Flying
Pre-flight checks
Before every flight, perform the following checks:
1. Check that the wings are correctly installed and that they do not have any damage. If needed, fix the wings or replace them with a new set.
2. Get familiar with your remote controller.
4. Check that the servos are correctly trimmed:
If they are not (situations indicated with red), perform the trimming procedure.
5. Place the Flapper on the ground, with its “spine” (square carbon rod on the back) facing towards you. Check that all the actuators are working correctly:
6. Next, test the auto-stabilization:
When flying the Flapper, or just testing the actuators, pay attention to the front/back orientation of the Flapper. If the body shells are not installed, the “spine” (square carbon rod) is on the back side of the Flapper.
7. You are ready for the first flight!
First flight
Never flown a drone before? Check some tutorials first!!!
If it is the first time you will fly the Flapper, let alone any drone, we recommend to do the first test flights in a spacious room, preferably free of obstacles. Before the first flights, place the Flapper as far as possible from the walls and other objects.
The larger the room, the more relaxed you will be and the faster you will advance, without risking crashes and potential damage to your Flapper.
1. The first time you fly the Flapper, place it in front of you (the back side of the Flapper, where the carbon “spine” is, should be facing towards you) and perform a short lift-off, hover and touch down and observe for any drift:
If you observe too much drift in forward/backward direction, you can adjust the pitch servo trim.
Drift in left/right direction should only be very minor. Larger drift typically means one of the wings is damaged or one of the gearboxes/flapping mechanisms is not operating correctly.
If this is your first time flying a drone with direct throttle control, keep repeating this step until you feel comfortable with controlling altitude. A minor drift is normal, just land whenever the Flappers gets close to an obstacle.
2. Finally, carefully check that all 4 control inputs respond correctly:
3. The Flapper is ready for more acrobatic flights, have fun!