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If this will be your first time ordering from Banggood, you should know a few things.
LUMENIER
CHIEF
Now you can fly the exact same racing drone that Alex Campbell (a.k.a. Chief) races when he flies MultiGP. The frame and motors are custom-designed for Alex. The other equipment is race-proven. Notable features include motor enamel rated up to 240°, to help make smoked motors a thing of the past (or so they say). The motors weigh just 28 grams, thanks in part to titanium shafts and a minimal base. The Chief is completely assembled and test-flown by GetFPV technicians before being shipped. Just bind, set up your controller, and fly.
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EMAX
HAWK 5 PRO
The Hawk 5 Pro continues Emax’s legacy of reasonably-priced, durable, and great-flying bind-n-fly quads. The Hawk Pro doesn’t have quite the same level of performance and durability as quads costing twice its price, but it’s a great choice for your first racing drone. And let’s face it: most of the time, it’s pilot skill, not the raw performance of the quad that makes or breaks the race. The one thing about this quad that bugs me is that the video transmitter is direct-soldered to the flight controller with pins. If you end up needing to replace it, it’s difficult to do this without damaging the FC, which is unfortunate. If you end up in this situation, I suggest cutting the pins to remove the vTX, then de-solder the pins one by one from the FC, then install the new vTX by soldering wires instead of using the pins.
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IFLIGHT
MACH R5
The Mach R5 is iFlight’s entry into the bind-n-fly racing category. It’s got the same compact and agile geometry as most popular racing frames today. What makes the R5 stand out is its aluminum center brace, which adds stiffness and strength. 6mm arms will be difficult to break, but if you manage to do it, they can be quickly swapped. It comes with a 600 mW video transmitter, so you’ll have plenty of range for cruising and freestyle when you’re not racing.
The motors on the R5 are the only thing I sort of question. iFlight has used their 2506-sized motor, which I think has a minimal performance advantage over the more common 2207. It’s not that the 2506 are bad, it’s just that they add a little weight compared to 2207, and I’m not sure there’s a good reason for it. But this is a minor quibble. The additional weight is only eight or ten grams. And maybe the bigger motors have some performance advantage that I’m missing.
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FIVE33 SWITCHBACK PRO
This is the racing frame designed and flown by Evan Turner (HeadsUpFPV), one of the fastest, winning-est pilots in the world. It’s also flown by a lot of his competitors, which says something about how good it is! These world-class pilots could fly any frame they want, including designing one to their exact specifications, and they fly the Switchback Pro instead.
The Switchback Pro has an innovative arm mounting method that gives perfect stiffness while still allowing easy, one-screw arm changes. It’s got a variety of custom-designed 3D prints to suit almost any configuration. It’s tough, lightweight, and proven.
But the Switchback Pro isn’t perfect for everybody. It only supports a limited selection of parts, and fitting everything together in such a tight frame requires some expertise. If this is your first build, you might prefer a roomier frame.
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TBS SOURCE TWO
The Source Two is one of the best values in FPV frames. It’s community-designed and all the CAD files are open source and available for anyone to manufacture. As a result, the Source Two is one of the least expensive frames you can get, and available nearly everywhere. (You could even cut it yourself if you have a CNC machine!)
While the Source Two will get the job done, it’s obviously been manufactured to a price. It’s a sparse and utilitarian frame, but if you’re on a tight budget, it’s a great choice (and no guilt over buying a “clone”).
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The five-inch racing world seems to have mostly settled on 2207 as the ideal motor size. It seems to be the smallest, lightest motor that gives enough torque for excellent handling and enough power for great acceleration and top end speed. The main question left when choosing a motor is the best kv. The kv means the rpms-per-volt that the motor will try to make. A higher kv motor will spin faster and usually make more power, but will be harder on the battery.
Choosing a motor kv is mostly about balancing speed vs. efficiency (flight time). But higher kv motors aren’t necessarily faster for every pilot. Beginners, especially, may find higher kv motors harder to control. For those running 6S batteries, a motor from about 1600 kv to 1750 kv is relatively sedate; a motor from about 1750 kv to 1900 kv is powerful, but still reasonable; and a motor from about 1900 to 2200 kv is probably only recommended for really skilled pilots. (You can effectively scale down a motor’s kv by using the throttle scale parameter in Betaflight’s Rate Profile tab.)
What about the 6S vs 4S argument? In racing, very few people still run 4S. So almost all of the racing motors made come in 6S kv’s only. But I’ve included at least one motor here that comes in around 2400 kv, which is suitable for use with 4S batteries.
FIVE33
2207 1960 KV
These are the motors designed and used by Evan Turner (HeadsUpFPV), one of the fastest and winning-est pilots in the world. And they’re $21 (at the time of this writing). So you’d be justified in asking why you’d ever pay more? They perform well enough to satisfy a world-class racer, without the ultra-premium name-brand price.
The links above are to standard motors, with bare wires. Five33 also sells the motors with pre-installed MT30 plugs. This allows for faster, no-solder motor changes in the field. This option adds a tiny bit of weight and isn’t for everybody.
