5" Beginner Quad

Cheap, durable, and easy to put together and repair

Specced out to be easy to assemble, with affordable and accessible parts, and electronics that should be easy to solder, this build should be perfect to get you started in the world of FPV

This list is specced for 6s, and includes everything to build a full quad, except parts such as cameras, goggles, receiver and radio systems as those vary depending on prefference and you'll find recommendations on this site elsewhere.

The parts are sorted by price, but they are still relatively cheap without sacrificing on quality

Budget
Mid-range
High-end
Highly varied

Motors

Emax Eco 2

$13.99

2207/2306 ?

Stator size

1900KV

33.5g

For the price, these are one of the best budget motors. They work well, but they aren't unibell so they're less durable

TMotor Velox V3

$14.89

2207/2306 ?

Stator size

1750/1950/2050KV

35.2g

TMotor have great motors across a lot of price ranges. This is their inexpensive line, but they're still built well, and are made with good parts

IFlight Xing-E Pro

$15.50

2207/2306 ?

Stator size

1750/1950KV

35.2g

IFlights refreshed budget line of motors. Unlike the other motors listed here, they are unibell which will give you more durability in crashes

AxisFlying AE2207

$15.90

2207 ?

Stator size

1850/1960KV

32.1g

Axis is relatively new on the fpv market, but since they split from T Motor they have all the capability to make motors of similar quality, these are not an exception

Frames

TBS SourceOne V5

$26.99

226mm ?

Wheelbase

145g

4mm Arms

3/2mm Plates ?

Bottom/Top

19mm Cams

30x30/20x20 Stacks

20x20 VTXs

A very durable open-source frame that is a great choice for beginners with a lot of available 3d print files and build guides

XILO Phreakstyle Slam

$39.99

218mm ?

Wheelbase

121g

4mm Arms

2.5mm Plates ?

Bottom/Top/Mid

21mm Cams

30x30/20x20 Stacks

30x30/20x20 VTXs

A good all round frame for a pretty good price, part of a build kit that Joshua Bardwell has a full video series on, so you can get an idea of how to lay it out

IFlight XL5 V2.1

$55.99

240mm ?

Wheelbase

147g

5mm Arms

2/3/2mm Plates ?

Bottom/Top/Mid

121mm Cams

30x30/20x20 Stacks

30x30/20x20 VTXs

A bit lighter than the Titan Xl5, but it can still take a beating. Slighly smaller wheelbase thanks to the TrueX design, supposed to give better handling

IFlight Titan XL5

$49.99

250mm ?

Wheelbase

199g

6mm Arms

2mm Plates ?

Bottom/Top/Mid

21mm Cams

30x30/20x20 Stacks

30x30/20x20 VTXs

An absolute tank of a frame. IFlight makes a lot of frames, all priced well, and it will easily take everything to may crash into. But the weight will be noticeable

GepRC Mark4

$51.90

225mm ?

Wheelbase

102g

5mm Arms

2.5/2.5/2mm Plates ?

Bottom/Top/Mid

19mm Cams

30x30/20x20 Stacks

20x20 VTXs

A lighter frame, not made to be crashed too hard. But it still holds up, flies well, has lots of space, and stands out. If you want to go for weight savings for longer flight time, it's the way to go

Flight Controllers

Diatone Basic F405 MK2 V2

$34.99

30x30

USB C

ICM42688P ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

3 UARTs

I2C

LED Control

5V 2A

9V 2A

9.0g

A modern re-design of the trusted Mamba F405 MK2, with an added plug for Digital VTXs, new gyro options, and an improved layout. And it still keeps the low cost of the original!

Diatone F405/722 Mini MK4

$46.99

20x20

USB C

MPU6000 ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

6 UARTs

I2C

LED Control

3.3V 0.5A

5V 2.5A

9V 2A

9.3g

Diatone's brand new MK4 line aims to standardize and consolidate all the great stuff from their previous products. The MK4 mini FCs both have ports for DJI, added I2C, and more gyro options

Diatone F722 APP MK4

$58.99

30x30

USB C

MPU6000 ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

6 UARTs

I2C

LED Control ?

Betaflight & Onboard

3.3V 0.5A

5V 3A

9V 3A

9.0g

Coming with WiFi for wireless configuration from your phone, it's a great FC if you want quick access to your settings on the fly (lol), is PnP with DJI, and a ton of other cool features

XILO Stax F4

$41.99

30x30

Micro USB

MPU6000 ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

6 UARTs

I2C

LED Control

3.3V 0.2A

5V 2A

7.0g

It's a well laid out FC with big solder pads, and it has a series surrounding a full build from Joshua Bardwell, if you want a full detailed build guide, this is probably the one to go with

Zeez F7 V2 3030

$49.99

30x30

USB C

MPU6000 ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

5 UARTs

I2C

LED Control

3.3V 3A

5V 3A

9V 3A

7.2g

Zeez makes premium parts, and it's reasonably affordable to today's standards. Aimed more towards advanced uses, with extra features making it ideal for a very clean build, and it still fits the ~$50 price point I set

Hobbywing XRotor F7 Convertible

$49.99

20x20/30x30

Micro USB

MPU6000 ?

