My wife says she prefers the 6" because they typically last longer and perform smoother, but usually settles for 5" despite is short runtime and fast jerky motions because they're more common.
I would like to see you and some guys do a blind flight test where you set up builds at 4.5", 5", 5.5", and 6" quads and fly them back to back and see if you can tell which is which, and which you prefer.
i own 2x iflight evoques F5Ds and 1x new Evoque F6D for weeks now and figured out the main difference: -The 6inch got so much torque and can carry huge weights, but isnt that fast. (max speeds around 130ish km/h) which makes it the perfect cruiser for me with huge lipos and long flight times over 15min. -The 5inch evoque is so smooth and a lot faster around 190km/h and i use it mainly for shots with the DJI A2 cam. recently i found out that the F6 is my goto quad when it comes to park cruising. because the bigger props its also very silent compared to the screaming 5", but can fly a loooong time with 1 battery and have no problem to carry both of my DJI action 2 cams for some sweet 2 perspective flight shenanigans. i love both versions and freestyle the crap out of them. even i am more like joshua and love to fly them smooth low and fast but no crazy flippyflops. shout out to AKI°
@@divingfalconfpv4602 yes i tested all other. iflight stock props always worked best. if i used others with higher pitch i couldnt get up to speed and just wasted amps in heat. if pitch was bit lower the motors overrev and loose alot efficiency. sooo stock props for me it is
I absolutely agree that bigger props leed to very beautifl and fun big moves. Freestyling my 7" (cuz why not) made me realize that. I am lucky to have big fields wiht small tree islands in them as my main flying location though because you are gonna want a bigger spot for a bigger quad imo.
I second that opinion. 6-7" are dope for anything free range, be that cruise or acro. Also, they just purr beautifully like a mean hornet instead of that mosquito squeel 5" does :P
Like you said, the right tool for the right job. I usually pick my quad size depending on the “size” of the spot im gonna fly. No fun flying a 3 inch in a big open field, and not pushing a 10 inch trough a forest.
I’ve been flying 7” with 6” props for a couple of years and they r my go to quads to freestyle. I noticed the smooth large movements with my first build and love that motion. The low smooth sweeping ground speed has a stealth like feel to it like some animal on the prowl. I never get tired of and is pretty cool if you’ve never experienced it. All said and done it’s perfect for me. But then I bring out the 5” and remember why I fell in love with FPV.
I appreciate that you include crashes in your videos. As a newcomer to FPV terrified of crashing my shiny new drone, you inspire me to know that even the pros crash.
I was bout to comment I love my alien 6” with kiss v2 rocking the 32a kiss esc. On karearea toa 2306 1700kv small stator but they have massive magnets and it just blends beautifully… it is definitely more floaty but super smooth and bout a minute longer flights on average. And a lot faster cruising.
@@joshuayoung6286 yeah my quad is actually built for 7” but runs amazingly on 6” Ethix K2 biblades. It’s a freakin beast. So much power for so little weight. It’s actually more enjoyable than my 5” Apexs. This is the quad that I tested DSHot600 vs 2400 blind and could absolutely tell a difference. It even seemed to sound different somehow.
I've got a 6 inch TBS source two on 2306 1900kv that I fly on 4s. It's my favourite quad. I like big, smooth, medium range freestyle. I agree with your conclusion 100%. The only thing you didn't mention is that 6" can maintain a higher speed with better efficiency than 5". I hope this video brings us more 6" pilots, frames and props. Cheers for all the vids JB.
When I got started in this hobby, my first build was a 6 inch, then realized that everyone is flying 5 inch. So I built a 5inch but my daily flyers is a 3 inch. Its quick and fits everywhere .
I love my little 3" too. They fly great at all sorts of weight but a build around 130g (with battery) is nice, loading will be around the same as a 5" @ 600g.
I'm glad you made this video. I decided to build a 6" and it's a very stable and smooth flying quad. I don't know too many freestyle tricks and the 6" really helps me slow down the segments of the trick I'm trying to learn, especially with the "float" factor.
Great video JB as always, I recently transitioned from analogue to DJI and bought the Evoque F5X as my first digital quad after watching your review, and gotta say I absolutely love it, such a solid BnF that flies so well right out the box, thanks again for all that you do, couldn’t be where I am without you!!
