E384 Operations Manual

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Table of Contents....

E384 Specifications and Operating Limitations

Attaching E384 Propeller

Attaching E384 Tail

Attaching E384 Wings

Charging the Batteries

Installing Camera, Batteries and Finding GC

Telemetry Connection

Transmitter Modes (Spekrtum DX5E)

Transmitter Operation (DX5E)

Planning a Mapping Mission

Auto Takeoff

Auto Land

Adjusting Declination

Pre-flight Checklist

E384 Flight Procedure

Emergency Procedures

Post-Flight Checklist
E384 Specifications and Operating Limitations

Includes –

- Pixhawk Autopilot with GPS, IMU, Pressure Sensor and Flight Data Log

- Telemetry Radios (3DR or RFD900)

- Spektrum DX5E and Battery

- 2 Flight Batteries – 4 Cell, 5.0 Ah LiPo

Specs and Limits-

- Cruise Speed: 13 m/s

- Endurance 100 minutes

- Range 44 miles / 70km

- Up to 10 m/s windspeed for autonomous operation

- 14,000 Feet MSL Ceiling, Take-off Tested to 10,000’

- Live Data Telemetry to Ground Station Software on your Laptop ( One km (3DR) , 10km (RFD900) )

- Fly-by-Wire mode, Return-to-Launch and Autonomous Flight Modes Pre-Configured

- 190cm Wingspan, 130cm Length

- Weight- 5.9 lbs (Fully equipped with a Canon S100)

- Airframe is built usinf flexible EPO foam, with a carbon fiber booml. 
Attaching E384 Propeller

In this page we will see how the propeller securely connects to the motor.
First, place the propeller on to the bolt with the lettering on the propeller facing the motor.
After the propeller is on the bolt facing the correct direction, place the washer on the bolt. Make sure the side of the washer with

the larger face is against the propeller. Then, tighten the nut to bolt very tightly securing the propeller and washer. If this bolt is too

loose the propeller may fall off during a flight.
When all of these steps are done the propeller will be properly secured to the motor.
Attaching E384 Tail

In this page we will see how the tail goes into the body, as well as elevator attachment.

First we will attach the elevator.

Fit the elevator on top of the tail.
Now slide the elevator toward the rudder.
Connect the servo lead on the elevator to the servo extension.
Take the servo wires from the tail and place them into the body of the E384.

Now push the carbon rod all the way into the body, the notches on the rod will catch on the orange tube at the furthest 

point.

Tighten the three screws on the body to keep the tail tightly in place.
Fish the elevator and rudder cables through the hole on the top and connect the elevator to output channel 2 and the 

rudder to output channel 4. Be sure the top pin receives the white wire.
Attaching E384 Wings

In this page we will see how to properly attach

the wings. Slide the rod into one wing, and then

the other.

Connect the servo wires to the splitter originating from channel one on the APM, either wing can go into either side of the splitter.
Fit the wings into the body, avoid squeezing the servo wires in between the wings and

the body. Attach rubber bands as follows...
 




Charging the Batteries

WARNING

When charging LiPo batteries, caution must be taken to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Always charge batteries away

from other flammable objects including carpet. Never charge a puffed or damaged battery. The battery should not get warm

during charging.

To charge your batteries, plug in your battery charger and add the banana to XT-60 cable on the right side as shown in the picture below.
Plug the flight battery directly into the XT60-banana plug that is connected to the charger. Plug the balancer into the corresponding

terminal.
If LiPo charge is not selected when you power on the charger press the Batt Type (the left-most button) until it says LiPo then

press the start button on the far right.

After selecting LiPo pressing the start button again will allow you to change the amps. Change this according to the battery you are 

charging by going left or right using the two buttons in between Batt Type and Start. If you are charging the 8000mAh battery,

charge it at 5 amps (5000mA).

After selecting the correct current, press start again. This will allow you to change the number of cells. The 8000mAh battery

is labeled a 4 cell battery, so charge it at 14.8V (4S).

After choosing the proper amps and cells hold the start button. Then after the battery check press start again to start the charge.

