In this review, I will share my experience with the SpeedyBee Master 5 V2. This newly released 5-inch BNF (bind-and-fly) FPV drone offers the choice of either a DJI O3 air unit or an analog FPV setup. Built on the improved version of the Master 5 frame, this model features numerous updates aimed at enhancing durability, user-friendliness, and the overall flight experience.
Table of Contents
Where to Buy?
The SpeedyBee Master 5 V2 is available for purchase from the following vendors:
- Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-2w6f
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dk7lmSD
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-0cky
The Master 5 V2 comes with either DJI O3 or Analog FPV setups, with receiver options of PNP, ExpressLRS, or TBS Crossfire Nano.
GET THE ANALOG VERSION!
It’s worth noting that the DJI O3 option is US$280 more expensive than the analog version, which, frankly, doesn’t make sense. Given the DJI O3 retails around $230, you’d actually be saving $50 if you chose the analog version and bought the DJI O3 air unit separately. And you’d also get a free analog VTX and FPV camera which is worth up to $60 you could sell. So you would save over up to $100!
Batteries are not included, and I recommend 6S 1000-1500mAh batteries. You can find my other recommendations here: https://oscarliang.com/lipo-battery-guide/#Battery-Recommendations
For those interested in building your drone from scratch, the Master 5 V2 frame is also available for individual purchase: https://oscarliang.com/product-3uxf
The SpeedyBee Master 5 V2 package includes the following accessories:
- L-shape Hex screwdriver M2/M3
- 4x LED Protection
- TPU GoPro Mount
- TPU front bumper
- Quick start guide
- Spare screws
- 6-pin GPS Module cable
- 2x 250mm Battery straps
Specifications of the SpeedyBee Master 5 V2
- Wheelbase: 226mm
- Arms thickness: 5mm
- FC: Speedybee F7 V3 FC
- ESC: 50A 4in1 BLHeli_32 ESC
- Motor: Emax Eco 2306 1900KV (6S)
- Propellers: Gemfan MCK Hurricane 51466 tri-blade
- LED Underneath and side
- Built-in Buzzer
- Camera: RunCam Phoenix 2 SE
- VTX: SpeedyBee TX800
- Receiver options: TBS Crossfire Nano, ELRS, and PNP (4-pin connector reserved)
- Recommended battery: 6S 1050mAh – 1500mAh
- Weight (without battery): 426g
- Weight with 6S 1050mAh LiPo: 625g
Flight Controller Features:
- MCU: STM32F722
- Gyro: BMI270
- Onboard WiFi and Bluetooth for Betaflight configuration (via Speedybee App)
- Analog OSD chip: AT7456E
- 500MB onboard memory for Blackbox
Comparing Master 5 V1 and V2
The Speedybee Master 5 V2 frame looks kind of similar to the original Master 5 V1, with several improvements to optimize its durability and usability. For starters, SpeedyBee has tweaked the frame to facilitate the mounting of the DJI O3 Air unit, promising a smoother and more enjoyable flight experience.
For those familiar with the Master 5 V1, the upgrades in the Master 5 V2 are immediately noticeable. Beyond the obvious changes in aesthetics, the V2 model features a sturdier front aluminum bracket, addressing durability concerns raised by users of the V1 frame.
The camera mount has also been upgraded with TPU pieces, which offer more flexibility and, hopefully, will help reduce jello.
The V2 version has also abandoned the use of the hard-mounted XT60 connector. While the connector did present a cleaner setup, it was less flexible than using a pigtail. Moreover, the V2 model comes with a thinner camera bracket, allowing for a broader selection of ND filters. This is a significant advantage for pilots who want to try out different filters on their O3 camera.
Lastly, the V2 version provides an additional 25.5×25.5mm VTX mounting option for the O3 air unit, alongside the existing 30x30mm and 20x20mm mounts.
A Close Look at the Speedybee Master 5 V2
As soon as I unboxed the SpeedyBee Master 5 V2, I was impressed by the thoughtful touch of labelled prop directions on the motors, a detail that novice drone pilots will appreciate greatly.