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HYPETRAIN VANOVER V2
2207.5 1860 KV
Alex Vanover’s pedigree as a racer includes MultiGP and DRL championships. The HypeTrain Vanover is the result of his collaboration with Rotor Riot to develop his personal racing motor. The Vanover is 2207.5 size, adding 1/2mm to the stator for slightly more torque and power, without adding too much weight (only about 1 gram more than a racing 2207 motor).
After racing on the motor for over a year, Vanover decided to increase the motor’s kv from 1860 to 2021. This, and a few other small changes resulted in the V2 motor. The V2 will give more top end speed and punch, but will be harder on batteries especially if you push the throttle. Beginners may also find the V2 harder to control, since the hover point will be lower in the throttle. (You can always use a throttle scale in the Betaflight Rate Profile section to bring the higher kv motors down if you prefer.) For now, we are linking to both the V1 and the V2 motor since both are excellent depending on the kv that you prefer.
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RCINPOWER GTS V4 MCK
2207 2100KV
I’m sitting here writing the descriptive text for these motors, and I realized that basically what I did was, find the fastest three pilots around, and then pick their signature motors to include on the list. I guess there are worse ways to go about it. The MinChan Kim is 2207 in size and 2100 kv. In theory, 2100 kv is a 5S motor, but MinChan flies it on 6S because he’s just that ridiculously fast. Regular humans would probably do best to use a throttle scale to bring the power down to manageable levels.
One more thing about this motor: it’s made by RCInPower, which consistently comes out at the top of Chris Rosser’s motor testing for power, torque, and efficiency. Good choice!
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EMAX ECO II 2207
1700 / 1900 / 2400 KV
Emax is seriously messing up the whole FPV motor market with their Eco II line. As far as I can tell, they are making a $20 motor and selling it for $12 just because they want to be taken seriously as a motor manufacturer. I have no idea what the actual motivation is, but the Eco II is a seriously great value. It even has premium EZO bearings (an area where other budget motors often skimp).
The main reason you would avoid the Emax Eco would be if you are trying to reproduce your favorite pilot’s exact racing build. If you build a Switchback Pro, like I did, but you put Emax motors on it, then you won’t be able to use Evan’s PID tune, and you won’t know for sure that your quad is flying exactly as good as his. And that might be worth a little bit of a premium to you.
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The flight controller (FC) is the brain of the quadcopter. It receives your commands from the receiver and translates that into motor outputs that make the quadcopter fly. Modern flight controllers may also include accessories like voltage regulators, an on-screen-display (OSD), a power-distribution-board (PDB), and more.
Flight controllers on this page may be marked as “DJI Ready” and “DJI Only”. DJI Ready means that the FC has a plug to allow easy connection of a DJI Air Unit or Caddx Vista. DJI Ready FCs can still be used with analog FPV systems. DJI Only means that the FC does not support analog video at all, and should only be used with the DJI System. Any FC not marked this way will support both analog and DJI, but if using DJI you’ll need to solder wires to the FC since it doesn’t have a plug.
If you use Walksnail or HDZero vTX, they also work with all of these FC. Instead of having a plug ready to go, you might need to solder some wires to the FC.
Originally, all of the FC and ESC on this page were 30mm size. 30mm FC have larger solder pads and more of them, for more options when wiring up a build. 30mm ESCs tend to have larger FETs so they’re more durable.
Speaking for myself, I always choose 30mm when building a 5″ freestyle rig. 20mm ESCs specifically are less durable than 30mm ones, especially when trying to “turtle mode” out of an obstacle or to flip back over after crashing. There are people I respect who fly 20mm FC and ESC exclusively, but I’ve blown too many 20mm ESCs to fully trust them for this type of build.
But I have to admit that I might be in the minority here. Many 5″ freestyle pilots prefer 20mm for its lighter weight and smaller size. And if 20mm ESC’s can be durable enough for racing, then they’re certainly tough enough for freestyle. So we’re including both 20mm and 30mm electronics in this section.
AIKON F7 FC & AIKON PRO ESC
(DJI READY) / 20MM FC & ESC
Aikon has made some of the strongest, most durable ESC’s on the market for years. It’s no surprise that their 20mm Aikon Pro ESC is one of the few that can stand up to the abuse of FPV racing. The Aikon flight controller has an F7 processor with plenty of UARTs for peripherals. It’s got a built-in 10v regulator to power DJI (if you choose to race on DJI, this is your pick) or your analog vTX. It’s even got a built-in pit switch to let you power down your vTX with an aux switch. The main downside of this FC is that the solder pads are very small, but that’s sort of true for all 20mm FC so maybe it doesn’t matter.
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FOXEER F722 V3/V4 & v3/v4 PRO MINI FC
FOXEER REAPER F4 45A / 60A MINI ESC
This is the FC if you want something inexpensive that will get the job done. What’s it give up to get the price down? It’s only got four UARTs instead of five; it’s only got a 5v regulator, so your vTX needs to run on 5v if you want the cleanest video possible, and it doesn’t have a plug for a DJI FPV video transmitter (but you can still direct-solder if you prefer).
