When you’re searching for among the finest 5-inch freestyle frames designed particularly for the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional, the GEPRC Vapor ought to undoubtedly be in your radar. I 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 evaluation, I’ll stroll you thru my ideas on each variations.
New to FPV? Try my FPV drone body purchaser’s information for the fundamentals: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-drone-frames/
The place to Purchase
You’ll be able to decide 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 probably the most full equipment I’ve seen. There are a whole lot of individually labeled luggage 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 if you want them primarily based in your particular construct.
The included guide has photos and really straightforward to comply with, even for learners. 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 format
- X5: True-X format
You’ll be able to 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 believe I just like the X5 extra. There’s actually no actual advantages with the Vapor D5 body. For somebody new to this most likely assume the D5 is best for cinematic work, as a result of it retains the props out of the digicam’s view. However really props don’t seem in footage with the X5 both due to the lengthy physique design.
In reality, 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
- Prime 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
- Really useful Prop Measurement: 5-inch
- Weight (claimed): 206g
- Weight (measured): 221.6g (with all panels and TPU elements)
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 embody:
- CNC aluminium digicam cage with vibration-isolating silicone dampers for steady footage and crash safety
- Thick carbon fiber aspect bumpers as a substitute of low-cost TPU, for superior proection and sturdiness
- Injection moulded plastic aspect panels (crimson & black included), that are each trendy and detachable for upkeep or weight financial savings
- Properly-finished carbon fibre elements with chamfered edges—no sharp cuts, no sanding required
- 3D-printed TPU equipment for antenna mounts, arm guards, GPS, VTX, receiver, and extra
Assemble
The construct course of is easy and beginner-friendly. With labeled {hardware} luggage and a visible information, every thing falls into place effortlessly. Actually, one of the crucial painless body builds I’ve finished shortly.
Backside plate meeting:
Arms meeting:
Standoffs set up:
Capacitor holder set up:
CNC aluminium digicam 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:
Facet panels meeting:
Prime plate and GoPro mount set up:
Slide the battery straps by way of the gaps beneath the highest plate:
Set up the 2 silicone adapters within the digicam cage:
Set up the 3D printed arm guards:
Listed below 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 every product, it’s not excellent—and it’s solely truthful to level out a couple of areas the place it might be improved.
First, this isn’t a light-weight body. The usage of aspect panels and 3D printed elements provides each performance and safety, however it additionally contributes to a heavier construct. The roomy, sturdy body design naturally makes use of extra carbon fiber materials, which provides to the burden as effectively.
GEPRC lists the body weight at 206g, however that determine appears a bit optimistic. On my scale, with all aspect panels, 3D printed elements, and two battery straps put in, the overall got here to 221g.
That stated, it’s not a dealbreaker—particularly for freestyle pilots or learners. A 5-inch FPV drone has greater than sufficient energy to deal with the additional weight, and newcomers gained’t discover a big influence on efficiency. Nonetheless, in the event you’re targeted on racing or long-range effectivity, weight financial savings develop into extra essential, and this won’t be the very best body for you.
The excellent news is, the aspect panels and a lot of the 3D printed equipment are detachable. By stripping these off, you may cut back the overall body weight by 50g, bringing it right down to a way more aggressive 171g.
Lastly, whereas the included 3D printed elements are practical and thoughtfully designed, the print high quality might be higher. I seen fairly a little bit of stringing on the TPU elements. It’s purely aesthetic—they work simply superb—however it does barely detract from the in any other case premium feel and appear 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. When you’re searching for a premium 5″ freestyle body that performs properly with the DJI O4 Air Unit Professional—and helps different FPV techniques too—the GEPRC Vapor X5 is among the finest choices available on the market proper now.
At round $60, it’s not the most cost effective body, however the consideration to element, materials high quality, and ease of meeting greater than justify the value tag in my view. And no—this isn’t a sponsored evaluation. I purchased the body with my very own cash.
It’s a body designed by individuals who clearly fly and construct recurrently. It’s sturdy, thoughtfully engineered, and extremely straightforward to work on. Whereas it’s not the lightest choice on the market, the trade-off in construct high quality, ease of meeting, and compatibility makes it effectively 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 searching for a reliable freestyle body—this one delivers.
