When your quad is simply too highly effective, a number of millimeters of throttle stick motion can take it from falling out of the sky to taking pictures towards area. This overly delicate throttle makes clean flying tough — particularly when flying by tight gaps or attempting to take care of altitude. That’s why Betaflight supplies Throttle Mid and Throttle Expo settings. When configured accurately, they provide you much more exact throttle management and smoother cruising. On this tutorial, I’ll present you the right way to set them up.
Why Use Throttle Mid & Expo?
There are different methods to cut back throttle sensitivity, however every comes with some drawbacks:
- Lowering energy utilizing throttle scale or motor output restrict → lowers your most velocity and drone efficiency.
- Utilizing a customized throttle curve in your radio → reduces throttle decision.
One of the best resolution is to configure Throttle Mid and Throttle Expo in Betaflight. This lets you make throttle management extra exact with out sacrificing high velocity or efficiency.
Nevertheless, it may be fairly a complicated characteristic for newcomers, which is why it’s typically neglected. I’m positive there are different methods to strategy this, however right here’s the tactic I take advantage of that works properly for me personally.
Set These Values (Preliminary Setup)
Beginning with Betaflight 2025.12.0 (previously Betaflight 4.6), a brand new Hover Level setting was launched alongside Throttle Mid and Throttle Expo. This enables the throttle curve to be anchored round your quad’s precise hover throttle worth, making it extra intuitive to make use of.
Step 1 — Discover Hover Throttle
Go away every little thing at default, you’re going to get a linear throttle response:
Throttle Mid = 0.50Hover Level = 0.50Throttle Expo = 0
If you happen to examine throttle curve preview, Enter must be the identical as Output by out the entire throttle vary (when shifting your throttle stick from 0% to 100%).
Hover your quad and observe the throttle place worth in OSD.
Instance:
- At 24% throttle → quad descends
- At 26% throttle → quad climbs
- So the hover level can be 25%.
Enter this into Betaflight:
Hover Level = 0.25
Step 2 — Set Throttle Mid
Throttle Mid determines the place you need the hover level to be in your throttle stick.
You’ll be able to put it anyplace between 0% and 100%, it’s purely a private choice.
I normally place the hover level round 35% stick place as a result of:
- That’s my most snug throttle stick place and I really feel like I’ve probably the most management
- Round mid throttle stick (45% to 55%), that will be my regular cruising velocity
So:
Throttle Mid = 0.35
This implies, 35% stick place outputs 25% motor throttle.
You’ll be able to confirm this within the Throttle Curve Preview.
Step 3 — Set Throttle Expo
Throttle Expo controls how delicate the throttle feels round Throttle Mid. You’ll be able to set it to any worth between 0 and 1. The upper the worth, the much less delicate the throttle will really feel across the heart stick. Nevertheless, if set too excessive, it could begin to really feel sluggish and unresponsive.
A great start line:
Throttle Expo = 0.65
If you happen to examine the preview, you’ll see that the enter and output are not linear — you get a lot finer management throughout the primary 3 quarters of the throttle curve, which is strictly what we wish.
We’ve now established start line. Exit and take a look at these settings. Attempt flying by tight gaps whereas sustaining a continuing velocity and altitude, and see the way it feels.
If you happen to’re pleased with the outcomes, there’s no want to vary something. Nevertheless, relying in your ability degree, flying model, and meant velocity, you might wish to fine-tune the settings additional.
Regulate Throttle Mid/Expo
We will divide the throttle curve into 3 zones. For many pilots, the center zone (precision zone) might be crucial as you’ll be spending most of your time on this zone throughout flight.
Cinematic builds and gradual cruisers can profit from a wider “precision zone” for finer throttle management. Nevertheless, if it’s too extensive, the throttle could really feel much less responsive, and also you’ll want to maneuver the stick extra to regulate altitude.
Throttle Mid
To tune Throttle Mid, right here’s what I do.
While you decrease the throttle throughout flight (for instance, when attempting to decelerate):
- If the quad doesn’t descend quick sufficient → improve Throttle Mid
- If the quad drops too rapidly → lower Throttle Mid
Even a small adjustment could make a noticeable distinction, so make small modifications every time (e.g., 0.01–0.02).
Throttle Expo
Throttle Expo controls the sensitivity round heart stick.
- Increased expo (nearer to 1) → finer, smoother management however much less responsive, higher for relaxed, cinematic flying
- Decrease expo (nearer to 0) → extra linear, responsive and twitchier, higher for aggressive flying
For example, for my Air65 tiny whoop (champion version) I ended up with these values:
- Throttle Mid: 0.32
- Hover Level: 0.26
- Throttle Expo: 0.65
With out utilizing Throttle Mid & Expo, I needed to restrict throttle to 80% simply to fly indoors with out consistently crashing — the quad was just too quick. With these throttle settings, I can now fly comfortably with none throttle scaling.
It’s really a sport changer in the event you’ve by no means tried this earlier than.
Older Betaflight (Earlier than Model 2025.12)
Older variations solely have Throttle Mid and Throttle Expo settings — no Hover Level, so configuration is totally different. While you set Throttle Mid, it makes use of the identical worth as your “hover throttle” too and it flattens the curve round that time whenever you apply Expo. Sure, it’s complicated and that’s why I actually like the brand new strategy. Anyway in case your quad nonetheless has previous Betaflight on it you may discover this handy.
Preliminary Setup
Set Throttle Mid close to your regular cruising throttle (or barely larger than hover throttle).
For instance, my tiny whoop, the hover throttle is 25%:
Throttle Mid = 0.25
For Throttle Expo, 0.65 is an efficient start line:
Throttle Expo = 0.65
Fantastic Tuning
Attempt to undergo tight gaps (attempt to preserve fixed velocity and altitude):
- If the quad feels too quick → lower Throttle Mid.
- If the quad feels too gradual → improve Throttle Mid.
Regulate in small increments every time (0.01 to 0.02).
To alter throttle sensitivity:
- Increased Expo → smoother however softer really feel
- Decrease Expo → extra direct response
Throttle Worth in OSD Appears to be like Unsuitable
After altering Throttle Mid and Expo, you might discover the throttle place within the OSD not matches hover throttle whenever you hover.
If you might want to re-measure true hover throttle (e.g. for GPS Rescue or Place Maintain):
- Briefly reset Throttle Mid, Hover Level, and Expo to 0 earlier than doing hover take a look at, or
- Use Blackbox logs to learn the actual throttle output.
Conclusion
Throttle tuning is likely one of the most underrated options. By accurately setting:
- Hover Level
- Throttle Mid
- Throttle Expo
you may remodel a very highly effective quad into one thing exact, predictable, and far simpler to fly easily — with out sacrificing efficiency.
Spend a couple of minutes dialing these settings in, and your flying will instantly really feel extra managed and assured. So long as it really works for you, there’s no proper or incorrect worth because it largely comes down to non-public choice. Don’t be afraid to experiment and take a look at totally different values till it feels proper.