# DRAGANFLYER X6

USERS MANUAL

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

2 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

**OPERATOR NOTICE ....................................**

**................................................... .............. 5** 

**WARNINGS ...........................................**

**................................................... ........................ 6** 

**X6 OVERVIEW AND SPECIFICATIONS ..................... .............................................. 7** 

F EATURES

................................................... ................................................... .................. 7

T ECHNICAL S PECIFICATIONS

................................................... ......................................... 8

**SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.................................**

**................................................... ......... 12** 

**MAINTENANCE........................................**

**................................................... ................. 12** 

**ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS ..............................**

**................................................... .... 14** 

Side Arms ..........................................

................................................... ..................... 15 Landing Gear.......................................

................................................... .................. 15

Rotors.............................................

................................................... ........................ 16 Canopy .............................................

................................................... ...................... 18 Battery............................................

................................................... ........................ 19

**OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS ..............................**

**................................................... ... 21** 

W IND

. .................................................. ................................................... ....................... 22

D RAGANFLYER X6 H ELICOPTER /C ONTROLLER R ANGE T EST ........................................ 23

R ECOMMENDED O PERATIONAL G UIDELINES

................................................... .............. 23

General ............................................

................................................... ...................... 23 Flight Operations Checklists .......................

................................................... .......... 23

P REFLIGHT P REPARATION

................................................... ........................................... 23 Control Systems Check ..............................

................................................... ............ 25 Before Takeoff.....................................

................................................... ................... 25 Launch Helicopter ..................................

................................................... ............... 25 Landing ............................................

................................................... ...................... 26 Post Flight........................................

................................................... ...................... 26

L OGBOOKS

................................................... ................................................... ............... 26

M AINTENANCE

................................................... ................................................... ......... 27

S POTTERS

................................................... ................................................... ................. 27

T ELEMETRY AND C ALIBRATION

................................................... .................................. 27 Telemetry Program ..................................

................................................... .............. 28

H ANDHELD C ONTROLLER

................................................... ........................................... 29 Battery: ...........................................

................................................... ....................... 30

Control Sticks: ....................................

................................................... ................... 30

Switches: ..........................................

................................................... ...................... 31

Trims:.............................................

................................................... ........................ 31

Trainer Switch: ....................................

................................................... .................. 31

Camera Controls....................................

................................................... ................ 32 Dual Video Output Jacks ............................

................................................... ........... 32 Data log Micro-SD Port .............................

................................................... ........... 32 Draganflyer X6 Touch Screen ........................

................................................... ....... 33

W ARNINGS AND C ONFIRMATIONS

................................................... ............................... 45

Visual .............................................

................................................... ........................ 45

Audible ............................................

................................................... ....................... 46

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

3 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p A CTIVATING THE D RAGANFLYER X6................................................. ............................ 47 Arming Procedure...................................

................................................... ............... 47 Takeoff............................................

................................................... ........................ 47 Landing ............................................

................................................... ...................... 48

D ISARMING THE D RAGANFLYER X6 ................................................. ............................. 48

**DRAGANFLYER X6 GPS SYSTEM .......................... ................................................. 49** 

GPS L OCK Q UALITY

................................................... ................................................... 49

P OSITION H OLD A CCURACY

................................................... ....................................... 50

F LIGHT M ODES

................................................... ................................................... ........ 51 Altitude-Hold Flight Mode..........................

................................................... ........... 51

GPS Position Hold Mode.............................

................................................... .......... 51

**CALIBRATIONS: ......................................**

**................................................... ................. 52** 

M AGNETIC D ECLINATION

................................................... ........................................... 52

V ERTICAL M AGNETIC F IELD :.................................................. ....................................... 53 Vertical Magnetic Field Calibration ................

................................................... ..... 53

T RANSMITTER RF P OWER

................................................... ........................................... 56

**BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM ............................ .................................................. 5**  **6**

S ET U P AND O PERATION

................................................... ............................................. 57

**CAMERA SYSTEMS.....................................**

**................................................... ............. 59** 

Quick Release Camera Mount Installation............

................................................... 60

S TILL D IGITAL C AMERA

................................................... ............................................. 61

H IGH D EFINITION V IDEO

................................................... ............................................ 62

L OW L IGHT B LACK AND W HITE V IDEO

................................................... ...................... 63

T HERMAL I NFRA -R ED V IDEO

................................................... ...................................... 64

GROUND CONTROL BASE STATION............................................ ......................... 65

**VIDEOGRAPHY ........................................**

**................................................... ................. 69** 

**PRE-TRAINING FOR DRAGANFLYER X6 .................... ......................................... 69** 

Flight Simulator...................................

................................................... .................. 70 Indoor Electric Coaxial Helicopter Training ........

................................................... 70

**FLIGHT TRAINING....................................**

**................................................... ............... 72** 

TRAINER FLIGHT .............................................

................................................... ...... 72 Master Controller Setup ............................

................................................... ............ 72 Slave Controller Setup .............................

................................................... .............. 74

FLIGHT LESSONS ............................................

................................................... ....... 75 Lesson 1: Familiarization and Trimming:............

................................................... . 75 Lesson 2: Basic Hovering ...........................

................................................... ........... 76

Lesson 3: Movements................................

................................................... ............. 76

Lesson 4: Orientation ..............................

................................................... .............. 77

Lesson 5: Climbs and Descents ......................

................................................... ....... 78 Lesson 6: Introduction to Forward Flight...........

................................................... .. 78 Lesson 7: Advanced Forward Flight ..................

................................................... ... 78

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

4 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **HOW TO UPDATE THE DRAGANFLYER X6 TRANSMITTER AND**

**HELICOPTER FIRMWARE................................**

**................................................... ..... 79** 

**HOW TO UPDATE THE DRAGANFLYER X6 CONFIGURATION FILE .......... 82** 

**FLIGHT TROUBLESHOOTING.............................**

**................................................... . 84** 

**MAILING ADDRESS: ...................................**

**................................................... ............. 86** 

**DRAGANFLY INNOVATIONS INC. SASKATOON, SK S7M0K7 21 08 ST.** 

**GEORGE AVENUE ......................................**

**................................................... .............. 86** 

**CANADA GLOSSARY OF TERMS ........................... ................................................. 86** 

**GLOSSARY OF TERMS..................................**

**................................................... .......... 87** 

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

5 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Operator Notice**



## The responsibility falls upon owners operating or a uthorizing the operation and pilots operating the Draganflyer X6 h elicopter for operation of the helicopter in a safe manner that e nsures no injury to persons or damage to property occurs by t aking unnecessary risk in its operation.

Further more the onus is upon each owner authorizin g the operation of the Draganflyer X6 helicopter, and eac h pilot operating the Draganflyer X6 helicopter, to comply with all regulations pertinent to the use of the Draganflyer X6 helicopter and associated components, at the location of opera tion with regards to the use of airspace as well as radio com munications.

Draganfly Innovations Inc. does not accept any resp onsibility for the damages or financial compensations which may ar ise there of as the result of an owner operating or authorizi ng a pilot to operate and failing to comply with any of the resp ective regulations and which leads to a claim of a third p arty against

the user.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

6 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Warnings**

**The Draganflyer X6 helicopter is a precision machin e 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 stab le. Although the Draganflyer X6 will maintain an attitude and a position relative to win d movement without constant control input , operators should always be aware of its pos ition and be able to take immediate control of the helicopter to recover from an unwant ed position and avoid any mishaps. Please completely read and understand all Draganfly er X6 instructional information before attempting to fly the Draganflyer X6.

To provide optimum performance, a Lithium Polymer b attery powers your Draganflyer X6. The same properties that make these batteries e xtremely powerful and lightweight also make them dangerous if handled incorrectly. Pl ease read and understand all information pertaining to the battery before attemp ting to use or charge it.

**IF MISUSED THIS AIRCRAFT IS CAPABLE OF CAUSING SERI OUS BODILY HARM** 

**TO THE OPERATOR AND SPECTATORS AS WELL AS PROPERTY DAMAGE. ANY** 
**DAMAGE OR INJURY OCCURRING DUE TO MISUSE OF THIS PR ODUCT IS** 

**SOLELY THE OPERATOR’S RESPONSIBILITY.**

**DO NOT PLACE YOUR HANDS OR ARMS IN CLOSE PROXIMATY TO THE** 

**ROTORS OR ATTEMPT TO STOP SPINNING ROTORS WITH YOUR HANDS AS** 
**SERIOUS INJURY COULD RESULT FROM CONTACT.**

**THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS CHEMICALS WHICH ARE KNOWN BY THE STATE OF**  **CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE CANCER, BIRTH DEFECTS AND/OR OT HER** 

**REPRODUCTIVE HARM.** Many common materials such as metals, plastics, gl ues, lubricants and other coatings contain chemicals in varying amount and concentrations

which will cause harm if introduced into the human body. For further information on toxic or dangerous chemicals please refer to Califo rnia’s Health and Safety Codes

Sections 25249.5-13

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

7 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **X6 Overview and Specifications**

With experience gained through the production of th e Draganflyer V series helicopters as well as feedback from customers, Draganfly Innovati ons has utilized the talents of skilled engineers, designers and technicians to bring you t he Draganflyer X6. This collaboration has resulted in a more powerful, highly stable flyi ng platform that requires minimal training to effectively fly. The Draganflyer X6 ca n be equipped with a variety of cameras allowing for video or still pictures to be taken wi th live feed to enable one-person operation.



### Features

 Six High Efficiency Carbon Fiber Rotors:

 direct drive

 custom designed

 optimized for maximum efficiency

 Six Brushless Motors:

 high performance, high efficiency

 Auto stabilization with 11 Sensors and Onboard Proc essor:

 3 Gyros: Monitor the rate of rotation around the x, y, and z axis.

 3 Accelerometers: Monitor the rate of acceleration in the x, y, and z

directions.

 3 Magnetometers: Allow the helicopter to orient its elf relative to the Earth’s magnetic field.

 1 Barometric pressure sensor: Measures Altitude.

 1 GPS Receiver: Measures absolute position with a r esolution of under

one meter.

 Advanced Stabilization Software: over 10000 lines o f programming

instruction achieve full stabilization and allow th e helicopter to be flown in an intuitive manner, by anyone even withou t training.

 Collapsible carbon fiber frame

 Antenna for GPS Position Hold

 Rechargeable lithium polymer battery

 Easily removable carbon fiber landing gear

 Will fit into a 26” long 6” diameter tube when coll apsed

 Revolutionary software and sensor package combine t o produce an aerial flying platform that is easier to fly than any prev ious model.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

8 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Technical Specifications
**Helicopter Size**

• **Dimensions**

o Width: 91cm (36in)

o Length: 85cm (33in)

o Top Diameter: 99cm (39in)

o Height: 25.4cm (10in)

• **Dimensions** (Without Rotors)

o Width: 55cm (22in)

o Length: 49cm (19in)

o Top Diameter: 63cm (25in)

o Height: 25.4cm (10in)

• **Folded Dimensions**

o Width: 30cm (12in)

o Length: 68cm (27in)

o Front Diameter: 35cm (14in)

o Height: 25.4cm (10in)

• **Folded Dimensions** (Without Landing Gear)

o Width: 13cm (5in)

o Length: 66cm (26in)

o Front Diameter: 14cm (5.5in)

o Height: 13cm (5in)

• **Folded Dimensions** (Without Rotors or Landing Gear)

o Width: 13cm (5in)

o Length: 51cm (20in)

o Front Diameter: 14cm (5.5in)

o Height: 13cm (5in)

**RF Communications**

• **2.4GHz Data Link**

o Link Type: Helicopter to Ground & Ground to Helicop ter (Two-Way)

o Helicopter Antenna: Wired Whip Antenna

o Controller Antenna: Omni-Directional

o Transmission Power (North America): 50mW (+17dBm)

o Transmission Power (International): 10mW (+10dBm)

o RF Data Rate: 250kbps

o Receiver sensitivity: -100dBm

o Transmission Technique: DSSS (Direct Sequence Sprea d Spectrum)

o Frequency band: 2.4000 - 2.4835 GHz

o Certifications: CE, FCC, IC, ETSI

o Data Link Channel Selection: Automatic (13 Channels )

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

9 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p • **5.8GHz Video Link**

o Link Type: Helicopter to Ground (One-Way)

o Transmitter Antenna: Omni-Directional

o Receiver Antennas: Omni-Directional & Flat Patch

o Transmission Power: 12dBm

o Transmitter Power Consumption: 500mW

o NTSC and PAL Compatible

o 4 Selectable Channels: 5740MHz, 5760MHz, 5780MHz, 5 800MHz,

**11 Onboard Sensors**

• 3 Solid State MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System s) Gyros

• 3 Solid State MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System s) Accelerometers

• 3 Magnetometers (Magnetoresistive Sensors)

• 1 Barometric Pressure Sensor

• 1 GPS Receiver

o GPS Battery Backup: 75mAh Lithium Polymer

**GPS**

• GPS Used For: Position Hold, Location & Velocity Da ta

• Maximum Satellites Tracked Simultaneously: 16

• Position Update Rate: 4 Hz

• GPS Antenna: Ceramic Patch

• Battery Backup: Lithium Polymer

**Black Box Data Recorder**

• Flight Data Recording: On-Board

• Stored To: Removable 2Gb MicroSD Memory Card

• Data Recorded: Onboard Sensor Flight Data

• (Link quality, Orientation, Altitude, Speed, Direct ion)

**Weight & Payload**

• Helicopter Weight: 1,000g (35oz)

• Payload Capability: 500g (18oz)

• Maximum Gross Take-Off Weight: 1,500g (53oz)

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

10 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Flight Characteristics** :

