25

Propeller

Locate the rings inside the propeller package. Remove the ring with 

the second-largest internal diameter, and insert it into the back of the 

propeller hub.

Remove the nut and the washer from the motor, add the propeller with the writing on the 

propeller facing towards the nose of the plane, add the washer and the nut over the propeller, 

and tighten the nut.
26

throttle up

Increase motor speed.

throttle down

Decrease motor 

speed.

throttle fully down

Stop motor.

yaw left

yaw right

Turn left.

Turn right.

Fly the Aero manually using the RC controller.

yaw

throttle

Throttle: Move the left stick forward and backward to control the motor. 

Yaw: Move the left stick horizontally to turn left and right using the rudder.

Pitch: Move the right stick up to pitch down and down to pitch up.

Roll: Move the right stick left and right to control the bank angle.

Controls

roll

pitch

roll and pitch center

Automatically level.

roll left

roll right

Roll left.

Roll right.

pitch up

pitch down

Pitch up.

Pitch down.
27

Auto - fly a mission

Fly an autonomous mission. This is the mode that the Aero will use to create the map.

Fly by Wire - assisted manual control

Let the autopilot manage the control surfaces, and navigate based on where you want the Aero 

to fly. Fly-by-wire mode* (FBW) is the easiest way to fly and is the recommended mode for new 

operators.

*ArduPlane mode FBWA 

Return to Launch (RTL) - recall to launch point

Command the plane to circle over the launch point. The Aero will return to the position where it 

acquired GPS lock and enter into a circle pattern at an altitude of 100 meters.

Loiter - circle

Activate GPS-positioned circling; the Aero will enter into a circle pattern with a radius of 60 meters 

at the current altitude. Move the right stick to adjust the position of the circle.

Stabilize - stabilized manual control

Stabilize mode provides manual control with an added autopilot safeguard: Release the right stick 

and the Aero will automatically return to a level flying orientation. Use stabilize mode for the freedom 

of manual control with return-to-level stabilization.

Manual - full manual control

Fly with fine-tuned manual control without autopilot assistance. Manual mode gives you the most 

direct input to the control surfaces, resulting in precise in-flight adjustment. Try manual mode if 

you’re an experienced RC plane operator.

GEAR/MIX selects the set of modes.

 FLAP/GYRO selects the specific mode, either 0, 1, 

or 2.

To select a flight mode:

First, set the GEAR/MIX switch to select a set of modes. Then use the 

FLAP/GYRO switch to 0, 1, or 2 to select a specific mode. 

With GEAR/MIX set to GEAR,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Manual

 1 for Stabilize

 2 for Loiter

With GEAR/MIX set to MIX,

set FLAP/GYRO to: 0 for Auto

 1 for Fly by wire 

 2 for RTL

Modes 

RC controller (top)
28

Arming and disarming are important steps that must be completed before 

takeoff and after landing to activate and deactivate the motor, respectively.

The arming and disarming procedures ensure that you can safety start and 

stop the motor without risk of injury.

The Aero’s motor can spin when armed! Do not place your hands in the 

way of the propeller while the safety button is active (solid red).

To arm the motor, press and hold the safety button until it 

displays solid red.

To disarm, press and hold the safety button until it displays 

blinking red.

safety button

Inactive, motor disarmed

Active, motor armed

Arming & Disarming LED Indicators

Low battery, automatic landing

Loss of RC signal, automatic landing

System error, see troubleshooting guide

Loss of GPS signal, switch to fly-by-wre

Initializing, please wait

Acquiring GPS, please wait

Armed, GPS locked

Tones

Visit 3DR.com/Aero-M to listen to Pixhawk’s status tones.

GPS Lock

Auto, RTL, and loiter modes requires GPS lock. When powered, the autopilot will 

automatically search for GPS lock. The position of the Aero when the autopilot acquires 

GPS will be saved as the home position, and used as the coordinates for the launch 

point during RTL. If you plan to use auto, RTL, or loiter modes during your flight, ensure 

that the Aero is located at a suitable launch point when powered, and the autopilot 

acquires GPS lock before takeoff, indicated by a blinking green status LED.

Before arming, check the status LED. The LED will flash blue while 

the Aero acquires GPS; this can take a few minutes. Once you see 

the green LED, the autopilot has acquired GPS lock. 

Autopilot ready, GPS locked

Acquiring GPS lock, please wait.

Initializing, please wait. 

!
29

Preflight Checks

Before each flight, perform a physical component check, center of gravity check, and control checks in both manual and stabilize 

modes. If any of the components or assemblies in these checks are not secure, tighten the screws or use CA glue (super glue) to 

secure the components to the foam.