When the battery is full the charger will beep.
Installing Camera, Batteries, and Finding GC

Here we will see how to install the camera and batteries. We will then see the points at which we will balance the plane to

ensure stable flight.

Place the batteries into the plane, after checking the CG you may need to adjust the location of the batteries.

Start the script and install the camera.
Attach the nose hatch. Check the CG by putting a finger on each wing at the rear of the Styrofoam insert under the wings and

making sure it is level or 5 degrees nose down at most. The red line in the following picture shows the proper center of gravity.
Telemetry Connection

In this page we are going to explain how to connect to Mission Planner wirelessly using telemetry. We will also take an in depth

look at a common problem with connecting using an FTDI cable (used with RFD900 and previous style 3DR 433).

To connect we will first power on the transmitter, followed by the aircraft. We will allow ten seconds or so for the aircraft to initialize.

Now we will plug in the cable from your ground side telemetry system to the computer. If you are using the RFD900 make sure pin

one receives the black wire from the FTDI cable. If you have the old style 433 make sure the black wire goes to the GND pin. The

new style 3DR telemetry systems simply connect with a MicroUSB cable.

 
Open Mission Planner and choose the Com Port that comes up when plugging in the telemetry (it may take a few minutes for the

Com Port to show up). Set baud rate to 57600.

Now press Connect and you should have your wireless connection established.
Transmitter Modes (Spektrum DX5E)

If you order any transmitter from Event 38 it will arrive set up with three independently selectable modes on Channel 8. The 

three position switch labeled “Gear” is used to select FBWA, RTL and Auto .

The modes will be selected using the CH 5 three position switch.
The position pushed furthest away from the operator (0) is FBWA mode.
The middle position (1) is RTL.
The position pulled closest to the operator (2) is Auto.

Verify your modes;

Power on your transmitter. Remove propeller. Power on your E384. Connect to Mission Planner. Cycle through the modes. In 

Flight Plan, the bottom right corner of the heads up display will show which mode is currently engaged.

 
Transmitter Operation (Spektrum DX5E)

 We will look at the Spekrtum DX5e pictured here.

There are two sticks that can be moved in all all directions. We will refer to the stick on the left side of the transmitter as the left stick, and the stick on the 

right side of the transmitter as the right stick

We will go through the movements in FBW-A mode first. In the "Transmitter Modes" link you will find the steps to get into FBW-A mode. This is the only 

mode where the stick movement will have an effect on the E384.

In FBW-A, the autopilot limits the amount of pitch and bank possible while also automatically stabilizing the aircraft.

In FBW-A, holding the right stick all the way to the right will cause a sharp right turn. By contrast, doing the same in manual mode would result in a 

continuous barrel roll.

Left Stick:

Moving the left stick up and down will turn your motor on. When the stick is at the very bottom there should be no movement. As you move the left stick

upward it will increase the speed of the motor.

Moving the left stick to the right will cause the rudder to move to its right, so that the plane will turn right. Moving the left stick to the left will move the rudder 

to the left.

Right Stick:

Moving the right stick up and down controls the movement of the elevator. To increase altitude you will move it in the downward direction, while descending 

will require you to move the stick upwards.

Moving the right stick to the left will cause the ailerons on the wings and the rudder to move into position to turn the plane to the left while moving the right 

stick to the right will perform a right turn.
Planning a Mapping Mission

On this page we are going to see how a mission can be easily designed. In this scenario we will be using a simple and effective method. This is the 

"Survey (Grid)" method. We will outline the area we intend to survey. We will tell Mission Planner what type of camera we are using and the overlap 

that we desire. We will also specify flight direction, keeping the wind in mind. Lets get started.

Go to the Flight Plan tab and find the area you intend to survey.

Next we are going to "Add Polygon". This polygon that you create will be the outline for the way points we will be generating. When in "Add Polygon" 

mode simply left click to add as many points as you desire. If you left click and hold a polygon point you can drag it (likewise with way points). If you need 

to delete a polygon point you can simply right click on the point and click on "Delete WP" (likewise with way points).
After selecting the area we desire, and moving the polygon points as necessary, we are ready to generate way points
We have generated some way points, but we are not finished yet. For this example I anticipate a wind moving from west to east. So I will need to alter 

my flight path so that I am primarily traveling North and South, while traveling against the wind on the small instances that I am traveling East to West. 