[summary below] In my opinion, based on four years of flying 6/7", flying 6-7" isn't as simple as just throw in any prop on and fly like you would with 5". You need to be more specific about what you want to do with the quad. The differences between props make all the difference in flight. For speed and accleration higher pitch bi blades are best, like gemfan flash 6x4.2x2. For agility emax LR 6" bi blades work best, they just move like 5". For higher weight loads (like hero9+) but still agile, hq prop 6x3x3 work best. For high weight but more punch and speed, hq 6x4x3. For non collision cruise GN props work better, for expected collisions PC props are a better choice. For efficiency/agility you go bi blades, for stability/weight you go tri blades. For cruise you go with lower pitch, for climbing you go with higher. You have to choose the right battery for the job as well. You won't go for a long range proxy cruise or a cloud surfing with 1000/1300mah, cause you ain't gonna make it (or back) in time without frying the battery. Higher weight = higher prop pitch if you expect to avoid obstacles at fast speeds. 1550 mah seems to be a good all-rounder for flight time and weight if you want to stick to one battery type. 1800mah 5s flies a bit longer tho. Depends on what your flying spots and time to fly are. If you can go only to very local spots low altitude+high density - 5" (50-200 radious meter spot), If you can go to suburbs/country side+mid altitude 6"(200-500meter spot), if you can go on an outdoors trip+high altitude 7"(500+meter spot). Best thing to do is actually get a two-three packs of different props and run through them at some spots, then pay attention to why some of them felt better than others in some applications and in some felt worse. Keep an eye on amp consumption and flight time to learn how to pick the right props for your specific quad and application (weight, battery, props and job you want to do). A 6/7" prop for proximity freestyle with session/action2 in tight area is not a prop for free range cruise with hero6, not a prop for open field freestyle with hero6-8, nor a prop for hero9+ climbing/downhill. Sure they can be used as such with a certain range of satisfaction and success in doing so, but they pay you back handsomely if you learn the ways of 6"... also you're gonna learn something ;P It might not be for everybody, but if you chase the personal experience aspect of flight (be that adrenaline rush of proxy acro, high speed proxy cruising/downhill, or chill open field cruise or cloud surfing) or pulling the best out of your footage and location, bigger quads with props and batt matching the job you're about to perform are the way to go. [SUMAMRY] For general purpose - throw in and forget, low-mid weight rigs, i'd personally recommend gemfan flash 6x4.2x2, for higher weight quads - hq 6x4x3 (6x3x3 if you're running 2306) or hq 7x3x3. Bigger location -> bigger quad -> more fun and cine/better optical flow.
Just to be difficult, I like flying 5" quads with 6" arms and 5" props. I could be full of it but I feel that with the motor mass being ever-so-slightly further apart, it feels smoother in the air because there's less interference to the airflow from the fuselage since the motors are further away, especially with yaws. It also means that I can get pretty much the same performance as a 5" but can put 6" props on it if I want smoother flow and using motor scaling. I could be wrong. In fact I probably am, but it's a feel thing. I have found that 6" props are a bit louder too. Maybe because the pitch of the sound is lower so it feels more noticeable.
I definitely notice what you’re saying. I have some 5” setups with normal 2306.5 motors but with 6” arms. It feels great. I like being able to put a 6” prop on these quads for mountain flying or smooth lines when needed.
I fly with 5" arms and usually fly with 5.1" props, but I use these juicy props sometimes that are 4.7" and man they are smooth, less grip, but super smooth.
Want to go 6”, but without searching and researching for another hour, are there less choices of pitch? I have and OG Alien 4” frame w/ 5” arms because back then, I thought it made sense. (Updating all my stuff at we am 8yrs break). Great video BTW!
The 27% reduction in rpm is partly to save the tips of the props breaking the speed of sound. It’s the same reason that prop driven aircraft engines have to produce all their power on low rpms
@@JoshuaBardwell I did. For a 6", sub .92 mach is 1550kv, .98 mach (about equivalent to a 2000kv 5" 6S) is around 1650kv. Given that kv is not 100% true due to effiiciency I'd go for 1600 - 1650kv for maximum funsies. As to your point about racing, Soren won Nats on a 6" longback, although I think he was running 5" props. The main impediment to racing is the extra weight 6" arms bring (a huge 8 grams or so!) and the durability issues associated with having a longer lever to break your arm with. If I could recommend another test, put 5" motors and props on 6" arms. The clean airflow and extra authority gives a very nice feel.
I think with Betaflight 4.3 the 6inch quad would fly even better. With my iFlight XL7, the difference was already clearly visible with the stock tune (less low throttle instability, softer flight characteristics, better propwash handling). And i love the XL7 for the combination of freestyle and long range flights.
