Related Manuals for Draganfly SAVS
Summary of Contents for Draganfly SAVS
- Page 1 Draganflyer SAVS Manual Draganfly Innovations Inc. 2108 St. George Avenue Saskatoon, SK S7M0K7 Canada 18009799794 / 3069559907 www.rctoys.com info@rctoys.com 1 ...
- Page 2 WARNINGS The Draganflyer helicopter is not a toy. This is a precision machine that is vulnerable to misuse and can prove to be dangerous if not properly maintained or used in an inappropriate manor. Throughout this manual, look for this symbol, which will be used to remind you about safe operating procedures. Helicopters by their nature are not positively stable. Even if assembled and adjusted properly the Dra ganflyer will not hold a particular position without constant corrections from the operator and will not automatically recover from an unwanted attitude without intervention. Please completely read and un derstand all instructional information before attempting to fly the Draganflyer. To provide optimum performance, your Draganflyer is powered by a Lithium Polymer battery. The same properties that make these batteries extremely powerful and lightweight also make them dangerous if handled incorrectly. Please read and understand all information pertaining to the battery before at tempting to use or charge it. IF MISUSED THIS AIRCRAFT IS CAPABLE OF CAUSING SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO THE OP ERATOR AND SPECTATORS AS WELL AS PROPERTY DAMAGE. ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY OCCURRING DUE TO MISUSE OF THIS PRODUCT IS SOLELY THE OPERATOR’S RESPONSI BILITY. WARNING! THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS CHEMICALS WHICH ARE KNOWN BY THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS AND/OR OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM. Many common materials such as metals, plastics, glues, lubricants and other coatings contain chemicals in varying amount and concentrations which will cause harm if introduced into the human body. For fur ther information on toxic or dangerous chemicals please refer to California’s health and safety codes sections 25249.513 8/16/07 2 ...
- Page 3 Preflight Flying Conditions Page 4 First Flights Page 6 • Don’t fly over or close to crowds or close to yourself. • Using incorrect startup or shutdown procedures can cause sudden uncontrolled startup and increases the risk of The Details injury. • Maintain the Draganflyer as recommended in this manual. Safety Precautions Page 8 • Fly only under acceptable weather and field conditions. Battery System Care Page 9 • Carefully follow instructions for use and care of the Lithium The Camera System Page 10 Polymer batteries. Technical Specifications Page 12 Videography Tips Page 14 • Read the complete safety section in “The Details.” Flight Controls Page 15 Flight Training Page 15 Preflight Checks Page 19 The Simulator Fly More, Crash Less Thermal Intelligence Page 20 Maintenance Page 21 If you are an experienced radio control helicopter pilot, you can lift Troubleshooting Page 22 the Draganflyer SAVS out of the box and begin flying. If not, you Ordering Parts will need to learn piloting skills. Draganfly Innovations has cre & Accessories Page 27 ated a great tool to help. Included with this package is the Dragan flyer Simulator program for your PC. Your learning time to move from beginner to expert will be much shorter and a lot less frustrat ing if you spend a couple of hours with this program. The simula tor manual contains setup instructions plus four valuable lessons to get you started. 3 ...
- Page 4 How to remove the camera system: · Disconnect the cable between the video board and the camera. Then disconnect the power cable between the main circuit board and the video board. · Remove the four nuts, the clear Lexan plate, the 4 nylon vertical riser extensions, and the printed circuit board base plate. · Loosen the camera mounting screws and remove the camera. · Replace the camera mounting screws ensuring they are snug but not overtightened. · Install the carbon fiber base plate (with Velcro facing up) in place of the video board and fasten in place with the 4 acorn nuts. * See page 11 for instructions on reinstalling the camera. The transmitter for the helicopter has a detachable antenna and it needs to be installed before flying. The silver adapter on the antenna twists onto the adapter on the transmitter. When in place you will be able to feel and see it lock in place. As with most equipment of this type, you will need to charge the batteries for the helicopter and the transmitter. Please refer to the “Battery” section in Details for instructions. Initial charging time 16 hours for the transmitter and 1.5 hours for the helicopter, so this is a good time to carefully read through this manual as well as install and use the simulator program to begin the learning process. Preflight Flying Conditions As you learn to fly the Draganflyer SAVS and capture aerial video, you should pay close attention to flying conditions. Perhaps the most ideal location for your initial flights is a large flat open field with no nearby obstructions. It would be great if at least a portion of the field is covered in tall grass. This type of location is more forgiving of those inevitable bumps you may experience during your first flights. Be fore your first flight, walk around the area to make sure there are no hidden obstacles, potholes or debris that might ruin your experience. Paying attention to weather conditions is important. Because of its size, the Draganflyer SAVS can be significantly affected by wind. You can learn best by flying in little or no wind. Also, because the elec tronics on the helicopter are extremely sensitive to moisture, it should never be flown outdoors in rainy weather. 4 ...
