Evaluate: Axisflying Manta 5 SE V2 – Dangerous Part Decisions Spoil This Nice Price range 5inch BNF

I reviewed the Manta 5 SE BNF (V1) one 12 months in the past, and it was one in every of my favourite price range 5-inch FPV drones — not excellent, however glorious worth for cash. Axisflying simply launched a brand new model, the Manta 5 SE V2. Not solely did they introduce a number of upgrades, in addition they added a DC (Deadcat) model.

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This might have been an superior drone — however for my part, they messed it up by selecting some questionable elements. On this assessment, we’ll take a look at what’s new, the way it flies, and whether or not you should purchase it (and which model).

Should you’re out there for an inexpensive analog 5-inch FPV drone, take a look at my components record right here: https://oscarliang.com/cheapest-fpv-drone-build/.

The place to Purchase

Manta 5 SE V2 (X body + 2207 1960KV motors):

Manta 5 SE DC V2 (Deadcat body + 2505 1750KV motors):

The quad is available in a minimalist bundle.

Included equipment:

• 2 units of propellers (8 whole)
• 1× VTX antenna
• 1× screwdriver (M3 hex)
• 1× motion digital camera mount screws (with nuts)

Specs

The unique Manta 5 SE solely got here in an X body. The V2 now gives two body choices: X and DC (Deadcat). Apart from the body distinction, the motors, propellers, and arm thickness are additionally totally different for each variations. I’ll talk about which choice to decide on later within the assessment.

I will probably be reviewing the DC model with the analog setup.

Body & Design

Let’s evaluate the brand new Manta V2 to the V1 and see what modified.

At first look, the Manta V2 seems to be fairly just like the V1, however with a extra streamlined design.

The body nonetheless makes use of a split-deck design, however the carbon plates not have the “blue marble” paint end — prone to save price. The perimeters of the carbon fiber components are nonetheless chamfered, giving a easy, premium really feel.

Notable adjustments:

• Added plastic aspect panels to guard electronics from water splashes and particles (detachable to avoid wasting weight)
• XT60 connector is now fastened in a rear mount — no extra dangling battery lead
• All body screws are actually countersunk, bettering aesthetics and premium really feel
• Constructed-in buzzer is loud and useful for finding the quad after a crash
• Entrance bumper for elevated sturdiness

Suitable FPV Techniques

The unique Manta 5 SE launched simply after DJI launched the O4 and O4 Professional air items, which was dangerous timing for consumers wanting the newest video system.

With the V2, Axisflying lastly added O4 help — however there’s a catch:

• X body: helps O4 Lite, O4 Professional, and analog
• DC body: helps O4 Professional and analog solely
• Neither body helps O3 anymore

If you wish to use the O3 Air Unit, the V1 X body remains to be accessible on the time of writing.

FC & ESC “Upgrades”

The flight controller has been upgraded from an F405 to an H743 processor. Realistically, you most likely received’t discover any actual distinction in flight efficiency or consumer expertise. It might supply higher future-proofing, however proper now the there’s no actual profit.

The board additionally incorporates a dual-gyro setup (two gyroscopes). Once more, I didn’t discover any distinction in flight traits. The primary benefit IMO is redundancy if one gyro fails — although that’s extraordinarily uncommon case.

Axisflying additionally switched from 8-bit Bluejay ESC firmware to 32-bit BLHeli_32.

Efficiency-wise, you’re unlikely to note a distinction. Personally, I don’t take into account this an improve — arguably the alternative, since BLHeli_32 is successfully discontinued and you’ll not replace your ESC. Larger numbers don’t at all times imply higher.

One welcome change: Axisflying not mounts the flight controller the wrong way up within the BNF. That design prompted a whole lot of confusion for newbies when updating Betaflight and having to re-configure every thing.

And soldering high quality seems glorious.

Weight and Stability

As soon as once more, similar to the V1, the precise weight of the quad is larger than what Axisflying declare within the specs.

The Manta 5 SE V2 (analog model) weighs:

• 471g with out battery
• 663g with a 6S 1100mAh LiPo

The V2 is heavier than the V1. Whereas my V1 has the DJI O3 setup (461g) and my V2 has the analog setup (471g), I don’t have a direct comparability. Nevertheless, contemplating the O3 air unit (digital camera, transmitter, and antenna) sometimes weighs 10–15g greater than an analog setup, I estimate the V2 to be roughly 20g heavier than the V1, probably as a result of thicker 6mm arms and extra plastic aspect plates.

Left: X body; Proper: DC body

The X model of the Manta 5 SE V2 has the identical body design because the V1, that means it nonetheless suffers from the rear-heavy weight steadiness challenge. It’s tough to place the middle of gravity (COG) within the center even if you happen to transfer the battery all the best way ahead or mount a GoPro. It’s a disgrace Axisflying didn’t deal with this flaw within the up to date X-frame design.

The DC model, nonetheless, doesn’t have this drawback. Its most important physique is shifted ahead, putting the mass in a extra excellent place. This makes it a lot simpler to maintain the COG within the center, just by adjusting battery placement, whether or not you’re carrying an motion digital camera or not.

GPS and Rescue Mode

Axisflying relocated the GPS module to the entrance, the place there may be much less interference from the VTX antenna. That is typically a great design determination. Nevertheless, if you happen to mount an motion digital camera on the entrance, it’ll sit instantly above the GPS module and partially block the sign, decreasing reliability. Should you don’t use an motion digital camera, this shouldn’t be a difficulty.

