Hopper is a real autonomous aircraft, a full sensor and flight platform used from elementary classrooms to a United States service academy. It is built to be improved, so the Hopper you already own keeps getting better across flight control and telemetry, instead of being replaced by the latest version you have to buy.
The reason you never start over is that FTW owns the whole stack. When we improve it, every Hopper improves with it. Firmware 2.0 shipped free to every Hopper ever sold, including units bought in 2023, so a school owns a better drone today than the one it paid for. Designed and manufactured in San Diego, California. NDAA Section 889 compliant.
When Parrot retired the Mambo with no domestic replacement, our customers became our reason to build Hopper. Same approachable form factor. What changed:
Hopper carries a lifetime warranty and US support. FTWCode.ai still programs Mambo for the customers who have them. Hopper is what comes next, and it does not strand you again.
Every Hopper. Every component. Full supply chain visibility for procurement.
Eligible for Perkins V, Title IV-A, Title I, JROTC, and federal workforce contracts. No prohibited components.
Hardware built for thousands of flight cycles. Service and parts from the same American team that built it.
Mambo customers are still supported. Hopper is the next step, not a forced migration.
Already have a Hopper or a Mambo? Find support, parts, and curriculum on Resources.
The same Hopper, for everyone outside the classroom. Parents, co-ops, clubs, and self-directed learners build, fly, and code the real aircraft, and educators master it themselves before bringing it to their students. One kit with six batteries, a full spares set, the complete toolkit, and 12 months of the Build Fly Code platform. $495.
Dimensions and Weight
7in x 7in
65g with battery
50g without battery
30g payload capacity
Range and Altitude
Max Range 150ft
Max Height 15ft
Regulatory
Category 1 Drone (under 250g)
Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
Sensor Suite
Camera
2MP (1080p) Articulated Camera
45 degrees Forward-Facing
90 degrees Downward-Facing
Flight Control System Autonomous and Manual Flight Modes
Telemetry Suite Real-Time Measurement Reporting from Onboard Sensors
Examples:
3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope for detecting movement, tilt, and orientation in real time
Functions as a digital compass, helping determine Hopper's heading
Measures altitude based on air pressure changes
Monitors ambient temperature to aid in environmental sensing or onboard diagnostics
Bottom
Top
Novel user-centric method for developing test flight strategies to be later developed in the programming environment. FTW Fly also serves as the singular Hopper and Hopper Controller software update vehicle.
Designed and manufactured in the US
Main Chip (MCU) Nordic NRF5340
Communication Bluetooth
Manufacturer For The Win Robotics (FTW)
Manufacturer Headquarters San Diego, California
Coding platform utilizing block-based programming technology enabling rapid engagement with Hopper's full autonomous capabilities. Programs both Hopper and Mambo.
To ensure the smoothest and most reliable flight experience with Hopper, we recommend the following setup:
Track record
2023
The airframe, the board, and the flight stack every release since has been built on.
July 2026
A major flight control upgrade. Shipped free to every Hopper ever sold, including the ones bought in 2023.
Next
Next major upgrade.
Cost to existing owners
Purchased once
$0
$0
Stability was never the point. It was the prerequisite. A drone that holds position is a drone that can be taught to reason. Firmware 2.0 made that possible. Think is what it was for.
Designed and manufactured in San Diego, California
Program Directors and Procurement
Yes. Hopper is fully compliant with NDAA Section 889, which prohibits the use of telecommunications and surveillance equipment from certain foreign manufacturers in government-funded programs. Hopper contains no prohibited components, making it eligible for use in CTE programs, JROTC, Title I schools, Perkins-funded initiatives, and federal workforce development contracts.
CTE programs require a drone that is NDAA compliant, durable enough for daily use, and paired with a structured curriculum that maps to industry credentials. Hopper is built in San Diego, California, with a full autonomous systems career pathway curriculum included.
Yes. Hopper and the Build Fly Code curriculum platform are eligible for Perkins V funding as career and technical education equipment and instructional materials. FTW Robotics provides purchase order processing and grant documentation support for district procurement offices.
Hopper is designed and manufactured by FTW Robotics in San Diego, California. The printed circuit boards, hardware and software are all US-built, ensuring full supply chain compliance for government and federally funded programs.
No student accounts and no student data. Hopper and Build Fly Code require no student logins and collect no student data. Educators hold platform access. Nothing about a student is stored, transmitted, or sold.
Hopper ships unassembled by default because the build is core curriculum. Students assemble the aircraft as part of Build Fly Code. Every unit is assembled and tested on our factory floor before it ships, then disassembled for delivery, so you receive a validated aircraft, not a raw kit. Programs that want it flight ready receive it assembled at the same price, with no premium SKU and no upcharge.
Guides, Safety Manual, Compliance
Hopper build guides, safety documentation, firmware update walkthroughs, warranty information, and NDAA compliance details all in one place.
Help us improve ftw-robotics.ai
Hopper Firmware 2.0 is here. It is the largest improvement to flight control and stability we have ever shipped.
Hopper holds position better, responds more precisely, and handles rough landings without drama. Crash detection was rebuilt, so a normal landing no longer leaves the drone unable to take off again.
Every Hopper gets it. Free. It loads onto drones already in the field through the FTW Fly app in a few minutes. Nothing to buy, nothing to ship back, no new hardware.
That is possible because FTW owns its entire flight control and telemetry stack. American built, wholly owned, zero outside dependency. When the software gets better, the drones already in your classroom get better with it.
Watch the walkthrough, then open FTW Fly and update yours.