• Climb Rate: 2m/s (6.5ft/s)

• Descent Rate: 2m/s (6.5ft/s)

• Turn Rate: 90°/second

• Maximum Speed: 50km/h (30mph)

• Minimum Speed: 0km/h (0mph)

• Launch Type: VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing)

• Maximum Flight Time: approx 20 minutes (no payload)

• Sound at 1m (3.28ft):65dB

• Sound at 3m (9.84ft):60dB

**Rotor Blades**

• Three Pairs (Six Rotors Total)

• Rotor Blade Material: Molded Carbon Fiber

• Upper Rotor Diameter: 40cm (16in)

• Lower Rotor Diameter: 38cm (15in)

• Upper Rotor Weight: 12g (0.42oz)

• Lower Rotor Weight: 11g (0.38oz)

**Electric Motors**

• Brushless Motors: 6

• Configuration: Direct Drive (One Motor per Rotor)

• Ball Bearing: 2 per Motor

• Rotor Mounting Points: Integrated

**Camera Attachments**

• 10MP (Mega-Pixel) Digital Still Camera with Remote Controlled Tilt, Zoom &

Shutter

• 1080p HD (High Definition) Video Camera with Remote Controlled Tilt

• Thermal FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) Camera wit h Remote Controlled Tilt

• Low Light (0.001lux) Dusk/Dawn Black & White Video Camera with Remote

Controlled Tilt

**Position Navigation Lights**

• Type: 1 Watt LED Variable Brightness Emitters

• Luminous Flux at Full Brightness: 40lm

• Purpose: Helicopter Orientation Confirmation

• Visible Condition Range: Full Darkness to Direct Su nlight

• Standard Aircraft Colors

o Red: Left - Green: Right -White: Tail/Rear

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

11 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Rechargeable Helicopter Battery**

• Cell Chemistry: Lithium Polymer

• Voltage: 14.8V nominal

• Capacity: 2700mAh

• Cell Configuration 4s2p (4-series 2-parallel)

• Max Discharge:20C. Cont / 40C Burst

• Max Current: 54A Cont. / 108A Burst

• Connectors: Integrated Balance and Power

• Recharge Time: 30 minutes (after typical flight)

**Landing Gear**

• Installed Height: 18cm (7in)

• Stance Width: 30cm (12in)

• Skid Length: 30cm (12in)

• Landing Gear Material: Molded Carbon Fiber

**Materials**

• Carbon Fiber

• Glass Filled Injected Nylon

• Aluminum & Stainless Steel Fasteners

• RoHS Compliant

**Operating Requirements**

• Recommended Pre-Use Temperature: 10° to 35°C (50° t o 95°F)

• Maximum Environmental Operating Temperature: -25° t o 38°C (-13° to 100°F)

• Relative Humidity: 0% to 90% Noncondensing

• Maximum Wind speed: Varies based on payload and mis sion

**Draganflyer X6 Handheld Computerized Controller**

• Width: 22cm (8.7in)

• Height: 12cm (4.7in)

• Depth: 8cm (3.1in)

• Weight: 790g (28.0oz)

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

12 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Safety Precautions**

• **Always wear protective eyewear.**

• **Do not use batteries other than those specifically designed for the**  **Draganflyer X6, doing so will interfere with Magnet ometer settings.** 

• **Do not fly the Draganflyer X6 in excessive winds - GPS hold mode limited to**  **10 km/h (6mph) winds – Manual flight mode limited t o 16 km/h (10 mph)** 

**winds.**

• **Do not fly near people on the ground or objects in the air.** 

• **Do not fly near high-tension lines, electrical subs tations, high structures or** 

**communication facilities.**

• **Be careful where you place the controller during fl ight preparations, be sure**  **that it will not be dropped or suffer a fall as thi s may cause serious damage.** 

• **Never fly this aircraft where damage to property or injury to persons may** 

**result if loss of control occurs.**

• **Never leave the Draganflyer X6 unattended with the battery connected to it.**  **Always disconnect the battery when not flying.**

**Maintenance**

To help ensure safe operation and keep your Draganf lyer running at its best we recommend having your Draganflyer serviced at the i ntervals listed below. Should any component on the helicopter or support equipment sh ow signs of fatigue or damage immediately discontinue use until the component has been properly replaced.

**Every Flying Session:**

**-** Inspect folding mechanism and all joints for damage s or wear

**-** Inspect motors for rough motion

**-** Inspect all rotor and camera mount o-rings for dama ge or wear

**-** Check to ensure the hand held controller is recordi ng a log file.

**-** Clean all components with a soft damp cloth or comp ressed air

**Every 3 months or 10 th**  **time the rotor blades have been removed:**

- Replace all rotor blade mounting o-rings

- Replace all camera mount quick release o-rings

- Check mounting bolts on rotor mounts to ensure ti ght

- Perform motor test to inspect for damages or roug h motors

- Cycle flight batteries

- Inspect canopy mounting latch and slot

**Every Year or 300 flight hours:**

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

13 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p - Please contact Draganfly Innovations Customer Servi ce Department for assistance with the following service requirements.

o Inspect and clean all electrical connections

o Inspect all crimps and solder connections on movabl e components

o Inspect all moveable components for wear

o Recalibration of magnetometer and main circuit boar d

o Inspect motor assemblies and replace all that are w orn

o Inspect all fasteners, linkages and joints

o Rebuild shock absorbers

o Replace all rubber mounting brackets

o Cycle and test flight batteries

o Cycle and test hand held controller battery

o Cycle and test base station battery

o Check for software updates

**Every 600 flight hours:**

- Please contact Draganfly Innovations Customer Servi ce Department for assistance with the following service requirements.

o Overhaul or replace all motor assemblies

**Do not use any chemical cleaners as they may cause deterioration of**  **some of the Draganflyer’s components.**

**Do not attempt to lubricate the motor bearings. Usi ng the wrong type of**  **lubricant or improper lubrication methods can resul t in permanent damage to**  **Draganflyer motors.**

**Do not interchange motors or swap motor positions. Each of the motors is**  **specifically coded for operation at their specific location. Installing motors with**  **out the proper coding will result in a crash of the Draganflyer.** 

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

14 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Assembly Instructions**

Up/Down/Fore/Rear /Left /Right Conventions:

• The helicopter’s back is identified by the motor po d located straight back from center of canopy, with a WHITE LED.

• The deck and canopy extending beyond center identif y the helicopter’s front.

• Up is identified by the deck and canopy mounted on top of the frame’s hub.

• Down is identified by the landing gear.

• Left is identified by the left motor pod and with a RED LED.

• Right is identified by the right motor pod and with a GREEN LED.

**Draganflyer Parts Required (included):** 

##  Draganflyer X6 

##  3pcs clockwise rotor 

##  3pcs counter clockwise rotor 

##  2pcs landing gear halves 

##  Lithium-polymer battery 

##  12pcs black o-rings **Tools Required: for normal operation**

• 3/16” Hex Driver

• 3/32” Hex Driver

• 1/16” Allen wrench

• .050” Hex driver

• 5/64 ” Hex driver

• 2.5 mm Hex driver

• 1⁄4 ” Nut driver

• 3/16” Nut driver



### • Hook tool Front Left

Right Back

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

15 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Assembly Steps :

**Side Arms**

The Draganflyer X6’s frame features a unique ability to collapse and expand quickly and easily.

The rear arm is stationary and does not move. Swing each of the left and right arms forward and into their clamps. Ensure the booms are snug in their clamps.

**Landing Gear**

The landing gear features the best compromise between weight, stability, ease of assembly, camera viewing angle, and absorption.

For installation of the landing gear the following directions are provided.

Quick Release Landing Gear Installation Insert landing gear by slightly lifting the H Plate arm and sliding the struts between the H-plate and Boom Assembly. Made sure the longer por tion of the skid is facing to the front (installing with the longer portion facing ba ck may cause the helicopter to tip and cause damage). Slide strut into position until the centre seats onto the mounting washer and it snaps into place. Release H-Plate arm. You s hould not be able to remove the strut without lifting the H-Plate arm. Repeat for remaini ng strut legs.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

16 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Rotors**

The Draganflyer X6 uses two types of rotors: top - 16 inch long, and bottom 15 inch long. The calibration markings are written on the bottom of each rotor. The other way to tell is their direction of spin. Looking at them from the top (convex side of the blades facing you), top blades spin clockwise and bottom blades c ounterclockwise.

**Installation for all six rotors is identical:**

• Position rotor on rotor-mount, with shaft sticking through rotor’s central hole. Ensure the concave side of each blade is pointing d ownward

. Install one oring. Hook the o-ring under one narrow edge of the mounting bracket, stretch it over top of the blade’s hub, and then hook it un der the other narrow edge of

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

17 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p the mounting bracket. Stretching the o-ring around the second narrow edge is a challenge. Use the small hook tool provided, but be careful to avoid damaging the motor’s exposed wires.

• Install a second o-ring on the other side of the ro tor using the same procedure

as the first.

Ensure both o-rings are properly secured; failure t o secure O-rings could result in loss of a rotor and subsequent cras h of the helicopter

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

18 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Canopy**

**How to Remove the canopy**

1. Hold the rear arm to stabilize the helicopter.

2. With your thumb and finger on the front canopy carb on fiber tabs, apply slight pressure toward the center of the canopy while lift ing upward. At the same time pull the tab outward. This will unlatch the canopy and allow you to remove it.

**How to Install the Canopy**

1. Line up the slot in the back of the canopy with the tab protruding from the back of the helicopter deck (above where the rear arm meets the body of the helicopter).

2. Slide the canopy slot forward over this tab until t he front of the upper and lower canopy align.

3. Starting at the back of the canopy, apply a slight forward and downward pressure to slowly wrap the canopy over the circuit board de ck.

4. Gently squeeze down on the nose to secure the canop y in place ensuring pin is lined up

. Ensure the top canopy overlaps the bottom canopy on all sides.

In its normal position and when properly seated the top canopy will slightly overlap the bottom canopy, be sure that th e bottom canopy edge is not over the upper canopy otherwise the can opy may fall off.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

19 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Battery**

The Draganflyer X6’s main power source is a removab le, rechargeable lithiumpolymer battery (4 Cell 2700mAh). It has been car efully selected and custommade to ensure maximum helicopter performance. The Draganflyer X6 has been precisely tuned for this battery.

Use of batteries other than the Draganflyer X6 4 Ce ll 2700mAh
battery will void the Draganflyer X6 warranty



### . Alternative batteries will severely degrade performance and wil l interfere with the operation of the magnetometer.

The battery sits on the top plate its position and orientations are important. Duplicate the described battery installation carefu lly. Velcro loop pads are found on the bottom of the battery and are set on the Vel cro hook pads on the circuit board plate.

**Installing the Draganflyer X6 helicopter battery**

1. Remove the canopy.

2. Position the battery so the red connector on the ba ttery is aligned with the red connector on the Draganflyer X6 helicopter. If the connector is facing forward it may cause interference with the magnetometer and GP S system

3. Center the battery on the Velcro strips between the GPS antenna and the switch

board located at the back of the circuit board deck

. 4. Adjust the battery so it sits against the edge of t he circuit board but does not overlap on to it.

5. Connect the red male battery connector from the cir cuit board to the red female connector on the battery.

.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

20 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Only mate this connector if you plan on flying imme diately. Even while the board is turned off, it will slowly drain the battery. Don’t leave this connection mated for more than 10 minutes without flying.

The six-pin balance connector socket on the battery is only used during charging,

6. Finally, install the canopy. Check that the canopy is securely latched and sitting well on the deck. The canopy should have equal dec k overhang at its rear left and right sides. You should not be able to pop it off unless pressure is applied to the

front carbon fiber tabs.

When the low battery voltage warning comes on this does mean "land now" although it will still provide enough po wer to get the helicopter back and land safely, continuing to fly will run the risk of permanent damage to the battery and also crashing t he helicopter

Once the helicopter batteries are drained below 12 volts they become extremely unsafe to charge or use. Doing so may res ult in a fire. Batteries in this condition should be disposed of To dispose of it soak it in saturated salt water for 48 hours and then it can be safely p ut in with household garbage.

When transporting or temporarily storing Lipo batt eries in a vehicle, temperature ranges should be greater than 20 ° F(-6 .6° C) but no more than 150 ° F (65.6. °C) Storing Lipo batteries at temperatures greater than 170° ( 76.6 ° C) may cause damage to battery and possible fire.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

21 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Operator Instructions**

**The Draganflyer X6 already knows how to fly itself, but it needs**  **your help to get in the air. Like any aircraft pre flight checks**  **need to be performed. Failure to carry out prefligh t checks and**  **to rectify any identified problems may result in di sastrous**  **consequences that could injure someone, damage or d estroy**  **property including your helicopter.**

**This aircraft is not designed for aerobatic manoeuv res or high speed flight. Do not**  **perform aggressive or erratic manoeuvres at high sp eeds or fly in wind conditions**  **above 16 kmh (10 mph). Failing to abide by this war ning and performing such**  **manoeuvres may cause boom strikes and damage to you r helicopter.** 

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

22 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Wind.
Although the Draganflyer X6 is designed for both in door and outdoor flight, care must be taken to ensure you are able t o maintain control of the helicopter in various wind conditions. The Bea ufort Scale shown below indicates wind speeds and visual references w hich may be observed around your environment. Also be aware tha t wind speeds generally increase with altitude gained. Therefore what you may believ e is a light breeze at ground level may be a gentle breeze at 10-20 meters (32- 64 ft) and a moderate breeze or stronger at altitudes higher than 20 meters (32 ft) .