1

Examine the Aero to ensure that all components are secured in flight configuration.

tail servos wing servos

» Check that the wings, tail, and tail boom are fully assembled and securely attached.

» Check that the propeller is secured tightly to the motor.

» Check that the servo rods are secured to the servo horns with the blue clasps.

airspeed sensor

2

Check that the airspeed sensor is secured to the side of the Aero and the 

tube is free from obstructions.

3

With the battery connected and the lid secured, check that the Aero is correctly 

balanced for flight. Hold the Aero with one finger on each of the clear, plastic balancing 

points shown below. These points indicate the Aero’s center of gravity.

If the plane balances on your fingers, then the center of gravity is correct. If 

it won’t balance, adjust the position of the battery until you can balance the 

plane on two fingers as shown below.

Flying the plane without the camera will affect the center of gravity. If you 

choose to fly without the camera, make sure to re-balance the center of 

gravity.
30

Before flying, power and arm the Aero on the ground and complete these checks to verify that the control surfaces respond correctly to the control inputs. Place 

the plane on the ground, and set the mode switches to select manual mode. Move each of the sticks as shown, and check for the corresponding movement of 

the motor or control surfaces.

Left Stick Left Stick

1 

Raise the throttle slightly until the motor spins, then 

immediately set the throttle back to fully down position.

Motor spins.

Left Stick

Left Stick

2 

Pitch down

Elevator tilts down.

Left Stick

Left Stick

Pitch up

Elevator tilts up.

! Do not raise the throttle more than just enough to spin the motor while 

the plane is on the ground, and do not place your hands in the way of 

the propeller while the motor is armed.

Left Stick

Left Stick

3 

Roll left

Left aileron tilts up, right 

aileron tilts down.

Left Stick

Left Stick

Roll right

Left aileron tilts down, 

right aileron tilts up.

Left Stick

Left Stick

4 

Yaw left

Rudder tilts left.

Left Stick

Left Stick

Yaw right

Rudder tilts right.

Preflight Checks: Manual Control Check
31

Set the mode switches to stabilize, and hold the plane in front of you. Move the plane as shown, and 

check for the stabilization response from the control surfaces.

1 

Test: Tilt the plane left.

Result: Left aileron tilts down, right 

aileron tilts up.

Test: Tilt the plane right.

Result: Left aileron tilts up, right 

aileron tilts down.

2 

Test: Tilt the plane down.

Result: Elevator tilts up.

Test: Tilt the plane up.

Result: Elevator tilts down.

Preflight Checks: Stabilize Control Check
32

Auto-takeoff works by sensing the movement of the plane and launching it in that 

direction. Set the Aero to autonomous mode when you’re ready to launch.

Find a launching area with at least 100 feet of clear space in front of you. Face into 

the wind, and hold the body of the Aero in one hand under the center of gravity. Be 

careful not to place your hand in the way of the propeller!

Hold the Aero above your head, run, and throw the plane at an upwards angle. The 

Aero will sense the throw, power the motor, and climb to the altitude specified by 

the takeoff waypoint before starting the survey mission.

Automatic takeoff requires you to configure the takeoff angle during mission planning. See page 18.

!

DO NOT WIND UP YOUR THROW; if the Aero senses any backwards 

momentum it will attempt to launch in that direction. Use only forward 

momentum to throw to Aero!

Automatic Takeoff Manual Takeoff

If you’re new to planes, we recommend having a friend help you launch the 

Aero. Have your friend throw the Aero while you control the controller.

We recommend setting the Aero to fly-by-wire mode for takeoff. Find a 

launching area with at least 100 feet of clear space in front of you. Face 

into the wind, and hold the Aero at the center of gravity. Raise the throttle 

to center position to start the motor. Be careful not to place your hand in 

the way of the propeller!

Hold the Aero above your head, run, and throw the plane at an upwards 

angle.

Once launched, the Aero will require immediate adjustment with the 

controller to navigate away from the ground and up to the desired altitude. 

Pitch up (right stick down) and add any other necessary controls based on 

wind, speed, and terrain.
33

When you’re ready to end your flight, follow these steps to land:

» Fly a circle pattern above your landing area. 

» Come in on a final approach, flying into the wind at 

 an altitude of 20 to 40 meters. 

» When the plane reaches an altitude of 10 meters, set the throttle fully down to turn 

off the motor and glide down 

 on a 15 to 20 degree down-pitch angle. 

» When the plane is one meter above the ground, pitch up (flare) to land the Aero on 

the body of the plane instead of the nose.

