In case you’re searching for the most effective 5-inch freestyle frames designed particularly for the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional, the GEPRC Vapor ought to undoubtedly be in your radar. I 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 assessment, I’ll stroll you thru my ideas on each variations.
New to FPV? Try my FPV drone body purchaser’s information for the fundamentals: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/
The place to Purchase
You may 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 essentially the most full package I’ve seen. There are lots of individually labeled luggage 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 turn out to be useful once you want them based mostly in your particular construct.
The included guide has footage and really simple to observe, even for rookies. 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 may be taught 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 is dependent upon your flying type:
- For freestyle flying, the X5’s True-X structure is the higher alternative. It provides extra balanced flight efficiency and snappier dealing with. One other benefit is that each 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 good. The entrance arms are longer than the rear arms, protecting the propellers out of the digicam’s view fully. Whereas the X5 could present a little bit of prop on the perimeters, it’s usually minimal and may be cropped out when making use of video stabilization (is dependent upon the quantity of stabilization).
Having constructed and flown each variations, I personally desire the X5 for its flight traits and ease. But when protecting the props out of your footage is a prime precedence, the D5 is the way in which to go.
Specs
- Wheelbase: 230mm
- Prime 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
- Advisable 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 help analog, Walksnail, or HDZero setups due to the included mounting choices.
Highlights embrace:
- CNC aluminium digicam cage with vibration-isolating silicone dampers for secure footage and crash safety
- Thick carbon fiber aspect bumpers as an alternative of low-cost TPU, for superior proection and sturdiness
- Injection moulded plastic aspect panels (purple & black included), that are each fashionable and detachable for upkeep or weight financial savings
- Effectively-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 best way to Assemble
The construct course of is easy and beginner-friendly. With labeled {hardware} luggage and a visible information, all the pieces falls into place effortlessly. Actually, one of the painless body builds I’ve achieved 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:
Facet panels meeting:
Prime plate and GoPro mount set up:
Slide the battery straps by way of the gaps underneath the highest plate:
Set up the 2 silicone adapters within the digicam cage:
Set up the 3D printed arm guards:
Listed here are a couple of pictures after the body has been assembled:
Downsides
The GEPRC Vapor body is genuinely spectacular, and I actually prefer it. However as with all product, it’s not excellent—and it’s solely truthful to level out a couple of areas the place it might be improved.
First, this isn’t a light-weight body. The usage of aspect 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 burden as effectively.
GEPRC lists the body weight at 206g, however that determine appears a bit optimistic. On my scale, with all aspect panels, 3D printed components, and two battery straps put in, the entire got here to 221g.
That stated, it’s not a dealbreaker—particularly for freestyle pilots or rookies. A 5-inch FPV drone has greater than sufficient energy to deal with the additional weight, and newcomers received’t discover a big affect on efficiency. Nonetheless, if you happen to’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 aspect panels and many of the 3D printed equipment are detachable. By stripping these off, you may cut back the entire body weight by 50g, bringing it right down to a way more aggressive 171g.
Lastly, whereas the included 3D printed components are purposeful and thoughtfully designed, the print high quality might be higher. I seen 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 appear 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. In case you’re searching for a premium 5″ freestyle body that performs properly with the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional—and helps different FPV programs too—the GEPRC Vapor X5 is without doubt one of the finest choices in the marketplace 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 assessment. I purchased the body with my very own cash.
It’s a body designed by individuals who clearly fly and construct often. 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 definitely worth the funding.
You should purchase 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.
