2.5–3-inch FPV and cinewhoop motor
VCI Spark 1404
A 10.1 g motor for 2.5- to 3-inch props and 63 mm ducts; on VCI’s 16 V bench the 4000KV pulls 368 g at full throttle on a GF 3016-3.
- 2.5- to 3-inch quads
- 2.5-inch cinewhoops on 63 mm ducted props
- 4S (3750KV, 4000KV) or 6S (2450KV, 2750KV)
The spin is an illustration: the model turns at 1/600 of the no-load speed, and it is a generic 1404 motor drawn from VCI’s published sizes, not its exact design. Thrust, current and power are VCI’s bench figures for the GF 3016-3 prop at 16 V, read straight across between its throttle steps. Its data starts at 30% throttle.
- Max thrust
- 368 g
- GF 3016-3 prop, 16 V
- Weight
- 10.1 g
- with its cable; 10.2 g for the 3750KV, 10.3 g for the 2750KV, 10.4 g for the 2450KV
- Peak current
- 11.4 A
- full throttle
- Max power
- 183 W
- full throttle
from $6.80a motor at VCI Hobby
A set of four: $27.20
Price seen Oct 19, 2026. Plain links: we earn nothing from them.
What it pulls
VCI’s own bench test, one line per prop. Drag across the chart to move the throttle; the model above follows.
At 60% with the GF 3016-3: 197 g of thrust, 4.1 A, 65 W, 3.02 g per watt.
On your quad
2.3 : 1
Thrust to weight at full throttle: four motors pull 1,472 g with the GF 3016-3 at 16 V.
At 60% throttle they pull 788 g, 1.2 times the quad’s weight.
All-up weight is the quad ready to fly, with its battery and camera. The thrust is the maker’s static bench figure; in the air it is lower.
What you get for $6.80
368 g on 4S
On VCI’s 16 V bench the 4000KV pulled 368 g on a GF 3016-3 at 11.43 A; at 24 V the 2750KV pulled 422 g on the same prop at 8.93 A.
Source: VCI spec sheet
Four KVs
VCI sells it in 2450KV and 2750KV for 6S, and 3750KV and 4000KV for 4S.
Source: VCI product page, VCI spec sheet
About 10 g
VCI gives 10.1 g to 10.4 g with the cable, depending on the KV.
Source: VCI spec sheet
What to pair it with
Our reading of VCI’s numbers, so your build matches what the motor was tested with.
- ESC
- VCI’s peak currents run from 8.88 A (2450KV) to 12.4 A (4000KV on a GF D63-3 at 16 V); pick an ESC rated above that per motor. (VCI spec sheet)
- Props
- VCI tested 63 mm ducted Gemfan props (D63-3 and D63-5), a GF 2520-3 and a GF 3016-3; the GF 3016-3 made the most thrust. (VCI spec sheet)
- Battery
- 6S for the 2450KV and 2750KV, 4S for the 3750KV and 4000KV, as VCI rates them. (VCI spec sheet)
- Frame
- Four M2 screws on a 9 × 9 mm pattern. (VCI drawing)
Where to buy
- VCI Hobbythe maker’s store; any KV$6.80seen Oct 19, 2026Visit
- GetFPV4000KVprice on the store’s pageVisit
Plain links, not affiliate links. Prices change; the store’s page has the current one.
Full specs
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| KV | 4,000 rpm/V (also 3750KV (4S), and 2450KV and 2750KV (6S)) | VCI spec sheet, VCI product page |
| Stator | 14 × 4 mm (1404) | VCI spec sheet |
| Configuration | 9S12P (9 stator slots, 12 magnet poles) | VCI spec sheet |
| Battery | 4S (16 V) LiPo (6S (24 V) for the 2450KV and 2750KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Weight | 10.1 g (with its cable; 10.2 g for the 3750KV, 10.3 g for the 2750KV, 10.4 g for the 2450KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Dimensions | φ19 × 16.4 mm with the shaft, which stands 3 mm above the bell | VCI spec sheet, VCI drawing |
| Shaft | 1.5 mm, standing 3 mm above the bell | VCI spec sheet, VCI drawing |
| Mounting | 4 × M2 holes on a 9 mm circle (9 × 9 mm) (the bell’s top has another 4 × M2 holes on a 5 mm circle) | VCI drawing |
| Magnets | N52SH arc magnets | VCI spec sheet |
| Internal resistance | 190 mΩ (220 mΩ for the 3750KV, 325 mΩ for the 2750KV, 420 mΩ for the 2450KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Idle current | 0.6 A (at 10 V; 0.6 A for the 3750KV, 0.4 A for the 2450KV and 2750KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Peak current | 12.4 A (the GF D63-3’s full-throttle current at 16 V; 12.27 A for the 3750KV, 10.04 A for the 2750KV, 8.88 A for the 2450KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Max instantaneous power | 198.4 W (196.32 W for the 3750KV, 240.96 W for the 2750KV, 213.12 W for the 2450KV) | VCI spec sheet |
| Leads | 24 AWG silicone wire, 100 mm | VCI spec sheet |
Bench data
Redrawn from VCI’s test reports. Thrust is static pull on a bench, more than you get in flight. Power is volts × amps; efficiency is thrust divided by power.