- Page 5 Transmitter Controls Up: Active control (Maximum response) Down: Training/Video (Dampened control) Thermal Intelligence Switch Elevator Throttle (pitch: forward/backward) Yaw Aileron (rotate) (roll: right/left) On/Off Switch Trim Controls On Board Controls On/Off Switch Arming Button 5 ...
- Page 6 First Flights If you can answer yes to the following checklist questions, then you are ready for your first flight: Have you checked that you have all of the components of your system? Have you completed simulator training, including the four practice lessons? Have you charged both the transmitter and helicopter batteries? Have you chosen an appropriate flying location based on our recommendations? Have you removed and carefully stored the video system? On The Field Caution: The following startup sequence is mandatory. Failure to follow these steps can result in the Draganflyer powering up suddenly and uncontrollably. This can injure you and damage the Draganflyer. 1. Make sure the detachable antenna is installed and locked on top of the transmitter. Failure to do so can result in problems when flying. Make sure the throttle control is at its lowest level. 2. Turn the transmitter “On.” Open the folded rotor blades and align them. (Do not skip this step!) 3. Set the transmitter flight mode switch to the “Training/Video Position.” Read the Details section to under stand what this switch does. 4. You have two other modes of flight for the Draganflyer: with Thermal Intelligence “On” or with it “Off.” For your first training flights we recommend that the Thermal Intelligence switch be turned “Off.” This involves both turning the Thermal Intelligence transmitter switch “Off” and using the arming sequence shown below. 5. Install and connect the Draganflyer’s battery. Turn the Draganflyer power switch “On.” 6. Advance the throttle on the transmitter and observe the red light on top of the Draganflyer. It should confirm that the transmitter and Draganflyer are communicating properly by blinking more rapidly as the throttle is advanced and more slowly as the throttle is reduced. Return the throttle to its lowest setting. ...
- Page 7 During the arming sequence, always be prepared for the motors to turn on! If they do come on, the fact that you are carefully holding the helicopter will prevent injury or damage. If you can’t throttle the motors back, turn the helicopter power switch “Off” and disconnect the battery. If review of the Troubleshooting Section of this manual does not identify the problem, contact Draganfly Innovations. • Throttle up and make your trim adjustments. It’s better to move to a hard surface to do this so you can observe the helicopters movements without lifting off. The more time and care you take in setting the trim the more likely that the helicopter will lift off into a stable hover. Keep in mind that the trim adjustments may interact. That is, when you trim out yaw movement, it may cause a previous adjustment to worsen. These are very subtle effects and it is easy to over correct. With experience and flight hours, this process will get easier. The goal of this step is for the Draganflyer to lift straight up and not drift significantly in any direction. • Use your experience with the simulator to guide your first flights. On the initial flights get a feel for the controls. Develop an understanding of what the helicopter is doing and how you should react. By not using Thermal Intel ligence, the helicopter will be reacting only to your manipulation of the controls. However, use of Training/Video mode will make the helicopter react more gently to your movement of the controls. After the experience of sev eral flights, you can move to the Active mode position and get a feel for more instant reactions to your use of the controls. • On a fully charged battery, the Draganflyer will stay airborne for about 12 to 15 minutes. As the battery nears discharge, the Draganflyer will automatically begin to reduce its power consumption. You will notice that it will take increases in throttle to keep the aircraft at a given altitude. When you notice this, prepare for landing imme diately while you still have sufficient control. • At the end of your flight, this shut down procedure MUST be followed exactly. Caution: The following endofflight sequence is mandatory. Failure to follow these steps can result the the Draganflyer powering up suddenly and uncontrollably. This can injure you or others and damage the Draganflyer. • Turn the Draganflyer power switch “Off.” • Disconnect the Draganflyer’s battery. • Turn the Transmitter power switch “Off.” 7 ...
- Page 8 Details We gave you the essentials first because we know the last thing you want to do is spend time reading through a long boring manual. But as you become familiar with the Draganflyer, we know you will want to know more details about its operation and care. CONTENTS Safety Precautions The Essentials • Always turn the Draganflyer off before turning off the transmit ter. Failure to do so could cause the Draganflyer to become air borne and out of control resulting in injury or damage. We can Safety First Page 3 not stress this enough! The Simulator Page 3 • Do not fly multiple Draganflyers simultaneously on the same Preflight The Helicopter Page 4 frequency as they will interfere with each other and cause a Preflight Flying Conditions Page 4 crash. First Flights Page 6 • Do not fly outside on rainy or windy days or at night. • Do not fly near people on the ground or objects in the air. The Details • Do not fly near high tension lines, electrical substations, high structures or communication facilities. Safety Precautions Page 8 • If you place the transmitter on the ground during flight prepara Battery System Care Page 9 tions, be sure that the wind cannot knock it over as this may ...