This FC now comes in two versions: a standard and pro version. The difference is the pro version has a “real-pit” function that can completely power down the vTX when you’re not using it. The pro version also has more solder pads, but as a tradeoff, it hangs out past the standoffs slightly compared to the standard version.
I recommend pairing this FC with the Foxeer Reaper ESC. The Reaper has been tested and proven by racers since it was released, and it’s extremely durable, especially for its price.
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T-MOTOR MINI F7 HD
20MM FC
If you look closely at this flight controller, you might guess that it’s actually made by Aikon and sold under T-Motor’s branding. The layout is very similar and the features are nearly identical. No matter who makes it, T-Motor has a great reputation for quality and performance. But mostly, I’m including it as an alternative in case the Aikon is out of stock. It’s also the FC used by Evan Turner (HeadsUpFPV) in his race builds as of this writing.
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REDUX32 F4 NANO
50A V2 20X20 ESC
Unlike the other entries, this one is going to start with the ESC, not the FC. Redux Air makes what might be the toughest, highest-performance 20mm ESC available today. It uses the same larger, higher-rated FETs used on 30mm ESC’s. And somehow, they managed to shrink it down from its predecessor so it’s about the same size as other 20mm ESC! In my opinion, this is one of the best 20mm ESC’s you can buy today. If you can find it in stock.
This ESC can be paired with almost any FC, but you will probably have to re-arrange the order of the wires in the harness connecting them together.
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Every FPV aircraft has a camera and a video transmitter to send the camera feedback to the pilot. Which camera and video transmitter you choose depends on which video system you’re using. Video systems are divided into two categories–digital and analog–and we have a page with recommendations for both.
If you’re using a digital video system (DJI, Walksnail, or HDZero), CLICK HERE.
If you’re using an analog video system for racing, CLICK HERE.
And if you’re still not sure which is best for you, here’s a video to help you decide:
There are three important things to know about video antennas. First, they come in left-handed (LHCP) and right-handed (RHCP) varieties, and you must put the same variety on your quadcopter and your goggles. Most pilots fly RHCP, and that’s what I recommend you start with too. There isn’t any performance difference, but having the same type as everyone else will let you watch them in your goggles.
Second, they come with different connectors. Video transmitters typically have U.FL or MMCX connectors, due to their small size. These may plug in to a “pigtail” wire that ends in an SMA or RP-SMA connector. For racing, it’s most common to buy an antenna with an MMCX or U.FL connector, because it saves size and weight compared to a pigtail. These antennas are typically held to the frame with 3D printed accessories. Keeping the antenna close to the frame vs. out on a long stalk shortens the range of the video signal (not really an issue for racing) but increases durability.
Third, you should never power up your video transmitter without an antenna attached. This can damage or destroy the video transmitter.
LUMENIER AXII 2
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Purchase at GetFPV – Full Size / Micro V2
Purchase at RaceDayQuads – Full Size / Micro V2
Purchase at NewBeeDrone – Full Size / Micro V2?
Purchase at Pyrodrone – Full Size / Micro V2
Purchase at Rotor Riot – Full Size / Micro V2
Purchase at Catalyst Machineworks – Fulll Size / Micro V2
Purchase at Amazon – Full Size / Micro V2
Purchase at Banggood – Full Size / Micro V2
The Lumenier Axii 2 and the TBS Triump Pro are the premium options in this category. Both have excellent design and consistent build quality. They are lightweight and compact. The Triumph is rated for 1.6 dBi gain, while the Axii is rated for 2.1 dB, so on paper the Triumph will be more perfectly circular, while the Axii will have slightly better coverage to the sides and slightly worse to the top and bottom. This is unlikely to be noticeable in real life though.
These are the budget options in this category. The Xilo Axii is just the V1 of the Axii antenna. It still performs really well and is about half the price of the Lumenier Axii. It’s still made by the same company as the V2, so quality and consistency are high. The Foxeer Lollipop is on the list as a more widely available alternative (the Axii is only sold at GetFPV). The Lollipop is more or less a copy of the Axii design, but build quality is not as consistent as the Axii.
RUSH CHERRY
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The batteries selected for 5” racing are all 6S. Can you race on 4S? Sure. You can do whatever you want. But 6S is where basically all racing motors are focused today, and 6S is what most racing pilots run. Any of the 4S packs in the 5” freestyle section could work for racing if you need to go that direction.
The main difference between the packs chosen here and the Freestyle packs is that these packs are slightly larger in size. Racers hit their packs hard. A larger pack can deliver more current at the cost of slightly greater weight. Since racing rigs are already pretty light, you can probably afford a few more grams of battery if it means you get to finish your race, or you experience less sag when you punch the throttle.
CNHL BLACK
1300 MAH 6S
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HEADSUPFPV
HQ R38 – 5138 & R38C – 4940
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Purchase at RaceDayQuads – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at GetFPV – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at NewBeeDrone – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at Rotor Riot – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at ReadyMadeRC – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at Five33 – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at Catalyst Machineworks – 5138 / 4940
Purchase at Banggood – 5138 / 4940
GEMFAN HURRICANE
51466
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