2450KV on 6S, 24 V1 prop
| Prop | Throttle | Current (A) | Thrust (g) | Efficiency (g/W) | Power (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GF D63-5motor at 85 °C | 30% | 0.75 | 86 | 4.78 | 18 |
| 40% | 1.26 | 108 | 3.57 | 30.24 | |
| 50% | 1.84 | 142 | 3.22 | 44.16 | |
| 60% | 2.58 | 177 | 2.86 | 61.92 | |
| 70% | 4.21 | 226 | 2.24 | 101.04 | |
| 80% | 5.52 | 258 | 1.95 | 132.48 | |
| 90% | 7.14 | 309 | 1.8 | 171.36 | |
| 100% | 8.88 | 356 | 1.67 | 213.12 |
Source: VCI spec sheet
2750KV on 6S, 24 V3 props
| Prop | Throttle | Current (A) | Thrust (g) | Efficiency (g/W) | Power (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GF 3016-3motor at 76 °C | 30% | 0.88 | 96 | 4.55 | 21.12 |
| 40% | 1.47 | 136 | 3.85 | 35.28 | |
| 50% | 2.13 | 185 | 3.62 | 51.12 | |
| 60% | 2.71 | 217 | 3.34 | 65.04 | |
| 70% | 4.12 | 252 | 2.55 | 98.88 | |
| 80% | 5.47 | 293 | 2.23 | 131.28 | |
| 90% | 7.18 | 360 | 2.09 | 172.32 | |
| 100% | 8.93 | 422 | 1.97 | 214.32 | |
| GF 2520-3motor at 68 °C | 30% | 0.95 | 82 | 3.6 | 22.8 |
| 40% | 1.42 | 119 | 3.49 | 34.08 | |
| 50% | 1.98 | 154 | 3.24 | 47.52 | |
| 60% | 2.93 | 189 | 2.69 | 70.32 | |
| 70% | 3.6 | 210 | 2.43 | 86.4 | |
| 80% | 4.64 | 244 | 2.19 | 111.36 | |
| 90% | 6.05 | 293 | 2.02 | 145.2 | |
| 100% | 7.61 | 366 | 2 | 182.64 | |
| GF D63-3motor at 84 °C | 30% | 1.08 | 75 | 2.89 | 25.92 |
| 40% | 1.97 | 124 | 2.62 | 47.28 | |
| 50% | 2.76 | 153 | 2.31 | 66.24 | |
| 60% | 3.96 | 181 | 1.9 | 95.04 | |
| 70% | 5.3 | 216 | 1.7 | 127.2 | |
| 80% | 6.74 | 271 | 1.68 | 161.76 | |
| 90% | 8.24 | 308 | 1.56 | 197.76 | |
| 100% | 10.04 | 350 | 1.45 | 240.96 |
Source: VCI spec sheet
3750KV on 4S, 16 V1 prop
| Prop | Throttle | Current (A) | Thrust (g) | Efficiency (g/W) | Power (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GF D63-5motor at 82 °C | 30% | 1.26 | 72 | 3.57 | 20.16 |
| 40% | 2.19 | 107 | 3.05 | 35.04 | |
| 50% | 3.22 | 144 | 2.8 | 51.52 | |
| 60% | 4.54 | 172 | 2.37 | 72.64 | |
| 70% | 6.1 | 213 | 2.18 | 97.6 | |
| 80% | 7.62 | 244 | 2 | 121.92 | |
| 90% | 9.85 | 280 | 1.78 | 157.6 | |
| 100% | 12.27 | 327 | 1.67 | 196.32 |
Source: VCI spec sheet
4000KV on 4S, 16 V3 props
| Prop | Throttle | Current (A) | Thrust (g) | Efficiency (g/W) | Power (W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GF 3016-3motor at 77 °C | 30% | 1.27 | 83 | 4.08 | 20.32 |
| 40% | 2.24 | 136 | 3.79 | 35.84 | |
| 50% | 3.14 | 161 | 3.2 | 50.24 | |
| 60% | 4.08 | 197 | 3.02 | 65.28 | |
| 70% | 5.18 | 233 | 2.81 | 82.88 | |
| 80% | 7.08 | 259 | 2.29 | 113.28 | |
| 90% | 9.07 | 314 | 2.16 | 145.12 | |
| 100% | 11.43 | 368 | 2.01 | 182.88 | |
| GF D63-3motor at 92 °C | 30% | 1.76 | 73 | 2.59 | 28.16 |
| 40% | 2.71 | 107 | 2.47 | 43.36 | |
| 50% | 3.82 | 135 | 2.21 | 61.12 | |