Left Stick

Left Stick

Left Stick

Left Stick

throttle fully down

pitch up

20-40 m

10 m

1 m

wind direction

Left Stick

pitch slightly down

After stopping the motor at an altitude of 10 m, keep your thumb on the throttle 

stick in fully down position to ensure 

that the motor does not accidentally spin during landing.

Manual Landing Automatic Landing

!

To land automatically at the end of the mission, the Aero requires the 

mission to be configured with a specific pattern of landing waypoints 

that gradually decreases the altitude so that the Aero can land safely. 

For instructions on configuring automatic landing, see page 18.
34

FPV System Operation

If you selected to receive an optional FPV/OSD system, the components are pre-installed 

into the Aero to transmit on-board video.

AV receiver

Antenna

Batteries (2)

Receiver cables

Parts 2 Wire and power receiver

Attach an antenna to the receiver. Connect the AV output cable to either receiver AV OUT 

port. Connect the RC power cable to the receiver DC IN port, and attach a battery to the red 

connector.

1 Charge battery

Charge both batteries before your first flight. Set the charger to LiPo and 1A. Connect the 

white battery connector to the 3S port, and connect the XT60-JST charger adapter to the 

red battery connector and yellow 

charger connector.

3S port

Battery connector

Transmitter

Camera

Remove lens cap!

3 Prepare on-board components

Connect a fully charged battery to the transmitter inside the compartment in the nose of the 

plane. Remove the lens cap from the camera.

LiPo 1A

4 Viewing video

When using a 3DR Black Pearl Monitor to view your video, set the mode to DIV (M button 

changes modes), the channel to 8 (+ and - buttons), and the band to E (press the power 

button to access the menu).

For more information about configuring the FPV/OSD system, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M.
35

Flying Mapping Missions

Takeoff Checklist

Before flying the mission, check the following:

» Camera is on with mission script ready and is secured into the 

mount with the mini-USB cable connected and the cap removed. 

» Aero is powered and connected to the ground station with all pre-flight 

checks passed.

» The survey mission has been adjusted to account for present 

environmental conditions and saved to the Aero.

Initiating 

For automatic takeoff, set the Aero to auto mode and launch according to the 

instructions in the Automatic Takeoff section of these instructions (page 33).

For manual takeoff, set the Aero to auto mode after takeoff to initiate the mission 

in flight.

Monitoring

Mission Planner Flight Data: Attitude

1 Heading direction

2 Bank angle

3 Altitude (black) and rate of climb (blue bar)

4 Ground speed

Status

4 Distance to current waypoint > 

 current waypoint number

5 GPS status

6 Battery status*

1 Ground station signal

2 GPS time

3 Currently 

 enabled mode

1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

5

6

Monitor the Aero closely during the mission using your line of sight and the 

Mission Planner Flight Data screen.

Actions

1 Change waypoints or restart a mission

2 Change modes

3 Change altitude

Flight Map

1 Current heading

2 Direct path to current waypoint

3 GPS-reported direction of travel

4 Actual flight path

5 Latitude, longitude

6 Altitude

1

2

3

1

2

3

4

5

6 Full battery: 16.8 V

Low battery failsafe: 13.8 V

 End your flight at 14 V! !

*Failsafe behavior enabled
36

Failsafes

al line 

ght 400 ft

(120 m)

00 ft (30 m) 5 miles (8 km)

Low Battery Failsafe

Environmental conditions can affect power consumption. Use the Mission Planner Flight Data 

display to monitor the voltage of the battery during flight.

If the battery reaches 13.8 V, the Aero will return automatically to circle above the launch point, 

indicated by a blinking yellow status LED and a quick repeating tone.

The Aero is programmed with a set of failsafe behaviors to prevent a crash in the event of a loss 

of one of the data or communication channels required for autonomous flight. Although certain 

failsafe have assigned LED indicators and tones, it is unlikely that you will be able to see these at a 

distance. Monitor the Flight Data screen for failsafe indications. If a failsafe is triggered, the assigned 

behavior will activate. To override the failsafe behavior (RTL in most cases), use the controller to 

regain manual control. 

Regaining Manual Control

To regain manual control during the mission, switch to fly-by-wire mode using the controller. If 

you’re a confident operator, switch to stabilize mode. If you observe instability in the Aero’s flight 

behavior or it the aircraft moves outside your designated safe flying area, switch to RTL. Turning off 

the controller will automatically trigger an RTL and can be used in an emergency situation as a hard 

recall command.

RC Controller Signal Failsafe

Physical obstructions and interference from nearby wireless signals can affect the Aero’s connection with the RC controller. 