- Page 9 Battery System Care Your Draganflyer helicopter comes with a lithium polymer bat tery balance charger and a separate transmitter battery charger. The balance charger is powered by a power supply, which oper ates from a standard 110V wall outlet, or international outlets up to 240V when used with the appropriate plug adapter. The power supply output plug connects to the side of the balance charger. The balance charger connects to the Draganflyer flight battery with a short charging cable. To fully charge the Lithium Polymer battery for the Draganflyer it will take between 1.5 and 2 hours, once completed the charger will turn off. The transmitter wall charger also operates from a standard 110V wall outlet, and its output plugs into the charge jack on your transmitter. The NiCad battery pack in the radio transmitter will take between 14 and 16 hours for a full charge, the charger will not turn off once the battery is charged and must be unplugged after the recommended charge time has elapsed. The NiCad battery pack in the transmitter can exhibit “memory.” For this reason it is important to use the battery until it drops to about 9.6 volts be fore recharging. BEFORE CHARGING PLEASE UNDERSTAND ALL BATTERY SAFETY INFORMATION Charging Procedure: · Always charge your batteries on a non flammable surface and ensure that there are no flammable objects in the near area. · ...
- Page 10 • The SAVS video system has been preinstalled and test flown. However, unless you are an experienced helicop ter pilot, you should first fly the helicopter without the camera until you are confident of your skill. • Best video results are achieved when there is a clear “line of sight” between the SAVS video transmitter and the receiver. • Don’t fly close to obstacles such as trees, walls, cars, or buildings. • Interference from certain electronic equipment and 2.4GHz devices can limit the range and quality of the video. • For best reception, position the antennas of the receiver 1.5 to 2 meters above the ground, pointed in the direc tion of the Draganflyer. • Do not touch the antennas when in use as this will cause interference. • The SAVS video system does not come with a viewing or recording device. A camcorder, digital video re corder, or any device capable of accepting standard analog video is required in order to display or record video. Precautions • To avoid the risk of damage to the SAVS video system, use only the supplied power connectors. • Do not place any components near a source of heat as this may cause the equipment to overheat. • Avoid humid conditions as condensation may form inside the camera and cause damage. If the camera system appears to be wet or condensation occurs, discontinue use until the camera system has completely dried. • Never paint or attach metallic stickers of any kind to any of the components in the camera system. • Do not operate the SAVS video system in temperatures exceeding 104 degrees F (40 degrees C) or below 14 degrees F (10 degrees C) 10 ...
- Page 11 Uninstalling/Installing the SAVS Camera System Your Draganflyer SAVS comes complete with the preinstalled. However, for train SAVS video system ing purposes we recommend that you remove the camera system. Once you are comfortable flying the Draganflyer you can easily mount the camera using the following steps. • Remove the 4 nylon acorn nuts and carbon fiber base plate from the vertical risers • Remove the left and rear bolts from the center cross piece • Slide the center pivot of the camera mount through the motion limiter ring and position it so the brass eyelets are in the left and rear bolt holes of the center cross piece • Install and tighten the left and rear center cross piece bolts; do not over tighten • Install the base plate circuit board onto the four vertical risers with the populated side of the board on the bottom of the helicopter. The Velcro for the battery should be facing up between the left and rear motors • Thread the nylon vertical riser extensions onto the bottom of the vertical risers securing the baseplate circuit board in place • Install the clear Lexan protector plate and four acorn nuts onto the vertical riser extensions • Locate the video camera connector and plug it into the 4 pin connector on the right side of the base plate circuit board • Connect the power cable into the 3 pin connector on the right side of the main circuit board and also the 3 pin connector on the right side of the base plate connector White balance White Balance Switch Your is equipped with a manual white balance SAVS video system switch. This feature tells the camera what color to interpret as white. ...
- Page 12 SAVS Video System Technical Specifications Video Camera: Effective Picture Element: 1/3" High Resolution CCD 768(H)x494(V) Horizontal Resolution: 480 Lines Sync System: Internal Minimum Illumination: 0.5 Lux @F1.2, 50 IRE Gamma: 0.44 White Balance: manual or full auto Electronic Shutter: 1/60 to 1/100,000 sec Operating Temperature: 14°F to 113°F (20°C to 45°) Power Supply: 12 volts DC Dimensions (L x W x D): 1.28” x 1.28” x 1.04” (32 mm x 32 mm x 20 mm) Lens size: 4 mm Diagonal field of view: 80 degrees Horizontal field of view: 62 degrees Vertical field of view: 48.5 degrees Camera transmitter: Operating frequency: 2.410 GHz 2.430 GHz 2.450 GHz 2.470 GHz Power consumption: 5 volts DC Transmission range: 1500 feet ...
