🚁 Foldable 5” FPV Drone Frame – Modular, Printable, Community Ready
🧠 Project Description
A foldable 5-inch FPV drone frame designed for easy 3D printing, modularity, and compatibility with standard FPV components.
This project combines a compact folding structure with the functionality of a full-size freestyle/long-range frame, offering foldable arms and full support for widely used FPV mounting standards. The biggest advantage of this frame is the fact that the arms are constructed in a pentagonal cross-section. Based on the tests carried out, the cross-section of these arms increases their strength and also facilitates the printing process.
The frame was designed with folding in mind. Folding is possible thanks to the use of pins with a suitable protrusion which, by rotating this pin, locks the arm and makes it stable and immobile. Removing such a pin by rotating it allows the arms to be folded. To fully assemble the frame, you need to screw it together and use 20 screws with a diameter of 3 mm and a length of 8 mm and 15 mm
🔧 Key Features
- 🦾 Foldable arms – compact transport and easy storage
- 📦 Modular design – separate base, top plate, and arms
- 🎯 Standard FPV mounting compatibility, including:
- Flight controller / stack (30.5 × 30.5 mm)
- ESC mounting
- VTX mounting
- 📡 Integrated mounts for:
- GPS module
- VTX antenna
- FPV camera
- 🔩 All mounting holes follow standard FPV spacing (no modification required)
🧱 Materials & Printing Recommendations
🧩 Structural parts (arms + base)
- ABS (recommended)
- High rigidity and impact resistance
- Print in a closed chamber for best results
🪶 Lightweight parts (top cover / accessories)
- PETG
- Easy to print and impact resistant
⚙️ Hinges (optional reinforcement)
- ABS (for testing)
- Final version recommended: nylon + metal pin
🖨️ Print Settings (Recommended)
- 5–6 perimeters for structural parts
- 40–60% infill (gyroid or cubic) for arms
- 20–30% infill for lightweight parts
- Layer orientation aligned with arm length (critical for strength)
- Brim recommended for ABS parts
🧪 User Notes
This project is designed as a test platform and community-ready frame, therefore:
- It may require minor PID tuning after first flight
- It is not a carbon racing frame replacement
- Focus is on modularity and easy customization
- Ideal for experimentation, learning, and custom FPV builds
📦 Included Parts
- 5-inch folding frame (modular structure)
- FPV camera mount
- GPS mount
- VTX antenna mount
- Full compatibility with:
🚀 Who is this for?
- FPV DIY builders
- Users printing custom drone frames
- Pilots experimenting with custom setups
- FPV community makers looking for modular solutions
🧠 Final Note
This project is designed for practical use and easy adaptation across different FPV configurations.
The folding structure improves portability while maintaining full access for maintenance and electronics integration.
Patryk_Maker