I recently came to the same conclusion myself, but instead of 6" I'm building a 4 inch freestyle build. I put a Foxeer CAT 3 Starlight cam on it and plan to use it for night flying. 5" is probably the best all around, but it's nice to explore new and different ideas for flying. Great video as always JB!
15:09 best conclusion of the hobby yet! I am one of those odd balls who like to fly something different compared to everyone else. Also based on my style, I like the flowly type of freestyle and not the Flippy floppies. This 6 has peaked my interest, definitely a 7 is not far off!
Great review, Bardwell! And yes, I'd love to see the 6in put on bf 4.3. I was unimpressed with some of the wobliness and bounceback handling of the 6in. It's important for us to see whether that is an issue with IFlight's tune or one that is endemic of 6in quads. As a high rate "Mr. Steele" type pilot (not that my skills are anywhere close) I won't be switching anytime soon. But for a cruiser/cinematic build? Possibly. Thanks for all that you do
Converted my Naz 5 v2 to 6 inch. I lowered the center and pit 6s on it same everything else. It is amazing. 120 mph (when I'm not in USA) cruze at 75 mph and precision. My fav quad. Removed longer standoffs. Moved the 4 short ones to the corners. And 6 inch pass just over the corners.
One of my favorite quads to fly in big areas is a 6" hyperlite floss 3.0 with the team edition 2205.5 1722 kv motors on a 2200mah 6s pack with prettt low pitch props. The combination of light 6" frame with good but a tad undersized motors makes it so chill when theres big pretty scenery between obstacles to do freestyle around. And I love the float especially when upside down. But if im flying in a tighter space ill usually still default to a 5" with 2207.5 motors with the same kv but an aggressive prop and let the amps pull it through any maneuvering necessary with immediate authority.
thanks Josh I literallty tore my 7inch apart after watching this video, saved the components I wanted and sold the frame and motors to fund my new 6" build. your description of how the 6 Flies is exactly what i was looking for in my 7inch. love my 7 but its not nearly as nimble as I wanted with the increased stability of the 7. I think what you described is exactly what I was looking for when I built my 7. well apex reverb 6 inch frame has been ordered and now im doing comparisons on different 2506 motors!
Thank you for this video, I'm in the process of purchasing a new drone... I was considering the f6 but now I know I should buy the f5 Great video, keep it up!
I’m pretty new to the hobby but early on I came into possession of a 6” frame, and flew 5” props on it for a year because that’s what I had. A few months ago I rebuilt with those Bigger Torquier motors, and 6” props and I love it. T-motor F-80 Pros with 6042 bi blades, if anything it is ‘over motored’ because I get a lot of wobbles on heavy throttle punches, but it can get up and go. I started off learning the flow-ier (not so flippy floppy style) so this build just fit perfectly for my current style. I’ll probably build a 5” soon for the quicker stuff but I love the raw power of the 6”
Joshua Bardwell; the Bob Ross of FPV. “Don’t Flippy flop, just fly some nice flowing lines. Maybe a happy little split-s over here…” love the vids JB looks like a fun quad. Sorry about the GoPro ;(
I have been flying 6 inches for a couple of years, and if anyone worries about motors size - 2207 and 2206 are just fine for such build. But ofcourse something a bit bigger like 250x motors will do better.
Thanks for the review, i got the f6 because it's in line with my flying style: smooth, fast. I can't wait to try it out. I'd also like to see this one on bf 4.3! 👍
My first build was actually a 6"/7" quad with 2807 1500kv motors. Flight times are great and it's so stable. Had no trouble doing some quick flips, and it's so smooth. Only problem I didn't realize is that it was/is my first drone ever, and living in a city, it's hard to get a place to properly fly and play with it. It has a lot of punch.
Tail end of building season in Montana. Just got home frome tuning flights for 4 of them. All 5.5"to 6" and 2208 or 25mm motors. Both those sizes have been a prop problem. The new gemfan 6030x3 is an amazing prop, better than HQ5.5 and gemfan 5538. If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick them up. I think we are entering a new era (I started in 2013) with 4.3 and presets. Everything flew great, but the 6030x3 just smoked 5 other props on every rig. Cheers everyone...spring is coming :)
Late to the comments section, but there is still lots of reasons to build stuff on 6" frames with 6S electronics. You can still run 5" (or 5.5", or really most any in-between size) props on a 6" frame and get great results, you even get cleaner air to the props for a slight weight penalty
You might wanna try out 6 inch 2 blade props (I recommend the Emax avan long range) they have a very different flight performance to both 5 and 6 inch 3 blades. If you have a light 6 inch setup (below 800 grams) 2 blade is definitely worth a try (and even above that they are still phenomenal). Great Video
Thanks Joshua! I must have missed the discussion of Disc size🙄. 6” has 44% more………which means you can dig yourself out of any dive😎 My 6” freestyle,emax 2207 1900 kv on 5s.
