5" Beginner Quad

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Cheap, durable, and easy to put together and repair

Specced out to be easy to assemble, with affordable and accessible parts, and electronics that should be easy to solder, this build should be perfect to get you started in the world of FPV

This list is specced for 6s, and includes everything to build a full quad, except parts such as cameras, goggles, receiver and radio systems as those vary depending on prefference and you'll find recommendations on this site elsewhere.

The parts are sorted by price, but they are still relatively cheap without sacrificing on quality

  • Budget
  • Mid-range
  • High-end
  • Highly varied
Motors
$13.99
2207/2306 ?
Stator size
2207/2306 Stator size
1900KV
33.5g
For the price, these are one of the best budget motors. They work well, but they aren't unibell so they're less durable
$14.89
2207/2306 ?
Stator size
2207/2306 Stator size
1750/1950/2050KV
35.2g
TMotor have great motors across a lot of price ranges. This is their inexpensive line, but they're still built well, and are made with good parts
$15.50
2207/2306 ?
Stator size
2207/2306 Stator size
1750/1950KV
35.2g
IFlights refreshed budget line of motors. Unlike the other motors listed here, they are unibell which will give you more durability in crashes
$15.90
2207 ?
Stator size
2207 Stator size
1860/1960KV
35.1g
Axis is relatively new on the fpv market, but since they split from T Motor they have all the capability to make motors of similar quality, these are not an exception
$14.90
2207
1850/1950/2050kv
34.4g 
FlyFish is a relatively new manufacturer compared to the rest of the motors here, but even their first motor line is now highly regarded for its performance. The new Sword motors offer similar flight performance at a lower cost
Frames
$26.99
226mm ?
Wheelbase
226mm Wheelbase
145g
4mm Arms
3/2mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top
3/2mm Plates Bottom/Top
19mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
20x20 VTXs
A very durable open-source frame that is a great choice for beginners. Since it's open source, there's a lot of available 3d print files and build guides for it
$39.99
218mm ?
Wheelbase
218mm Wheelbase
121g
4mm Arms
2.5mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2.5mm Plates Bottom/Top/Mid
21mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
30x30/20x20 VTXs
A good all round frame for a pretty good price, part of a build kit that Joshua Bardwell has a full video series on, so you can get an idea of how to lay it out
$33.99-$53.99
226mm
126-170g ?
without/with 3D prints
126-170g without/with 3D prints
6mm Arms
2.5/2.5/2.5mm plates ?
Top/Bottom/Mid
2.5/2.5/2.5mm plates Top/Bottom/Mid
21mm Cams
30x30 Stacks
25x25/20x20 VTXs
The SpeedyBee Mario 5 offers an X/Deadcat layout, and at its lowest cost, it rivals the Source One V5 even with metal parts! I would suggest to get the more expensive versions with 3D prints though
$55.99
240mm ?
Wheelbase
240mm Wheelbase
147g
5mm Arms
2/3/2mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2/3/2mm Plates Bottom/Top/Mid
121mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
30x30/20x20 VTXs
A bit lighter than the Titan Xl5, but it can still take a beating. Slighly smaller wheelbase thanks to the TrueX design, supposed to give better handling
$49.99
250mm ?
Wheelbase
250mm Wheelbase
199g
6mm Arms
2mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2mm Plates Bottom/Top/Mid
21mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
30x30/20x20 VTXs
An absolute tank of a frame. IFlight makes a lot of frames, all priced well, and it will easily take everything to may crash into. But the weight will be noticeable
$59.99
210mm ?
Wheelbase
210mm Wheelbase
120g
5mm Arms
2.5/2.5/2.5mm plates ?
Top/Bottom/Mid
2.5/2.5/2.5mm plates Top/Bottom/Mid
19mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
20x20 VTXs
The Sector 5 has options for X/DC geometries, and anodized metal accents can make for a really cool red-themed build! The elastic side guards are also pretty interesting
Stacks
$64.99
30x30
F405 ?
MCU
F405 MCU
BMI270 ?
IMU
BMI270 IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 2A
10V 2A
50A Nominal
19.3g
Skystars makes good hardware, but most people don't really know about them, which is quite a shame! It's a great inexpensive stack that has very large pads for most of the connections you need to make, a plug for Digital video systems, and a beefy ESC with a metal guard/heatsink
$97.99
30x30
F722 ?
MCU
F722 MCU
MPU6000 ?
IMU
MPU6000 IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 3A
10V 3A
60A Nominal
80A Peak
24.9g
It's a fair jump in price, but you definitely get what you pay for here - F722 MCU, double 3A voltage regulators, MPU6000 gyro, and a very solid 60A ESC that runs AM32 - an open-source alternative to BLHeli_32 - I'll have a whole article about it soon if you're curious
$90.99
20x20
F722 ?
MCU
F722 MCU
BMI270 ?
IMU
BMI270 IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 2A
10V 2A
55A Nominal
75A Peak
20.7g
A smaller version of the previous stack that offers the same performance and I/O. Great if you want the stack to be extra protected further in the frame... or just want a cheaper AM32 stack with similar specs