Recommended flight wind conditions: Inexperienced operators and flight for video purposes using GPS Position Hold, should be limited to calm conditions, ground winds not exceeding 10 kmh (6 mph). For Manual Flight wi nds should not exceed 16 kmh (10 mph). As you obtain experience flying the Drag anflyer X6 you may want to fly in slightly increased winds, however even experienced operators should not fly in wind
conditions more than a moderate breeze. The Beaufort Scale below provides for an estimation of wind speeds based on environmental cl ues

BEAUFORT SCALE: Specifications and equivalent speed s for use on land FORCE EQUIVALENT SPEED 10 m above ground DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS FOR

USE ON LAND

miles/hour knots 0 0-1 0-1 Calm Calm; smoke rises vertically 1 1-3 1-3 Light air Direction of wind shown by smoke drift, but not by wind

vanes.

2 4-7 4-6 Light Breeze Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vanes moved by wind.

3 8-12 7-10 Gentle Breeze Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends light flag

4 13-18 11-16 Moderate Breeze Breeze Ra ises dust and loose paper; small branches

are moved.

5 19-24 17-21 Fresh Breeze Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form

on inland waters.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

23 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Draganflyer X6 Helicopter/Controller Range Test

The simple method of testing the controller and hel icopter for range is to turn on the handheld controller and power up the helicopter but do not arm it. Observe the blink rate of the LEDs on the helicopter. Now increase the thr ottle, the LEDs should blink at a quicker rate, throttle down the controller. Walk a pproximately 60 paces away from the helicopter and then increase the throttle again, th e blink rate should increase as before. If the blink rate does not increase proportionately wi th the throttle increase, you are not getting the correct response and you should not att empt to fly the helicopter.

Antenna orientation ; for best reception it is best if the ends of ant ennas on the Draganflyer X6 transmitter are not pointed directly at the helicopter as you are flying it. The antennas are hinged to allow them to be adj usted off of a direct line.



### Recommended Operational Guidelines

**General**

1. Be aware of and abide by remote controlled aircraft regulations applicable to the airspace used.

2. Manned aircraft have the right-of- way.

3. Avoid flight over persons or property which could b e damaged by a crash..

4. Do not fly under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

5. Helicopter shall remain in line of sight at all tim es. 6. If optical systems such as video goggles are used by the pilot, have a designated

spotter.

7. Do not undertake a flight operation unless the heli copter is airworthy.

**Flight Operations Checks**

There are six phases to flight operations; Pre-Flig ht, Control Systems Check, Before Take Off, In-flight Operations, Landing, and Post Flight Operations. Each phase should be

conducted in a location and manner that allows for safe operations with respect to anyone involved with the operations, bystanders in close p roximity and the general public and property in the area. It is the responsibility of t he operator or pilot in control to ensure all aspects of the operations are safe before conductin g a flight.



### Preflight Preparation



##  **Calibration** Calibrations for Magnetic Declination and Vertical Magnetic Inclination are automatically adjusted for changes of location by t he helicopter firmware. Do not adjust these values unless instructed to by a Draga nfly Technician. Prior to flying you should adjust your LED brightness and Altitude Limit ceiling for the conditions and environment you are flying in.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

24 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

##  **Inertial Screen** Before flying check the Inertial Screen on the cont roller, tilt the helicopter on each axis and ensure all the IMU and Mag values are movi ng. If they do not respond do not fly and contact Draganfly Tech Support. 

##  **Environment** Ensure any wind speed is within the capability of t he helicopter and the operator. Inexperienced operators and flight for video purpos es using GPS Position Hold, should be limited to calm conditions with ground wi nds not exceeding 10 kmh (6mph). In addition be aware of obstacles and struc tures that may influence flight operations 

##  **Eye Protection** Ensure you are wearing safety glasses or other suit able eye protection. 

##  **Side Arms** Unfold arms; press firmly until they click into pla ce. Test that the arms do not unclip easily. Check the arms and clamps for weakness. Replace any worn or damaged parts. 

##  **Landing Gear** Inspect the landing gear for cracks or damage. Ensure the landing gear is not deformed and the Dra ganflyer X6 helicopter sits level. 

##  **Motors** Without powering up the helicopter, rotate each rot or slowly by hand. As the magnets in the brushless motor pass over each detent it sho uld give the feel of a slight bump. Rotate the rotor at least one complete revolution, although it is bumpy it should be consistently bumpy. If a magnet is missing or damag ed it may feel more resistive in that spot or move more freely. All six motors shoul d have the same feel of rotational

resistance. Without using excessive force, attempt to twist eac h motor pod. If they twist, do not continue with flight. If you feel there is any issue with a motor, do not fly the X6 helicopter. Contact Draganfly Innovations for technical assistance. 

##  **Rotors** Check that all three top rotors (clockwise) are cor rectly installed on top motors. Check that all three bottom rotors (counterclockwis e) are correctly installed on

bottom motors. Inspect rotors for chips or cracks; Replace any dam aged rotors.

Check that each rotor blade is secured with two 2 o -rings; replace any missing orings. Inspect condition of all o-rings; replace any that are cracked or worn. 

##  **Helicopter Battery** Fully charge battery before each use. Ensure battery is placed in the correct position, a nd securely connected. 

##  **Canopy** Inspect canopy for cracks; replace if damaged.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

25 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Ensure canopy is correctly placed and securely latc hed. Canopy is seated properly when the top shell overlaps the bottom shell. 

##  **Handheld Controller**

Ensure Micro SD card is inserted in the Micro SD ca rd Slot to enable flight Data recording. Fully charge controller battery before each use. Ensure controller is communicating with the helicop ter (indicated by three long beeps when Draganflyer X6 and controller are first turned on. 

##  **Camera /Video System** Fully charge Base Station receiver battery before e ach use. Fully charge monitoring device or video glasses bef ore each use. Ensure camera is mounted securely and that the moun ting o-rings are in good

condition. Test camera system for proper operation before each use.

**Control Systems Check**

1. Make sure that all of your body parts, clothing, ot her obstructions and bystanders are well away from any rotors and their arc before turning power on to any systems. Make sure the helicopter is secure and wil l not move if the motors suddenly power up.

2. Announce out loud “CLEAR ROTORS”.

3. Turn on the handheld controller. Ensure the telemet ry information is displayed.

4. Make sure that the throttle stick on the handheld c ontroller is lowest position.

5. Connect the battery and/or turn on the power button to the helicopter, located at the back of the canopy.

6. Follow recommended range test procedures.

7. Check motors and rotors for proper operation. Firml y secure the helicopter and bump up the motor switch to start the motors spinni ng - check for strange noises, vibration, or other possible anomalies.

8. Check that the motors stop completely when the thro ttle is at the off position, by throttling to its lowest point and holding the desc end switch down for 3 seconds.

9. If a camera is installed, check that the camera equ ipment power is on. Check to make sure the shutter trigger is working properly.

**Before Takeoff**

1. Confirm that the handheld controller antennas are i nstalled.

2. Check that the flight area is clear of people and o bstructions.

3. Double check weather and environmental conditions a nd review potential emergency landing areas.

4. Announce out loud “TAKE OFF”. **Launch Helicopter**

1. Point front of the helicopter so it is facing into the wind

2. Arm the helicopter.

3. Engage the rotors with the “Rotor Engage Switch” by toggling it forward and

release it back to neutral. Ensure all rotors are s pinning.

4. Increase throttle slowly and smoothly from centre p osition to about 75% throttle the slowly and smoothly return it to centre. The he licopter will auto take off to

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

26 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p about 1 meter then settle. Ensure you keep control of roll, pitch and yaw during

takeoff.

5. Climb to a safe altitude away from potential hazard s and check control systems. Adjust trims if necessary.

6. Keep helicopter at a safe operating distance from p eople and buildings.

7. Continually scan the flight and ground areas for po tential hazards. **Landing**

1. Scan landing area for potential obstructions and ha zards.

2. Announce out loud “LANDING”.

3. Carefully land the helicopter away from obstruction s and people.

**Post Flight**

1. Disengage the rotors immediately by holding throttl e at its lowest position, wait for 1 second then simultaneously press the motor en gage switch down. Wait for the rotors to stop turning.

2. Disarm the helicopter.

3. Turn off the power to the camera.

4. Turn the power off to the helicopter and disconnect the battery.

5. Turn off the handheld controller.

6. Check the helicopter for signs of damage or excessi ve wear. 7. Secure the helicopter.



### Logbooks

Draganflyer X4 Helicopter Serial Number ________ Flight Log

Date Location Pilot Flight Number
Flight Data Log

Number
Take-Off Time Land Time Total Flight Time Accumulated Flight Time

Wind Speed Temperature Camera Operator Camera Type

Spotter File Name
Weather Conditions Flight Authorization Information

Purpose of Flight Battery

Pack # Start Voltage End Voltage

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

27 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Comments Include damage sustained, repairs made or required

Log books are not only used to record flight times with a running total, but also to record all maintenance items as well. Each helicopter shou ld have its own identifying number and a corresponding log book. The log book should b e kept with the helicopter and entries made including flight times, conditions, pa rts that are replaced airworthiness testing and any other notes of interest related to performance. The Flight data log number should also be included in your logbook as Flight D ata Logs are not date stamped and in the event of needing to review the flight data log from a past flight the Flight Data Log number if referenced to in the log book will make i t much easier to find.

Information in the log books is valuable to assess any problems and can assist in preventative solutions for future flight to avoid s imilar issues.



### Maintenance Maintenance of the helicopter is very simple as the re are few moving parts. In the event the helicopter is used in a dusty environment simpl y use light air pressure to blow off the circuitry and motors. No lubrication is required fo r any components. Visually inspect your helicopter and remove any excess dirt or debri s such as grass, before proceeding with any flight. Inspect the helicopter as outlined in the Preflight inspections list. Any damage or worn out parts need to be replaced or rep aired before the next flight.



### Spotters
The use of a Spotter is highly recommended at all t imes. A spotter can alleviate much of the burden to the pilot of scanning for possible ha zards in the air and on the ground. An experienced Spotter can be invaluable in helping to line up pictures. In addition they can deal with bystanders who may want to get a closer l ook and want to talk with you as you are concentrating on flying.



### Telemetry and Calibration

The telemetry program allows you to see real time d ata and to record instrumentation and sensor measurements of the helicopter. Some of the information provided includes battery voltage, headings, altitude and GPS coordin ates.

Calibration of magnetic declination and vertical ma gnetic field ensures the helicopter has the proper information for the heading hold and GPS system to work correctly. **(This does not apply to units without the GPS Module.)**  The Flight Data Log number is the number corresponding to the Log Files number found displayed on the Handheld Control Config

Screen

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

28 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Telemetry Program**

 Install DraganflyerX6 Interface and USB Telemetry Transceiver driver from provided DVD’s

 Plug the included Draganfly USB Telemetry Transceiv er (this allows the Draganflyer X6 to communicate with the computer) into your Windows computer. Let Windows install it automatically.

 Turn on your Draganflyer X6.

 Launch the Draganflyer X6 Interface program.

 Connect to your Draganflyer X6 by selecting the Dra ganfly USB Telemetry Transceiver COM port from the list.

 Select “Connect to Draganflyer X6.” When the Inter face program has established a communications link with the Draganflyer X6, it w ill display “Found.”

 You can now turn on telemetry streaming. Click on the Telemetry tab, and then click the Enable Telemetry button. It should be st reaming data from the Draganflyer X6.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

29 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Calibration** There are calibrations you need to perform when you first receive your helicopter. The Draganflyer X6 needs to know the strength of the ma gnetic field in the vertical direction at your location, and it needs to know your magneti c declination. In-depth instructions for Magnetic Declination and Vertical Magnetic Fiel d (Magnetic Inclination) are listed in their respective sections in the Table of Contents. 

### Repeat these calibrations if your flying location c hanges by more than 200 miles (320 km).

**Handheld Controller**

The Draganflyer X6 comes with a unique advanced han dheld controller. The controller has been designed specifically for the Draganflyer X6 for ease of use.

To begin using the handheld controller, turn it on by momentarily pressing the red Power Button. However, finish reading this section befor e you attempt to fly, or make

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

30 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p adjustment on the controller. This portion of the manual explains everything relevant

about the handheld controller.

**Battery:** Your handheld controller uses a lithium-polymer bat tery to make it lighter and last longer on a charge. Expect about three hours of use for e ach charge. To charge this battery, connect the charging harness charge and balance con nector to the charge and balance ports on the back of the controller. Connect your lithium-polymer charger to the controller charging harness, and charge it as a “3s ” lithium-polymer (3-cell, 12.6V max) at 2.10 Amps.

The battery pack features a protection circuit to p revent damage and reduce the risk of a fire if misused. In this protection circuit there i s overcharge prevention, when the battery is fully charged (12.6 Volts actual voltage) this c ircuit turns on and will prevent the battery from being charged again until it is deplet ed adequately. With this circuit on there is a drop of approximately 0.6 volts in the display ed voltage so when the battery is actually at 12.6 Volts it will only display 12.0 vo lts. This circuit will stay on and prevent charging until the actual voltage reaches approxima tely 11.9 volts (11.3 displayed voltage). If your battery is near the lower voltage and you attempt to recharge you may get “[8] Failure Output Circuit” reading. This is the protec tion circuit working, if you deplete the hand held controller a little further, probably a c ouple of flights, the circuit will turn off and you will be able to charge again. Alternatively you could use the discharge feature of the charger to accomplish this

.

A full-charged battery will display around 12.4V on the handheld controller’s screen. Never let the voltage go below 11.0V. Consider cha rging once you see 11.3V. Never leave the handheld controller charging unattended. Never leave the controller turned on

when not in use.

