A mix of old and new — a build that shows the passing of time in this hobby.

This all started out as just another ImpulseRC Alien frame with a budget Omnibus F3 flight controller and some cheap EMAX motors. It wasn’t anything fancy, just a way to get in the air. Back then, it was all about learning, crashing, and rebuilding. But over the years, this quad has evolved—just like I have.

Now it’s tuned for freestyle, flying smooth with Ummagawd Hypetrain motors that scream when you throttle up and settle into buttery flow when you back off. Despite all the upgrades, it still carries that old-school DNA. I can throw on a massive 3000mAh 5S pack and just cruise for what feels like forever—long-range, chill flights with barely a voltage sag in sight.

For the link, I breathed new life into an old FrSky Slim+ by flashing ELRS 900MHz to it. It’s wild how a once-limited receiver now holds its own with modern gear. Rock solid link, even when I’m pushing out past tree lines or behind buildings.

The Alien frame was always tall, but I wanted something more agile, so I got a kit to slam it down. Lower center of gravity, tighter silhouette—it feels like it cuts through the air better now. It’s like giving an old truck a sport suspension and realizing it still has more to give.

And honestly, there’s something I just love about sticking to a proper PCB distribution board and keeping the ESCs on the arms. It feels raw, mechanical—more connected. These days everything’s AIO or stackable, but I like seeing each part doing its job out in the open. It’s a throwback to when you had to route wires carefully, solder every joint like it mattered (because it did), and troubleshoot by hand, not app.

This build tells a story. It’s not the flashiest, lightest, or newest rig on the block—but it’s mine. A living timeline of this hobby. Every zip tie, every scratch on the carbon, every field repair and firmware flash is part of the journey. It’s a reminder that flying FPV isn’t about chasing the latest gear—it’s about building, tweaking, flying, crashing, learning, and doing it all again.