okay so ive been flying whoops and 3" toothpicks for like two years now and i think im ready to actually build a proper 5 inch freestyle quad. been doing a lot of reading but honestly the more i read the more confused i get because everyone has a different opinion on everything.

so here's where im at right now. i was going to go with a Mamba F722 stack because i found one for a decent price and ive heard the F7 processors handle betaflight filters better but now someone in another thread was saying F4 is totally fine and i'm overcomplicating it. motors i was thinking BrotherHobby Tornado T2 2306 2450kv for 4S ? again open to being talked out of this. frame is probably a TBS Source One v5 because i like the arm replacability and its cheap enough that i wont cry if i bin it hard.

the part im actually unsure about is the ESC. im torn between just getting the stack deal or buying a standalone 4in1. also havent decided on a VTX yet, was thinking Rush Tank but is that overkill for someone who's still learning 5 inch flying? running DJI goggles v1 so i could also just go HD side but the latency thing makes me nervous for freestyle.

anyway if anyone has thoughts on any of this i'd appreciate it. not trying to build the perfect quad just something that will fly well and not explode immediately

the F4 vs F7 debate is mostly irrelevant at this point honestly, betaflight runs fine on both and unless youre running a ton of features simultaneously you wont notice a difference in actual flight. that said if the Mamba stack is priced right just go for it, the stacks are convenient and the ESCs in those combos are usually decent quality for the price point.

one thing id change is the motor choice ? not that BrotherHobby is bad, they're fine, but for a first 5 inch i'd probably go T-Motor F40 or even the Emax Eco II 2306 2400kv. they're a bit more forgiving on tune and you can find them cheaper. the Tornado T2 is a solid motor but slightly harder to tune from scratch in my experience.

on the VTX question, Rush Tank is not overkill, that framing is kinda backwards. a better VTX means better penetration and fewer moments where you're flying blind through a gap wondering where your video went. get the good VTX and thank yourself later. analog or HD is a whole other conversation but if you already have DJI goggles the O3 air unit situation has gotten way better on the latency front, just something to consider

Source One is a great shout for a first 5in, i built on one and crashed it like thirty times before i finally snapped an arm and replacement arms are like three dollars. only thing i'd say is the frame is kinda flexy compared to some others so if you ever want to chase cinematic stuff the prop wash can be a bit more annoying to tune out. for freestyle though its totally fine.

also seconding the analog VTX thing, i wouldnt bother mixing analog VTX with DJI goggles, just go full analog setup with a set of fat sharks or box goggles if budget is a thing, or go full DJI. mixing always feels like a half measure