**Control Sticks:** The two large joysticks are your primary helicopter controls.

The Left joystick controls the throttle by moving it forwards; all t he way down is off, all the way up is full throttle. The left stick also c ontrols heading. Sideways deflection of the left joystick stick rotates (yaw) the helicopte r left (counter-clockwise when looking at the helicopter from above), and vice versa.

The Right joystick is for controlling helicopter movement forward or backward (pitch) and left or right movement (roll). Moving the joys tick forward gives you forward movement and moving the joystick back gives backwar d movement on the pitch axis. Moving the same joystick to the left gives left mov ement and to the right gives right

movement on the roll axis.

More information about the joysticks is found in th e Flight Modes sections.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

31 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Switches:** Above the left joystick (throttle) there are two sw itches, the switch on the right is the Flight Mode switch. Up position is on GPS Hold mode on

. Middle position is Altitude

Hold. Down is Altitude Hold).

The switch to the left of the Flight Mode switch is the Rotor – Engage/Disengage switch. Pressing the toggle switch up engages the motors to turn once the helicopter has been armed. To disengage the rotors reduce the throttle to its lowest position and hold, after 1 second simultaneously press the motor disengage swi tch down, the motors will now shut

down. Please note this does not disarm the motors. The Rotor-Engage/Disengage switch is spring loaded and will default to the middle pos ition.

Flight/Motor Termination - reduce the throttle to i ts lowest position and hold, after 1 second simultaneously press the motor disengage switch down, the motors will now shut down. If the motor shutdow n is improperly done or attempted in flight there will be a 10 second delay before the motors stop. During this delay you will receive a message on the controller that a motor shutdown has been initiated. If you do not intend to shut down the mo tor release the motor disengage

switch within 10 seconds.

Only engage the motors if you intend to conduct a t akeoff and flight. Repeatedly engaging and disengaging the motors in q uick succession may cause permanent damage to the motor assembly

**Trims:** The three slide switches surrounding the joysticks are trim levers. You can push them to program a permanent stick input in that direction. Note that the handheld controller’s display screen shows the trim positions as a number momentarily in a pop up screen between the Views button and Config button when adj usting.

You should not use much trim. By default, set the trims to zero. Only add trim if you are flying in very calm weather and the helicopter is c onsistently drifting to one side. Trim can disrupt the Hold Flight Modes, so if your Draga nflyer X6 requires lots of trim, you should inspect it for problems and contact Draganfl y Innovations.

**Trainer Switch:** A push button on the top left side of the handheld controller is a trainer switch. A wireless link incorporated into the Draganflyer X6 controller allows your controller to link to another Draganflyer X6 controller and contr ol one helicopter. Controllers are designated and programmed as either master or slave . Once linked, the slave controller will only communicate with that Draganflyer X6 heli copter while the button on the master controller is pressed. To link to another D raganflyer X6 controller, see the section titled Flight Training in this manual.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

32 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Camera Controls** On the top right side of the controller, two contro ls activate camera functions of shutter

control and camera tilt. The camera tilt knob remot ely adjusts the angle of the camera mount. The camera shutter switch allows you to remo tely trigger the camera shutter. The camera zoom control tab is located immediately belo w the roll trim tab, this allows

remote access to zoom in or out.

**Dual Video Output Jacks** The dual video out put jacks found on the bottom of the handheld controller allows for video goggles and a recording device to be plugged in simultaneously. This allows the operator to see what the cameras are seeing and rec ord at the same time.

The Draganflyer X6 transmitter has the capability o f logging data acquired during each flight. This information is important to be able to diagnose problems that may arise during flights. In addition the data can be used to track movements of the helicopter and

times and locations pictures were taken.

**Data log Micro-SD Port**

To get a data log of a flight a micro-SD card must be installed in the transmitter. The

micro –SD card is installed in the SD slot on the t op of the transmitter. When the transmitter is on and paired with an X6 helicopter which is turned on a data log will

record all interactions between the transmitter and the helicopter. To retrieve the data, turn off the transmitter and the Draganflyer X6. Re move the micro-SD card from the transmitter and place it in the micro-SD adapter. P lace the adapter with the micro-SD card in it into an SD card slot on your computer. U pon opening the drive which shows you the files the data log will be listed as a log. txt file. You can read these files in Microsoft Excel, Notebook, Word or any other softwa re that accepts .txt files. Like any other file you may save these files to your compute r and rename them if you wish.

If you are experiencing issues with the Draganflyer X6 these data log files are valuable to help diagnose problems.

To ensure adequate space on your micro SD card for Log files it is a good idea to download the flight logs every hundred flig hts.

Once the SD card reaches 200 log files the controll er will allow you to pair with a helicopter but not fly, the touch scree n will appear frozen. If this occurs turn off the helicopter and the control ler then remove the SD card and download the flight logs onto a hard drive or other storage device and delete them from the SD card. You will t hen be able to resume normal operations.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

33 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p The Micro-SD card must be installed in the transmit ter in order to log any flight information. For warranty purposes the M icro-SD is required to be installed in the transmitter for each flight

The Micro-SD card must not be taken out of the tran smitter while it is turned on. Doing this will erase or corrupt the fil es on the micro-SD

card **Draganflyer X6 Touch Screen**

To turn on the Draganflyer X6 Handheld Controller p ress the Red power button as located in the picture at the beginning of this sec tion.

**Power up screen**

**Config** button, used to access programming and operating sc reens.

**Battery TX,** a bar indicator of controller battery status.

**Looking for Draganflyer SN XXXXXXXX**  **,** indicates it is searching for the last Draganflyer helicopter it was connected to. If it a cquires a helicopter it will immediately display the Basic screen.

**Acquire New** button, used to access a new helicopter.

**Note:** The **Views** button on the upper left and the **Config** button on the upper right are visible on Views or Config screens after the Power up screen.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

34 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Basic Screen ;** 

**Views** button, gives access to Basic, Inertial and GPS Scr eens, the active screen is highlighted in green. By default, pressing the V iews button will always bring you to the Basic Screen.

**Config** button gives access to helicopter set up and calibr ation functions.

**Time** displays current time as provided by GPS.( Time zon e is set using Config screen/ Time Zone)

**Flight** displays length of flight, (calculated by the lengt h of time the throttle is up and rotors are moving to cause flight). Flight t ime is accumulated as long as the handheld controller and helicopter are powered up (flight time will reset to zero upon change of battery).

**Heading** is the direction the front of the helicopter is po inting, indicated by the numerical value in white and the helicopter canopy symbol in the center of the

screen.

**Bearing** is the direction which the helicopter is moving, indic ated by the numerical value in yellow and the yellow arrow supe rimposed on the helicopter cone symbol in the center of the screen. Note: when in a hover it is common for the bearing value to change frequently.

**Altitude** determined by barometric pressure, value displayed in meters.

**Climb Rate** displayed in meters per second.

**Speed** horizontal speed in meters per second.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

35 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **TX Battery** the live color graph indicates handheld controller battery strength, green, yellow, and red scale, green strong, yellow warning, and red inadequate.

**Heli Battery** the live color graph indicates helicopter battery strength, green, yellow, and red scale green strong, yellow warning, red inadequate. In addition when helicopter battery levels reach the warning an d critical stages the following popup screens are displayed.

**Link** the live color graph, indicates helicopter controller link strength, gree n, yellow, and red scale green good, yellow fair, red poor.

**GPS SVS** indicates the number of satellites acquired green, yellow, and red scale green indicates strong, yellow indicates warn ing, red indicates inadequate. Refer to the section on Draganflyer X6 GPS System f or further information.

**GPS PDOP** indicates GPS constellation strength with a green, yellow, and red scale, green being strong, yellow for warning, red indicates inadequate. Refer to the section on Draganflyer X6 GPS System for furthe r information.

Note: Text where the time and flight time are disp layed is also used to momentarily display messages such as Trim adjustmen t and Flight Mode

**Inertial Screen**

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

36 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Views** button: gives access to Basic, Inertial and GPS Sc reens, the active screen is highlighted in green. By default pressing the Vi ews button will always bring you to the Basic Screen.

**Config** button: pressing gives access to set up and configu ration functions.

**Time:** displays the current time as provided by GPS. ( Tim e zone is set using Config screen/ Time Zone.)

**Flight** displays length of flight, (calculated by length of time throttle is up and rotors moving to cause flight). Flight time is accu mulated as long as the handheld controller and helicopter are powered up (flight time will reset to zero up change of battery).

**Attitude:** values for **Roll, Pitch** and **Yaw,** angles displayed in degrees

**Magnetometer:** values for **Right, Forward** and **Down.**

**Velocity:** values for **North, East** and **Down.**

**Throttle:** position in percentage

**TX Battery** live color graph indicates handheld controller battery strength, gre en, yellow, and red scale green strong, yellow warning, red inadequate.

**Heli Battery** live color graph indicates helicopter battery strength, green, yello w, and red scale green strong, yellow warning, red ina dequate.

**Link** live color graph, indicates controller to helicopter link strength, g reen, yellow, and red scale green strong, yellow warning, red inadequate.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

37 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **GPS Screen**

**Views** button, gives access to Basic, Inertial and GPS Sc reens, the active screen is highlighted in green. By default pressing the Vi ews button will always bring you to the Basic Screen.

**Config** button: pressing it gives access to set up and conf iguration functions.

**Time:** displays the current time as provided by GPS. (Time zone is set using Config screen/ Time Zone)

**Flight** displays length of flight, (calculated by length of time throttle is up and rotors moving to cause flight). Flight time is accu mulative as long as the handheld controller and helicopter are powered up (flight time will reset to zero up change of battery).

**Latitude:** elevation angle of the helicopters position above or below the equator as provided by GPS.

**GPS Altitude:** provided by GPS (Altitude above sea level)

**Longitude;** angular measurement from the prime meridian value provided by

GPS.

**Barometric Altitude,** value provided by barometric pressure.

**GPS Accuracy** , displays radius of accuracy within the horizontal and vertical

values.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

38 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **GPS Quality,** displays Satellites and PDOP (Positional of Dilutio n of Precision) values.

**Config Screen**

All calibrations, updates and other adjustments are made by accessing the various configuration menu selections and touching the appropriate buttons.

The main Config screen gives access to the menus for Basic configuration, Flight timer, Find New Helicopter, Video Setup, Tra iner Setup and Helicopter Calibration. It also displays the helico pter serial number that is paired with the Transmitter and Helicopter Firmware versions and the Flight Data Log Text file number

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

39 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Basic Configuration**

Basic Configuration allows access to adjustments f or Helicopter LED Brightness, Time Zone Set Up, Display Units, Transm itter Sound and

Altitude Limit.

**Flight Timer –** allows adjustment to give a warning when a flight t ime of

a set duration is reached

.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

40 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Find New Helicopter –** gives the transmitter a command to pair with another available helicopter.

**Video Set Up –** allows for the adjustment of channels, sound and po wer.

**Receiver Channel –** allows you to select the best channel to

receive the video transmission from the camera.

**Audio Settings –** allows you to turn audio transmission on or off.

**Power Settings** – allows you to choose to have the diversity receivers in the transmitter always turned on, alwa ys turned off or in automatically detects if video glasses or a reco rding device is plugged into the transmitter.

NOTE: When changing the receiver channel you must a lso change the video transmitter to the corresponding channel.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

41 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Trainer Setup** - Configures the transmitters for training set up as a Master

or Slave. See FLIGHT TRAINING section in this manua l for more detail

**Helicopter Calibration -** Detailed instructions for Helicopter Calibration ar e found under the “Calibrations” section of the manua l.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

42 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Basic Configuration Screen** This screen gives access to Helicopter LED brightne ss, Time Zone Set Up, Camera Tilt, Display Units, Transmitter Sounds and Altitude Limit.

**Heli LED Brightness –** adjust helicopter LED lights from 0% (off) to 100% (Extremely Bright)

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

43 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Time Zone Set Up** – allows for an adjustment of the time setting to r eflect your local time based on the difference from Greenw ich Mean Time.

. **Camera Tilt Setup –** The tilt mechanism on the Draganflyer x6 camera mou nt allows for adjustment from 0 to 90 degrees of range (zero being vertical and 90 being horizontal). The tilt set up allows you to s et the maximum movement as you desire with the lower limit maximum being -511 and the upper limit being 511. There is also a tilt rate adjustment with the fastest being 10 and the slowest being 1. You are also able to reverse the movement of the tilt knob.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

44 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Display Units** – measurements can be selected for metric or imper ial display.

**Transmitter Sounds** – provides an opportunity to hear and learn the sou nds made by the transmitter.

.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

45 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Altitude Limit –** allows you to set the maximum height above ground l evel the helicopter will fly while in Altitude Hold or GPS P osition Hold modes. While in Position Hold modes the helicopter will not exce ed this set altitude. While in Manual Flight mode you will receive a message indic ating the altitude limit has

been reached.



### Warnings and Confirmations

**Visual** The following displays will appear on the Draganfly er X6 touch screen to draw your attention to critical operations of the helicopter.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

46 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Audible** The Draganflyer X6 also has audible warnings. There is a sound device in your handheld controller that will convey important Draganflyer X 6 status information to you. Each beep pattern has a unique meaning, and you should k now them all.

You can learn the different warning sounds by acces sing them through the Basic Config menu - Transmitter Sounds.

**Triple-beep** : 1. When you turn the handheld controller on, its 2.4GH z two-way radio system searches for a Draganflyer X6 to communicate with.

2. If it finds one (i.e. if your Draganflyer X6 is po wered up), you will hear three long beeps.

3. Your handheld controller is now controlling the Dra ganflyer X6.

**Alarm**

1. Approximately three minutes before your Draganflyer X6 runs out of battery power, your handheld controller will begin emitting an alarm.