If the Aero loses contact with the controller, it will return to the launch point automatically and 

enter into a circle pattern above the launch point, indicated by a blinking yellow status LED.

If the controller failsafe is triggered, wait for the Aero to return to the launch point, then regain 

manual control and either land or restart the mission.
37

3 Process

On-Site Quality Check 38

Spot Check 38

Download Images 38

Download Log File 39

Pix4D Rapid Check 40

Full Processing 40
38

On-Site Quality Check 

Before leaving the survey site, check the images using Pix4D to ensure sufficient quality for 

mapping by downloading the images from the SD card, downloading the log file from the 

Aero, and completing Rapid Check Initial Processing in Pix4D.

If you observe poor image quality or the quality report returns errors, see the Image Quality 

Troubleshooting section on page 45 and repeat the mission. 

playback button

SD card file structure: Download images

Spot Check (Optional)

The quickest way to see the images after a flight is to unlock the SD card and restart the 

camera. The camera will load the default Canon programming and you can select the 

playback bottom to review the images.

Download Images

Unlock the SD card and load into your ground station. Select the DCIM folder and locate 

the folder for your flight. Copy the files into a project folder on the ground station and 

delete them from the SD card.
39

Pix4D uses the GPS data from the Aero’s log file to georeference the images. To download the Aero’s 

dataflash log, power the Aero and connect to Mission Planner. The download process will be faster if 

you connect the micro-USB cable directly to Pixhawk’s micro-USB port instead of connecting using 

the ground station radio. (When connecting directly to the Aero, set the rate to 115200.)

On the Flight Plan screen, select the DataFlash Logs tab under the heads-up 

display, and select Download DataFlash Log over Mavlink.

The Log window shows the Aero’s recent flights. Select the flight for your 

mission, and select Download These Logs. This will save the log file to your 

computer in the location displayed under the list of flights.

To retrieve the log file, access your computer’s file structure under Program Files/Mission Planner/logs/

PLANE, and select the .log file for the date of your flight.

Mission Planner: Flight Data heads-up display

Mission Planner: Download Logs Program Files: Retrieve log file

Download Log File
40

1

Open Pix4D Mapper, and create a new project.

2

Select Aerial Nadir as the project 

type.

After creating the project, select the Local Processing screen (Process menu). Check the 

option for Initial Processing and Rapid Check. Uncheck all other local processing options, and 

select Start.

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Create Project

3

After adding the images, select From File to add the geolocation data from the Aero’s log file. In the 

pop-up window, select 3D Robotics Flight Log as the file format, and upload the dataflash log file 

downloaded from Mission Planner.

Pix4Dmapper Rapid Check: Initial Processing

Pix4D will generate a Quality Report that will indicate if the images are of sufficient quality to 

create a map. 

To complete full processing for the map, visit support.pix4d.com for instructions.

Full Processing
41

Appendix

Aerial Imaging Concepts 42

3DR EAI 43

Image Quality Troubleshooting 45

Operational Troubleshooting 46
42

Aerial Imaging Concepts

Understanding key concepts in aerial images can help you understand the mission planning process and create better maps.

Distance-Based Imaging

By default, the Aero captures only the images required to create the map. The autopilot monitors the distance traveled by the Aero and 

sends a command to the camera to capture an image at the distance interval specified by the camera trigger distance parameter (CAM_

TRIGG_DIST). This parameter is set by the Mission Planner Survey Tool during survey configuration by calculating the minimum distance 

between images based on the parameters specified for the survey (altitude, overlap, sidelap). This distance-based imaging allows for more 

precise data collection, resulting in less images and data storage cost.

Once configured, the Survey Tool creates an event at the start of the mission script (after takeoff) to set the camera trigger distance to the 

specified interval and an event at the end of the mission (before landing) to reset the camera trigger distance to 0. Therefore, while on the 

ground and during landing, the camera captures no images because the camera trigger distance is set to 0 m.

Time-Based Imaging

The Aero is also equipped to capture images at a consistent time interval instead of using distance. This function can be useful if you want 

to capture images over an area without planning a mission. This time-based imaging results in more images per area, and therefore more 

processing time and storage cost. See the intervalometer option on page 43 to enable time-based imaging.

Overlap and Sidelap

To capture images for the map, the Aero flies a lawnmower-like pattern in strips across the survey site. The front-to-back overlap between 

sequential images is called overlap; the side overlaps of adjacent pictures in different strips is called sidelap. The overlap and sidelap 

parameters in the Survey Tool (see Advanced Options page 16) determine the distance between images and the number of images to be 

captured based on the projected ground area that each image will cover, called a footprint. The Survey Tool uses a default overlap of 50% 

and a default sidelap of 60%. Increasing overlap and sidelap improves the accuracy of the map while increasing flight time and processing 

time.

