When it comes to 5-inch BNF drones with the DJI O4 system, I compared all the available options and concluded that the GEPRC Vapor D5 was the best pick for me. So, I decided to bought one and see how it actually performs. In this review, I’ll walk you through my experience—covering its design, build quality, flight performance, and setup process. If you’re considering this drone, this deep dive should help you decide if it’s worth it.
If you want to see my thought process on choosing this drone and compared it with other options, see this post: https://oscarliang.com/5inch-bnf-dji-o4-pro-comparison-feb-2025/
Where to Buy
You can purchase the GEPRC Vapor D5 from these vendors:
The GEPRC Vapor D5 comes these accessories:
- GEPRC Vapor D5 drone
- Two sets of Gemfan Vanny Style 5136 props
- 2x battery straps
- 2x sticky battery pads
- 2x spare side panels (black)
- GoPro mount
- Hex keys (2x)
- Prop wrench
- Extra screws
- Pointed tool for pressing the bind button on the O4
- Manuals
- Stickers & keyring
Specifications
- Wheelbase: 238mm
- Carbon Plate Thickness: 2.0mm (top/middle), 2.5mm (bottom), 5.0mm (arms)
- Flight Controller: GEP-F722-HD v2
- MCU: STM32F722
- Gyro: ICM42688-P (SPI)
- Barometer: Yes
- OSD: Betaflight OSD with AT7456E
- ESC: TAKER H60_BLS 60A 4IN1 ESC
- VTX and Camera: DJI O4 Air Unit Pro
- Battery Connector: XT60
- Motors: GEPRC SPEEDX2 2207E 1960KV
- Props: GEMFAN 5136
- Optional GPS: GEP-M10 GPS
- Receiver Options PNP / GEPRC ELRS24 / TBS Nano RX
- Recommended Battery 6S LiPo 1300mAh – 1800mAh
- Flight Time 14–19 minutes
- Weight:
- Without Battery: 488.4g
- With 6S 1100mAh LiPo: 698g
- With GoPro Hero 13 and 6S 1100mAh: 865g
Design and Build Quality
Frame
The Vapor D5 features a dead cat frame, meaning the front props stay out of the camera’s view, making it perfect for cinematic flying. The chunky top plate and vibrant orange side panels give it an aggressive, futuristic look.
- Carbon fiber arms: 5mm thick, durable, and rigid.
- Top & bottom plates: 2mm and 2.5mm thick for solid impact resistance.
- Front CNC aluminum camera mount with soft mounts: Secure and protects the sensitive DJI O4 Pro camera.
- TPU antenna mounts: Flexible and designed to accommodate various antenna types.
Design Details
The SD card slot and USB-C port of the O4 Pro Air Unit are conveniently placed, making system access quick and hassle-free.
The battery strap placement forces the LiPo to sit slightly toward the rear when using a typical 6S 1100mAh battery. At first glance, this might make the quad appear back-heavy, but surprisingly, the weight distribution is still perfectly balanced due to the forward-mounted camera.
That said, there’s plenty of space on the top plate, and if you’re not using a GoPro, you can easily fit a larger battery for extended flight time. A 6S 3000-4000mAh Li-ion pack would be perfect for long-range flights.
One Design Flaw: Receiver Antenna Placement
If there’s one thing I don’t like about this quad, it’s the receiver antenna placement—it feels like a lazy design choice.
Sure, it will probably work fine for close range flying like 1 to 2 kilometers, but this drone has so much long-range potential (especially with a large Li-ion battery), and an optimized antenna placement could significantly improve range and signal reliability.
Recommendation: Mounting the receiver antenna vertically to one side would help prevent signal blockage from other components and maximize range.
Internals and Electronics
Accessing the electronics is straightforward—simply remove the top plate, which is secured by 10 bolts.
Finally a BNF quad without unnecessary RGB LEDs—a refreshing change in the FPV world. And the side plates are removable – potentially saving you over 15 grams!
All components are connected via connectors, except for the GPS, which is soldered to the board underneath. Logical and practical wire/capacitor placement—great attention to detail in the design.
Soldering and build quality are top-notch—GEPRC clearly put thought into the design. FC boot button is easily accessible—it faces outward to the side, so there’s no need to remove the top plate to press it. And it includes a buzzer—an often-overlooked but highly useful feature.
Issues & Annoyances
FC USB Port Cutout is Too Small
The side plate cutout for the FC USB port is only 11x6mm, making it too tight for most cables. I had to try like 4 or 5 different cables before finding one that barely fit. If you don’t have a USB cable with slim connector, you’ll need to remove the side plate just to connect to Betaflight Configurator—not a deal breaker but annoying nonetheless.
USB Power Doesn’t Supply Receiver or GPS
The USB connection doesn’t power the receiver or GPS—you must plug in a LiPo for these to function. Not a major issue, but it makes bench testing and setup slightly more inconvenient.
