Yet another budget Hyperlite Floss build. Was targeting maximum performance under $200, and achieved it. This includes a lot of extra nice-to-have fancy bits as well, including an 8-LED panel, CL Racing LEDs, and space for 6" propellers.
This is my new standard build. I would not have expected to build something that looks or flies this nice for under $185, but pulled it off.
The variation of this I want to make next is going to be a 1700KV variant of this identical build, which will enable 6S on 5" or running 6" props on 5S. The RCX Motors are really excellent performers, with supplemental capacitors the F4V5 FC/OSD/VTX performs really solidly, and the ZMR ESC is a performance value to be sure - just be mindful when you wire that up, as the wire colors aren't intuitive.
Flight experience has this as the best quad I own (followed closely by other Floss 2.1 builds). 5050 triblades are a bit too aggressive, as are 5055S Hulkies. I do like the GF5149F triblades quite a bit, and the T5047C props feel super similar to that, but I personally prefer the super linear thrust deliver of the V2 cyclones, so moving back to DAL Cyclone 5046 props was the answer. Really hard to beat the predictability of that feel for racing.
The only thing I wish PiroFlipRC would add is a 4mm bottom plate or sandwich plate for those of us running canopies - structurally this setup is extremely sound otherwise, so that would be my preference... it appears the Floss 3.0 answers that.
As far as the basic electronics stack - I actually would highly recommend this for somebody looking to achieve extreme performance on a tight budget:
Furibee F4V5 FC/VTX // ZMR 30A 6S 4-in-1 ESC // RCX LS2207 1700KV Motors // Floss 2.1 Frame
With a 1000uF 35V cap on the VBAT rail and a 220uF 25V cap on the 5V rail, everything stays clean and well behaved. Extreme efficiency is possible using a 5S battery on 6", and extreme performance with good disc unloading is possible with 6S batteries and 5" props.
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How are the motors so far?
Great so far. If I fly conservatively, three and a half minutes is par on this setup. If I'm trying to burn through a battery in ~2min while bouncing off trees, they'll get hot, but the performance is still on point the entire time.
Compared to my ZMX Finx23 and EMAX (RS2205S) motors, these are 90-95% as good for half the price... and the stator size does a lot to help too. 32g is probably the actual weight with wire to reach an ESC, but both quads I have with these fly extremely well.
Update - still going pretty well. I've had two major crashes (attempts to go Shaun Taylor speed resulting in collision with metal fences), result is one bent shaft, and one cracked magnet. Miraculously, both of these motors still work - rebent that shaft, and the hurt magnet actually still pulls great. Out of 8 motors running, this is great, I haven't even had to resort to using the spare I picked up.
I really do want RCX to release their full-bling NK2207 in 1700KV - everything about their nicer motors, but this packaging is what I want, and I'll happily pay a bit more to get that quality (better bearing, better shaft, ideally -1g weight)
Guides & Reviews
AirbladeUAV has done it again and this time they've brought long range to the 5" class! Based on the popular Transformer Mini, the new Transformer 5" Ultralight adopts a lot of the same design philosophies with larger props and more payload capacity. It can fly upwards of 20 minutes on a 4 cell Li-Ion battery pack and in ideal conditions it's got a range of over 4 to 5 miles. In this guide I'll walk..
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With the release of the DJI FPV Drone cinematic FPV has become a lot more accessible, but you certainly don't want to crash a $750 drone! The QAV-CINE Freybott is a compact, lightweight cinematic FPV drone that can take a hit and keep going. It's a lot safer to fly indoors and around people. With a naked GoPro or the SMO 4k you can capture some great stabilized footage. In this guide I'll show you..
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Have you tried 6" props on 5s with 2207 motors? I have a 6" floss frame with r6 2207 1750kv motors and I am trying to decide if I should run 6s with 5" triblades or 5s with 6" biblades like the gemfan 6042s. 5" or 6"?
Yes, and even tried 6S 6" for giggles. 1700KV handles them, although it's a bit rough on batteries.
For agility, precision, and smoothness, 5" on a setup like that (T5046C, GF5149-3, HQ 5x4.3/4.5/4.8x3) are impossible to beat. The 6042F biblades are super efficient, but do get oscilliations when pushed hard. The 6042F Triblades are better, and my favorite 6" prop (HQ 6x4x3 are super close, a touch more efficient), with massive grip, but it feels like the penalty is a bit of the responsiveness... but with a PID retune I'm sure I could make that setup pop well on 5S (although I'm running tired old 5S packs, that might be why as well).
Tl;DR: Try both, there's a reason lots of people love 5" props on your exact setup (even on 6" arms), but experiment with 6" because the cruising efficiency and punch is amazing... which is why I recommend a setup that can do both.