# Deadcat frame

> Why do cinematic drones use a deadcat frame?

- Category: Drone design › Drone frame layouts
- Kind: Standard part
- Basis: Design rules and figures from the cited sources; example geometry by Xem Studio
- Page: https://xemstudio.com/objects/deadcat-frame/ · JSON: https://xemstudio.com/api/geometry?object=deadcat-frame · Plain text: https://xemstudio.com/objects/deadcat-frame/sheet.txt
- License: dimension sheet CC BY 4.0 (Xem Studio); files Xem Studio Design License (free to use and sell from, not to redistribute as files: https://xemstudio.com/license/)
- Use in every chat: add https://xemstudio.com/mcp as a connector (https://xemstudio.com/use-with-ai/)

**Exact dimensions.** True size, with no printing tolerance added.

## Notes

- A deadcat spreads the front arms wider and longer than the rear so no props appear in the shot (UAVModel). It exists mainly to keep props out of view, not for racing (IntoFPV).
- Costs: yaw authority falls ~10-15%, two arm resonance frequencies complicate filtering, and pilots report more weight on some builds (UAVModel; IntoFPV).
- The file is a reference example built by Xem Studio from the numbers above (Reference 5-inch build: 220 mm diagonal within Grepow's 210-250 mm class for 5 in props.). Sizes the sources do not fix are illustrative; scale the example to your own vehicle.

## Sizes

| parameter | value or range | source |
|---|---|---|
| Yaw reduction | ~10-15% | UAVModel |
| Suggested roll P vs pitch P | 5-10% lower | UAVModel |
| 5 in prop frame size | 210-250 mm diagonal (motor to motor) | Grepow |

## Where the files are

- UAVModel blog: [FPV Frame Geometry: Deadcat vs True X vs Squashed X (2026 guide)](https://blog.uavmodel.com/fpv-frame-geometry-deadcat-vs-true-x-vs-squashed-x-prop-view-resonance-and-flight-feel-2026-guide/) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- IntoFPV forum: [Frame layouts, configurations and their characteristics](https://intofpv.com/printthread.php?tid=15838) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts
- Grepow: [What size FPV drone should I get?](https://grepow.com/blog/what-size-fpv-drone-should-i-get.html) — web — Publisher's page; dimensions are facts

## Free STEP/STL (1 parts, Xem Studio Design License, Xem Studio)

Index: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/deadcat-frame/index.json · license: https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/deadcat-frame/LICENSE.md

- deadcat-frame-layout: [STEP](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/deadcat-frame/deadcat-frame-layout.step) · [STL](https://xemstudio.com/files/hardware/deadcat-frame/deadcat-frame-layout.stl) — deadcat frame layout: 220 mm motor-to-motor diagonal, 5 in props (discs show the swept area; arms and plate illustrative)

## Questions

**Any props in shot?**

None by design, though some deadcats still show tips (IntoFPV).

## Fits with

- [True X quad frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/true-x-frame/)
- [Stretched X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/stretched-x-frame/)
- [Squashed (wide) X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/squashed-x-frame/)
- [Hybrid X frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/hybrid-x-frame/)
- [H frame](https://xemstudio.com/objects/h-frame/)
- [Plus (+) quad configuration](https://xemstudio.com/objects/plus-frame/)