I am hard on frames. I like to fly fast, high, and HARD! With that type of flying comes one thing… Crashing, and a lot of them. So in the last year I have flown, crashed, and broken several of the less expensive frames.
This review is written by Shawn O’Sullivan. Join us as a guest writer.
“Is there really a difference between a $30 frame and a $100 frame?”
My previous purchases were based on the false belief I was buying cheap and smart. After breaking another $30 frame in just about 15 flights, I decided to invest in a more expensive mini quad frame, not just buy a disposable one.
Enter the Mini Quad Club Fusion
Building off of the wildly popular ONE Frame, Nick Miller unveiled the second generation of Mini Quad Club (MQC) frames earlier this year. There are three frames in the MQC second generation line: the H-Frame “ONE”, The hybrid-X “FUSION”, and the symmetrical racer called the “X”. All three frames retail for $99.99, and come with a limited warranty on ALL CARBON PARTS! There are not many other manufacturers out there that offer such warranty. This gives the pilot unbelievable peace of mind, to push harder with less fear of loss.
Specs and Closer Look
- Frame size – 220mm
- Max Prop Size – 5”
- Frame Weight including hardware – 124g
Kit comes with
- 3K carbon frame pieces
- Metric Hardware: Screws and standoffs
- Matek PDB
- 2 sets (8 Props) Gemfan 5045BN
- Rubberized Battery Strap
- Rubberized Camera Strap Sweet Sticker
Table of Contents
Carbon Fibre
The 3k carbon fibre used for this frame looks well manufactured. All of the CNC cuts are sharp with no rough edges; all the holes are clean with no blowout.
- Arms – 4mm
- Bottom Plate – 3mm
- Top Plate – 2mm
Seeing a 3mm bottom plate was a good surprise. I am a bottom plate killer (how I killed my last frame’s 1.5mm bottom plate), so I really like a 3mm plate on the bottom. I prefer a multiple-piece frame (sandwich design) over a “uni-body” frame design; in my opinion, the orientation of the carbon is stronger when the arms are a separate piece from the bottom plate.
Nick put a lot of thought into this frame, and it shows in the final product. The top and bottom plates have slits CNC’ed into them. These are M2 and M3 screw sizes so that you can attach components to them.
Hardware
The Fusion comes with 12mm M3 screws for the standoffs. This is several mm longer than the “more economical” frame kits out there. The benefit is that there is more screw “meat” in the standoffs. This means more of the screw is in the standoff, making a stronger connection. Your standoffs are less likely to strip during a crash.
Matek PDB
The Fusion comes with a Matek PDB (Mini Power Hub). It has regulated 5v and 12v outputs. the ESC power rating is 20A per output, and bridgable vtx and camera outputs. This is a solid PDB, I have used it in the past and am very pleased with its performance.
Rubberized Battery and Camera Straps
Stitch assembly (not welded), the straps are rubberized just like the IntoFPV straps. This makes the straps more durable (less likely to get cut by the frame sharp edges) and they grip the battery snugly. The straps are sized just right for 4s 1300mah-1800mah batteries.
Assembly
The frame goes together smoothly; all frame components fit snugly and properly. When assembled, the lower frame assembly (arms, bottom plate, and arm plate) is stiff and solid. The more rigid this assembly is, the easier your mini quad is to tune, and the tougher it is against a crash.
Test Build Parts List
- MQC Fusion Frame
- EMAX 2204 Motors
- DYS XS20A ESCs
- DALprop 5045BN Triblade Props
- SPRacing F3 clone Flight Controller
- Matek Mini Powerhub PDB
- FrSky D4R-II Radio Receiver
- RunCam Swift FPV Camera – Orange
- TBS Unify Pro VTX
- Gens Ace Tattu 4s 1300mah (75c) battery
Flight Report
This hybrid-X frame is really strong. Crashes have happened, and this Fusion frame shrugged it off. Slamming into an apple tree at about 30 mph – no problem. The frame does a good job of protecting your FPV camera. The hit on the tree made me physically CRINGE! I thought for certain DEAD FPV camera, bent standoffs, and stripped screws. The Fusion took it in stride! No damage to either the frame or camera. Dug the wood out of the top plate screws, opened up the top plate to inspect the components. Everything was safe and secure.
Summary
Your frame is you FPV “exoskeleton”. No matter what the application, either race or freestyle, you want an exoskeleton that protects your electronic components. Investing in a frame that is well thought out, and comes with a warranty, is an important decision that will elevate your ability as a pilot. The right decision allows you to concentrate more on your piloting, and less on your craft.
The MQC Fusion is solid. This is the first frame I have ever flown with no little concern. From the longer screws, to the 3mm bottom plate, Nick Miller at MQC has put together a “top shelf” frame. Add a warranty on ALL carbon, and you have what I think is the best frame around for a FPV Freestyle Pilot. These opinions are all my own, and I paid full price for this frame. I would pay full price again, without hesitation.
Check out miniquadclub.com for details on all of their frames.
Author: Shawn O’Sullivan (Boss Hat), Propwash Rotorsports
3 comments
There is a big difference between 30 and 100$ frame but there is little to no difference between 100 and around 50/70$ frame most of the time. If you have money to buy something that’s priced so high go ahead but I’ve been to couple rc races/events and seen a lot of rly good professional pilots flying much cheaper frames without worrying about breaking anything and rightfully so. 100$ is alien region price (seconds cost around 109$) and as most of alien frames it’s too high. I’m not saying that this is a bad frame , it’s probably very good but this premium price trend is unfounded.
Yes i agree.
Really, you hit a tree at 30 mph, where you hovering?