In the Survey Tool, Distance between Images shows 

the specified camera trigger distance that will 

be assigned to the mission. You can also see 

the projected image footprint size and the total 

number of images to be captured.

Default overlap: 50%

Default sidelap: 60%
43

3DR EAI

3DR EAI is based on KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: a great opensource project for kite and UAV aerial photography. 

Start and Stop Script

Ensure the camera is set to P (program) mode before powering the camera. 

Upon startup, 3DR EAI starts automatically and listens for commands from the 

autopilot, indicated by waiting for USB signal. To stop (and re-start) the script, press 

the shutter button. The script will display INTERRUPTED when stopped.

CHDK Menu

The CHDK menu contains all the standard options provided with CHDK. 

To access the CHDK menu, stop the script and select the MENU button.

Script Menu

The script menu allows you to change the parameters associated with the script 

itself, including changing the trigger mode and adjusting exposure. To open the 

script menu, stop the script and select the FUNC. SET button. These parameters 

are configured for the Aero and SX260 and do not require adjustment as part of 

standard operation. 

Trigger Type

This parameter allows you to control how the camera captures images. 

Trigger type defaults to USB for distance-based imaging during mapping 

missions. For time-based imaging, select Interval and specify the length in the 

Shot Interval parameter.

Trigger Type default: USB (mapping)

Variable intervalometer: Interval (default to 2 seconds, specified by Shot Interval)

Script start: waiting on USB signal

Script stopped: INTERRUPTED FINISHED

Script menu

CHDK menu Script menu: Trigger Type
44

Updating the Script

3DR EAI is an open-source project and continuously improving. To download the latest script, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M and select 3DR EAI Source. You 

will be redirected to the GitHubt repository where you can right-click on Raw and select Save Link to download the latest script labeled 3DR_EAI_SX260.

lua. 

To update the script on the SD card, unlock the SD card and open it on your computer. Navigate to CHDK/Scripts and replace the existing 3DR_EAI_

SX260.lua file with the updated script file from GitHub.

Resources

Visit 3DR.com/Aero-M for links to resources.

3DR EAI GitHub Repository: github.com/diydrones/ardupilot/tree/master/Tools/CHDK-Scripts

KAP UAV Exposure Control Script v3.1: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/KAP_UAV_Exposure_Control_Script

CHDK v1.3: chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK_1.3.0_User_Manual

Download latest script from GitHub

New script file Script file on SD card

Memory Reset

If the battery is left out of the camera for too 

long, the camera will reset its memory. To 

re-configure the camera in this case, visit 

3DR.com/Aero-M for instructions.
45

Image Quality Troubleshooting

If you observe poor image quality during the spot check or if you receive error 

messages during processing, use the settings below to troubleshoot the image 

quality.

Blurry Images

To correct motion blur, adjust the shutter speed using the Target Tv parameter in the 

script menu.

Target Tv (shutter speed) default: 1/1250

To correct moderate motion blur: Set to 1/1600.

To correct severe motion blur: Set to 1/2000.

Overexposure

If the images are overexposed but do not show any motion blur, it can be due to 

flying in extremely bright conditions. To correct this, set the Allow use of ND filter 

parameter to YES in the script menu.

Allow use of ND filter default: No

To correct overexposure: Set to Yes.

Processing Errors

If you receive errors from Pix4Dmapper during processing, increase the overlap and 

sidelap during survey configuration to improve the quality of the image set.

Overlap default: 50%

Sidelap default: 60%

To improve processing: Set overlap to 60% and sidelap to 70%.

Example image: motion blur Script menu: Target Tv

Example image: overexposure Script menu: ND filter
46

Operational Troubleshooting

No Images Captured

1 If the camera did not capture any images during the mission, first perform a 

 physical inspection on the Aero.

Is the mini-USB cable connected to the camera’s USB port?

Are the AUX OUT 6 pins connected on Pixhawk?

 AUX OUT 6: black (-), red (+), white (s) 

Is the camera battery charged? Unlock the SD card to view the Canon’s 

 battery level indicator.

2 Take a distance-triggered test image on the ground by manually setting 

 the camera trigger distance parameter to 1 m.

Power the Aero and connect to Mission Planner. Select Config/Tuning and 

Full Parameter List. Change the CAM_TRIGG_DIST parameter to 1, and select 

Write Params. Disconnect the Aero from Mission Planner, and carry for a few 

meters to see if the autopilot triggers the camera.

Mission Planner Full Parameter List: Set CAM_TRIGG_DIST to 1.