So we will change the angle to 180. Also note that in the "Simple Options" we have selected the Canon SX260 (if that is not applicable, find your camera 

and select it).

Next we will go to the "Grid Options" tab and change the sidelap to 60%. This will add or reduce the amount of way points generated to reach the 

60% sidelap with the Canon SX260.
Move back to the "Simple" tab and click Accept.

As you can see, often times the way points are not automatically placed in the optimum positions. If you click on the green "Waypoints" bar toward the 

bottom of the screen you will see the way points pop up. From there the "UP" and "DOWN" arrows will allow you to change the assigned number of any 

way point. You may also drag way points.
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After arranging our way points we will have a more desirable flight plan.

Before finalizing the plan and sending the plane out, we are going to look at the elevation graph. We must make sure that the plane is no going to crash 

into any buildings or hills.
The graph will show the altitude the plane is projected to maintain, and it will show the google earth estimated elevation of the terrain.

If everything looks good, connect to your APM, write the WP's.

This is a good opportunity to do some calcuations, and alter camera settings as necessary.

While in the Flight Plan screen it is a good idea to look at the "Distance" in the upper left of the screen. Using this distance we can estimate how many 

pictures we need to take to cover the area. Using our distance of 5.945km or 5945m , we will assume speed of the plane to be 12 m/s and the default 

time in between each picture is three seconds. Dividing distance by speed will give us our estimated time in the mission (about 500 seconds). 500 

seconds divided by the 3 second shot interval gives us 167 shots. We are going to give an extra 10% to compensate for any error and to make sure we 

have the images we want. So we will set "Total Shots" on the camera to 184. Multiplying "Total Shots" by the three second "Shot Interval" gives 552 

seconds. Adding that to the "Delay Time" of 240 seconds and you get 792 seconds. Keep a stop watch nearby. When you start the script, start the 

stopwatch. When the stopwatch reaches 792 seconds the lens will be closed and it is safe to land. For more details on everything camera related, check 

out our walkthrough.
Auto Takeoff

In this page we will take a look at the Auto Takeoff Way Point. We will see how to set the way point, and where to go

from there. Enter the Flight Plan screen of Mission Planner. Left click anywhere on the screen as if you were entering a

normal way point.

Now change the Command column so it reads Takeoff.
Change the Pitch Angle to 35 for a clean takeoff. Change the Alt to either the RTL altitude or the altitude of the

next WP. Notice that WP 1 disappears. Do not be alarmed, it is normal.

Now that you have your takeoff WP, write the WP to your E384, then read the WP to verify it has been written properly. Put the

plane into Auto. When the plane reads as moving 2 m/s it will turn the propeller on and start climbing. Never put body parts near the

propeller when the battery is plugged in!

So, you have your take WP written and you set your plane into Auto. Do not make sudden movements at this point to avoid the plane

wanting to take off. Throw the plane firmly at a 15 degree angle. The motor will kick on and the plane will begin to climb. It may drift

slightly left or right, so be sure to give it some distance away from obstacles. The plane will continue to climb until it reaches its

altitude for the Takeoff WP. If you have set up additional WPs it will travel to the second WP as soon as it reaches the takeoff

altitude. If you have no additional WPs it will go into RTL.
Auto Land

In this page we will see Autonomous flight from start to finish. Brief mentions will be made of Auto Takeoff and Mapping a

Mission. Check out those pages to fill in the details.

The mission has been planned by first setting the Auto WP, then adding a polygon and using the auto WP function. Because the Takeoff

WP disappears we see that the first visible WP is WP 2.