- Page 13 Diversity Receiver: Switches between two individual receivers to get clearest signal Operates on both NTSC and PAL Operating frequency: 2.410 GHz 2.430 GHz 2.450 GHz 2.270 GHz Power consumption: 600 mA at 12 volts DC Operating temperature: 14 to 104 degrees F (10 to 40 degrees C) Operating humidity: 20 to 80 % Receiver sensitivity: 83 dBm Switching time: < 2 ms Processor speed: 20 MHz Video output: standard composite, 1 volt peak to peak Antenna connections: SMA style Dimensions (L x W x H): 5.4” x 7.2” x 1.6” (13.5cm x 18.0 cm x 4.0 cm) Group Setting: 2 Channel Setting: 1 Receiver patch antenna: Right and left circular polarized Operating Frequency: 2.4 to 2.5 GHz Gain: 8 dBi Horizontal beam width: 65 degrees Vertical beam width: 65 degrees Impedance: ...
- Page 14 Videography Tips Creating great video with the Draganflyer is much like creating great video with any other tool. Every type of shot, be it a boom shot or dolly shot, requires skill and practice. So, the first step to good video is to become an experienced pilot. The fastest way to do this is to start by using the Draganflyer simulator program. A couple of hours practice using the simulator will make you comfortable with the controls. Next move to the Draganflyer with the camera system removed. After you are confident flying the Draganflyer without the camera system, add it back to the assembly. • Plan your shots carefully, taking into consideration the locale and current conditions. Wind is not your friend. You can fly if there is light wind but it will add a significant level of difficulty. • Consider lighting as you would any other shot. Shoot with the sun behind you unless you are trying to develop a dramatic backlit scene. • While you can fly and shoot alone, it is better to have someone watching the incoming video and giv ing you directions. Flying is hard enough without trying to watch a monitor at the same time. • The Draganflyer should be moving before the action starts you want to use in your shot. This will al low you to stabilize the helicopter and achieve a smooth motion. • Film 5 to 10 seconds before and after capturing the footage to leave room for editing later. • Plan several takes varying your speed and other movements. This will give you more choices when you edit. • Try different motion approaches. Remember that rising vertically is more easily controlled than de scending. • In stable hover, use the yaw control (left stick) to create a slow circular pan. • Combine movements like lifting off while using yaw to create interesting new perspectives. Once you are confident in your ability to make the Draganflyer go where you want it to go the sky is no longer the limit. Be safe, have fun and create awesome video. 14 ...
- Page 15 Flight Controls and Flight Training The flight controls used on the Draganflyer operate independently of one another and effect the helicop ter in different ways. In order to successfully fly the Draganflyer, all of the controls will need to be used simultaneously. However, we will first review their individual functions and effects. They are fairly simple and can be easily learned with practice. Pitch (Right Stick Forward/Backward) Moving the right control stick forward and backward will make the helicopter fly forward or backward. When the right stick is pulled back, the Draganflyer will move backward. When the right stick is pushed forward, the helicopter will move forward. Roll (Right Stick Left/Right) The right control stick, when moved left and right control the left and right motion of the helicopter, called Roll. When the right control stick is moved to the right, the Draganflyer will tilt to the right. When the right controls stick is moved to the left, the Draganflyer will tilt to the left. Throttle Ascend/Descend (Left Stick Forward/Backward) The Draganflyers throttle is controlled by moving the left control stick forward and backward. When the control stick is pushed forward, all of the motors will increase in speed causing the helicopter to climb. Pulling the control stick backward will decrease the speed of all of the motors and the Draganflyer will descend. Yaw Rotating Clockwise/Counterclockwise (Left Stick Left/Right) The rudder control or yaw, as it is commonly called, will make the Draganflyer rotate or spin while re maining at the same height above the ground. This motion is controlled by moving the left control stick to the left and right. By moving the control stick to the left the Draganflyer will spin (yaw) to the left or counterclockwise. Moving the control stick to the right will make the Draganflyer spin (yaw) right or clockwise. The Draganflyer is also programmed to have two separate flying modes, “training/video” and “active” both of which have different characteristics. The training/video mode will have less responsive controls making the flight smoother and less aggressive. When on active mode the Draganflyer is far more re sponsive and agile allowing for more aggressive maneuvering. Switching between these two flight modes is accomplished with a toggle switch located on the top right corner of the transmitter. The Thermal intelligence feature on the Draganflyer is controlled by the toggle switch on the top left of the transmitter. This switch will be labeled “thermal intelligence on / off”. See page 20 for more details. ...