Huge 5s and larger prop fan...if you haven't tried them...the gemfan 6030x3 is really good....I can't recommend them enough. It's like a 3" toothpick prop for 5". They are 4.4 grams and durable enough. Cheers.
Oh i see so many videos that could be spawned from that 6inch quad. A tuning series on it, getting the stick tracking better and even a quick look at it's noise/filter performance. One video on testing it with stock BF4.2 vs 4.3 out of the box settings just to see if going to 4.3 improves the bounceback we saw there without any tuning or not.
Hi Josh! Late comment, but still :) You said, that motors on 6" are 10% bigger, but the props area is 44% bigger! That means, your 6" simply has weaker motors, than 5". The closest motor size to compensate for bigger props would be 2508. which is 48% larger, than 2207. The same logic applies to 7", which nowadays use 2806.5 or 2807 motors. While they have a lot of power, still 2807 only 62% bigger than 2207, but 7" prop has almost twice the are of 5"
Great video - 6” needs more attention. For med/ranging more cinematic or off road explorational freestyle, 6” is a nice alternative to 7”rs. The cruise efficiency really shines at camera angles 30-40degrees - they’ll haul a bigger battery over much greater distances. In the winter, when the resevoirs are low, 6” is what you run 1mi across the water to dive the now 500ft intake towers 😂 and 6” punch means u don’t take a drink at the bottom 😎 and not to knock iFlight, that 6” tune could be a lot better: the p/d balance is off and it needs more I term
I started on 5” quads. But as I got better I moved on to flying 7” true x style frames. I have a iflight xl7 and a Hyperlight Glide 7 The additional torque and efficiency makes carrying a GoPro wadier and while getting longer flight times.
Nice , JB , I fly 6incj freestyle since a year and I love it for real, I fly way bigger and faster motors, 2806.5 with 1700kv on 6s hv, but also on 5s, and both is fun as f.. , 6 inch is so much Power to catch after deep dives, 6 inch is the goal for smooth freestyle
if i had easy access to good hobby shops for parts like in the states I would probably experiment more on the type and sizes of frames.. but for now I guess I would stick with what most pilots around me fly since spare parts are easier to source that way.. great video JB!
I've been flying 6" for a few years for freestyle (on 5s cuz I'm weird). I really like the extra speed and more hang time I get with 6". I rarely do flippy flops. Oh and the ability to arrest your fall at the very last second seems easier on 6" and also I like the lower throttle range. However I noticed turtle mode is less successful because the props either break, bend or just come loose easier and more often than 5"
Pretty fantastic flying and review, Joshua!!! 😃 But you should definitely try a 7" quad some day! And iFlight has a great model! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
I put 2408.5 1900kv on all my 6s 6" builds and run either 5.5" prop or 6" prop. They fly absolutely incredible. Definitely faster than my 5" builds with the FpvCycle motors and really close in agility. I'd be curious to see what you think of that motor and kV compared to that 5" build you flew in the video.
I mostly fly a 2.5 or 3 inch. I have a 5 inch, and it's great, but I live in the SF bay area and it's _way_ easier to find places to fly with a 2.5" quad.
I have almost exclusively flown 6 inch quads , I'm not interested in the " Floppy Flops " sure it looks good initially , But once you've seen one floppy flop you've seen them all , I'm more into exploring with my quad , And the smoothness of it flying is the aspect im looking for with the 6 inch quad .
Really like this flying style JB! You're right, it's the Stingy Style and I seem to prefer these calculated precision loops to the "flippy flops". I hadn't considered this quad till now! Very nice! 👍
I have had my f6x evoque for about 2 months now it took me a bit to get used to it especially since my other main qwad is a nazgul but now I love throwing it about its big fast and very smooth great for mountain or river surfing 😁👍
I just decided on the 6 inch because of this. I'm way more into the type of flying you just did here. I'm gonna use it for "sightseeing" areas you can't get to and want the fun and smooth movements. Thanks !