Now two WP will be added to get us on the proper landing path. We see that the second WP will be a reduced altitude but still high

enough to clear obstacles by a safe distance.
After clearing obstacles we will substantially decrease altitude. It is important to note that the altitude can be off by 5 meters, so to

be safe we go to 10 meters first. Also Google Maps can be off 10 meters horizontally, so be aware if you have a tight space to fly

between. Be ready to switch to FBWA and manually avoid danger.

The last WP is at 0 meters. We have changed it to LAND and given plenty of distance to slow down before touch down.

After writing the WP, and reading them back for verification we are ready for an automatic flight from start to finish.
Adjusting Declination

The Earth's magnetic field varies significantly depending on your location relative to the poles. To adjust for the offset in your

location, we'll change the magnetic declination parameter until the heading shown on Mission Planner matches the heading of your

plane. To start, power on the R/C transmitter, then power on the E384 - we'll want to do this with the battery installed as it would be

for flight and with the wings plugged in and installed. Be sure not to set it near any large metallic objects as the compass is very

sensitive and can be affected by local magnetic disturbances. Once it has initialized, set it on the ground at a known heading.. it

can be any direction as long as it's known. If no directions are known for certain, you can use visual cues that would be visible on

Google Earth. For example, you can point the nose to be perpendicular to your street or parallel with the edge of your house. Once

that's decided, connect to the E384 by telemetry in Mission Planner.

Once connected, you'll see an airplane icon at roughly your current location. If you're inside, you may need to go near a window or

put the E384 outside in order to get a GPS fix. There will be a red line emerging straight forward from the icon, that is the direction

the autopilot thinks it's facing. Knowing the real direction, we can now adjust and iterate the magnetic declination until the red line is

pointing in the same direction we know the E384 to be pointing. To start, take a mental note of approximately how many degrees off

the true direction the red line is pointing. Now click on Initial Setup -> Mandatory Hardware -> Compass. If the red line was

counterclockwise of the true direction, add the approximate number of degrees you noted before to the current value, type that in

and then switch back to Flight Data. Wait at least 30 seconds between iterations, it takes some time for the direction to update. If 

the red line was spun clockwise relative to the true direction, subtract. Negative values are ok but they should not exceed 180

degrees in either direction.

Initial setting, I've set the E384 down lining up with the edge of my building.

Now after adding 45 degrees to the declination value, it's very close to parallel with the edge. I'll make one more adjustment for

another 2-3 degrees but this is close enough already. Aim to be within 5 degrees of the true heading.
Once the heading in Mission Planner lines up with the E384's true heading, you can move on to the next step.
Preflight Checklist

Before leaving for flight location

 Prefetch base map imagery in Mission Planner (Flight Planner tab, right-click Map Tool >Prefetch). Note that this may take up to a few hours depending 

on area prefetched and internet access speed

o Leave enough time to complete this step.

 Optional – create flight plan (waypoint list) based on desired imaging ground resolution (altitude), using Mission Planner camera tool (Flight Planner tab, 

right-click Map Tool >Camera) to estimate flight line spacing and camera timing interval to achieve desired image overlap. Use dummy Home point – it 

will get reset in the field when GPS lock is achieved.

Pre-flight Operations at Flight Location

1. Assemble airframe (wings, tail, etc.).

2. Start computer and open Mission Planner software.

3. Load or create flight plan as described above. If not using telemetry, use USB cable to connect computer to APM to load flight plan. Disconnect USB 

cable when finished.

4. If using telemetry, connect ground station modem to computer’s USB port.

5. Turn on RC transmitter, set mode channel(s) to Manual, and SET THROTTLE POSITION TO IDLE.

6. Make sure UAV is motionless.

7. Install battery in UAV and connect, taking care not to disturb UAV.

8. In Mission Planner software, select correct port ID and baud rate (default is 57600) for telemetry modem, and hit “Connect” button. Wait for APM to 

switch from Disarmed to Armed.

9. Check for 3D Fix on GPS (map display should show current location).

10. Check that battery voltage and compass heading are correct in Mission Planner HUD.

11. In lower left corner of Mission Planner, select Actions tab and press “Set Home Alt” button. Current altitude display in HUD should change to zero.

