Rotorama Buddy 5" X

Changes:

1. 11.1.2023 - modification of the rear and top plate - addition of holes for Walksnail Avatar, enlarged space for DJI O3 camera

Rotorama Buddy 5" is a buddy that won’t let you down. It is a freestyle frame appreciated by both top pilots and complete beginners. Buddy aims to be very durable, practical and fly great. The frame can accommodate up to 5.4" propellers, which is especially appreciated by pilots flying heavier quads with an HD camera and wanting a bit of extra thrust. Frame weight including 3D prints is a reasonable 139 grams.

The X variant has its arms placed symmetrically. This helps with predictable behavior on all axes and good flight characteristics. The X variant is therefore especially suitable for fast and dynamic flying and freestyle. 

Buddy has 15mm wide arms made of 5mm carbon. The arms are therefore very durable and stiff. High stiffness helps minimize vibrations and thus improves the quad’s behavior. To increase durability, the front part of the frame is also reinforced around the camera, which takes the biggest hit in a crash. The bottom plate is made of 3mm carbon, the top one of 2mm.

Unlike most freestyle frames, on the Buddy the stack is mounted between the front and rear arms directly on the bottom plate. This has several advantages. The frame is lower and has the center of gravity closer to the propeller level, which helps improve flight characteristics. When using common 2207 motors, the propeller is usually at the level of the top plate. The center of gravity is therefore low, but the battery is still quite high, so in the event of a crash and battery movement there is no risk of it being pierced by the propellers. The arms are mounted separately with three screws, so replacement is very easy. Thanks to the three screws, the arms hold firmly in place and do not wobble.

The distance between the front and rear arms is 55mm, so most available stacks fit comfortably. When building, stacks with mounting hole spacing of both 20x20mm (M3) and 30.5x30.5mm can be used. Because every stack is slightly different, the frame has slots instead of holes for larger stacks. You can therefore shift the stack slightly to one side or the other as needed and gain a bit of extra space (for example for a capacitor or power cable).

Additional electronics can then be placed in the rear part of the frame. Mounting holes are prepared for installation 20x20mm M2, 25.5x25.5mm M2 and 30.5x30.5mm M3. The top plate also has holes with 20x20mm and 25.5x25.5mm M2 spacing. The rear part of the frame is a suitable place for mounting the video transmitter. You can install a Caddx Vista or Walksnail Avatar for digital video transmission in the holes. With a different set of 3D prints, the frame also comfortably fits a DJI Air Unit and DJI O3. At the rear of the top plate there is an opening through which the XT60 with cable can be routed. The top plate can thus be easily removed and the cable pulled out, making the quad easier to service. A cable routed through the top plate has a lower chance of getting tangled in the propellers during flight, where they could cut it. The antenna and camera are mounted using a 3D-printed holder. The frame comes standard with a holder for an SMA connector and a mini-size camera.

3D-printed accessories can be found on almost every quad. One of the very widespread freestyle frames is the Alien (and its copies). Because we don’t want to reinvent the wheel, Buddy has the same spacing of the front 4 standoffs as the Alien. All HD camera mounts can therefore also be used on the Buddy, not only in the front, but also at the back or on the bottom. So you can place a GoPro or other camera anywhere.