There is a frame kit floating around the internet that one can buy that converts the older Axisflying Manta 5″ Pro frame to one that intentionally supports a DJI O4. Using this upgrade is probably only relevant to those wanting to upgrade an existing Manta Pro 5″ drone to a DJI O4 from another VTX vendor (e.g. Walksnail) or an older model DJI O3.
But can’t one avoid buying this kit? Yes, of course, this is what I did to start with.
I converted my Axisflying Manta 5″ Pro to using a DJI O4 with the stock original frame and 3D-printed a couple of shims to keep it fixed in place. I found that the camera sticks out way too much for my comfort – a front-end crash will kill it as some point. Furthermore, the camera mount spacing is so tight that there is no room for damping, so one gets a lot of shake on the footage when using either of the DJI Rocksteady or recording gyro data for GyroFlow.
After a few OK-ish flights, I decided to resolve these two issues and I put in an order for the kit, which on AliExpress was about one third of the price of the new frame. To see the difference between the two frames, here is a before and after:
Converting the drone took a couple of hours, as one has to strip down the drone from the existing frame and insert the new baseplate. One has to remove everything, including the motors. Here is a picture of the in-place new frame with the old frame next to it:
One thing that differs between the two frames is the mounting of the VTX. On the old frame, one could mount the DJI O4 horizontally with four screws on the frame. On the new frame, one mounts it vertically with the two metal brackets, as shown in this picture:
Vertically mounting the VTX is different from other frames. It means easy access to the DJI O4 USB-C port on the top frame, which would be tricky if one had the side walls in place, but it does have some drawbacks:
- Only one battery strap is now feasible
- Removing the SD card requires unscrewing a plastic plate on the underside of the drone
- For upgrades, if the drone originally had something mounted above the VTX, it will need to be relocated
- For upgrades, if the drone had tight cable routing options, re-soldering of new cables may be required
Axisflying does not give flexibility for both options through an extra 4 mounting holes in the frame, but at the end of the day, the vertical mounting worked fine for my drone, and they have several VTX frame options to choose from on their website.
Here’s the final re-framing picture:
On a test flight, the drone flies well. The rubber grommets holding the camera and the vertically mounted VTX do not give rise to jello.
Conclusion
Using this upgrade is probably only relevant to those wanting to upgrade an existing Manta Pro 5″ drone to a DJI O4 from another VTX vendor (e.g. Walksnail) or an older model DJI O3. However, the upgrade kit does do what it states and I’m satisfied with being able to keep this drone flying with a boosted camera system. If your drone is EOL, it may not be worth the migration.