2. Shortly after the alarm begins, the helicopter will start descending if it is in a Hold

mode. This slow descent is another method of infor ming you that the Draganflyer X6 is running out of battery. At this time you sho uld take control of the Draganflyer X6.

3. Return to Manual Flight Mode.

4. Land the helicopter.

**Rising tones**

1. The handheld controller will emit rising in pitch-t ones when your Draganflyer X6 acquires a GPS satellite lock sufficient to perform GPS Position Hold flight.

**Falling tones**

1. The handheld controller will emit falling in pitch tones when the GPS loses a lock. (Loss of GPS lock is usually caused by object s or people obstructing the helicopter’s view of the sky.)

2. Return to Manual Flight Mode immediately.

**Power button**

1. To turn on, press and hold momentarily then release

. 2. To turn off, press and hold for three seconds then release.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

47 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Activating the Draganflyer X6

Once you press the power button on the back of the top canopy the LED on the canopy and navigation lights on the motor pods will light and start blinking.

Your Draganflyer X6 is now on and will communicate with the handheld controller, the interface program, and will begin acquiring a GPS s atellite lock if the GPS module is included in your configuration. However, it is not armed and will not engage the motors.

To activate the motors you have to arm the helicopt er. This feature ensures that a powerup will be safe, regardless of controller inputs.

**Arming Procedure**

1. Set the Draganflyer X6 helicopter on a flat surface away from obstacles. Ensure blades do not touch nearby objects.

2. Turn ON the handheld controller.

3. Turn ON the helicopter by pressing the power button on the back of the canopy.

4. Make sure GPS position hold switch is in the lowest flight mode position..

5. The handheld controller will emit a Triple-Beep tha t confirms it is communicating with the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.

6. Increase the throttle to about 75%, you should see an increase in the white LED

blink rate.

7. Allow the throttle to move to its centered position

. 8. Next move the left stick to the lower-right corner and HOLD it there for 5

seconds.

9. After 5 seconds you will see the LED lights on the helicopter's motor pods display a rotating pattern for a few seconds and you will h ear a beep indicating it is armed. The LEDs remain on continuously and do not b link.

10. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter is now armed.

**Takeoff** An armed Draganflyer X6 can be dangerous, so mainta in control over the

handheld controller.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

48 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p After arming the Draganflyer X6, with the throttle in its neutral position press the Rotor- Engage/Disengage switch up and release. The motors will begin spinning. Make sure all rotors are spinning equally before ad vancing to take off. Smoothly and slowly move the throttle (left joystick) ahead slightly and then slowly and smoothly return it to its neutral position, the hel icopter will perform an auto takeoff to a height of about 4-5 ft or 1.2-1.3 mete rs. **Do not hold the throttle in the advanced position, simply advance the throttle**  **and return it to the center position.**  **Do not let the throttle spring back to its centre p osition, as this may**  **prevent the helicopter recognizing the correct thro ttle position.**  **The throttle must be returned to its neutral (center) position a**  **fter takeoff in order so it recognizes takeoff is complete. You can then increa**  **se altitude or decrease altitude by moving the throttle up or down** 

**Landing** Bring the helicopter to where you want to land. Rem ember the Draganflyer X6 is designed for vertical take off and landing so try t o make your landing as vertical as possible with no movement in any direction. Decr ease the throttle to begin descending, you do not have to continue to decrease the throttle you just need to make it begin to descend and maintain that speed. O nce you are about 30 cm (1 ft) off the ground commit to the landing and hold the throttle down to its lowest position. Once on the ground continue holding the t hrottle stick down, after 1 second simultaneously press the motor disengage sw itch down, the motors will

now shut down. If the motor shutdown is improperly done or attempt ed in flight there will be a 10 second delay before the motors s top. During this delay you will receive a message on the controller that a mot or shutdown has been initiated. If you do not intend to shut down the mo tors release the motor disengage switch within 10 seconds. Remember this only stops the rotors it does not disarm the helicopter. When holding the throttl e at its lowest position ensure you are not applying yaw to the left or the right a s this will cause some of the rotors to increase in speed. In the event any of the helicopters rotors have bee n stopped due to contact with any object it is vital that you shut down the rotor s immediately following the above procedures. Failing to do so may cause the sp eed controllers to burn out.

. 

### Disarming the Draganflyer X6

After landing immediately stop the rotors by holdin g the throttle stick down, after 1 second simultaneously press the motor disengage switch down, the motors will now shut down.. This stops the rotors from spinning but does not disarm the helicopter. To disarm the Draganflyer X6 is a very simple process. Ensure left joystick is at its lowest position and move it to t he lower left corner and hold for 5 seconds or until the LED lights start flashing. Always disengage the rotors prior to attempting to disarm the helicopter, if you attempt to disarm prior to disengaging the helicopt er with attempt to make a slow rotation to the left.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

49 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Draganflyer X6 GPS System**

The Draganflyer X6 is equipped with state of the ar t GPS technology. This GPS technology allows the Draganflyer X6 to hold its po sition, for up to the run time of the battery, without pilot intervention. There are som e conditions beyond the control of the Draganflyer X6 that affect GPS performance. It is important the user understand these conditions for safe and successful operation of the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.

It is the responsibility of the pilot to observe th e Draganflyer X6 in position hold and, if necessary, take control manually for c ontinued safe flight. If at any time the GPS hold function appears to be not fu nctioning properly or the helicopter is flying in circular oscillations immed iately switch to Altitude Flight

mode.

Under ideal conditions the Draganflyer X6 should ac quire a GPS lock in 2 to 3 minutes. There is a backup battery to power the GPS module d uring battery changes between flights; this will allow the helicopter to have a G PS lock as soon as it is turned on. The backup battery will run the GPS for approximately 4 5 minutes. After not being used for a few days the backup battery will be fully depleted and will need to charge before the GPS module will start operating, this is called a “cold start” and may take between 5 and 15 minutes to acquire a GPS lock.



### GPS Lock Quality
The quality of the position information provided by a GPS module is subject to a number of conditions. Most significant among these are th e number of satellites and the geometry of the satellite constellation.

To provide a 3D position a minimum of 4 satellites must be tracked by the GPS module. In practice this value is insufficient for an accur ate position hold, so the Draganflyer X6 will not allow a position hold to be attempted whil e tracking less than 6 satellites.

Equally important is the shape of the satellite con stellation, that is, where the satellites are

located relative to the GPS module. The best const ellation shapes are well spread out

with satellites near the horizon. Constellations t hat are clumped together or in-line provide poor information. These factors are used b y the GPS module to calculate a term called PDOP (Positional Dilution of Precision). PD OP has an ideal value of 1 with higher values being considered worse. Generally sp eaking a PDOP of less than 3 is sufficient for position hold. As noted in the section Warnings and Confirmations, the Draganflyer X6 Handheld Controller will make an rising in pitch tone when PDOP falls below 2.5, and a falling pitch tone when PDOP goes above 3.5. If PDOP goes above 3.5 it is recommend that the pilot take over control of the Draganflyer X6.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

50 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Another phenomenon that can affect the GPS lock is multi-pathing. This occurs when a GPS signal first bounces off a surface (buildings, ground, etc) before reaching the GPS module. This effect is especially significant when flying at low altitude and when flying

in urban environments.



### Position Hold Accuracy

There are number of conditions that affect the accu racy (how close the Draganflyer X6 stay to its reference position) of the position hol d of the Draganflyer X6 helicopter. Most significant among these are the wind conditions and GPS lock. The following describes the effect these conditions have on the GPS perform ance.

As the Draganflyer X6 flies the GPS module will gai n and lose satellites randomly. Usually these effects are unnoticed by the user. I n some instances the gain or loss of a satellite can change the position estimated by the GPS significantly. When this occurs the Draganflyer X6 may move a few meters to a new p osition, sometimes it will return to the old position, other times not. Multi-pathing e ffects as previously described above can also cause this behavior. Generally speaking the qu ality of the GPS lock improves as the flight goes on, and when the Draganflyer X6 is at h igher altitudes.

If the wind is too strong the **Draganflyer** X6 will not be able to hold its position. Accuracy of the position hold degrades a s the wind increases. Especially gusty or turbulent wind conditions, such as those in close proximity to buildings, can cause the performance t o suffer more than a stronger steady wind. Under calm conditions and id eal GPS satellite coverage, position hold can hover the Draganflyer X 6 within 1-2m (3-6 ft) of its reference position. Under strong or gusty wind con ditions the position may vary as much as 5-10m (16 – 32 ft.)

For these reasons it is not recommended to attempt a position hold in close proximity to obstacles or the ground. The intended application for the Draganflyer X6 position hold capability is to assist pilots flying at high altit udes in open areas. Under these conditions the Draganflyer X6 can usually provide a more stable hover than an experienced pilot.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

51 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Flight Modes

**Altitude-Hold Flight Mode** With the GPS Hold switch in the lower or middle pos ition, you are telling the Draganflyer X6 to control altitude. The altitude is controlled by barometric pressure. You can now move anywhere in the horizon tal plane and the Draganflyer X6 will maintain its altitude. To adju st the altitude, increase or decrease the throttle accordingly. The amount of in crease or decrease in the altitude is directly proportional to the time you h ave the throttle out of its centre position. The maximum climb and descend rate is con trolled to 2.0 meters per

second. You still control yaw, pitch and roll.

If flying indoors the barometric pressure can be subje ct to sudden change due to changes in pressure by the opening of doors. This may result in a sudden drop of altitude by the heli copter as it tries to adjust to the pressure difference. The drop in a ltitude is directly related to the change in barometric pressure at the time. The bigger the change in pressure the larger the drop may be.

**GPS Position Hold Mode**

GPS Position Hold Mode is the easiest manner of R/C helicopter flying possible. Once you have a GPS lock, establish a steady hover, and then put GPS Hold switch in the up position. To adjust the altitude, increase or decrease the throttle accordingly. The Throttle joystick is still in effe ct and overrides other controls.

Take your hands off the joysticks. The helicopter will hold its position, heading, and altitude. You can input yaw to change its head ing, and the helicopter will follow your command, and then hold that heading unt il you give it more yaw input. You can fly the Draganflyer X6 around using the right stick. Forward on the right stick commands the helicopter to fly forw ard. The right stick controls the helicopter’s speed in the left-right, forward-b ackward directions. When you release the right stick, the helicopter will hold i ts current position. Applying yaw at more than 50% rate and rotating the helicopter more than 90° increments at one time may cause the GPS Position H old to degrade. If you experience a reduced performance in the GPS Hold af ter performing such a maneuver you may need to reset the GPS position hol d by switching the flight mode

switch to Altitude Hold and then back to GPS.

Please note : Slowly rotating the helicopter 360° while taking video should not degrade the GPS Position Hold.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

52 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p To adjust the altitude, increase or decrease the th rottle accordingly. The amount of increase or decrease in the altitude is directly pr oportional to the time you have the throttle out of its centre position. The maximu m climb and descend rate is controlled to 2.0 meters per second.

It is common for the X6 to drift slightly with the wind them move back to the position where the GPS lock was established. Th is adjusting process is especially prevalent when the conditions are win dy. To minimize these effects in windy conditions maintain required throt tle and pitch and roll control briefly as the GPS Position Hold acquires l ock.

**Calibrations:**

There are a number of calibrations the Draganflyer X6 uses to maintain its stability and its position.



### Magnetic Declination

The Draganflyer X6 uses a compass to know which dir ection it is facing. However, the Earth’s magnetic field rarely points straight north . Instead, it points slightly east or west, and this varies with your location on the planet. Magnetic declination is the number of degrees that separate True North from Magnetic Nort h.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

53 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p The Draganflyer X6 automatically calculates its mag netic declination and manual calibration of the magnetic declination is not requ ired. If a manual calibration of the magnetic Declination is required please contact Dra ganfly Technical Support.



### Vertical Magnetic Field:

Vertical magnetic field or magnetic inclination, th e angle at which the Draganfly X6 GPS system reads the earth’s magnetic field varies from location to location. The angle obtained by the Draganflyer X6 sensors is used to d etermine the correct calculations for stable flight. Improper settings of Vertical Magnetic Field will c ause erratic flight. It is therefore vital that you perform this calibration p rior flying the Draganflyer X6 for the first time or any time your flying location changes by more than 320 kilometers or 200 miles.

This calibration may be performed using the follow ing instructions or by using a Computer and Draganfly USB Telemetry Transceiver

**Vertical Magnetic Field Calibration (Magnetic Inclination Calibration Using Draganflyer**  **X6 Handheld Controller)**

• Turn the Draganflyer X6 Handheld Controller on.

• Turn the Draganflyer X6 Helicopter on. Stand the Draganflyer X6 on it’s two front arms on a flat

level surface.

• In the Config screen select Helicopter Calibration

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

54 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p • **Next choose OK , tap 3 times.**



### IMPORTANT NOTE **:**

**When calibrating the Draganflyer X6 using the handh eld controller you will be**  **required to tap the OK button in (Config Warning Sc reen) 3 times to proceed with**  **the calibration process**

The last Magnetic Inclination value set in the hand held controller will be displayed in green text. Even if your Magnetic Declination was c orrect it is still necessary to recalibrated the Magnetic Inclination. Press **Set,** the value may change as it is adjusting, once it has stopped changing select **OK,** you will then be returned to the **Config** Screen.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

55 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Vertical Magnetic Field Calibration steps using Com puter and Draganfly USB**  **Telemetry Transceiver**

**1. If not already installed, install Draganflyer X6 In**  **terface and USB Telemetry Transceiver driver from provided DVD’s.** 



### 2. **Plug the included Draganfly USB Telemetry Transceiv er (this**  **allows the Draganflyer X6 to communicate with the c omputer)**  **into your Windows computer. Let Windows install it automatically** 

. 

