For those who’re searching for among the best 5-inch freestyle frames designed particularly for the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional, the GEPRC Vapor ought to positively be in your radar. I just lately reviewed the GEPRC Vapor D5 BNF drone and was impressed by the considerate body design, strong construct high quality, and ease of use. That led me to purchase one other Vapor X5 body package to check out—and on this overview, I’ll stroll you thru my ideas on each variations.
New to FPV? Take a look at my FPV drone body purchaser’s information for the fundamentals: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/
The place to Purchase
You’ll be able to choose up the GEPRC Vapor body kits right here:
What’s within the Field?
The packaging is excellent. GEPRC features a beneficiant set of equipment—presumably probably the most full package I’ve seen. There are a variety of individually labeled baggage of screws and {hardware}, which could appear scary at first, however you don’t want to make use of all of them, and they’ll come in useful once you want them primarily based in your particular construct.
The included handbook has photos and really simple to observe, even for novices. Directions clearly point out which screws go the place—no guesswork concerned.
X5 vs D5 – Which One Ought to You Get?
The Vapor body is available in two variants:
- D5: Deadcat structure
- X5: True-X structure
You’ll be able to study extra about body configurations right here: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/#Configuration.
Right here’s the D5:
Right here is the X5:
Which one you select actually depends upon your flying fashion:
- For freestyle flying, the X5’s True-X structure is the higher selection. It presents extra balanced flight efficiency and snappier dealing with. One other benefit is that every one 4 arms are an identical and interchangeable, making it simpler to handle spare arms and repairs.
- For cinematic flying, the D5’s deadcat structure is right. The entrance arms are longer than the rear arms, holding the propellers out of the digicam’s view solely. Whereas the X5 might present a little bit of prop on the perimeters, it’s typically minimal and is perhaps cropped out when making use of video stabilization (depends upon the quantity of stabilization).
Having constructed and flown each variations, I personally favor the X5 for its flight traits and ease. But when holding the props out of your footage is a prime precedence, the D5 is the way in which to go.
Specs
- Wheelbase: 230mm
- High Plate: 2.0mm
- Center Plate: 2.0mm
- Backside Plate: 2.5mm
- Arms: 5.0mm
- FC Mounting: 20×20mm / 30.5×30.5mm
- VTX Mounting: 20×20mm / 25×25mm / 30.5×30.5mm
- Motor Mounting: 16×16mm
- Digicam Mounting Width: 19mm / 20mm
- Beneficial Prop Measurement: 5-inch
- Weight (claimed): 206g
- Weight (measured): 221.6g (with all panels and TPU components)
Designs and Options
The GEPRC Vapor X5 is clearly purpose-built for DJI O4 Professional Air Unit however stays versatile sufficient to assist analog, Walksnail, or HDZero setups due to the included mounting choices.
Highlights embody:
- CNC aluminium digicam cage with vibration-isolating silicone dampers for steady footage and crash safety
- Thick carbon fiber facet bumpers as a substitute of low cost TPU, for superior proection and sturdiness
- Injection moulded plastic facet panels (purple & black included), that are each fashionable and detachable for upkeep or weight financial savings
- Properly-finished carbon fibre components with chamfered edges—no sharp cuts, no sanding required
- 3D-printed TPU equipment for antenna mounts, arm guards, GPS, VTX, receiver, and extra
The way to Assemble
The construct course of is easy and beginner-friendly. With labeled {hardware} baggage and a visible information, all the pieces falls into place effortlessly. Truthfully, one of the vital painless body builds I’ve carried out shortly.
Backside plate meeting:
Arms meeting:
Standoffs set up:
Capacitor holder set up:
CNC aluminium digicam cage set up:
Antenna holder meeting:
For unique DJI O4 Professional antennas:
For SMA/RP-SMA extension cables:
GPS holder set up:
Receiver holder / VTX stacking plates installations:
Aspect panels meeting:
High plate and GoPro mount set up:
Slide the battery straps via the gaps underneath the highest plate:
Set up the 2 silicone adapters within the digicam cage:
Set up the 3D printed arm guards:
Listed below are just a few photographs after the body has been assembled:
Downsides
The GEPRC Vapor body is genuinely spectacular, and I actually prefer it. However as with every product, it’s not excellent—and it’s solely honest to level out just a few areas the place it might be improved.
First, this isn’t a light-weight body. Using facet panels and 3D printed components provides each performance and safety, nevertheless it additionally contributes to a heavier construct. The roomy, strong body design naturally makes use of extra carbon fiber materials, which provides to the load as effectively.
GEPRC lists the body weight at 206g, however that determine appears a bit optimistic. On my scale, with all facet panels, 3D printed components, and two battery straps put in, the entire got here to 221g.
That mentioned, it’s not a dealbreaker—particularly for freestyle pilots or novices. A 5-inch FPV drone has greater than sufficient energy to deal with the additional weight, and newcomers received’t discover a big impression on efficiency. Nonetheless, should you’re centered on racing or long-range effectivity, weight financial savings turn into extra vital, and this won’t be the most effective body for you.
The excellent news is, the facet panels and many of the 3D printed equipment are detachable. By stripping these off, you may scale back the entire body weight by 50g, bringing it right down to a way more aggressive 171g.
Being an X body, you may see a little bit of the propellers within the video. Nonetheless, due to the lengthy physique design, it’s minimal—and making use of stabilization will crop out most of it. Nonetheless, if that’s one thing you’re involved about, the D5 model can be the higher selection.
Lastly, whereas the included 3D printed components are useful and thoughtfully designed, the print high quality might be higher. I observed fairly a little bit of stringing on the TPU components. It’s purely aesthetic—they work simply tremendous—nevertheless it does barely detract from the in any other case premium feel and look of the body.
Full Construct Log
I’m placing collectively a full construct log displaying the best way to construct the Vapor X5 with DJI O4 Air Unit Professional from begin to end—keep tuned for that.
Conclusion – Ought to You Purchase the GEPRC Vapor X5?
Completely. For those who’re searching for a premium 5″ freestyle body that performs properly with the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional—and helps different FPV techniques too—the GEPRC Vapor X5 is without doubt one of the greatest choices available on the market proper now.
At round $60, it’s not the most cost effective body, however the consideration to element, materials high quality, and ease of meeting greater than justify the value tag in my view. And no—this isn’t a sponsored overview. I purchased the body with my very own cash.
It’s a body designed by individuals who clearly fly and construct recurrently. It’s sturdy, thoughtfully engineered, and extremely simple to work on. Whereas it’s not the lightest choice on the market, the trade-off in construct high quality, ease of meeting, and compatibility makes it effectively well worth the funding.
You should buy the GEPRC Vapor body kits right here:
Whether or not you’re a newbie constructing your first DJI O4 quad or an skilled pilot searching for a reliable freestyle body—this one delivers.