Hi Josh Great video on the 6in quads. I like trying different things out. I just don't know much about 5in yet about 6in. I stick with micros. But I have been flying 4in for the last couple of years, and I have tried to find the right motor for my own experience. Thanks for the video and information on 6in.
5" just flies the best, 4" is pretty damn good too. But even just going to 5.2" props, the agility and response starts to tank and it just isnt as fun to fly. The costs start going up with bigger batteries and the quad is heavier so when it crashes you are going to break more stuff.
Funny you mention props.. because I had to show a manufacturer that the Moonlight V2's do work with these 4" sized motors. They don't have to modify the battery compartment on the shaft. All you have to do is trim them them them down for 4" and you can even add winglets like I did.
Sorry JB, I don't agree with you this time. I think the oversized 2506 motor on that 6" quad is what made it less maneuverable. My last 6" quad (a QAV-R) ran 2207 1900kV EMAX LiteSpec motors @ 6S with HQProp 6030 tri-blades and it flew like a crazy fast freestyle beast. The trick is to keep the motors light and use a light-weight low pitch prop to reduce the torque requirements of the motor. It's no different in principle to those ultra-light 5" quads running under-powered 1507 motors. IMO, the extra long arms actually give the quad greater roll and pitch authority, while the bigger props give more yaw authority, i.e. it's more maneuverable not less. Bigger props are also more efficient that smaller ones, i.e. better flight times!
Got my wvoque stuck in a 60 foot tree last week and I had to blow the motors off of it to get it down. I didn't think I was getting it back for a few mins lmao😂. Landed cam first from 60 feet up and I just had to tighten up the mount screws and put new props on it. Its a seriously durable frame. I crash every day because I'm new and I push it really hatd haha
We mainly fly 5" because it is the smallest size than can carry easily a GoPro. Going bigger only provides more fly time, and usually, for freestyle, we favor fly caracteristics and durability over fly time. Of course you don't need to flippy flop with a 5", you can also fly smooth with wide moves if you want 😉 I think iFlight's tune for the Evoque F6 is not good and doesn't do it justice, I am pretty sure you could get a much better custom tune with BF4.3, it is worth the try.
I run emax rsii2306 on my xl6 6inch and 2506 on my 7inch, motors don't need to be that big, it's just a faster smoother more flowy flyer then my 5 inch quads, it works great for chasing ground vehicles
I always try to match the kwad to the location. 6” is a good size for freestyle in big areas, open scenery tall trees man it just moves through that open space in a way that a 5” high pitch prop rig just can’t do.
Thanks for making this video. I have been consistently flying a 6inch of some sort since 2015 and it's always disappointing how few well designed frames and components there are in comparison to 5". Even 7" lately.
Greetings, I have two equal 250mm frames in one I fly in 5" with 2306 - 2400kv 4s motors and the other in 2306 - 1922 kv hyperlite motors in 4s also with K2 6040 propellers and it flies excellent since my flight is more relaxed more soft and I had been flying for a long time with 5" I tried 6" and I think I liked it better and it adapts more to my style of flight, in addition to the fact that the batteries give me more flight time and I don't have to push hard for a roll, loop, etc with 3/4 throttle and it responds perfectly, I agree with JB if your style of flight is smooth and relaxed with tricks and everything I recommend it and you can also do fast freestyle it all depends on the pilot but I recommend it fly in 6".
This week I was contemplating getting the Evoque F6X.. and BAM! Bardwell delivers! to bad there's no 4s analog version because I have no 6S lipo's or a 6s capable charger.. O well...
OG Butterkwad....ahem. 2206 on 6x4.5 biblades. 4s. 5 years ago? Ummagawd did the Dugga Dive with it. Also created it. This is great video! 6 inch is for exploring the space!
Got an iFlight XL6 frame from Banggood during a flash sale… let’s see what I’ll do with it. Certainly not as sexy as a 5 inch. But simply couldn’t resist for less than 20 Euros. And in the end I like long smooth lines. So it could be a good frame for me…
as someone who recently transitioned from 4” to 7” i can say 4” is more fun if you live in a small neighborhood or want a nice powerful park flyer, that’s small, can be sub 250, and preform like a 5” if not better, but a 7” seems to be faster, more floaty and flowy, but you’d want to fly them in bigger areas that would be too large for a 4”, like a large field or park, or an area with tall or wide structures, which makes 7” quads perfect for those who live in more roomy areas! so 6” i feel is closer to that happy medium, but more towards the bigger area, like bando type stuff, and 5” is more towards 4”, just my take, im no profesional or anything