Gyro/Accelerometer

3 UARTs

I2C

LED Control

3.3V 2A

5V 2A

10V 2A

3.3g

A lighter FC in features and weight. Being smaller, it may be harder to solder, but I picked it for its durability. It can be used on both 20x20 and 30x30 stacks, and the stacks it comes in are well proven to be durable

ESCs

Diatone BLS Series

$39.99/40.99

40A/50A Nominal

50A/60A Peak

BLHeli_S

30x30

Diatone's more budget line of ESCs running BLHeli_S firmware. They have recently simplified their ESC lines so that the only real difference between the BLS and 128K lines is the current rating

Diatone 128K Series

$45.99/54.99/66.99

45/55/65A Nominal

55/65/75A Peak

BLHeli_32

30x30

A higher-end lineup of ESCs running BHLeli_32 which are capable of 128K PWM output for smoother and more efficient motor performance. Again keeping them together for the same reasons

IFlight Blitz E45

$55.99

45A Nominal

55A Peak

BLHeli_S

30x30

A newer version of the Succex, with the motor pads angled out towards the arms for easier wire routing. The integrated capacitor removes the necessity for an extra one, but it can make it hard to mount in certain builds

IFlight SucceX-E 45A

$39.99

45A Nominal

45A Peak

BLHeli_S

30x30

It's a good ESC, for a reasonable price, now sadly less and less available. I've been flying one in my basher quad for a while, and it's done well so far. More traditional layout, easy to fit in most builds

XILO Stax V2

$54

45A Nominal

55A Peak

BLHeli_32

30x30

As said for the STAX FC, my main reason for including it is JB's tutorial series, where he goes over all you need to set up, and it's ready to go with the FC. Overall a good ESC as well

TMotor Velox 45A V2

$55.90

45A Nominal

55A Peak

BLHeli_32

30x30

This was originally planned to go into a high-end freestyle build list, but with the other ESCs going up in price, this will fit in too and will be a great option

Video Transmitters

RUSH Tank II Ultimate

$36.99

30x30

MMCX

800mW

Rush makes really good VTXs, and this is their newest one. 30x30 mounting holes for direct installation on the flight stack, and excellent video output quality

RUSH Tank Mini

$38.99

800mW

MMCX

20x20

A smaller version of the full size Tank, with 20x20 mounting to fit in the back of the frame, or on a 20x20 stack, same quality as always from RUSH

XILO Stax VTX

$22.99

600mW

MMCX

30x30

Again, as with the ESC and FC from XILO, you have a whole tutorial to go along with connecting them up. Decent output power and quality for the price

HGLRC Zeus 800mW

$29.99

800mW

MMCX

20x20/30x30

HGLRC's new line of VTXs is quite good. You have an option to mount it on both 30x and 20x stacks, the quality is pretty nice, and it won't break the bank

Diatone Mamba Ultra 1000

$29.99

1000mW

MMCX

30x30

"Ultra 1000" is a pretty funny name for a VTX, but it lives up to it. If you want more range and don't want to spend more on a better VTX, it will do the job. Not the best quality, but it gets you extra range

TBS Sixty9

$49.95

u.Fl

20x20

TBS put their VTX and RX tech into one board, making for an easier and cleaner installation. Mounts to both 20x and 30x stacks, and has both Tracer and Crossfire options for your system of choice

Cameras

Analog

Foxeer Razer

$17.9

TVL: 1200

FOV: 155°

Size: Mini/Micro/Nano

Sensor Size: 1/3"

Weight: 12/4.5/3.9g

A great budget cam, available in pretty much any size you'd want. I run it on all my main 5" quads, and it's been serving me great for over a year

Caddx Ratel 2

$30.99

TVL: 1200

FOV: 165°

Size: Micro/Nano

Sensor Size: 1/1.8"

Weight: 5.9/3.0g

This camera has quite a lot going for it. A durable metal case, the current largest sensor in analog cameras, and a decently low price and weight as well

Runcam Phoenix 2

$29.99

TVL: 1000

FOV: 155°

Size: Micro/Nano

Sensor Size: 1/2"

Weight: 9/5g

Even though it has a lower resolution than the T Rex, a lot of people like the image of the Phoenix more, especially given the lower price. Even JB has his own version, so it's gotta be at least somewhat good

Receivers

ELRS

Happymodel EP1 (TCXO)

$16.99

Features: (TCXO)

Weight: 0.41g

One of the first ELRS receivers to hit the market, it is still widely used to this day. Good price-performance, well known, and now with the new TCXO variant, it makes it even more reliable

Happymodel EP1 Dual (TCXO)

$21.99

Features: (TCXO)

Weight: 1g

A newer addition to the Happymodel receivers, this receiver uses two antennas in a true diversity configuration for an even better signal reception. Ideal whenever you need the most range and reliability. Also with TCXO variants

BetaFPV SuperD

$19.99

Features: TCXO, PA, LNA

Weight: 1.1g

Another true diversity offering for a slightly lower price than the Happymodel ones. It was the first receiver to hit the market with both true diversity, TCXO, and other nice features

5" Beginner Quad

Cheap, durable, and easy to put together and repair

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