5" freestyle: HQ 5x4.3x3 vs. Gemfan 51433 — alpine conditions

The question came from a session where I was fighting the wind more than usual and wondered if the props were a factor. The Gemfans had been on since the retune. I had a pack of HQs sitting unused.

Conditions: 15–20 km/h wind with gusts, grassy field near Felsberg, afternoon. Same tune, same battery, same field for both runs. Four packs each.

HQ 5x4.3x3: Noticeably more stable in headwind. The quad tracks better through a diagonal cross-wind line. Less prop wash on descending passes — the HQ cleans up faster. Efficiency feels similar.

Gemfan 51433: Better throttle response in calm sections. The first punch out of a dive feels sharper. More prop wash on fast descents, especially into a tailwind. In gusty conditions, the craft hunts a bit more on long flat lines.

Neither is a clear winner in all conditions. The HQs suit Graubünden — it’s rarely calm enough for the Gemfan advantage to matter. Gemfans would be my pick for an indoor or low-wind session.

Not a scientific test. No blackbox comparison between props — I didn’t think to set up identical throttle inputs. This is purely by feel over eight packs. Take it accordingly.