- Page 16 Lesson 1: Familiarization and trimming: Start with the Draganflyer on a smooth, flat surface such as a paved driveway, patio or linoleum floor. Slowly increase the throttle until the Draganflyer just starts to get light and slightly comes off the ground, do not increase the throttle any further at this point. Move the pitch(right stick, up/down motion) to observe its effect on the helicopter. Repeat this with the roll (right stick, left/right motion), and yaw (left stick, left/right motion) controls one at a time. By using all of the controls try your best to keep the Draganflyer stationary. The Draganflyer will probably want to wander off on its own in one or more directions. This is what the trim tabs on the transmitter are for. These trim tabs should be moved in the opposite direction that your helicopter is wandering. For example, if the Draganflyer want to scoot to the right you would need to apply left roll trim. When inputting trim corrections only use very small amounts and observe the effect. In most cases the Dragan flyer will be wandering in more than one direction. Start by correcting for the worst noticeable move ment then move on to the next one. You should become comfortable with trimming the helicopter as it may need to be done after a crash or rough landing. Once all of the trims are adjusted correctly you can move on to the next lesson Lesson 2: Basic hovering In this lesson, we will lift the Draganflyer off of the ground a small distance and practice hovering in one spot. For this lesson it is best to fly over a flat, smooth surface again. Stay less than one foot above the ground, this will greatly lessen the chances of a crash. Remember that if you get disoriented or lose control simply reduce the throttle to minimum immediately. Trimming the Draganflyer is very important and must be done each flight so that it does not wander off on it’s own. For safety, stand about 1520 feet away from the Draganflyer, slowly increase the throttle until it begins to lift off from the ground. Use gentle, smooth movements of the pitch, roll, and yaw controls to keep the helicopter on a stable, level position. It is important that you use the yaw control (left stick: left and right) to keep the front of the Draganflyer pointed away from yourself. At this point do not worry about maintaining a perfect hover, just concentrate on keeping the Draganflyer level and within an imaginary 10 foot by 10 foot square. If the helicopter starts to oscillate back and forth simply reduce the power to land and start again. Learning to hover is the most difficult part of flying a radio control helicopter so it is ok if it takes a while. Remember to take a break every 510 minutes to allow the Draganflyer’s battery and motors to cool down and to give yourself a rest. Once you are able to comfortably maintain a steady hover for 1–2 min utes you can increase the throttle to allow the Draganflyer to climb up to waist or stomach height (For ...
- Page 17 To descend for landing, decrease the throttle a small amount (23 “clicks” on the throttle stick) and al low the Draganflyer to gently settle to the ground. Keep practicing hovering as it is a requirement before being able to take off and land, as well as perform many other maneuvers. Most people will take 12 hours of practice to be able to hover steadily, so don’t get discouraged if you do not pick up the skill immediately. Lesson 3: Movements This time, we will learn to move the Draganflyer around in a hover. This will teach you how to transi tion from a hover to moving flight and back again. Prepare the Draganflyer using the same checklist and trimming technique we have used in previous lessons. For this lesson you should also select a location where you can take off and land on a smooth surface and fly over a grassy area. The edge of your drive way or patio would be well suited for this if the area is free of obstructions. If you are comfortable enough, you can begin this lesson by taking off closer to yourself (5 feet would be a minimum safe dis tance). This will allow you to keep the Draganflyer over the grassy area for the duration of the flight. Lift 23 feet off the ground and gently push forward on the pitch control momentarily to move a safe distance away from yourself. Return the pitch control to neutral once forward movement has begun. Pull back gently to cause the Draganflyer to decelerate and then attempt to establish a hover at the waist/stomach level. Any time you give a control input to the Draganflyer you will have to give the op posite control input to level out the helicopter. So if you input forward pitch the helicopter will continue flying forwards until you give it an equal backwards pitch input. Now, imagine a large square drawn on the ground in front of you. Using very gentle movements at first, and keeping the front of the Draganflyer away from yourself at all times, try to fly from one corner of the square to another along the edges. Allow a slight delay after your control input for the Draganflyer to accelerate/decelerate. As you make changes to the pitch and roll controls you may need to adjust the throttle to maintain a steady altitude. It is better to lose a small amount of altitude than to apply too much throttle and have the Draganflyer climb out of your control, so be gentle on any throttle adjustments. Use appropriate pitch/roll control inputs to decelerate as you approach the corners of the imaginary square. Once you are comfortable fly ing front, back, left, or right, try combining the pitch and roll to fly diagonally across the imaginary square. As you practice, slowly start adding more control inputs to increase the speed of the movements until you can fly around that imaginary square at a comfortable walking pace. As always, remember to take a break every 510 minutes. If you choose to land in the grass ensure that the throttle is reduced to the lowest possible setting once on the ground to avoid stalling a motor. Take offs from grass are not recommended as the blades of grass can be hard on the rotors and drive train. Lesson 4: Orientation The object of this lesson will be to teach you to control the Draganflyer in orientations other than “nose out” (front of the helicopter pointing away). Take off with the Draganflyer and establish a stable hover. Keep the helicopter fairly low to the ground as it is likely that you will lose control at least once during this lesson. Start by using the yaw control to slowly rotate the Draganflyer from left to right and back again (do not rotate further than 1015 degrees initially). Once you are comfortable spinning the Draganflyer, start ro tating further until you have spun it 90 degrees from the starting position and maintain a hover with this 17 ...