12. In Mission Planner Flight Planner tab, load or create flight plan. Check that all altitude values are nonzero and sufficiently high to clear any terrain or 

obstacles in flight path. Press “Write WPs” to transfer flight plan to UAV.

13. Check that all flight controls surfaces have appropriate neutrals, and that they move in correct direction when RC transmitter sticks are moved, first in 

Manual mode, then in FBW mode.

14. Lift UAV from ground or holder and check that Center of Gravity is OK.

15. Set mode to FBW. Move UAV in both pitch and roll axes, and check that ailerons, rudder, and elevator move in appropriate direction to return UAV to 

level flight.

16. Install propeller if not already installed. (Install propeller while the plane is powered off)

17. Set script parameters in camera and install camera into UAV. Close hatch cover.

Launch and Flight

1. Set mode channel on RC transmitter to Manual or FBW-A.

2. Grasp UAV near camera hole in one hand, and RC transmitter in other hand.

3. Apply take-off throttle (60%) and hand-launch UAV straight away with good authority into the wind. UAV needs to be flying when it leaves your launch 

hand.

4. Manually pilot UAV in a straight upwind climb until all ground-based obstacles are cleared by at least 30m. At that point continue climbing upwind, climb 

circling, or point UAV toward location of first waypoint. Avoid switching to Auto or RTL mode with the UAV pointed directly away from its first target.
5. Switch to Auto mode and observe that UAV seeks location and altitude of first waypoint. Maintain visual contact with UAV at all times and be prepared to 

take over manual control if UAV exhibits odd behavior, or if another aircraft of any type enters the UAV’s airspace.

Mission Completion and Landing

1. If flight plan included a landing sequence, observe landing and be prepared to take over manual control of UAV to avoid crash or hard landing.

2. If flight plan did not include landing sequence, when mission is complete (or if mission is aborted) switch flight mode to RTL using either RC transmitter 

or GCS. Observe that UAV returns to home position and orbits. When desired, take over manual control and land UAV straight into any wind.

3. Disconnect Mission Planner from APM upon landing, and physically disconnect or power down UAV upon retrieval.
E384 Flight Procedure

In this section we will discuss the procedure used to collect imagery, beginning with preparations for flight. Before heading out to 

the field to collect imagery we must cache the Google Maps imagery of our area of

interest in Mission Planner. Download Mission Planner. Mission Planner will allow you to plan, monitor, and replay your flights.

Find your area of interest using the Google Maps interface within Mission Planner. This step requires internet connection. Cache

any area you may fly over to give yourself a reference during flight, and to help with mission planning. Simply find the area you want

to see during flight and it will be cached.

The first time you wish to connect a computer to your E384 you will need to download the drivers for the telemetry modem. This

step requires internet connection. After Mission Planner has been downloaded, plug your telemetry radio into the computer. It will

automatically download the drivers you need and should be complete within a minute or two.

Before making your way to the field, charge your batteries, make sure you have a

Phillips screwdriver and a wrench to attach the propeller.

When you arrive at the field, take a note of the wind direction and speed. Avoid flying in winds above 25 mph. When we plan a

mission we want to fly crosswinds and make all our turns into the wind. At this time plan your mission.

Now we will turn our attention to the assembly of the E384.

Attach the propeller. Attach the tail. Attach the wings. Place the batteries (but do not plug them in) and camera into the E384

and check the balance.

Turn your transmitter on in manual mode. Make sure to clear any alerts that may be shown on the transmitter. At this point

forward, keep all body parts away from the propeller. One battery at a time, plug them into the Y-Splitter in the E384. Hold the

E384 still until you see small movements on the elevator, signaling the E384 has been initialized. This usually takes 5-15 seconds

after power has been plugged in.

Check that all the surfaces respond in manual mode. Move the right stick to the right and left to see the ailerons move. Move the

right stick up and down to move the elevator. Move the left stick left and right for the rudder. Moving the left stick up will start the

motor.