The unit I reviewed featured an analog FPV setup and an ExpressLRS radio receiver. It came fitted with a Speedybee F7 V3 stack (see my review here) and offers an enhanced V2 frame for filming without props obstructing the view. The arms measure 5mm in thickness, and the top and bottom plates are 2.5mm thick.
On the bottom, there’s also a built-in heatsink for improved heat dissipation for the VTX, and the same soft mounting structure for the FC stack from the original Master frame.
One notable design improvement is the stronger front-end, thanks to the added support at the rear section of the camera mount. This feature addresses a previous concern about the original Master 5 frame’s lack of sufficient support in the event of a crash.
The SpeedyBee Master 5 V2 is powered by Emax ECO2 2306 1900kv motors, which are perfect for 6S. The included Gemfan Hurricane MCK 51466 V2 propellers deliver decent performance. But for freestyle and cinematic flights, I recommend these props instead: https://oscarliang.com/propellers/#Recommendations
The drone has onboard WiFi and Bluetooth, enabling you to configure it wirelessly on your smartphone using the SpeedyBee app. The app provides a user-friendly interface that looks similar to the Betaflight Configurator, allowing you to change settings with ease, wherever you are.
Interestingly, although the drone comes with a GPS holder, it lacks a GPS module, which is a bit disappointing.
However, it’s not too challenging to purchase and install a GPS module yourself. Equipping your drone with a GPS can be extremely beneficial as you can set up a GPS rescue mode in Betaflight. This feature could potentially bring your drone back to you if it loses signal, an invaluable addition if you tend to fly your drone long distances.
Performance and Flight Experience
Like many other BNF FPV drones, the SpeedyBee Master 5 V2 require some setting up before you can fly it. However, the drone’s stock PID tune is solid, eliminating the need to tweak the PID, filters, or other related configurations.
Out in the field, the Speedybee Master 5 V2 does not disappoint. Its tuning is smooth, seems to be designed more for relaxed, cinematic-style flying rather than intense, high-speed aerobatics or racing. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners or those looking to capture smooth, cinematic footage. Even when flying in 15MPH gusts, I encountered no issues or vibrations during the flight.
On a 6S 1050mAh LiPo battery, you can expect approximately 4 to 5 minutes of flight time.
By default, the drone is set to “props in”, but I strongly suggest switching to “props out”. When running props in, there’s a risk of picking up debris during landing or crashes, which might scratch the camera lens. Learn more about “props in and props out” in this article: https://oscarliang.com/reversed-motor-prop-rotation-quadcopter/
How to Setup
Here’s the included quick start guide:
The drone comes with Betaflight 4.4.0 firmware. The flight controller target is SPEEDYBEEF7V3. You can find the original CLI dump here: https://intofpv.com/t-cli-dump-for-speedybee-master-5-v2
The ESCs are BLHeli_32, and they come with 32.9 firmware.
One thing that’s slightly annoying is the side panel, you need to remove the two M2 screws to access the USB port in the flight controller.
Betaflight Setup
- In the Motors tab: Set the ESC Protocol to DShot300.
- In the Presets tab: Load the appropriate radio link packet rate (why? see point #5).
- In the PID Tuning tab: Adjust your rates.
- In the Receiver tab: Enable Telemetry.
- In the Modes tab: Assign a switch to arm the drone.
- In the OSD tab: Activate the OSD elements of your choice.