| 60% | 4.91 | 168 | 2.14 | 78.56 | |
| 70% | 6.07 | 198 | 2.04 | 97.12 | |
| 80% | 7.94 | 252 | 1.98 | 127.04 | |
| 90% | 9.96 | 280 | 1.76 | 159.36 | |
| 100% | 12.4 | 324 | 1.63 | 198.4 | |
| GF 2520-3motor at 67 °C | 30% | 1.19 | 74 | 3.89 | 19.04 |
| 40% | 2.03 | 102 | 3.14 | 32.48 | |
| 50% | 2.93 | 135 | 2.88 | 46.88 | |
| 60% | 3.83 | 163 | 2.66 | 61.28 | |
| 70% | 4.79 | 195 | 2.54 | 76.64 | |
| 80% | 6.03 | 219 | 2.27 | 96.48 | |
| 90% | 7.82 | 259 | 2.07 | 125.12 | |
| 100% | 9.86 | 316 | 2 | 157.76 |
Source: VCI spec sheet
Inside the motor
A brushless outrunner: the coils stand still in the middle and the magnets spin around them. From the top down:
- Magnets. N52SH arc magnets. (VCI spec sheet)
How fast it spins
KV is the motor’s no-load speed per volt. With nothing on the shaft, the 4000KV version reaches about these speeds; a prop loads the motor and brings it down, typically to around 70–75% of these figures at full throttle.
| Battery | Volts | No-load rpm (KV × V) | Electrical frequency | ESC steps per second |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4S nominal | 14.8 | 59,200 | 5,920 Hz | 35,520 |
| 4S full | 16.8 | 67,200 | 6,720 Hz | 40,320 |
| 6S nominal | 22.2 | 88,800 | 8,880 Hz | 53,280 |
| 6S full | 25.2 | 100,800 | 10,080 Hz | 60,480 |
A 12-pole rotor has 6 pole pairs, so every turn of the shaft is 6 electrical cycles, and a six-step ESC switches the phases 36 times per turn.
About the 3D model
A generic outrunner drawn from VCI’s published sizes: the 14 × 4 mm stator, 19 mm bell, 13.4 mm height, 1.5 mm shaft, 9 mm mounting circle and 9 teeth and 12 magnets. Anything VCI doesn’t publish is typical for a motor this size, and the bell’s spoked top, the base and the inside are a generic design, not this motor’s. The colours are read off the maker’s product photos. There are no logos or markings: it is our drawing, not the maker’s.
Sources
- VCI Hobby: VCI SPARK 1404 MOTOR-2450KV/2750KV/3750KV/4000KV (product page). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
- VCI Hobby: Spark 1404 drawing (image on the product page’s Specifications tab). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
- VCI Hobby: Spark 1404 spec sheets and testing data for the 2450KV and 2750KV at 24 V and the 3750KV and 4000KV at 16 V, on Gemfan props (image on the product page’s Specifications tab). VCI’s temperature is the shaft’s after a run from 0 to 100% throttle; its voltage column, the same on every row of a table, is left out.. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
- VCI Hobby: Spark 1404 4000KV product photo (first gallery image). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
- VCI Hobby: Spark 1404 top-view photo (second gallery image). Retrieved Oct 19, 2026.