### 3. **Launch the X6 Control program.**



### 4. **Turn on Draganflyer X6.**

**5.** Remove any payload (camera). **Put the Draganflyer X6 into an ‘arm-stand,’ as pictured. Ensure it is on**  **a flat and level surface, and that there are no metal obje**  **cts**
**within 6 feet.**

**6. In X6 Control, wait until “Found” is displayed in t**  **he**

**bottom left or click “Connect to X6”**

**7. Once the Draganflyer X6 has been “found,” click ont**  **o the Configuration tab.** 

**8. Under the Vertical Magnetic Field section, click th**  **e “Enable Calibration”**

**checkbox.**

**9. Click the “Calibrate Magnetometer” button.** 

**10. A box will popup confirming successful calibration,**  **or failed calibration.**

**11. If calibration was successful, you are done!** 

**12. If calibration was unsuccessful, click the “Calibra**  **te Magnetometer” button again.** 

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

56 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Transmitter RF Power You can set the Draganflyer X6 Transmitter power to conform with your locations regulatory standards. For North America the Standar d is +18dBm, for International areas it is +10dBm. Although the calibration allows for an adjustment within that range those are the standards and they must be adhered to for r egulatory reasons. Adjusting this level will not increase or decrease the performance of th e transmitter or helicopter.

**Battery Charging System**

Your Draganflyer X6 comes equipped with a complete charging unit for the batteries used by the Draganflyer X6 system. It has been desi gned for ease of use, portability, safety and convenience so down time due to depleted batteries is minimal.

Included with the Draganflyer X6 charging system is ;  1 - XP Power - regulated AC power source
 1 - TP 820 CD, Digital Balancer & Charger/Discharge r (User’s Manual included)
 2 - 6 wire balancer to battery cables
 2 - Battery to Charger cables
 1 - 6' DC Power source to Charger cable
 1 - Lipo Sack

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

57 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Set Up and Operation
**Use only provided batteries that are designed exclu sively for use with**  **the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.** 

### Never leave batteries charging while unattended.

The Draganflyer X6 Charging System is capable of:

• Charging the Draganflyer X6 battery

• Charging the Draganflyer X6 handheld controller

• Charging 2 Draganflyer X6 battery packs simultaneou sly

• Charging one battery pack and the DraganflyerX6 con troller **Connecting Charger to Power Source**

1. If using the included AC power supply, remove the s upply from the case, connect it to the power input of charger, and plug supply i nto AC outlet

2. If using 12V battery (car battery), connect the pro vided cable to the charger and connect the clips to the terminals of your 12V batt ery (red clip to positive, black clip to negative)

**TP 820CD**  **OPERATING INFO**

DO NOT connect the battery to the charger when the charger is powered off. The charger should always be powered on before conn ecting the battery.

**Button Functions**

**+/– buttons** The +/– buttons allow you to scroll up/down through menus before and during charging/discharging. These buttons also allow you to change values/settings for options after they have been selected (typically when flash ing after pressing the ENTER button).

**PORT button** The PORT button allows you to toggle/switch the por t (1 or 2) you are currently viewing. You can toggle/switch between each port any time be fore and during charging/discharging by pressing the PORT button. A lso, the port you are currently viewing is always indicated by a 1 or 2 as seen in the upper right hand corner on all

screens.

**MODE button** The MODE button functions only before/when not char ging/discharging. Pressing the MODE button will allow you to scroll between the th ree available modes: Charge/Discharge/Cycle/Storage Modes Setting Data Mode

Data View Mode

**ENTER button** The ENTER button allows you to select and validate values/settings for options that can be changed (using the +/– buttons to change) before and during charging/discharging. Pressing and holding the ENTER button also allows y ou to start and stop charging/discharging.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

58 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **CHARGE MODE** After powering on the charger properly the first mo de always shown by default is the ‘Charge Mode’. This is the mode that allows you to set the memory profile number, battery chemistry type, number of cells, battery capacity limit, char ge current rate, balancing on/off for LiPo/LiIon/Life or the delta peak value for NiCd/Ni MH. **It’s also important to note that all of these settings must be set in this mode/screen befo**  **re changing to the discharge, cycle or storage modes (these settings cannot be changed/set**  **in those modes).** Here is a quick reference of what the Charge Mode s creen displays:

1) Memory profile number 2) Battery chemistry type 3) Mode (charge, discharge, cycle, storage) 4) Number of cells (in series) 5) Port currently being viewed 6) Battery capacity 7) Current rate 8) Balancing ON/OFF for LiPo/LiIon/LiFe or Delta Peak Sensitivity value for

NiCd/NiMH

**Charging the Helicopter Batteries**

1. Use the control buttons to ensure the Thunder Power 820CD is set as follows: Using the **Port** Button. Select **Balancer Port 1 or 2.** the Port selected is indicated on the upper right portion of the display

**.** Select **LiPo Charge** (battery type), **4s**

**Pack** (cell count),CP- **2700mAh** (battery capacity), **C= 4.50 A** (charge rate); (consult Thunder Power 820CD charger manual for ins tructions on changing settings)

2. Connect battery pack to charger with both the 6-wir e balance cable **and** the 2-wire main cable (observe polarity and do not force conne ctors)

3. Place battery into Lipo Sack Ensure Battery Type (LiPO Charge) and Cell Count (4 S Pack) selected are correct! Failure to do so may result in fire or dam age to battery and or charger. It is required that both the charger lead s and the balance leads are connected for effective and safe charging. Always u se the LipoSack when charging helicopter batteries.

4. Press and hold Red ‘ENTER’ ( ► ) button for 2 seconds to start the charging

process

**Charging the Handheld Controller Battery**

1. Ensure controller is turned off.

2. Connect controller to charger using both the 6-wire balance cable and the 2-wire main cable (observe polarity and do not force conne ctors)

3. Use control buttons on the Thunder Power 820CD to e nsure the charger is set as

follows: **LiPo Charge** (battery type), 3 **s Pack** (cell count), CP- **2000mHA**

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

59 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p (battery capacity **),C= 2.10 A** (charge rate); (consult Thunder Power TP820CD charger manual for instructions on changing setting s) Ensure Battery Type (LiPO Charge) and Cell Count (3 S Pack) selected are correct! Failure to do so may result in fire or damage to battery and or charger.

4. Press and hold Red ‘ENTER’ ( ► ) button for 2 seconds to start the charging

process For more detailed in formation on use of the TP-820 CD Balancer and Charger/Discharger consult the included Thunder Power TP- 820CD Charg er/Discharger Instruction Manual.

**Camera Systems** The Draganflyer X6 comes equipped with your choice of four camera systems. Still Digital Camera, High Definition Video, Low Light (1 lux) Black and White Video, and

Thermal Infra-red video are the choices however all of these systems are compatible with your Draganflyer X6. Any camera system that you did not select can be purchased as an accessory and is easily interchangeable for use as the mounting systems are identical.

Use of payloads/cameras or mounts other than those approved by Draganfly
Innovations Inc. will void the Draganflyer X6 warr anty



### . Alternative payloads and mounts will severely degrade performan ce and will interfere with the operation of the helicopter.

**Video Transmission Channel Selections** To change video channels for the camera system, the both the transmitter and the receiver

must be matched. For the transmitter mounted on the side of the camera mount there is a 7 position selection rotary knob. (While there are 7 positions available due to regulations only 4 channels are available)

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

60 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Transmitter

Dial # Controller/Base

Station

0 or 4 1

1 or 5 2

2 or 6 3

3 or 7 4

Note: If the channel on the video transmitter is ch anged and the video can not be

viewed with the handheld controller on the correct channel, a power cycle of the helicopter system may be necessary

Video channel selection on the Handheld Controller is accessed using the Video Set Up menu in the Config Screen. Video channel selection on the Base Station is available using

the arrow button on the Base Station menu.

**Quick Release Camera Mount Installation**

**Note: All camera mounts install in the same manner.** Position camera mount over camera mount studs and p ress it into place exposing the camera mounting studs. Using the hook tool pull the O-Ring over the camera mount stud. Repeat for all four stud positions.

Connect camera mount wiring to matching frame wiri ng socket.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

61 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Still Digital Camera

**Camera Installation**

o Setup- connect the camera to the mount using the si ngle mounting bolt. Connect the white wiring harness connectors from ca mera to the white corresponding connector on underside of Draganflyer X6 camera controls.

Connect the camera controls connector from the came ra to the wiring harness.

Connect the Video Out Connector and Power connector s to the camera.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

62 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p o Operation – consult the camera user’s manual. Remot e tilt and shutter control are available from handheld controller as required.

To remove the camera and mount follow above proces s in reverse.

**Camera Receiver**

o Setup – plug the video glasses or other recording d evice into the handheld controller video output jacks, located on the botto m of the hand held

controller.

o Operation - power up your video glasses or other re cording device. Live feed from the camera allows for viewing what the camera is seeing.

o NOTE: When in video record mode if the Aspect Rati o setting (found on top of lens ring) is set to 16:9 the display screen wil l black out. Set it to 4:3 to allow for viewing. It is also a good idea to set th e Auto Focus set to AF setting found on side of lens ring.



### High Definition Video

o Camera system being tested, installation not avail able at this time.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

63 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Low Light Black and White Video

**NOTE :**

• The remote control of the zoom function is not avai lable with the Low Light Camera.

• The Shutter button on the Hand-held Controller cont rols the record

function of the onboard DVR

• The camera tilt control is reversed, when mounted t o the Low Light Camera. This can be adjusted using the video setup menu on the configuration screen of the handheld controller.

• The helicopter will provided 9.3 volts to this came ra through the power cable on the camera mount.

**Camera Installation**

o Setup- Connect wiring harness connector from camera mount to corresponding connector on underside of Draganflyer X6.

o Operation – consult camera user’s manual.

**Camera Receiver**

o Setup- plug video glasses or other recording device into handheld controller output jacks.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

64 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p o Operation -power up video glasses or recording devi ce. Live feed from camera allows for viewing what camera is seeing.

To remove the camera and the mount follow the above process in reverse.



### Thermal Infra-Red Video

**NOTE :**

• Remote control of zoom is not available with the Th ermal Infra-Red

Camera.

• The Shutter button on the Hand-held Controller cont rols the record

function of the onboard DVR

• The helicopter will provide 9.3 volts to the camera through the power

connector on the camera mount.

**Camera Installation**

o Setup- Connect wiring harness connector from camera mount to corresponding connector on underside of Draganflyer X6

o Operation – consult camera user’s manual

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

65 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Camera Receiver**

o Setup- plug video glasses or other recording device into handheld controller output jacks.

o Operation -power up video glasses or recording devi ce. Live feed from camera allows for viewing what camera is seeing.

To remove the camera and mount follow above process in reverse.



### GROUND CONTROL BASE STATION

The Draganflyer X6 Ground Control Base Stations is an advanced tool for flight operations that connects to your computer to view i n real time all flight telemetry and live video from the Draganflyer X6.



### Minimum Computer System Requirements:

• **Operating System:**

o Microsoft Windows XP, or

o Microsoft Windows Vista

• **CPU:**

o Intel Core2, 1.8GHz, or

o AMD Athlon 64, 2.4GHz

• **Ram:**

o 1GB (Windows XP)

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

66 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p o 1.5GB (Windows Vista)

• **Free Hard Drive Space:**

o 1GB for the base install including prerequisites. * Saving video, data logs, and flight databases wil l require additional

space.

• **Video Card:**

o Intel 945G >= 128MB VRAM, or

o NVidia Geforce 6xxx >= 128MB VRAM, or

o ATI Radeon 9550 >= 128MB VRAM

• **Video Capture Device:**

o Included with Wireless Video Base Station

• **DirectX Version:**

o 9.0 or higher

• **.NET Framework:**

o Version 3.5 or higher * Downloads automatically with our installer

• **Microsoft SQLServer:**

o MS SQLServer CE or higher * Downloads automatically with our installer

• **Internet Connection:**

o Required for software installation and updates.

o Not required for normal use



### Software Installation:
For software installation your computer must have a working internet connection. Insert the “Draganflyer X6 Helicopter Base Station Softwar e” CD included with your Base

Station.

If your computer has auto-run enabled the installat ion menu should open automatically. If this does not occur go to “My Computer” and select the appropriate CD drive, and run “Setup.exe” which is found in the main directory of the CD.

If running from a limited account, or on Vista, the installer will request the necessary privileges to install the drivers and software; in the event that this fails you may need to run the installer when logged into an administrator account.

Once the installation menu has been started it will present you with 4 options, including a “read me” guide. Please open and fully read this gu ide before continuing with

installation.

After software installation is completed please ref er to the user’s manual within the ground station software. This manual can be accesse d under the “help” menu and then “Options” entry.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

67 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Set up
For your convenience extendable legs which screw in to the bottom of the base station case are

stored in the lid of the base station.

**Ensure that the locking collars for the adjustments are locked as failing to**  **ensure this could result in the table leg collapsin g.** 

**Positioning Flat Patch Antennas** Unfold the arms on the dual flat patch antenna, and point the face with the bump on it directly at the area in which the Draganflyer X6 he licopter will be flying. If the area is large, use one patch antenna to cover half of it, a nd the second patch antenna to cover the

second half.



### Connecting to Computer:
The Base Station connects to your computer through a USB cable, connected to the “USB” plug on the main control panel and an open US B port on your computer. Once the ground station software is running and your base st ation and helicopter are turned on click the antenna icon in the top left corner of th e screen, it will turn green when

connected to the base station and red when disconne cted.