$71.99
30x30
F405 ?
MCU
F405 MCU
ICM42688P/MPU6000 ?
IMU
ICM42688P/MPU6000 IMU
3 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 2A
10V 2A
55A Nominal
65A Peak
23g
Diatone has been making great hardware for a long time now. The F405 V2 MK2 is a modern refresh of their classic stack series, with an addition of a Digital system plug, USB C, and a larger ESC
$92.99-129.99
30x30
F722 ?
MCU
F722 MCU
ICM42688P/MPU6000 ?
IMU
ICM42688P/MPU6000 IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 3A
9V 3A
55A Nominal
65A Peak
24g
A high-end stack equipped with WiFi for wireless configuration and BLHeli_32 ESCs for advanced functionality. Likely overkill for most uses, but should last a very long time
$89.99
30x30
STM32F405 ?
MCU
STM32F405 MCU
BMI270 ?
IMU
BMI270 IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 2A
10V 2A
45A Nominal
55A Peak
24g
XILO is a brand exclusive to GetFPV, their hardware doesn't go above and beyond everyone else, but they have a large advantage - Since they're included in Joshua Bardwell's build kits, he has a lot of videos covering everything about this stack
$59.99
30x30
AT32F435 ?
MCU
AT32F435 MCU
ICM42688P ?
IMU
ICM42688P IMU
6 UARTs
32MB Blackbox
5V 2.5A
9V 2A
55A Nominal
65A Peak
22.5g
 iFlight also has to be selling these at a loss. The MCU is cheaper, but not to this degree. But a deal's a deal! I tested it myself and it performs well in my basher build. The first release had the BMI270, but it is being changed to the ICM42688P in later runs
$69.99
30x30
STM32F405 ?
MCU
STM32F405 MCU
ICM42688P ?
IMU
ICM42688P IMU
6 UARTs
16MB Blackbox
5V 3A
9V 3A
55A Nominal
70A Peak
34g
The V3 used to be on this list, but I took it down after hardware issues came up that couldn't be fixed in software. The V4 addressed most of them after they talked with the devs, so I'm comfortable recommending it again. It's a pretty solid stack, with higher-end specs for a decently low price
Video Transmitters
$36.99
30x30
MMCX
800mW
Rush makes really good VTXs, and this is their newest one. 30x30 mounting holes for direct installation on the flight stack, and excellent video output quality
$38.99
800mW
MMCX
20x20
A smaller version of the full size Tank, with 20x20 mounting to fit in the back of the frame, or on a 20x20 stack, same quality as always from RUSH
$22.99
600mW
MMCX
30x30
Again, as with the ESC and FC from XILO, you have a whole tutorial to go along with connecting them up. Decent output power and quality for the price
$29.99
800mW
MMCX
20x20/30x30
HGLRC's new line of VTXs is quite good. You have an option to mount it on both 30x and 20x stacks, the quality is pretty nice, and it won't break the bank
$29.99
1000mW
MMCX
30x30
Ultra 1000 is a pretty funny name for a VTX, but it lives up to it. If you want more range and don't want to spend more on a better VTX, it will do the job. Not the best quality, but it gets you extra range
Cameras
Analog
$17.9
1200TVL
155° ?
FOV
155° FOV
Mini/Micro/Nano (21/19/14mm) ?
Size
Mini/Micro/Nano (21/19/14mm) Size
1/3" ?
Sensor Size
1/3" Sensor Size
12/4.5/3.9g ?
Mini/Micro/Nano
12/4.5/3.9g Mini/Micro/Nano
A great budget cam, available in pretty much any size you'd want. I run it on all my main 5" quads, and it's been serving me great for over a year
$29.99
1000 ?
TVL
1000 TVL
155° ?
FOV
155° FOV
1/2" ?
Sensor Size
1/2" Sensor Size
Micro/Nano ?
Size
Micro/Nano Size
9/5g ?
Weight
9/5g Weight
Even though it has a lower resolution than the T Rex, a lot of people like the image of the Phoenix more, especially given the lower price. Even JB has his own version, so it's gotta be at least somewhat good
$30.99
1200 ?
TVL
1200 TVL
165° ?
FOV
165° FOV
1/1.8" ?
Sensor Size
1/1.8" Sensor Size
Micro/Nano ?
Size
Micro/Nano Size
5.9/3.0g ?
Micro/Nano Weight
5.9/3.0g Micro/Nano Weight
This camera has quite a lot going for it. A durable metal case, the current largest sensor in analog cameras, and a decently low price and weight as well
Receivers
ELRS
$16.99
(TCXO) ?
Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
(TCXO) Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
0.41g
One of the first ELRS receivers to hit the market, it is still widely used to this day. Good price-performance, well known, and now with the new TCXO variant, it makes it even more reliable
$21.99
(TCXO) ?
Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
(TCXO) Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
1g
A newer addition to the Happymodel receivers, this receiver uses two antennas in a true diversity configuration for an even better signal reception. Ideal whenever you need the most range and reliability. Also with TCXO variants
$19.99
TCXO ?
Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
TCXO Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator
PA ?
Power Amplifier
PA Power Amplifier
LNA ?
Low Noise Amplifier
LNA Low Noise Amplifier
1.1g
Another true diversity offering for a slightly lower price than the Happymodel ones. It was the first receiver to hit the market with both true diversity, TCXO, and other nice features

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