- Page 18 orientation. It will help if you turn so you are facing in the same direction as the front of the Draganflyer and watching it over your shoulder. Remember to take a break every 510 minutes. Once you master hovering the Draganflyer with it turned 90 degrees, you can think about beginning to practice “nosein” flight. To do this, you will be best served to repeat lessons 1, 2, and 3, but complete all these with the front of the Draganflyer turned towards yourself. The roll and pitch controls will be reversed in this orientation, so don’t rush! Learning to fly “nosein” will be just like learning to fly all over again, but don’t get discouraged! Try to practice a few minutes of nosein each time you fly the Draganflyer, and continue through the rest of the flying lessons. Lesson 5: Climbs and Descents Now you are ready to begin flying the Draganflyer at higher altitudes. The helicopter does not know it has gone any higher, so the only real factor here is your own nerves. Climbing is easy; just add power and it will smoothly climb up. Reduce the throttle setting to hover, and the climb will stop naturally (remember, small movements are essential). Descending is more difficult, because the Draganflyer forces air downwards to generate the lift it needs to fly(this is called downwash), as you descend vertically, you will pass into air that is moving downwards, causing the helicopter to accelerate as it descends. To counter this, you can either begin the descent and then add small amounts of power as necessary to offset the downwards acceleration, or you can descend while moving the Draganflyer forwards, backwards, left, or right. Descending in this manner will allow you to fly outside of the downwash the helicopter generates. Set up for this lesson by first making sure your batteries are fully charged (because you will now be flying higher above the ground, the risk is greater if the batteries die unexpectedly). Stand well away, as you will be passing through your eye level, and make sure any spectators are also a safe distance away. Start by establishing a hover, then add power to climb to just above your head. Reduce power to stop the climb, settle back into a hover, then slowly descend. Keep the front of the Draganflyer away from you at all times. Repeat this process until you can climb and descend comfortably. Now you can begin climbing higher and faster. However keep in mind that the higher you fly, the greater the risk of causing damage in a crash. As well, you should keep the remaining power in the battery in mind, as you will be drawing more power from the flight battery by climbing repeatedly. CONGRATULATIONS. You have now learned to fly the Draganflyer. The abilities to transition from a hover to a climb or sideways movement while maintaining directional control are the essential skills needed to fly. You should now be able to take off, land, and fly around at will. Keep practicing, you will soon be flying just like the professional pilots in our videos! There are two additional lessons that will teach you to control the Draganflyer while in forward flight. These are advanced topics, and you should be very comfortable with flying around rapidly, climbing, and descending before you attempt either of these. You may also want to go back over the previous lessons except with the helicopter in “active” mode rather than “training/video” mode. Lesson 6: Introduction to Forward Flight Anytime the Draganflyer is moving horizontally through the air, it is considered forward flight; this could be forwards, backwards, left or right. This is an advanced topic, so this lesson will be fairly brief. ...
- Page 19 Turn 90 degrees and start moving forwards. Continue the forward motion, and turn to begin flying in a circle around yourself. Do not fly around yourself continuously as you may get dizzy; instead, fly a few circles to the left and then to the right, taking breaks often. Try to maintain a constant altitude and to keep the front of the Draganflyer continuously pointed in the direction of motion. Once you can fly cir cles around yourself, try reversing direction as you complete each circle and climbing/descending as you fly. Lesson 7: Advanced Forward Flight If you have mastered basic forward flight and nosein flight, you are truly a master of the Draganflyer. Flying figure8s will be the last test. Once you can fly the figure8 consistently and repeatedly, you are ready to perform any other advanced maneuvers such as pirouettes, fast forward (and backward!) flight, rapid climbs and descents, and anything else you can think of. Please remember however, to keep safety first. It’s no fun when somebody gets hurt. Preflight Checks Before flying your Draganflyer it is essential to do a preflight check to ensure that your helicopter is in good flight condition. This list of simple procedures will not only make your flying experience more enjoyable but could also save you time and money by preventing inflight failures. • Ensure that the batteries are fully charged, a weak helicopter battery will result in poor flight performance. A depleted transmitter battery will lead to bad signal reception and erratic flight characteristics, possibly even crashes. • Visually inspect all frame components for damage such as cracks and breaks. Any damaged components should be replaced before attempting to fly. • Inspect all rotor blades to ensure that they are free of cracks, as this may cause the ro tor to fail in flight. ...
