5" Race Quad

Light, fast, and agile

Specced for high speed, low weight and very agile movements to rip through gates. Pick parts for official race specs, for open races, or just for personal fun

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.

I try my best to keep up with modern specs and builds, but I'm not a racer... So thanks a lot to August FPV for all of the help and advice on this build

  • 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, and many people run them on no-standard rigs, but they aren't unibell which makes them a bit less durable
$14.99
2207/2306 ?
Stator size
2207/2306 Stator size
1800KV
33.8g
IFlights new line of budget motors. They are less durable than their premium counterparts, but they work great on more budget setups, or when you just crash a lot
$20.99
2207/2306 ?
Stator size
2207/2306 Stator size
1855/1950KV
31.6g
IFlights refreshed its premium line of motors. They are lighter than their first gen counterparts, with upgraded magnets, and better construction. That comes at a bit of extra cost though
$22.99
1800/1950/2200KV
29.8g
Now getting onto purpose-made racing motors. These are made to be light, responsive, and efficient, and they're held up to higher QC. The bells aren't unibell, but that reflects the lower weight
$17.50
1750/1950KV
30.8g
Great-looking motors from TMotor, with a pretty good weight and price! I personally run these, and they fly great, and the extra 0.5 of stat or volume may help out
$27.99
1950/2020KV
30.8g
The F series by TMotor is mainly focused on racing, and the V-LV motors are their newest offering. They're even lighter than the rest of the new Pro V lineup
$25.99
1980/2080KV
29g
New, improved motors, at an interesting size, likely in order to get the weight even lower. Similar, if not better quality than the V2
$22.99
1960/2070KV
28.4g
These are motors designed by Evan Turner (Headsupfpv), made to be the best racing motor out there, and to high QC standards. Extremely light, efficient, and powerful. These also fit the freedom spec
Frames
$24.99
220mm ?
Wheelbase
220mm Wheelbase
4mm Arms
3/2mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top
3/2mm Plates Bottom/Top
19mm Cams
30x30/20x20 Stacks
72g
A great inexpensive open-source frame, with a lot of available 3d print files. Should be widely available in most FPV shops
$45.99
"Enough for 5.1" props" ?
Wheelbase
"Enough for 5.1" props" Wheelbase
6mm Arms
2/2/2.5mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2/2/2.5mm Plates Bottom/Top/Mid
14mm Cams
20x20 Stacks
45g
Five33 frames are part of the Freedom spec, as well as being one of the best race frames out there, so you're getting the best of both worlds. The Switchback frame has multiple different variants for your preferences
$47.69
5.1" Props
6mm Arms
2/2/2.5mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2/2/2.5mm Plates Bottom/Top/Mid
14mm Cams
20x20 Stacks
45g
Designed to be a simpler, and even stronger version of the Switchback. Still a part of Freedom spec, designed for years to come with better support for Digital VTXs
$47.69
208mm ?
Wheelbase
208mm Wheelbase
5mm Arms
2/2/2.5mm ?
Bottom/Top/Mid
2/2/2.5mm Bottom/Top/Mid
19mm Cams
20x20 Stacks
80g
A pretty durable frame, with optional front and back arm braces for extra rigidity. Chamfered carbon edges and the integrated stack softmounts give it a nice premium feel
$44.40
208mm ?
Wheelbase
208mm Wheelbase
5mm Arms
3mm Plate ?
Bottom
3mm Plate Bottom
19mm Cams
20x20 Stacks
50g
If you're in the EU, Five33 frames might not be the easiest to get. This is an excellent alternative. Integrated carbon camera protection, and available in SFG and Light versions as well
$40.99
5mm Arms
2mm Plates ?
Bottom/Top
2mm Plates Bottom/Top
19mm Cams
20x20 Stacks
59.5g
A great frame with striking colors and a milled metal main plate made out of solid 7075 aluminum. Also available with arms up to 7" in size to suit different needs and preferences
Flight Controllers
$45.99
20x20
F405/F722 ?
MCU
F405/F722 MCU
USB C
BMI270 ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
BMI270 Gyro/Acceleometer
6 UARTs
I2C
LED Control
0.5A 3.3V
2A 5V
2A 10V
4.8g
Skystars has recently released a sizeable range of good price/performance parts, good for low and high-demand uses alike. While the FCs have"HD" in the name, they still both have an analog OSD chip
$46.90
20x20
F722 ?
MCU
F722 MCU
Micro USB
ICM42688P ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
ICM42688P Gyro/Acceleometer
4 UARTs
LED Control
3.3V
3A 5V
4.4g
Foxeer is known for their great cameras, and the quality is the same for their electronics. The FCs have everything you'll need, with easily accessible pads all around the board. The Pro version adds TBS Passthrough and a hardware Pit switch
$48.99
20x20
F411 ?
MCU
F411 MCU
Micro USB
MPU6000 ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
MPU6000 Gyro/Acceleometer
1 UART (+1 RX)
BF LED control
5V
5.2g
A great all-in-one solution for a clean and easy build, with an SPI ELRS receiver and a 400mW VTX integrated into the FC board. You do lose out on some IO though
$49.99
30x30/20x20
F7 ?
MCU
F7 MCU
Micro USB
MPU6000 ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
MPU6000 Gyro/Acceleometer
3 UARTs (+1 TX)
3.3V 2A
5V 2A
12V 2A
3.3g
Hobbywing makes very durable electronics, and pairing this with the 40A Mini ESC will make for a good and durable stack that has stood the test of time
$52.99
20x20
F405/F722 ?
MCU
F405/F722 MCU
USB C
BMI270 ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
BMI270 Gyro/Acceleometer
6 UARTs
LED Control
0.5A 3.3V
2.5A 5V
2A 9V
6.0g
Grouping these together because they're nearly the same, except the F722 version has the BMI270 gyro and two more motor outputs. They're good FCs with a good layout and track record
$57.99
20x20
F722 ?
MCU
F722 MCU
Micro USB
MPU6000 ?
Gyro/Acceleometer
MPU6000 Gyro/Acceleometer
5 UARTs
LED Control
3.3V
2A 5V
10V
5.4g
Among Hobbywing and Foxeer, Aikon is another brand that's well-liked by racers, and for good reason. All the features you need, without all the stuff you don't, and great durability
ESCs
$54.99
20x20
55A Nominal
70A Peak
BlHeli_32
16.5g
As mentioned in the FC section, Skystars have a lot of good budget products. These ESCs are great, not just for the price. There's also the worlds first AM32 4in1 ESC as a variant of this one, great if you want to try it out
$45.99
20x20
40A Nominal
45A Peak
BlHeli_32
6.5g
Once upon a time these existed in a 55 and 65A variant as well. Now Diatone appears to be focusing only on one version. It's still a great option though, especially for the price. The 128KHz PWM frequency offers better efficiency too
$89.99
20x20
66A Nominal
105A Peak
BlHeli_32
12.5g
An absolute powerhouse of a 20x20 ESC, it uses full sized FETs you would be happy to see even on 30x30 boards, but with a price to match. Though to be fair 105A burst is quite a funny number on an ESC like this
$59.99
20x20
45A Nominal
65A Peak
BlHeli_32
13g
These ESCs have recently gotten really popular among racers, as they're supposedly nearly bulletproof. The 65A version even has 100A of peak current, just insanity all-round in the best ways possible
$74.99
20x20
40A Nominal
60A Peak
BLHeli_32
12g
Really well-built and durable ESC, Hobbywing has a great track record for making quality stuff, this one is without exception. Though sadly the price has gone up recently
$77.19
20x20
50A Nominal
65A Peak
BLHeli_32
13.8g
As mentioned previously, Foxeer, Hobbywing and Aikon are one of the best options out there, and this ESC is a great example. Well made, even available with a heatsink for better heat dissipation
Video Transmitters
$14.99
16x16/20x20/25x25
350mW
IPEX
2.4g
Probably the most versatile VTX, having 16x16, 20x20, and 25x25 mounting. It's a good VTX for the price, and you can mount and fit it in many different ways
$24.90
20x20
350mW
IPEX
1g
One of the smallest VTXs, made by foxeer, who have a long history with FPV equipment. Clean output, fits pretty much anywhere and comes in at a reasonable price
$24.99
350mW
IPEX
1.4g
Rush make amazing VTXs, likely the best-performing ones on the market. This is their lowest power offering, but it packs a punch, with excellent video quality
Recommended Builds

