With a price tag of around $200, the AxisFlying Manta 5 SE (Analog version) is one of the most affordable BNF 5-inch FPV drones on the market. Naturally, I was excited to get my hands on it. However, AxisFlying accidentally sent me the DJI O3 version instead. Oh well—let’s just pretend we have the analog version and see how it performs! In this review, I’ll walk you through the setup process, features, and flight performance to help you decide if this drone is the right fit for you.
If you’re in the market for a cheap analog 5-inch FPV drone, check out my parts list here: https://oscarliang.com/cheapest-fpv-drone-build/.
But if you’d rather not build it yourself, then keep reading…
Table of Contents
Where to Buy?
Analog Version:
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCA2Dq4
DJI O3 Version:
In the box it comes with the following accessories:
- FPV Drone ×1
- Propellers ×2 bags
- VTX Antenna
- M3 Screwdriver
- Spare Battery Anti-Slip Sticker
- Spare Battery Straps
- GoPro Fixing Screws (including nuts)
- Manual
They even labeled the motor directions (props out), and you get two battery straps included.
Specifications
- Wheelbase: 223 mm
- Weight (±10 g):
- Analog: 362 g
- DJI O3: 401 g
- Top Plate Thickness: 2 mm
- Bottom Plate Thickness: 3 mm
- Middle Plate Thickness: 3 mm
- Arm Thickness: 5.5 mm
- Flight Controller: Axisflying Argus ECO FC F405
- ESC: Axisflying Argus ECO 60A-6S (Bluejay 8-bit)
- Gyro: ICM-42688-P
- VTX Options:
- DJI O3 Air Unit
- Axisflying Swerls VTX-5.8G-1.6W
- Motors: AE2207 V2 1960KV
- Receiver Versions: TBS Nano RX or ELRS 2.4 GHz
- Recommended Battery: LiHV/LiPo 1050–1300 mAh (6S)
O3 vs O4
Honestly, this couldn’t be worse timing for AxisFlying to send me the O3 version. In my recent review of the DJI O4 Pro, I suggested to avoid buying new O3 because the O4 Pro is better in every way for the same price. However, AxisFlying currently doesn’t offer a BNF with the O4 Pro—only the O4 Lite, which I’m also not particularly fond of (as explained in my previous post). So, the O3 version is the best option from AxisFlying at the moment. Regardless, I’ll give it a proper review, so we get an impression how the analog would perform as well since they have similar specs.
Design: The Good and the Bad
A couple of months ago, I reviewed the Manta 5 SE frame on its own, and I really liked its straightforward, budget-friendly design. It’s simple yet practical, and it makes sense that AxisFlying would use it as the basis for an affordable BNF drone.
Key Design Highlights
- Frame: Lightweight, practical, and easy to repair—great for both reliability and performance.
- Motors: The 2207 1960KV motors deliver plenty of punch for freestyle.
- Antenna Placement: Comes with two separate antennas (replacing the original 2-in-1). They’re long and unobstructed by the battery or frame, making them ideal for long-range flights.
- Buzzer: There’s a loud buzzer inside, which is rare in budget BNF drones these days.
Despite these positives, the quad is noticeably tail-heavy—even with a GoPro mounted up front. I think analog setup would be more suited on this frame, since a typical analog VTX is much lighter than a DJI Air Unit, and we tend to put a GoPro on the quad. For O3 and O4 builds, however, you usually don’t need a GoPro, and those heavier air units push the center of gravity far to the rear.
I believe a longer camera cage (or a deadcat-style frame) could help address both the weight distribution and the annoyance of getting propellers in your camera’s view. Having such a tail-heavy quad somewhat defeats the purpose of a freestyle-focused X configuration.
When it comes to weight:
- Without battery/GoPro: 461.1g
- With 6S 1100mAh LiPo: 652.7g
- With 6S 1100mAh LiPo and GoPro Hero 11: 807.6g
This is 60 g heavier than AxisFlying’s published specs. Keep that in mind if weight is a concern for you.
Build Quality: Let’s Look Inside
Taking the quad apart for repairs and maintenance is a breeze. Thankfully, there are no side plates—simply remove the top plates to access the FC stack.
The build quality is top-notch: solder joints are clean and solid, and the way the motors are soldered to the ESC gives the drone a professional feel and is easy to handle.
The FC is designed with solder pads on the top and connectors on the bottom, interestingly Axisflying decided to flip the FC over in the build—possibly for easier assembly at the factory. While this may simplify production, it makes it harder for users to access the solder pads for tinkering if they need access to the soldering pads. It also makes it more complicated to configure Betaflight if they decided to update the firmware.