- Page 20 Thermal Intelligence Thermal Intelligence Sensors Thermal Intelligence (TI) is a technology developed by Draganfly Innovations Inc. that makes use of the principle that the earth and the sky are usually different temperatures. Your helicopter recognizes that difference and uses the information to help it maintain level flight. Each time you fly the Draganflyer with the Thermal Intelligence enabled, you must first teach the thermal sensors the difference between the sky and the ground. While outside, hold the Draganflyer by the base plate with the LEDs facing toward the sky. This orientation will allow the thermal sensors to see both the ground and sky. The green LED lights will let you know how well the thermal intelligence is working, if you look at the two lights one of three things will occur. (Always hold the Draganflyer a safe distance from your face and eyes.) Do not conduct the procedure while standing on asphalt. The heat radiating from the surface may confuse the thermal sensors. • If both green lights are illuminated, the Draganflyer is receiving a strong reading of the temperature difference between the earth and the sky and the thermal intelligence will work well. • If only one green light is illuminated, the Draganflyer is having difficulty telling the difference be tween sky and ground. The thermal intelligence will work but the Draganflyer may not be as stable. • If neither of the green lights are illuminated, the Draganflyer can not tell the difference between sky and ground and the thermal intelligence will not work. In this situation you should disable the thermal intelligence before flying. This can be done by simply moving the thermal intelligence switch to the off position and arming the helicopter as described above. If one or both of the LEDs are lighted, you can calibrate and arm the helicopter. To calibrate simply press and hold the arming button for 3 seconds while the front of the Draganflyer is pointed directly ver tical. Be sure to hold the Draganflyer by the baseplate so the sensors do not get confused by your body heat. NOTE: Once armed, both green LEDs will stay lit and will not change when Thermal Intelligence is turned on or off. If both LEDs start flashing at the same time along with the red LED on top this indi cates that the battery is depleted and you should immediately land and charge the battery. To improve the accuracy of the Draganflyer's selfleveling it is important to teach it where level is. Place the Draganflyer on a level surface stand back about 1015 feet and hold the left control stick full down and right. The two green LEDs with blink alternately indicating that the level setting is being stored. ...
- Page 21 Draganflyer Maintenance Unlike a traditional helicopter, the Draganflyer requires very little maintenance, however there are some simple tasks which must be performed on a regular basis. Prior to each flight, you should check the fol lowing: • Ensure the rotor screws have not loosened. • Check the alignment of the rotor blades by making sure the motors are directly vertical when the Dra ganflyer is on a flat surface. Note: this step is especially important after a crash. • Check the rotor blades for chips and cracks. Small chips on the leading edge can be smoothed out us ing 150 grit sandpaper. Cracked or damaged rotor blades should be replaced immediately to avoid in flight failure. • Inspect the helicopter frame for cracks in the nylon components or carbonfiber tubes. Any damaged parts must be replaced before flying again. Twist each motor mount from side to side. If the mount is cracked, the nylon will separate (typically where the mount clamps to the carbonfiber tube). If you are able to easily twist the mount assembly 90 degrees from vertical and the assembly has a ‘spongy’ feel to it, it is very likely you have a cracked carbonfiber tube. • Install the transmitter antenna and inspect it for serious bends or cracks. Make sure the antenna is screwed completely into the transmitter base. Over time and with use it can become loose. • Check the circuit board to ensure it is firmly retained in the vertical risers and that there is no visible damage on it. On a regular basis (every 13 hours of flight time) you should perform the following additional tasks: • Retighten all of the allenhead bolts in the frame (be careful not to overtighten!) as well as the screws retaining the motors in their mounts and the acorn nuts on the carbonfiber base plate. • Check the position of the magnets in the motors. Sometime in hard landing or crashes the magnets in the motors can “fall” down out of place. If a magnet is covering the vents on the motor simply push it upwards with a flathead screwdriver. • Clean any dirt that may have collected on or in the helicopter components. Any dirt accumulated on the circuit board can be cleaned by using a tooth brush. To clean out the motors you can spray them with compressed air or electric motor cleaner. ...
