If you happen to’re on the lookout for probably the greatest 5-inch freestyle frames designed particularly for the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional, the GEPRC Vapor ought to undoubtedly be in your radar. I just lately reviewed the GEPRC Vapor D5 BNF drone and was impressed by the considerate body design, sturdy construct high quality, and ease of use. That led me to purchase one other Vapor X5 body equipment to check out—and on this evaluate, I’ll stroll you thru my ideas on each variations.
New to FPV? Take a look at my FPV drone body purchaser’s information for the fundamentals: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/
The place to Purchase
You possibly can choose up the GEPRC Vapor body kits right here:
What’s within the Field?
The packaging is excellent. GEPRC features a beneficiant set of equipment—presumably essentially the most full equipment I’ve seen. There are a variety of individually labeled baggage of screws and {hardware}, which could appear scary at first, however you don’t want to make use of all of them, and they’ll come in useful whenever you want them based mostly in your particular construct.
The included handbook has footage and really simple to comply with, even for rookies. Directions clearly point out which screws go the place—no guesswork concerned.
X5 vs D5 – Which One Ought to You Get?
The Vapor body is available in two variants:
- D5: Deadcat structure
- X5: True-X structure
You possibly can be taught extra about body configurations right here: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/#Configuration.
Right here’s the D5:
Right here is the X5:
After constructing and flying each frames, I feel I just like the X5 extra. There’s actually no actual advantages with the Vapor D5 body. For somebody new to this in all probability assume the D5 is best for cinematic work, as a result of it retains the props out of the digital camera’s view. However truly props don’t seem in footage with the X5 both due to the lengthy physique design.
Actually, the X5’s True-X design is best for flight efficiency, particularly for freestyle flying. Moreover, all of the arms within the X5 are an identical and common, which makes it simpler to supply and handle spare arms.
Specs
- Wheelbase: 230mm
- High Plate: 2.0mm
- Center Plate: 2.0mm
- Backside Plate: 2.5mm
- Arms: 5.0mm
- FC Mounting: 20×20mm / 30.5×30.5mm
- VTX Mounting: 20×20mm / 25×25mm / 30.5×30.5mm
- Motor Mounting: 16×16mm
- Digicam Mounting Width: 19mm / 20mm
- Beneficial Prop Dimension: 5-inch
- Weight (claimed): 206g
- Weight (measured): 221.6g (with all panels and TPU components)
Designs and Options
The GEPRC Vapor X5 is clearly purpose-built for DJI O4 Professional Air Unit however stays versatile sufficient to help analog, Walksnail, or HDZero setups due to the included mounting choices.
Highlights embrace:
- CNC aluminium digital camera cage with vibration-isolating silicone dampers for steady footage and crash safety
- Thick carbon fiber facet bumpers as a substitute of low cost TPU, for superior proection and sturdiness
- Injection moulded plastic facet panels (purple & black included), that are each trendy and detachable for upkeep or weight financial savings
- Properly-finished carbon fibre components with chamfered edges—no sharp cuts, no sanding required
- 3D-printed TPU equipment for antenna mounts, arm guards, GPS, VTX, receiver, and extra
The way to Assemble
The construct course of is clean and beginner-friendly. With labeled {hardware} baggage and a visible information, every little thing falls into place effortlessly. Actually, one of the crucial painless body builds I’ve achieved shortly.
Backside plate meeting:
Arms meeting:
Standoffs set up:
Capacitor holder set up:
CNC aluminium digital camera cage set up:
Antenna holder meeting:
For unique DJI O4 Professional antennas:
For SMA/RP-SMA extension cables:
GPS holder set up:
Receiver holder / VTX stacking plates installations:
Aspect panels meeting:
High plate and GoPro mount set up:
Slide the battery straps by way of the gaps below the highest plate:
Set up the 2 silicone adapters within the digital camera cage:
Set up the 3D printed arm guards:
Listed here are a couple of pictures after the body has been assembled:
Downsides
The GEPRC Vapor body is genuinely spectacular, and I actually prefer it. However as with all product, it’s not excellent—and it’s solely honest to level out a couple of areas the place it might be improved.
First, this isn’t a light-weight body. The usage of facet panels and multi-purpose 3D printed components provides each performance and safety, but it surely additionally unnecessarily contributes to a heavier construct. The roomy, sturdy body design naturally makes use of extra carbon fiber materials, which provides to the load as properly.
GEPRC lists the body weight at 206g, however that determine appears a bit optimistic. On my scale, with all facet panels, 3D printed components, and two battery straps put in, the overall got here to 221g.
That stated, it’s not a dealbreaker—particularly for freestyle pilots or rookies. A 5-inch FPV drone has greater than sufficient energy to deal with the additional weight, and newcomers received’t discover a big impression on efficiency. Nonetheless, in the event you’re centered on racing or long-range effectivity, weight financial savings turn into extra vital, and this may not be the very best body for you.
The excellent news is, the facet panels and many of the 3D printed equipment are detachable. By stripping these off, you possibly can scale back the overall body weight by 50g, bringing it right down to a way more aggressive 171g.
Lastly, whereas the included 3D printed components are purposeful and thoughtfully designed, the print high quality might be higher. I observed fairly a little bit of stringing on the TPU components. It’s purely aesthetic—they work simply fantastic—but it surely does barely detract from the in any other case premium appear and feel of the body.
Full Construct Log
I’m placing collectively a full construct log exhibiting the right way to construct the Vapor X5 with DJI O4 Air Unit Professional from begin to end—keep tuned for that.
Conclusion – Ought to You Purchase the GEPRC Vapor X5?
Completely. If you happen to’re on the lookout for a premium 5″ freestyle body that performs properly with the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional—and helps different FPV methods too—the GEPRC Vapor X5 is likely one of the greatest choices in the marketplace proper now.
At round $60, it’s not the most affordable body, however the consideration to element, materials high quality, and ease of meeting greater than justify the worth tag in my view. And no—this isn’t a sponsored evaluate. I purchased the body with my very own cash.
It’s a body designed by individuals who clearly fly and construct often. It’s sturdy, thoughtfully engineered, and extremely simple to work on. Whereas it’s not the lightest possibility on the market, the trade-off in construct high quality, ease of meeting, and compatibility makes it properly definitely worth the funding.
You should buy the GEPRC Vapor body kits right here:
Whether or not you’re a newbie constructing your first DJI O4 quad or an skilled pilot on the lookout for a reliable freestyle body—this one delivers.