Check that all surfaces respond in FBW-A. Moving the right stick to the right and left will not only move the ailerons, but also the

rudder. Move the E384 so that it is level. Check that the ailerons are flush with the wings. Now, move the E384 to a bank left and

right to make sure the ailerons and rudder are moving in response. Pitch up and down should see the elevator respond.

Plug your telemetry modem into your computer. Connect to your E384 in Mission Planner. Check to see that you have a 3D Fix and at least 5

satellites, see image below (GPS circled in blue, number of satellites circled in green).
hdop should be below 5 (circled in white).

Your telemetry strength should be above 95% when near to the E384 (circled in red above).

A full battery pack will show your voltage near 16.8 (circled in orange). Always keep battery voltage in mind. If the battery

voltage falls below 14V the E384 will no longer be able to climb.

Altitude should be below 10 (circled in yellow).

Adjust Declination as needed.

When everything checks out properly go to the Fight Plan screen and press Write WP. After the WP have been written to the

E384 press Read WP. This will read whatever WP the E384 has stored. Verify all the WP are correct.

Customize the camera settings to your mission (SX260 and S100 Camera Walkthrough). Start the script and place the camera

back into the plane. Attach the top of the nose.

In FBW-A hold the E384 up with two hands, keeping the propeller as far away as possible. At this time the pilot should have the

transmitter in hand. Throttle up to 60%. Throw the E384 firmly and level with the wind at the nose of the plane. After the release,

increase throttle and pull up on the elevator to climb. Climb to
about 100m. When you are in FBW-A with AUX.3 at the bottom position flip the THR CUT switch and the

E384 will go into RTL.

Watch the E384 circle at least twice to make sure that it is flying properly. Wait for the delay time to be up on the camera before

you start the mission. Now go to your computer and press Auto. This will start the mission.

During the mission keep an eye on the battery voltage. If it drops below 14.5V it is time to bring it in for a landing. During the

mission pay attention to the flight path and the altitude as well.

When the E384 has reached the last WP it will go into RTL. When the E384 is circling wait for the camera to reach total shots, if it

has not already. When it has the camera lens will be shut and ready for landing.

Flip the THR CUT back to gain control in FBWA. During descent keep throttle very low, and no throttle at all if speed is

maintained. Always land with the wind at the nose of the E384 to slow it down. Bring the E384 down and land on its belly. Go to 

the E384 and unplug both batteries. When you are sure there are no batteries plugged in you may disassemble.
Emergency Procedures

The Spektrum DX5E transmitter and AR610 receiver can communicate up to 1km. If communication is lost with the transmitter the E384 will switch to 

Return-to-Launch and fly safely above the home point at 100m.

The 3DR telemetry radio is rated at 1km range. The RFD900 telemetry range is 10km. If the E384 loses telemetry communication with the ground 

station for an extended period ( 30 seconds ) the plane will switch to Return-to-Launch.

If the battery on the E384 reaches 14.3V the E38 will switch to Return-to-Launch. If the battery is below 14V the E384 will no longer be able to increase 

altitude. 

During flight it is imperative to have both a Spektrum DX5E communicating with the E384 as well as the telemetry connection. If the Spektrum DX5E

becomes unusable during flight ( usually due to a low battery ) communicate using the telemetry connection and set up a land way point to bring the 

E384 in safely. During flight if there are connectivity issues with the telemetry radios manually land the E384 with the Spektrum DX5E and resolve the 

telemetry connection issues. 

If there is a GPS failure when the E384 is an automatic mode the E384 will proceed by setting the throttle to cruise, 42%, and enter a bank right at a 15 

degree angle. If this occurs the Pilot will take control in FBWA with the Spektrum DX5E transmitter and land the E384.
Post-Flight Checklist

Immediately following landing check that all servos are working properly. 

Verify the motor is still working properly.

Disconnect both batteries from the E384.

It is now safe to power off the transmitter and ground station laptop.

Check the fuselage and wings for damage. 

If there is small amounts of damage (small cracks) take care to reinforce the cracks with CA glue.

If the fuselage or wings have major damage, replace them.

Store LiPo batteries at room temperature.

Refer to the Maintenance Manual for the regular replacement schedule.