- Page 22 Troubleshooting Below are some common problems that you may experience and some suggested solutions. If these don’t solve you problem, contact Draganfly Innovations Technical Support. Problem Cause Solution One or more of the motors is not Main wire harness may be loose Ensure wire harness connector is se working curely in place The power wires going to the mo Replace main wire harness tor may be broken, visually inspect and check with multimeter Magnets in motor may have Use flathead screwdriver to push “dropped” gray magnet up in motor The circuit board may be damaged Call technical support for assistance or have malfunctioning component No response from the Dragan Low battery voltage in helicopter Check the battery voltage on a volt flyer, but red light is on and/or transmitter meter. The transmitter should be above 9.6 volts and the helicopter should be above 11.1. If they are be low these levels fully charge batteries in transmitter and helicopter. Loose or disconnected antenna on Connect or tighten antennas. circuit board or transmitter The frequency crystal on the Contact customer service for repair transmitter may be damaged / mal information. ...
- Page 23 Problem Cause Solution Draganflyer has no/little lift Motors may be worn out Motors will need to be replaced after (continued) extensive use. Worn motors will feel rough when turned by hand. When running they will smell like burning electronics and may make a squeal ing noise Rotor blades not mounted The rotor blades labeled “A” are for correctly the front and back while the rotors labeled “B” are for the right and left. The rotor should be mounted with the label facing up so the rotor curves down Magnets in motors may have This is normally caused by a rough “dropped” this will reduce the landing or crash. Use flathead screw power output driver to push gray magnet up in mo tor Draganflyer starts normally but Low helicopter battery voltage Fully charge helicopter battery suddenly stops or disarms (Red light stays on) Malfunctioning component on the Contact customer service for repair circuit board information Draganflyer shakes violently and This is most often due to a broken ...
- Page 24 Problem Cause Solution Draganflyer shakes violently and The rotor blades may be damaged Replace any broken or chipped ro is hard to control (continued) or loose tors, ensure all mounting bolts are tight Draganflyer tries to flip over Rotor blades are not mounted The rotor blades labeled “A” are for correctly the front and back while the rotors labeled “B” are for the right and left. The rotor should be mounted with the label facing up so the rotor curves down The circuit board may be mounted Ensure that the front of the circuit incorrectly. The green lights face board is facing the motor with red the front of the circuit board and and black wires going to it the on/off switch is at the back of the circuit board The helicopter may be wired in Ensure that the Draganflyer is wired correctly as follows: Red to front motor, Blue to right motor, Yellow to back motor and Green to the left motor Low flight times Motors may be worn out Motors will need to be replaced after extensive use. Worn motors will feel ...
- Page 25 Problem Cause Solution Low flight times (continued) If the temperature is high you will Hotter temperatures result in thinner experience decreased flight times air and less lift. The Draganflyer has to work harder and is less efficient Rotors do not spin at the same This is normal until about Observe if the speed of the motors RPM ¼ throttle match up as the throttle is increased The Trim Tabs may be set too far Set the trim tabs to neutral and re in one or more directions trim the helicopter Magnets in motors may have This is normally caused by a rough dropped. This will reduce the landing or crash. Use a flathead power output and efficiency screwdriver to push gray magnet up in motor The main gear in the drive system Slightly loosen the bolt securing the may be too tight main gear. Only do this on the slower turning motors The motors may be wearing out Motors will need to be replaced after extensive use. Worn motors will feel ...
- Page 26 Problem Cause Solution Draganflyer acts erratically Loose or missing antenna on cir Ensure that both of the antennas are cuit board or transmitter will cre securely fastened in place ate a poor signal If flying indoors make sure the Thermal Intelligence will cause the Thermal Intelligence is in the off helicopter to operate erratically when position used indoors If using the Thermal Intelligence When properly calibrated either 1 or outdoors make sure it has been 2 green lights will be on during arm properly calibrated ing. Overcast, asphalt and trees can confuse the Thermal Intelligence Low transmitter battery voltage Fully charge the transmitter. You can check the voltage on a voltmeter, it should be about 9.6 volts for flying The circuit board may be posi Ensure that the front of the circuit tioned incorrectly board (green lights) is facing the mo tor with red and black wires going to it There may be a malfunctioning Contact customer service for assis component on the circuit board tance The Lithium helicopter battery The battery will not be able to Check the battery with a voltmeter. If ...
- Page 27 Ordering Parts & Accessories Replacement parts for your Draganflyer SAVS can be ordered from the Draganfly Innovations Web site or by calling customer service 18009799794 / 3069559907. www.rctoys.com Please check the Web site: for the latest information. 27 ...
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