There's multiple different specs and price ranges you can go for, so I've made a few different builds to suit different needs

  • Budget - Basic parts to build an inexpensive rig for non-spec races and self-practice
  • Mid-range - A good balance between price and performance, good for most racers for open races
  • High-end 1 (Freedom Spec) - "in pursuit of the perfect spec class. Our goal is to spec the components that are absolutely necessary and pull the performance of the drones as close as possible. All while having the easiest transition possible between our spec and open class racing".
    TL;DR: Freedom spec dictates what motors, props, and frame you have to use, the rest is up to you. Apparently, 6" arms are very popular for Freedom spec
  • High-end 2 - The best of the best for open spec, for the most demanding pilots to cut tenths of seconds
  • High-end 3 (EU Edition) - If you're in the EU, certain parts may be hard to come by. I've checked the main stores in Central Europe, so shipping should be similar across the whole continent
Budget Build
TBS Source Two V0.1
$24.99
Emax Eco II
$13.99
Foxeer F722 V4
$46.90
Skystars KM55 Mini
$54.99
HGLRC Zeus Nano
$14.99
Mid-range Build
Hyperlite Floss 3.0 Lite
$41.00
TMotor Veloce V2
$17.50
Happymodel Pancake AIO
$48.99
Hobbywing XRotor 40A
$74.99
High-end 1 (Freedom Spec) Build
Five33 Switchback
$45.99
Five33 Lightswitch
$47.70
Five33 Headsup
$22.99
High-end 2 (Open spec) Build
HGLRC Wind5 Lite
$47.69
XNova Lite
$22.99
Foxeer F722 V4
$46.90
Foxeer Reaper F4 Mini 128K
$59.99
Foxeer Reaper Nano
$24.90
High-end 3 (EU Edition) Build
Rotorama Samurai V3
$44.40
IFlight Xing2
$20.99
Diatone Basic F405/F722 Mini MK4
$52.99
HGLRC Zeus Nano
$14.99