When testing GPS efficiency on the V1 Manta, I discovered it mediocre — it really works high quality, however gradual to accumulate satellites. It took about 2–3 minutes to get a lock. The V2 seems to make use of the identical GPS module, as efficiency is comparable: roughly 2 minutes 30 seconds to lock, with a most of round 18 satellites, which is appropriate however not excellent.

One welcome enchancment: Axisflying has preconfigured GPS Rescue Mode within the Failsafe tab, that means it really works out of the field. That mentioned, I strongly suggest going by means of the settings and tuning the settings to your setting earlier than counting on it. Study extra right here: https://oscarliang.com/setup-gps-rescue-mode-betaflight/

Flight Efficiency

Axisflying places heavy emphasis on PID and filter tuning on their product web page. Based mostly on Blackbox logs, I can verify it’s a really clear construct and never noisy in any respect. Nevertheless, most filter settings are left at default, leaving loads of room for optimization. Decreasing filtering can decrease latency.

Probably on account of this conservative tune, the quad felt considerably sloppy and unresponsive in flight. There was additionally horrible propwash throughout sharp turns and when recovering from dives. Don’t get me fallacious, it is a easy quad — which is good for cruising — however if you need a freestyle drone that feels agile, exact, and locked-in, a customized tune will considerably enhance efficiency.

Flight time outcomes (a mixture of freestyle and cruising):

Prime pace is just about 140–150 km/h, which is noticeably slower than the V1’s 170–180 km/h. That is probably as a result of smaller 2505 1750KV motors, which have each a smaller stator quantity and decrease KV in comparison with the 2207 1960KV motors used within the X model.

The Deal Breaker: FPV Digital camera

The largest weak point of the Manta5 SE V2 might be the analog FPV digital camera.

To start with, the digital camera is extraordinarily uncovered — it stands out of the digital camera cage considerably, so one heavy frontal affect might simply destroy the lens.

Secondly, it’s a 16:9 digital camera. That caught me off guard as a result of most analog cameras are 4:3, so in my goggles, the picture regarded distorted and made it more durable to fly. Thankfully, my goggles (SKY04X Professional) can change between 4:3 and 16:9. In case your goggles are 4:3 solely, you would possibly battle with the distorted picture. If you need an inexpensive pair of goggles with a local 16:9 show, the BetaFPV VR04 is value contemplating.

Lastly, the digital camera’s discipline of view (FOV) is kind of slim, which makes freestyle and proximity flying tough. This digital camera is perhaps acceptable for fixed-wing plane the place you principally cruise, however for multirotors it’s merely not gratifying to fly – it really makes it tougher to fly.

Should you’re shopping for the analog model of this drone, changing the digital camera must be your first improve.

Setup

Earlier than the primary flight, I did the next:

• Eliminated the motor route playing cards—these point out the motor spin route (The Manta is utilizing Betaflight default – props in).
• Eliminated the lens cap.
• Set up the VTX antenna.
• Plug in a battery utilizing a smoke stopper for testing, be sure it powers up high quality.

Firmware

• The flight controller (FC) board goal is AXISFLYINGH743PRO, and it comes preloaded with Betaflight firmware model 2025.12.1. For inventory CLI Diff, see right here.
• ESC Firmware: ESC BLHeli_32 firmware v32.9.
• ELRS Receiver Firmware Goal: Cyclone 2.4GHz Nano RX, model 3.6.0

Betaflight Setup

Earlier than first flight, placed on the propellers, it’s utilizing “props out” configuration.

Which Model Ought to You Get: X or DC?

I personally desire the DC (Deadcat) body for 2 causes:

• No props in view
• Higher weight steadiness

Nevertheless, the DC model comes with 2505 motors, and I’m not an enormous fan of them. They’re wider however shorter than the 2207 motors used within the X model, and the general stator quantity is about 8% smaller, which implies much less torque. On high of that, the KV score is significantly decrease.

Whereas wider motors can supply higher cooling which is essential for effectivity and constant efficiency, if most of your flying is cruising, 2207 motors are completely ample — and whenever you need extra energy for freestyle, it’s there. It doesn’t make a lot sense to me to make use of a weaker motor, or not less than not give consumers the choice to decide on.

Study extra about how motor dimension impacts efficiency: : https://oscarliang.com/motors/#Motor-Dimension-Defined

My excellent mixture can be: DC body + 2207 1960KV motors + DJI O4 Professional.

Sadly, they don’t at the moment supply this configuration. So your determination comes down as to if you favor no props in view (DC model) or higher flight efficiency for freestyle (X model).

Remaining Ideas: Is the Manta 5 SE V2 Price It?

I’ve blended emotions about this BNF quad.

On paper, at round $240, it’s an especially whole lot for an analog 5-inch BNF FPV drone with strong construct high quality — to not point out the high-spec flight controller and ESC.

Manta 5 SE V2 (X body + 2207 1960KV motors):

Manta 5 SE DC V2 (Deadcat body + 2505 1750KV motors):

Nevertheless, the analog digital camera is a serious letdown. Should you’re shopping for the analog model, that must be the primary part you change (listed below are my analog cam suggestions) — or just select the O4 Professional model as a substitute.

I’m additionally upset by the choice to make use of 2505 motors – they need to simply use the 2207 motors, or not less than give individuals the choice.

Lastly, the Manta 5 SE V2 is on the heavy aspect. With some DIY modifications, there’s probably potential to scale back weight by 30–50 grams, or extra, which might considerably enhance each flight efficiency and flight time.