If you want to learn how to build an FPV drone, this page brings together some of my best FPV projects, build logs, tutorials in one place. Whether you are building your first Tiny Whoop, a 3-inch toothpick, a 5-inch freestyle quad, a long-range 7-inch drone, or even an FPV wing, these guides cover the complete process from component selection and assembly to wiring, setup and first flight.
5″ Build with DJI O4 Pro
A complete step-by-step guide to building a modern 5-inch FPV drone using the DJI O4 Pro digital video system.
This is a good place to start if you want to build a typical 5-inch freestyle quad with current-generation digital FPV hardware.
5″ Build with Analog VTX
If you prefer analogue FPV, this guide walks through a complete 5-inch build using an analogue video transmitter and camera.
It is useful for understanding the traditional FPV wiring and setup process, and analogue remains attractive for low cost, low latency and simple hardware.
Some components might have become unavailable, check out this link for the latest product recommendations: https://oscarliang.com/fpv-shopping-list/
8S 5″ FPV Drone Build
Most 5-inch FPV drones use 4S or 6S batteries, but this build explores what happens when you move up to 8S.
It is a more experimental build aimed at experienced pilots who are interested in higher-voltage power systems and want to understand the advantages and trade-offs.
Building an 8S Freestyle FPV Drone – Choosing Parts and Things to Look Out For
The $150 7″ Long Range FPV Drone Build
This build was an attempt to put together a capable 7-inch FPV drone for as cheap as possible, I ended up spending around $150.
It is a useful example of how to balance component cost, performance and reliability when building a larger long-range quad on a limited budget.
Building a $150 7-inch FPV Drone for Long Range – Cheapest 7″ Quad in 2024?
Beginner Tiny Whoop Build
If you want to build your first Tiny Whoop from individual components, this is the guide I would start with.
Tiny Whoops are small, lightweight and relatively inexpensive, making them a great way to learn how FPV drones are assembled without committing to a larger build.
Lightest Tiny Whoop Build Challenge
This project focuses on reducing weight as much as possible to create an ultra-light Tiny Whoop for pure performance.
Weight has a huge effect on Tiny Whoop performance, so this build is useful if you want to understand where grams can be saved and how those reductions affect flight characteristics.
Building the Lightest Tiny Whoop from BNF Parts (Air65 & RaceSpec)
Volador VX3.5 Build
The 3.5-inch class sits between small micros and traditional 5-inch freestyle drones.
This build uses the Volador VX3.5 platform and is a good reference if you want something more compact than a 5-inch quad while still retaining strong freestyle performance.
Build: Volador VX3.5 FPV Drone with DJI O3 and Zeus F7 Mini Stack (3.5inch Digital Micro Quad)
3″ Toothpick Build
Toothpicks are extremely lightweight open-prop FPV drones designed to deliver excellent performance with relatively small motors and batteries.
This 3-inch build uses the Flywoo GOKU F405 2S AIO flight controller and is a useful example of how to build a lightweight micro quad without the ducts of a Tiny Whoop.
Build: 3-inch 2S Ultralight Drone using Flywoo GOKU F405 HD 1-2S 12A AIO V2 FC
HeeWing T1 Ranger Builds
FPV does not have to mean multirotors. Fixed-wing aircraft can provide much longer flight times and are great for cruising and exploration.
This guide covers building the HeeWing T1 Ranger without a flight controller.
It is a relatively simple FPV wing setup and a good introduction to fixed-wing FPV if you want to keep the electronics straightforward.
Later I rebuilt it with a flight controller so it can do advanced stuff like self-level, return-to-home etc.
Build: Heewing T1 Ranger with INAV and Matek F411 WTE Flight Controller
Reptile S800 V2 FPV Wing Build
This is a more traditional FPV wing build based on the Reptile S800 V2 (no flight controller needed).
If you are new to wings, this is the type of build I’d recommend. They are cheap and relatively more crash resistant.
The guide covers the assembly and FPV setup process and is useful if you want to explore compact flying wings.
Final Thoughts
Building your own FPV drone is one of the best ways to understand how the entire system works.
You learn how the flight controller, ESC, motors, receiver, video system, antennas and power system all fit together, and that knowledge becomes useful when you eventually need to troubleshoot or repair your quad.
No need to start with the most complicated build, a tiny whoop is a great first project if you want something small and inexpensive, while a 5-inch freestyle drone is a good choice if you want to learn the typical FPV building process.
I will keep adding new build tutorials and build logs to this page as I work on more FPV projects.