Flight Performance
First Flight Impression
My first flight experience with the GEPRC Vapor D5 was nothing short of exhilarating. Powered by a 6S 1100mAh battery, the quad felt incredibly responsive and powerful. No jello or noticeable vibrations, even when pushed to the limit. Surprisingly quiet compared to other 6S 5-inch FPV drones—possibly due to frame design and aerodynamics.
- Hover throttle: ~19%
- Top speed: ~165 km/h
It’s fast, but not the absolute fastest 5-inch quad I’ve tested. Given the high KV motors, I expected a bit more speed, but the larger/heavier frame probably balance things out.
Tuning
Out of the box, the GEPRC Vapor D5 is well-tuned, flying smoothly and responsively. I’d say it’s a great option for both cinematic flying and freestyle. Motors stay cool—even after 3 minutes of aggressive freestyle, they barely get warm. Stock tune is solid—most pilots probably won’t need to tweak much unless they want maximum performance.
That said, there’s still room for improvement. There’s minor instability when recovering from long dives and sharp turns—not a deal-breaker, but noticeable. Tuning adjustments could help, but with proper piloting, you can mask these imperfections. For cinematic flying, this won’t matter much—these moves aren’t typically used in smooth, cinematic flight styles.
Efficiency and Flight Time
If there’s one major downside, it’s flight time—the Vapor D5 is not the most efficient quad. GEPRC claims up to 14 minutes of flight time, but that’s likely in low-throttle cruising conditions with a big battery. With a typical 6S 1100mAh battery, I got about 3 minutes of flight time when flying aggressively, and about 4 minutes if I ease off throttle. With a 6S 4000mAh Li-ion battery, flight time improves to 12-13 minutes—it’s okay for some mid to long-range flights.
Why is it inefficient? Three main reasons:
- Larger frame—more air resistance than ultralight quads.
- Relatively heavy weight—motors work harder to maintain speed.
- High KV motors—more power, but less efficiency at lower throttle.
The current sensor appeared to overestimate amp draw—I had to increase the current sensor scale to 195 to address this issue.
GPS
Although the FC USB port doesn’t power the GPS, I was pleasantly surprised by its excellent performance at how quick it gets a fix:
- 3D fix (8 satellites) within a minute of plugging in the LiPo—even with the VTX powered on at the same time.
- After 5 minutes, it locked onto 23 satellites—exceptional performance for a BNF drone.
This suggests that GEPRC is using a high-quality M10 GPS module, which is ideal for Betaflight Rescue Mode. For long-range pilots, this strong GPS performance is a major advantage, ensuring a reliable return-to-home failsafe.
The GPS mount also has adjustable tilt angle which ensures it remain level during flight.
How to Setup
Out of the Box Setup
Before the first flight, I did the following:
- Removed all labels on the drone.
- Removed the motor direction cards—these indicate the motor spin direction (which is using Betaflight default – props in).
- Removed the protective film from the camera lens.
- Installed the two O4 antennas in the 3D-printed TPU mount (avoid sharp bends in the wires).
- Placed the battery pad on the top plate.
- Installed the two battery straps—if you’re having trouble fitting them through the holes, just remove the top plate first.
Firmware
- The flight controller (FC) board target is GEPRCF722, and it comes preloaded with Betaflight firmware version 4.5.1. For stock CLI Diff, see here.
- ESC Firmware: ESC 1: B-X-30 – Bluejay, 0.21.0, 48kHz
- ELRS Receiver Firmware Target: GEPRC Nano 2.4GHz PA100 RX, firmware 3.4.2
Betaflight Setup
Improvements & Modifications
Out of the box, the GEPRC Vapor D5 is already an excellent FPV drone—for most pilots, you can set it up, fly it, and have fun immediately.
However, like every BNF drone, there’s always room for improvements. I have a few ideas how to make it better, especially for efficiency and long range capability. For instance to make it lighter, then re-tune PID and filters to maximize performance. Reduce motor output since this drone comes with really high KV motors. And so on…
Would you be interested in a separate post on these modifications? Let me know!
Final Thoughts
Before purchasing the GEPRC Vapor D5, I thoroughly analyzed its specs, design, and overall value—and after flying it, my expectations were confirmed. That said, some minor design flaws only become apparent after hands-on testing, as mentioned in the review.
Among all the 5-inch DJI O4 BNF drones I compared, the Vapor D5 offers the best balance of value and performance. It’s available for $450, whereas similar options from iFlight can go for over $600. It’s just a no brainer.
You can purchase the GEPRC Vapor D5 from these vendors:
Is It Worth It? Absolutely. The combination of a robust build, innovative design, and superb flight performance makes it an excellent choice for both freestyle pilots and those looking to capture cinematic footage with the DJI O4 Pro camera. The main downside for me would be flight time and efficiency. But if you put a big enough battery on this thing it can still fly for 12 minutes or more, with its reliable GPS module, it can be a pretty good mid to long range FPV drone.