Video Transmitter Setup
Out of the box, you won’t be able to change any VTX settings (like power or channel) because the VTX table isn’t properly set up. To fix this, paste this code snippet into your CLI: https://intofpv.com/t-cli-dump-for-speedybee-master-5-v2
# vtxtable
vtxtable bands 5
vtxtable channels 8
vtxtable band 1 BOSCAM_A A CUSTOM 5865 5845 5825 5805 5785 5765 5745 5725
vtxtable band 2 BOSCAM_B B CUSTOM 5733 5752 5771 5790 5809 5828 5847 5866
vtxtable band 3 BOSCAM_E E CUSTOM 5705 5685 5665 0 5885 5905 0 0
vtxtable band 4 FATSHARK F CUSTOM 5740 5760 5780 5800 5820 5840 5860 5880
vtxtable band 5 RACEBAND R CUSTOM 5658 5695 5732 5769 5806 5843 5880 5917
vtxtable powerlevels 5
vtxtable powervalues 25 200 400 600 600
vtxtable powerlabels 25 200 400 800 800
save
Furthermore, the VTX is locked by default, which means that certain channels and power levels are not accessible. If it’s legal in your country, you can unlock it by pressing and holding the button on the VTX for 10 seconds. You can find more about the SpeedyBee TX800 VTX in my review: https://oscarliang.com/speedybee-tx800/#VTX-Control-Setup-VTX-Table
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the Speedybee Master 5 V2 frame is a great upgrade from the V1. From the impressive out-of-the-box tune, robust front bracket, to sleek LED lights and easy configurability, this pre-built drone has a lot to offer. Moreover, the superb build quality and performance make it as a worthwhile alternative to more expensive options such as the iFlight Nazgul Evoque.
Of course, there are some areas where the Master 5 V2 could improve on, the most noticeable of which is the lack of GPS. While I’m still in the process of assessing its long term durability and reliability, my initial impressions of the Master 5 V2 are positive – it’s solid and well built. So, whether you’re into freestyle or long-range, I believe this drone is worth considering for your next FPV adventure.
As mentioned, I’d advise considering the analog version of the Master 5 V2. Should you be interested in using the DJI O3, you’d be better off buying it separately and installing it yourself. This could save you $50 and you’d get the TX800 VTX and Phoenix FPV camera for free (which you could sell later on).
Get your Master 5 V2 BNF here:
- Speedybee: https://oscarliang.com/product-2w6f
- AliExpress: https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dk7lmSD
- GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-0cky
Get batteries here (6S 1000-1500mah is good size): https://oscarliang.com/lipo-battery-guide/#Battery-Recommendations
My propeller recommendations: https://oscarliang.com/propellers/#Recommendations
12 comments
I bind controls with drone and it’s and have a signal. But the drone doesn’t react on controls. What is the reason?
Do you mean the drone/motors doesn’t arm? You might want to troubleshoot it using this guide: Quadcopter Doesn’t Arm? Let’s Fix it!
Speedybee is a trash company that puts out cheap electronics that can break at any second. Lost over 1500 bucks due to their stuff…never had issues before I started trying to save and use them.
So if somethings not working, return it and get a new one…or better yet go with a diff company that is trusted. Search around online and you’ll find many people calling speedybee out for ripping them off with bad stuff.
Pricing is crazy on DJI and one can buy the assembled analog setup for less $ than cost to build.
Hi
Please delete my other pending post. I realise now that I misunderstood the limitations of IRC Tramp and that the table is in fact correct… That’ll teach me for trying to be clever…
Thanks for all your work – your website has been a great help getting me started with this hobby!
I’ve built from scratch basically the same configuration as the BNF (I used all the same parts but built it myself) and it’s working great. I just need to learn to fly it now :)
That VTX setup snippet has an error in it – two numbers have been transposed.
vtxtable powervalues 25 200 400 600 600
vtxtable powerlabels 25 200 400 800 800
Should say:-
vtxtable powervalues 25 200 400 600 800
vtxtable powerlabels 25 200 400 600 800
Hi !
Thank you so much for such a detailed and comprehensive review!
I’m going to assemble an FPV drone. And I want to choose the frame for it. And I review several variants:
SpeedyBee Master 5 V2 Frame Kit,
ImpulseRC Apex EVO 5″ FPV Frame Kit
iFlight Nazgul Evoque V2 Frame Kit
GEPRC Mark5 Pro DC O3 Frame
I will be so glad if you recommend which is best and also maybe some of you have experience with these frames. Thank you in advance!
If I were building a new quad today, I’d get either the Master 5 v2 or Mark5 frame. The other two are great frames too but they are either too heavy, or too expensive.
Hi! Please advice which motors are the best for this frame.
Please see my motors recommendations here: https://oscarliang.com/motors/#Recommendations
Hey! just checked their website and they are offering the BZ-181 GPS (M10) as an option ;)
Interesting, that wasn’t available when I reviewed this quad. Guess they listened and made it available :)