Almost every component is connected to the FC via connectors, except for the GPS, which is soldered to the underside. For the GPS, they could have used a different 5V pad that could be powered via the USB-C port, as it currently only powers on when the battery is connected.
Flight Performance
Speed and Power
The Manta 5 SE is a very fast and powerful 5-inch FPV drone, capable of top speeds between 170–180 km/h, very impressive! It also hovers at just 16% throttle due to the extremely high thrust to weight ratio, but this makes precise maneuvers challenging especially for beginners. To manage this, you may want to set up a throttle curve or limit motor output depending on your capibility.
During testing, I used BetaFPV LAVA 6S 1100mAh LiPo and GNB 6S 1300mAh LiHV batteries. Both work well with this drone, though the GNB batteries offer slightly more power as confirmed in my testing. I get around 5 minutes of flight time using these batteries, but you can definitely use bigger batteries for longer flight time.
Tuning
Out of the box, the Manta 5 SE felt well tuned, with no noticeable vibration or jello. However, it was tuned without using the Betaflight sliders, which is a downside because it makes fine tuning PID and filters harder for the users.
While the tune is good overall, it definitely has room for improvement, for instance, there is some instability when dropping throttle to zero, and there is some prop wash as well. Increasing Motor Idle slightly or enabling Dynamic Idle might help, especially given that the quad is back-heavy.
The ESC is running Bluejay firmware at 24 kHz PWM frequency. While this seemed to work fine during my testing, I feel that for DJI O3 or O4 setups, a 48 kHz PWM frequency could yield even smoother footage.
GPS Performance
The GPS does work, but it isn’t the best I’ve tested. A cold start takes 2–3 minutes to get a 3D fix, whereas a hot start is quick—about 10 to 20 seconds. However, the maximum number of satellites I could get was only 8–9, which is the bare minimum required in Betaflight.
If you plan to fly long range or rely on GPS Rescue, it might be worth replacing the GPS for a better one. See my GPS testing for recommendations: https://oscarliang.com/gps-review/
Video Quality
My biggest criticism for the Manta 5 SE O3 Edition is that the props are visible in the camera’s view. While this design choice protects the camera, those spinning propellers ruin the cinematic footage. I believe this frame would work great for analog setups—where you don’t really care about seeing those props in the goggles—but for DJI O3 or O4 systems, the frame would benefit from a longer camera cage. This adjustment would not only improve weight distribution but also reduce the chance of having props in the camera’s view, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
How to Setup For First Flight
The flight controller board target is SPEDIXF405, comes with Betaflight firmware version 4.4.3. For stock CLI Diff, see here.
ESC firmware: B-X-30 (Bluejay firmware, version 0.19, 24 kHz)
ELRS Receiver: Target: AxisFlying AXIS Thor 2.4GHz RX, firmware 3.4.0 (CE_LBT)
Setup:
- Bind the ELRS receiver, tutorial: https://oscarliang.com/bind-expresslrs-receivers/
- Pair the DJI O3 Air Unit with your goggles: https://oscarliang.com/dji-o3-air-unit-fpv-goggles-2/#Pairing-DJI-Goggles-2-and-O3-Air-Unit
- Load the ExpressLRS preset according to your packet rate: https://oscarliang.com/betaflight-presets/#Loading-RC-Link-Configurations
- Set up your own rates, here is my rate: https://oscarliang.com/rates/#My-Rates
- Configure the Modes tab (arm switch, etc.).
- Set up your OSD.
That’s it.
Final Thoughts
The AxisFlying Manta 5 SE delivers solid value for its price and serves as a great entry point into the FPV hobby. While it isn’t perfect—especially with its GPS issues and freestyle tuning—it offers a lot of versatility for both beginners and budget-conscious pilots.
Who is it for?
- Budget-Conscious Pilots: At around $200 for the analog version, it’s one of the most budget-friendly 5-inch BNF drones on the market.
- New FPV Pilots: The pre-built configuration and simple setup make it ideal for those new to FPV.
- Multiple Configurations: Available in both analog and DJI O3 versions.
Personally I think I like the analog version more because it offers better value (although I only tested the O3 version). Get it from these vendors:
Analog Version:
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oCA2Dq4
DJI O3 Version:
The Axisflying Manta 5 SE BNF flew well, but it’s not perfect, there are room for improvements:
- Longer camera cage for better weight distribution and to reduce props in the camera’s view.
- Improve tuning flexibility by using Betaflight sliders and enabling bi-directional DShot.
- Consider a 48 kHz PWM frequency for smoother footage.
- Upgrade the GPS for a smoother user experience and configure GPS Rescue properly out of the box.
Despite a few downsides, the Manta 5 SE is one of the most affordable options on the market and definitely deserves a spot on your shortlist.