Complete component guide for all FPV drone sizes
Carbon fiber structure that holds everything together. Layout affects flight characteristics.
| Size | Arm Thickness | Stack Mount | Weight | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 65-75mm (Whoop) | Plastic/AIO | AIO integrated | 3-5g | All-in-one |
| 2-3" (Cinewhoop) | 3mm | 25.5mm | 20-40g | Ducted |
| 3-3.5" | 3-4mm | 20-25.5mm | 40-80g | True X / Deadcat |
| 5" | 4-6mm | 30.5mm | 80-120g | True X / Wide X |
| 7" | 5-6mm | 30.5mm | 100-160g | True X / Stretched |
| 10"+ (X-Class) | 6-10mm | 30.5mm | 200-500g | Wide X |
Top Brands: GEPRC, TBS, AxisFlying, Flywoo, iFlight. Prices $30-150 depending on size.
The FC runs Betaflight and stabilizes flight using a gyro/accelerometer chip at 8kHz loop rate.
| Processor | Speed | Memory | Best For | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F411 | 100MHz | 512KB | Whoops, micros | Budget |
| F405 | 168MHz | 1MB | 5-inch standard | ✅ Best value |
| F722 | 216MHz | 512KB | Advanced builds | ✅ Popular |
| H743 | 480MHz | 2MB | Future-proof | ✅ Premium |
Top FCs: SpeedyBee F405 V4 ($35), SpeedyBee F7 V3 ($55), Diatone Mamba F722 ($45)
Converts DC battery power to 3-phase AC for brushless motors. Usually 4-in-1 boards.
| Type | Current | Firmware | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-in-1 30A | 30A per motor | BLHeli_32 / Bluejay | Micros, 3-inch |
| 4-in-1 55A | 55A per motor | BLHeli_32 / Bluejay | 5-inch freestyle |
| 4-in-1 65A+ | 65-70A | BLHeli_32 | 5-inch racing, 7" |
| AIO (FC+ESC) | 20-40A | Integrated | Whoops, micros |
| Individual ESC | 40-80A | BLHeli_32 | X-Class, large |
Brushless motors spin the propellers. Format: StatorWidth×StatorHeight (e.g., 2207 = 22mm×7mm). KV = RPM per Volt.
| Motor Size | KV (6S) | KV (4S) | Prop Size | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0802 | — | 16000-22000 | 31-40mm | Tiny Whoop |
| 1103-1204 | — | 6000-8000 | 2-2.5" | Micro, Cinewhoop |
| 1404-1507 | 2700-3500 | 3400-4500 | 3-3.5" | Micro freestyle |
| 2207 | 1700-1950 | 2300-2700 | 5" | Standard freestyle |
| 2806-2807 | 1300-1500 | 1700-2000 | 7" | Long range |
| 3115+ | 900-1200 | — | 10-12" | X-Class |
| Motor | KV | Thrust | Price | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMAX ECO II 2207 | 1900 | ~1500g | $16 | Budget |
| T-Motor Velox V2207 | 1750 | ~1400g | $15 | Mid-range |
| iFlight Xing2 2207 | 1855 | ~1600g | $21 | Premium |
| Scorpion SII-2207 | 1750 | ~1500g | $28 | Top-tier |
Blades that convert motor rotation into lift. Format: Diameter × Pitch × Blades.
| Prop | Size | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemfan 1208 | 31mm | 2-blade | Tiny Whoop |
| HQ 3x2x3 | 3" | 3-blade | Micro freestyle |
| HQ 5x4.3x3 V2S | 5" | 3-blade | Freestyle (best all-round) |
| Gemfan 51466 | 5" | 3-blade | Racing |
| HQ 5x4.3x2 | 5" | 2-blade | Efficiency |
| HQ 7x4x3 | 7" | 3-blade | Long range |
Props are consumables! Buy at least 10 pairs when starting. Budget $1-2 per pair.
| System | Weight | Power | Price | Size Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJI O4 Pro | 33g | — | $229 | 3"+ only |
| DJI O4 Lite | 15g | — | $109 | 2"+ (tiny!) |
| HDZero Micro V3 | 9g | 400mW | $40 | Whoops+ |
| Walksnail Nano | 7g | — | $60 | Whoops+ |
| Analog (TBS Unify) | 3-5g | 400mW-1W | $25 | All sizes |
| Receiver | Size | Weight | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BetaFPV ELRS Nano | 10x10mm | 0.9g | $15 | Racing, micros |
| Happymodel EP2 | 15x12mm | 1.2g | $12 | Budget |
| RadioMaster RP3 | 15x12mm | 1.5g | $18 | Diversity |
| BetaFPV SuperD | 20x15mm | 3g | $22 | Long range 900MHz |
AIO board (FC+ESC+VTX+RX), 0802 motors, 31mm props, 1S battery. Total: $80-120.
20x20 stack, 1404 motors, 3" props, 4S 450-650mAh, analog or HDZero. Total: $180-280.
30.5mm stack (F405+55A ESC), 2207 1900KV motors, 5" props, 6S 1300mAh, DJI O4, ELRS. Total: $470-550.
30.5mm stack, 2806 1500KV motors, 7" props, 6S 3000mAh or Li-Ion, 900MHz ELRS, GPS. Total: $500-700.
Buy directly from Chinese manufacturers for the best prices. Key brands: GEPRC, iFlight, BetaFPV, Happymodel, T-Motor, RadioMaster.
| Motor | Price (CNY) | Price (USD) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Motor Velox V3 2207 | ¥93 | ~$13 | Taobao |
| iFlight XING-E Pro 2207 | ¥82 | ~$11 | Taobao |
| 酷飞 2207 V2 (budget) | ¥97 | ~$13 | Taobao |
| T-Motor Pacer P2207 V2 | ¥98 | ~$13.5 | Taobao (NEW!) |
| Drone | Price (CNY) | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| iFlight Nazgul XL5 ECO | ¥1,580 | ~$220 | Budget king |
| GEPRC Vapor D5 O4 | ¥2,200 | ~$300 | Best value |
| 5寸 PNP F405+2207 | ¥729 | ~$100 | Bare bones |
| Controller | Price (CNY) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| APEXFPV ELRS (budget) | ¥278 | ~$38 |
| RadioMaster Pocket ELRS | ¥380 | ~$52 |
| RadioMaster TX12 MK2 | ¥799 | ~$110 |
| RadioMaster Boxer ELRS | ¥680 | ~$94 |
| Kit | Price (CNY) | Price (USD) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobula7 1S ELRS Kit | ¥841 | ~$116 | Drone + Pocket radio + goggles |
| BetaFPV Cetus Pro Kit | ¥699 | ~$96 | Drone + radio + goggles |