
BetaFPV's Meteor65 Pro II brings DJI O4 Wide HD to the 1S whoop class. It pairs 0802 Freestyle brushless motors (2026 generation) with the Matrix 1S 3IN1 HD flight controller and GF 1409 3-blade props on a 70 mm frame — preorder now, with restocks arriving from October 20.
Photo 3 · BetaFPV Meteor65 Pro II — DJI O4 Wide 1S whoop (product photo)
Happymodel Mobula8 O4 Wide — 2S Digital HD, 85 mm
Happymodel's new Mobula8 O4 Wide is a 2S, 85 mm digital HD micro whoop built around the DJI O4 Wide air unit — a pick for pilots who want HD image quality in an indoor-friendly, park-ready size.
Photo 4 · Happymodel Mobula8 O4 Wide — 2S 85 mm digital HD whoop (product photo)
BetaFPV Air65 II Champion Edition — Built for the Start Line
The Champion version of BetaFPV's second-generation Air65 is tuned for pro racing: 0702 36000KV motors, GF 1207 3-blade props and an ultra-light 2.20 g frame, all wrapped in the Matrix 5IN1 II FC and Air II canopy.
Photo 5 · BetaFPV Air65 II — Champion Edition 1S whoop (product photo)
RCinPower Evo 0702 — 1S Micro Power, In Stock at FPVSTORERC
For 65 mm builds, RCinPower's 2026 Evo 0702 remains a top 1S choice: a 31800KV micro brushless motor built for lightweight indoor racing and freestyle. It is available now at FPVSTORERC — shop the 2026 lineup here.
Photo 6 · RCinPower Evo 0702 31800KV — 2026 new model, in stock at FPVSTORERC (product photo)
06 What to Watch Next
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MultiGP Championship 2026 — Dallas, Texas, October 15–17. The 2026 Open-class champion is crowned this weekend.
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DCL Hawk Cup — qualification episodes premiere on Tuesdays and Fridays through November 13; Finals on November 22.
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DCL Super Final — the top two season teams race for the 2026 World Championship.
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DCL AI Grand Prix — the autonomous racing final takes place in Ohio in November.
Originally published by FPVSTORERC — https://fpvstorerc.com/