Intro

I've decided to buy this frame because the hybrid arm setup is a big hype in one of the racing teams here in the Philippines. I was also quite interested on the MambaF405 + 4 in 1 ESC combo as the price is very tempting for what you get. And so with that, I've decided to do a Cheap FPV Racer build.

Mamba F405 + FC Combo comparison with Piroflip F4 + Racerstar 35A Combo

My go-to when I build a race quad is the racerstar 35A Anniversary edition partnered with the Piroflip F4 with OSD. I really love this setup and I have yet seen any of these parts break. The price (PHP 3250 or 60 - 65 USD @pinoyfpv.com) is also very cheap for the performance I'm getting with.

When I saw the F405 and FC combo, I decided to try it as it's cheaper than my go to build (priced at PHP 2800 @pinoyfpv.com or roughly USD 53).
According to some videos regarding the ESC, it does not have some filtering. Good thing diatone provided a capacitor with it.

Other than that, the pads for the ESC is layout perfectly. The size is a little larger compared to the racerstar 35A anniversary edition but the Mamba ESC is rated at 40A which is 5 A larger than the racerstars. The mamba FC pads are laid out on the edge of the FC. and the FC packaging itself is very helpful to know which pads to use. The mamba FC doesnot have a 12v or VBAT pad for the vtx though and that, i'm not a fan of (You can still tap your vtx to a vbat pad but it's designed for the battery plugs) . Also if you used a piroflip f4 FC, you will be pampered with the way the pads are laid out. The vtx also have a vbat pad, and the bottom of the FC is flat, which you can use to mount your reciever or other electronic components. I still prefer the Pirofc F4 than the MambaFC but that really boils down to user preference and for the price of the Mamba combo and 4in1, it's really hard to beat.

GTR5 Hybrid Frame

I'm really impressed with the quality of the frame specially for it's price (PHP 2250 or USD 43 @pinoyfpv.com). It came with gorgeous bolts and chamfered parts. The frame doesn't look cheap and when I compared to my friends XBEE Frame (which is twice the price) it almost looks identical (The carbon the XBEE is much more gorgeous). The frame is almost designed for the mamba FC + 4 in 1 combo. the rear arm has a notch that is perfect for the size of the mamba 4 in 1 esc. It is there to prevent the esc from touching the rear arms which might cause conductivity. The only problem I encountered with the build is that you need to have a really low stack with the given hardware. What I did to solve the issue is to add a locknut under the standoffs to raise the top plate to a few millimeters. This also solves the issue of the camera angle, because the stock camera angle is limited by the notch in the front arms (you're limited to 35 degrees or 40).

Flight characteristics:

I normally run stock pids on BF 3.5.0 on my race quads (Floss 2 frame) and this coupled with my rates, is enough for me to fly it with confidence. Unfortunately for the hybrid, it needs a bit of PID tuning to make it fly locked in. It feels very aggresive on turns yet it's not very predictable at the same time it seems that the stock pids on BF 3.5.0 is not enough for me to fly it aggresively. But after a bit of tuning, I was able to race with it competitively:

I can see what the hype is all about. It seems to be more aggresive on turns. But you need to get used to it. :)

I really like all the components I used with this build. I can fly it competitively and don't feel to bad if I break it as well. I'm sure I can still use cheaper components (like vtx03S + cheaper antennas, non crossfire rx) but these are the only ones I have laying around.

Special shoutout to pinoyfpv.com for this parts.

DIsclaimer this are all based on my experience with using the kit and racing with it.