### Powering the Ground Control Base Station:
The Base Station is powered by an internal 3 cell 1 1.1 volt 1900mAh lithium-polymer battery inside the base station. This battery will provide approximately 3 hours of continuous use. To charge this battery, simply conn ect the a/c Base Station Power supply to an a/c wall outlet and the charging jack on the base station. The Power Supply can also be used to power the base station for prolonged per iods of time. The internal battery will charge with the base station either turned off or o n.

To turn on the base station, press and hold the “Po wer/Select” button on the main control panel until the display illuminates. To turn off th e base station press and hold the “PowerSelect” button, the screen will display “Hold Longe r to Shutdown” continue holding until it displays “Release Now to Shutdown” then release the button and it will turn off.



### Low Voltage Auto-Shutoff:
When the battery becomes fully discharged, a warnin g message will be displayed, followed by shutdown of the base station video rece iver. If the Beep Sound is enabled, an audible beep will be heard. To prevent Auto-Shutoff from occurring, monitor the

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

68 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p remaining battery life, and recharge the battery be fore it becomes too low. The AutoShutoff occurs when the battery voltage level reach es 10.2 Volts or 0%.



### Navigating Menus: When the base station is initially turned on it wil l display the battery voltage and approximate battery capacity re maining. On

this default screen the “Select” button has no func tion, to navigate through different menus press the left or right arr ow buttons. When you wish to change a setting press the “select butt on”, arrows will appear on the bottom line of the display press the left or right arrow button to change scroll through different set ting options, press the “select” button to change the setting.

**Channel:** This menu will display the current channel the vide o receiver is operating on and will allow you to change between 1 of the 7 available ch annels. To change the channel press

“select” then choose the desired channel with the l eft and right arrow buttons and press “select”. When changing this operating channel be s ure to adjust the channel on the video transmitter located on your camera mount.

**Audio Out:** This menu will display whether the audio output wil l send a signal to the computer or display monitor. When set to enabled the base stati on will send an audio signal to the computer or display.

**Beep Sound:** When enabled the base station will emit a beep each time a button is pushed and for any errors or warnings that may occur, when disabled th e base station will not provide a beep tone however error messages and warning will still be displayed visually.

**Connecting Analog Video Recorders, Monitors, & Glas ses**  The Draganflyer X8 Base station provides standard c omposite analog output through 3.5mm stereo jacks on the left side of the panel. S imply plug the composite video cable from your device to the A/V output jack.

**Viewing the Live Video Feed on DraganView Software** Make sure the Base station is connected properly to your laptop and that the power is on, on the camera. Selecting the video tab on the Draga nView software should give you a half screen of video and a half screen of telemetry . You may also select a full screen of video using the full screen button on the upper rig ht portion of the live video display. If video is not present check to make sure your channe l selection is proper and that the proper configuration has been selected. To check or change the configuration go to the configuration menu found at the upper top left of t he page

*Note: If the basestation is operated without a video sig nal running, the software may appear to not respond and the base station may not power down. If this occurs press and hold the power button for 30 seconds then relea se to turn off the power.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

69 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **VIDEOGRAPHY**

Creating great video with the Draganflyer X6 is muc h 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 ex perienced pilot. The fastest way to do this is to start by using a computer based flight s imulator. A couple of hours practice using the simulator will make you comfortable with the controls. Next move to the Draganflyer X6 with the camera system removed.

After you are confident flying the Draganflyer X6 w ithout the camera system, add it back to the assembly.

• Plan your shots carefully, taking into considerati on 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. Sho ot 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 giving you directions. Flying i s 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 allow you to stabilize the he licopter and achieve a smooth

motion.

• Film 5 to 10 seconds before and after capturing th e footage to leave room for editing later.

• Plan several takes varying your speed and other mo vements. This will give you more choices when you edit.

• Try different motion approaches. Remember that ris ing vertically is more easily controlled than descending.

• 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 X6 go where you want it to go the sky is no longer the limit. Be safe, have fun and create awesome video.

**PRE-TRAINING FOR DRAGANFLYER X6**

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70 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 

### Flight Simulator
Even if you are an experienced remote controlled he licopter pilot we strongly suggest that you first train with a flight simulator. You can u se any flight simulator that provides for a two joystick configuration, with the left joystick providing throttle and yaw and the right joystick providing pitch and roll. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the control concepts which are used by the handheld con troller of the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.

Another good flight simulation training method is t o use any small indoor helicopter that flies well, and has the same two joystick configura tion as noted above. This will give you the added benefit of actual flight in all three dim ensions.

In addition to allow you to become more familiar wi th the control configuration, it will save you money by avoiding costly crashes due to be ing unfamiliar with the Draganflyer

X6.



### Indoor Electric Coaxial Helicopter Training
In this section, you will learn how to fly a helico pter with similar control concepts as the Draganflyer X6. As most customers of the Draganfly er X6 UAV are new to RC flying, we have sent you a training helicopter, an indoor e lectric coaxial helicopter. This is a standard, hobby grade RC helicopter whose basic fli ght characteristics closely match those of the X6. You can purchase a small indoor h elicopter such as this through www.RCToys.com or at your local hobby shop. Using the training he licopter means that the small mishaps that happen to everyone while lea rning how to fly are inexpensive. We recommend that you practice the following flight ex ercises with your training helicopter before attempting to fly the Draganflyer X6.

**Setting Up the Practice Flight Area:** Find a indoor area free of obstructions (an average living room will do), and set up a practice area resembling the figure 1 below. You ca n use any easy to see objects as

markers.

**Figure 1 – How To Set Up The Practice Flight Area**

**Flight Exercises** Pilot

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

71 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Exercise #1-Hoover: The first exercise is relatively simple. Get your t raining helicopter ready for flight by following the instructions that came with it. Set t he helicopter on the floor in the center of the markers that you set up earlier, and slowly inc rease the throttle to around 50%. The helicopter should take off and start rising. Back o ff on the throttle a small amount and try to maintain a hover. If required use the trim tabs for roll, pitch and yaw to try to keep the helicopter hovering in one spot. When setting trims make only small adjustments then see how the helicopter reacts to the adjustment. Don't use any of the other flight controls unless the helicopter starts to drift. Hold the hel icopter in a steady hover for a few minutes, then slowly decrease the throttle and allo w it to settle to the ground. Ideally, the helicopter should stay at exactly the same spot ove r the ground while hovering. To help you keep track of it's position above the ground, u se the markers set up earlier.

Exercise #2- Roll: Once you are confident hovering in one place, you c an try moving the helicopter around. Begin by hovering above a marker, and then gently p ush the right transmitter stick to the left. Don't push it too far, just enough to make it start to move to the left. This will cause the helicopter to tilt over slightly and begin movi ng to the left. As long as you apply inputs the helicopter will continue moving in the d irection you are applying direction to. As you near the next marker move the joystick back to center this should cause the helicopter to again be vertical and directional mov ement should discontinue after any speed has been depleted. Hoover momentarily at tha t marker then move the joystick to the right to move the helicopter back to the center marker and then onto the right marker. Practice moving it left and right until you are con fident, then move on to the next exercise. You will find the more input you provide the steeper the angle of the helicopter is which causes an increase in the speed of the fli ght.

Exercise #3 - Pitch: Start in a hover like before, and push the right tr ansmitter stick forward slightly. This will cause the helicopter's nose to drop, and the helico pter will start to travel forward. As with the roll inputs the same type or reaction applies t o pitch. To eliminate forward movement re-centre the right joystick, this will cause forwa rd motion to cease once any momentum is depleted. If you move the joystick back past cen tre it will cause the helicopter to fly backward. Practices moving from marker to marker to become familiar with the pitch

control.

Exercise #4 - Yaw: The training helicopter can rotate, pointing the no se in a new direction. Control yaw (rotational motion) by nudging the left transmitter stick left or right. Cancel out any spin you cause by nudging the stick in the opposite dire ction to re-centre it.

Practice flying the training helicopter around the perimeter of the rectangle of markers set up earlier, keeping the nose pointing in these posi tions:

1) Left 2) Right

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

72 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 3) Towards you 4) In the direction the Blade MCX is traveling.

**Exercise #5:**

Once you become confident holding the nose in these positions, try flying a square figure 8 while holding the nose in a given position. The f igure 8 should be flat, with the helicopter maintaining the same altitude throughout the maneuver. You can also try flying in diagonal movements by incorporating both pitch and roll.

When you feel confident flying the training helicop ter using all the controls, you should be able to fly it to any desired location and land. Becoming proficient at flying the training helicopter will prepare you to pilot the D raganflyer X6, and should reduce mishaps when flying.

**FLIGHT TRAINING**



### TRAINER FLIGHT

There isn’t an easier way to learn to fly the Draga nflyer X6 than using the “buddy” system and using an additional second handheld cont roller for training. The Draganflyer X6 trainer setup allows an instructor to give or li mit the amount and type of control to the student. In order to set up the Draganflyer X6 for this method there are a number of steps that need to be followed so unexpected responses do not occur. The system is setup by programming the Master/Instructor Controller first then programming the Slave/Student

Controller.

Warning Ensure you have two handheld controllers and only one Draganflyer X6 helicopter prepared. Prior to the Buddy System being implemented the in structor should fly the Draganflyer X6 using each of the handheld controlle rs separately to ensure the controllers and the Draganfly X6 are working proper ly.

**Master Controller Setup**

1. Turn on Draganflyer X6 helicopter

2. Turn on Master Controller to connect to helicopter and ensure it is synched to the Draganfly X6

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

73 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 3. Using Touch Screen tap “Config” once

4. Select “Trainer Setup” by tapping “Trainer Setup” o nce

5. Trainer Mode button should display “Off”, select ”M aster”

6. Select channel options you wish to allow student to manipulate by selecting ”Master” to retain control and “Slave” to give cont rol to the student. Select this

for each of the controls.

The Master Controller can now turn over control to the student once the Slave Controller has been set up and the Trainer button o n the Master Controller is depressed and held.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

74 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Slave Controller Setup** Ensure no other Draganflyer X6 helicopter is turned on. 1. Turn on Slave Controller

2. Using Touch Screen tap “Config”

once 3. Select “Trainer Setup by tapping “Trainer Setup” once

4. Trainer Mode button should display “Off”, select ”Slave”

5. Select “Acquire”. The controllers will now communic ate and acknowledge when they find each other by indicating on the touch scr een the status. For the Slave Controller a message box will show “Transmitter cor rectly paired with Master” After pressing “Done” the Slave Controller will s how” Master Found”. On the

Master Controller it will show “Slave Present”

In addition to the Touch Screen indication of statu s an audible set of tones will indicate a change of status. A rising tone indicate s control to the Slave. A lowering of tones indicates control to the Master.

The student can now obtain control of the Draganfly er X6 for the options which the instructor has allowed when the instructor depr esses and holds the trainer

button down.

Ensure the throttle positions on both handheld cont rollers are equal if control of throttle has been given, otherwise the helicopter m ay suddenly ascend or descend once the trainer button is depressed.

It is generally a good idea for the instructor to s tart the flight by lifting off and placing the helicopter in a stable hover before turning ove r control.

Once Trainer setup is selected no other telemetry i nformation from the helicopter is displayed on the touch screen of either controller.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

75 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Turning Trainer System Off**

**Slave Controller**

1. Tap “Off ” button once on touch screen.

2. Tap “Done” to return to default touch screen.

**Master Controller**

1. Tap “Off ” button on touch screen.

2. Tap “Done” to return to default touch screen

Channel options settings for Master control to Slav e are retained on the Master Controller until changed. However, if the power has been cycled on either controller the setup as Master or Slave must be reset.


### FLIGHT LESSONS
**Lesson 1: Familiarization and Trimming:** Start with the DraganflyX6 on a smooth, flat surfac e such as a paved driveway, patio or linoleum floor. The motors will begin spinning afte r you have armed the helicopter and engaged the rotors. Ensure all rotors are spinning properly. Once they are all spinning (usually two seconds), you can advance the throttle to its highest position then return it to the center position. **Do not let it spring back rather return it to centr e.**  The helicopter with then take off to height of about 4-5 feet (1.2 - 1.3 meters).

Keeping the helicopter at this very low altitude s lowly give input to the right joystick to the left or right to make the helicopter slowly mo ve in the desired direction. This only requires a very subtle movement of the joystick to create this movement. Next bring the helicopter back to the take off position. Remember to give small inputs to keep your speed slow; this way if you make a mistake it will not take a lot of the opposing movement to make the correction. This way you will avoid the yo-yo affect of over

control. Repeat this with the pitch (right stick, forward ba ck motion), and yaw (left stick, left/right motion) controls one at a time. By using these cont rols try your best to keep the Draganflyer X6 stationary. The Draganflyer X6 may d rift in one or more directions. This

is what the trim tabs on the handheld controller ar e for. These trim tabs should be moved in the opposite direction that your helicopter is d rifting.

For example, if the Draganflyer X6 wants to drift t o the right you would need to apply left roll trim. When inputting trim corrections onl y use very small amounts and observe the effect. In some cases the Draganflyer X6 may dr ift in more than one direction. Start by correcting for the largest noticeable movement, then move on to the next one. You should become comfortable with trimming the helicop ter, as it may need to be done after a crash or rough landing. Once all of the trims ar e adjusted correctly you can move on to

the next lesson

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

76 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **NOTE: When landing there should be no forward speed , the**  **Draganflyer X6 is designed for vertical takeoff and landing. Allowing**  **forward speed on landing may result in the helicopt er tipping forward**  **and damage to the rotors may result if they come in to contact with the** 

**landing surface.**

**Do not under any circumstances fully reduce the thr ottle during**  **flight, this will cause a drastic decrease in altit ude and may result in** 

**an unrecoverable attitude and crash.**

**Lesson 2: Basic Hovering** In this lesson, we will lift the Draganflyer X6 off of the ground a small distance and practice hovering in one spot. For this lesson it i s best to fly over a flat, smooth surface again. Stay less than one foot above the ground, th is 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 X6 is important and should be checked each flight so that it does not wander off on it’s own. For safety, stand about 15- 20 feet away from the Draganflyer X6, slowly increa se the throttle until it begins to lift off from the ground.

