Absolutely, the video makes this much easier to build. As it's not the typical electronics layout, this is what can be a little complicated. Like I said, preplanning is important, especially board orientation.

Noob question: What about this frame makes it not worthy of recommending to a beginner? I am looking to get into FPV, and I have done a lot of practice in Liftoff, and a good bit of research on builds. I have a decent budget of $400, and this frame looks like a cool option! I have heard good things about its design and durability. It seems that Catalyst Machineworks has a tutorial video on how to assemble the frame. If I get electronics that are compatible with the frame's design, what would make it difficult to build on? It seems that most beginner builds use cheaper frames, and I wouldn't mind getting a pricier frame like this one if it means that I'll have a solid freestyle drone!

you didnt use the racewire in the end? i used the mini on mine, the normal were a bit large. tried t-motor 5143 props?

Having built quite few race quads, I decided I needed a freestyle quad. The Smooth Operator really stood out from the crowd with it's unique design features with it's slammed 13mm deck, side-by-side ESC/FC mounting, raised rear arms, impact resistance for the front arms and HD camera mount. The sheer volume of the parts is a little overwhelming when you open the package but Catalyst has supplied an indepth 2 hour build video. I certainly wouldn't recommend this frame to a beginner, but for more experienced builders with some very careful pre-build planning, this build goes together quite nicely. Bottom line, this is one sexy little beast