Use gentle, smooth movements of the pitch, roll, an d yaw controls to keep the helicopter on a stable, level position. It is important that y ou use the yaw control (left stick: left and right) to keep the front of the Draganflyer X6 poin ted away from yourself. At this point do not worry about maintaining a perfect hover, jus t concentrate on keeping the Draganflyer X6 level and within an imaginary 10 foo t by 10 foot square. If the helicopter starts to oscillate back and forth simply reduce th e power to land and start again.

Learning to hover is the most difficult part of fly ing a radio control helicopter so it is ok

if it takes a while.

Remember to take a break every 5-10 minutes to give yourself a rest. Once you are able to comfortably maintain a steady hover for 1–2 minu tes you can increase the throttle to allow the Draganflyer X6 to climb up to waist or st omach height (For safety reasons, you should never fly at or near eye level). At this alt itude, control will actually be easier, and you can practice tightening up that imaginary squar e until you can maintain a steady

hover.

To descend for landing, decrease the throttle a sma ll amount and allow the Draganflyer X6 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 1-2 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 X6 around in a hover. This will teach you how to transition from a hover to moving flight and back again. Prepare the

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

77 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Draganflyer using the same checklist and trimming t echnique we have used in previous lessons. For this lesson you should also select a l ocation where you can take off and land on a smooth surface and fly over a grassy area. The edge of your driveway or patio would

be well suited for this if the area is free of obst ructions. If you are comfortable enough, you can begin this lesson by taking off closer to y ourself (5 feet would be a minimum safe distance). This will allow you to keep the Dra ganflyer X6 over the grassy area for the duration of the flight. Lift 2-3 feet off the ground and gently push forwar d 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 D raganflyer X6 to decelerate and then attempt to establish a hover at the waist/stomach l evel. Any time you give a control input to the Draganflyer X6 you will have to give the opp osite control input to level out the helicopter. So if you input forward pitch the helic opter will continue flying forwards until you give it an equal backwards pitch input. Now, im agine a large square drawn on the ground in front of you. Using very gentle movements at first, and keeping t he front of the Draganflyer X6 away from yourself at all times, try to fly from one cor ner of the square to another along the edges. Allow a slight delay after your control inpu t for the Draganflyer X6 to accelerate/decelerate. As you make changes to the p itch 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 tha n to apply too much throttle and have the Draganflyer X6 climb out of your control, so be gen tle 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 flying f ront, back, left, or right, try combining the pitch and roll to fly diagonally acro ss the imaginary square. As you practice, slowly start adding more control inputs t o 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 5-10 minu tes. If you choose to land in the grass ensure that the throttle is reduced to the lo west possible setting once on the ground to avoid stalling a motor. Takeoffs from grass are not recommended, as the blades of grass can be hard on the rotors and motors.

**Lesson 4: Orientation** The object of this lesson will be to teach you to c ontrol the Draganflyer X6 in orientations other than “nose-out” (front of the he licopter pointing away). Take off with the Draganflyer X6 and establish a stable hover. Ke ep the helicopter fairly low to the ground as it is likely that you will lose control a t least once during this lesson. Start by using the yaw control to slowly rotate the Draganflyer X6 from left to right and back again (do not rotate further than 10-15 degree s initially). Once you are comfortable spinning the Draganflyer X6, start rotating further until you have spun it 90 degrees from the starting position and maintain a hover with thi s orientation. It will help if you turn so you are facing in the same direction as the front o f the Draganflyer X6 and watching it over your shoulder. Remember to take a break every 5-10 minutes. Once you master hovering the Draganflyer X6 with it turned 90 degrees, you can think about beginning to practice “nose-in” flight. To do this, you will be best served to repeat lessons 1, 2, and 3, but complete all these with th e front of the Draganflyer X6 turned towards yourself. The roll and pitch controls will be reversed in this orientation, so don’t

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

78 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p rush! Learning to fly “nose-in” will be just like l earning to fly all over again, but don’t get discouraged! Try to practice a few minutes of n ose-in each time you fly the Draganflyer X6, and continue through the rest of th e flying lessons.

**Lesson 5: Climbs and Descents** Now you are ready to begin flying the Draganflyer X 6 at higher altitudes. The helicopter does not know it has gone any higher, so the only r eal factor here is your own nerves. Climbing is easy; just add power and it will smooth ly climb up. Reduce the throttle setting to hover, and the climb will stop naturally (remember, small movements are essential). Descending is more difficult, because t he Draganflyer X6 forces air downwards to generate the lift it needs to fly (thi s is called downwash), as you descend vertically, you will pass into air that is moving d ownwards, 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 d ownwards acceleration, or you can descend while moving the Draganflyer X6 forwards, b ackwards, left, or right. Descending in this manner will allow you to fly out side of the downwash the helicopter generates. Set up for this lesson by first making s ure your batteries are fully charged. Stand well away, as you will be passing through you r 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 Draganfl yer X6 away from you at all times. Repeat this process until you can climb and descend comfortably. Now you can begin climbing higher and faster. Howev er keep in mind that the higher you fly, the greater the risk of causing damage in a cr ash. 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.

**Lesson 6: Introduction to Forward Flight** Anytime the Draganflyer X6 is moving horizontally t hrough 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. Select a large , open area, away from anything or anybody that the Draganflyer X6 might cause damage to. Prepare for flight and trim the helicopter. Begin by establishing a hover just abov e your head and at least 25-30 feet away from yourself.

Turn 90 degrees and start moving forwards. Continue the forward motion, and turn to begin flying in a circle around yourself. Do not fl y around yourself continuously, as you may get dizzy; instead, fly a few circles to the le ft and then to the right, taking breaks often. Try to maintain a constant altitude and to k eep the front of the Draganflyer X6 continuously pointed in the direction of motion. On ce you can fly circles 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 nose- in flight, you are truly a master of the Draganflyer X6. Flying figure-8s will be the last t est. Once you can fly the figure-8 consistently and repeatedly, you are ready to perfo rm any other advanced maneuvers such as pirouettes, fast forward (and backward!) flight, rapid climbs and descents, and

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

79 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p anything else you can think of. Please remember how ever, to keep safety first. It’s no fun when somebody gets hurt.

**How to Update the Draganflyer X6 Transmitter and He licopter Firmware** 

**What is firmware and why keep it up to date?**

Firmware is software that runs on the Draganflyer X 6 Transmitter (TX) and helicopter. As the Draganfly X6 system evolves and matures, Dra ganfly Innovations will continue to improve the user experience, optimize the flight ch aracteristics of the aircraft, find solutions to problems being reported and over time, add new functionality to the system.

Firmware releases are taken very seriously at Draga nfly. The new software is thoroughly tested by systems engineers and a select test group to insure a quality upgrade is being

released to the field.

Before installing or flying the Draganflyer X6 heli copter be certain to read the firmware Release Notes. The Release Notes are published with each firmware version and describe the new features being introduced or what issues ha ve been corrected with the latest software update. In some cases you'll find small ch anges ... in others more complex issues may be addressed so it very important to always rea d the Release Notes before installing and flying.

By keeping the Draganflyer X6 helicopter and transm itter firmware current you will have access to the latest features and enhancements, bug fixes and our customer service representatives will be able to assist you more eff ectively whenever you have a problem.

**How do I know what firmware versions are installed?**

Obtaining firmware version information is very simp le and straight forward.

1. Power on the X6 helicopter

2. Power on the TX 3. When the TX connects to the X6 helicopter you wi ll see the default telemetry screen 4. Press the "Config" button 5. On the Config screen l ocated at the bottom you will see the TX serial number, TX Firmware version number, Helic opter Firmware Version number and the last recorded TX log number.

**How to Update the Draganflyer X6 UAV Firmware:**

Firmware updates will be issued for both the Dragan flyer TX and X6 helicopter on an "as needed" basis meaning there is no set published sch edule. The updates are driven by customer feedback, continued development of the sys tem and new functionality being

introduced.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

80 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p In some cases new firmware will be introduced for b oth the TX and X6 Helicopter at the same time and in other cases it might be for just o ne device. Always read the Release Notes to understand if any dependencies apply. For example: Upgrading the X6 Helicopter to firmware version 1.2.3.b requires the TX be at a minimum firmware version 1.2.4.f. If any dependencies ever do occur, they wi ll be clearly identified.

**Downloading the Firmware**

1. Check the installed firmware version of your system and determine if the update

is needed.

2. Download the firmware files to your computer 3. Usi ng the supplied SD adapter and MicroSD cards, copy the firmware update files t o a MicroSD card. Insure you're copying the files to the top level directory and not to a folder.

3. **Note** : If you have misplaced your SD adapter or MicroSD cards, they are inexpensive and readily available for purchase at j ust about any computer store.

4. Remove the MicroSD card from your computer and remo ve the card 5.The card is now ready to update the TX and X6 helicopter

**Draganflyer X6 UAV Firmware Update Procedure**

Follow this procedure to update the Draganflyer X6 UAV Firmware:

1. Remove the Draganflyer X6 UAV canopy by gripping th e finger holds on its sides, and gently squeezing the canopy in while lif ting upwards. This will expose the internal circuitry, the battery, and the SD car d reader (found near the back).

2. Gently insert the Micro SD card, right side up, int o the slot. The SD card slot slot is located near the back-right of the helicopter.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

81 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 3. Install a fully charged lithium polymer battery in the helicopter and plug in the battery leads.

4. Start the firmware update by holding down the white switch directly to the left of the orange power button and then pressing the orang e power switch. Because the white switch is small, you may find it easier to us e a pen or other long object to

hold it down. Hold **both** switches down as the firmware updates, which is indicated by the LED lights flashing rapidly. When the update is complete, the normal LED blink pattern will resume. The whole upd ate process takes an average of 30 seconds to complete.

**Draganflyer X6 Transmitter Firmware Update Procedur e** 

Follow this procedure to update the firmware on the Draganflyer X6 UAV transmitter.

1. Turn off the transmitter by holding down the red po wer button.

2. Place the flash card in the small slot found on the top of the transmitter.

3. Begin the firmware update by holding down the left (yaw) trim to the right and right (roll) trim to the left ( **not the control sticks, the small black plastic tab s**  ), and pressing the red power button. You can think of this as pressing both trim tabs

towards the center of the transmitter. The transmit ter screen will display

“ Transmitter bootloader invoke ”. After the update finishes, the screen will show

“ Release trim tabs to continue ”. Release both the trim tabs, and the transmitter will return to normal operation.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

82 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p 4. Confirm that the firmware update worked by pairing the helicopter with the transmitter, opening the “config” screen, and readi ng the firmware. revisions shown at the bottom of the display. It should repor t the latest version.

**How to Update the Draganflyer X6 Configuration File**

**What is a Configuration File, and Why Should I keep it Up To Date?** 

The configuration file controls several aspects of the Draganflyer X6’s flight, including:

• **Gyro Gains –** “Gain” is a measure of each onboard gyroscope’s sen sitivity. When the gain is set higher, the gyroscope becomes more sensitive to small movements. If its set too high, the helicopter overcompensates for small movements, and if it’s set too low, the helicopter becomes harder to contr ol.

• **Accelerometer Response –** Like gyro gain, accelerometer response measures

how sensitive each accelerometer is.

• **Helicopter Rates –** The Draganflyer X6 is programmed with maximum rates

, which determine how fast it can pitch, bank, climb, and descend.

At Draganfly Innovations, we pride ourselves in con stantly optimizing and improving the Draganflyer X6 flight performance, to ensure the be st user experience. This constant improvement often results in the need to change sev eral flight control variables, so we issue updated configuration files to reflect these changes. All new configuration files are

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

83 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p made available, along with firmware updates, on our website. We recommend that customers check the support section periodically, a nd download new firmware and configuration files when they are released.

**How to Update the Draganflyer X6 Configuration File**

Updating the configuration file on a Draganflyer X6 UAV is extremely easy to do, simply follow these steps:

1. **Check for a newer version of the configuration file**

**.** You can check for new configuration files on our support page (http://www .draganfly.com/supportbase/ .)

2. **Download the latest version.** Click on the download link to obtain the latest configuration file changes. Save the file to a conv enient location, such as the Desktop or your “C:” drive.

3. **If the configuration file is zipped, uncompress it.** If the configuration file you download ends in a “.zip” filename extension, extra ct it by double clicking, and following the uncompress wizard steps. Note the nam e of the file that you extract

– it should end in a “.DFC” extension.

4. **Plug in the USB transceiver.** The USB transceiver is included with all Draganflyer helicopters. If you don’t already have the driver files installed, you can do so using the CD-ROM included with your helic opter, or by downloading

them from our website. **Note:** If you don’t install the driver for the USB transceiver, it will not work.

5. **Start the control software.** The helicopter control and telemetry software is al so included on the CD-ROM that came with your helicopt er. It would have been automatically installed when you installed the driv ers for the USB transceiver

earlier.

6. **Power on the helicopter.** Turn on the helicopter by pressing down the switch on the back. The control software will automatically f ind and interface to the helicopter. When the control software has found the helicopter, it will display the serial number in the lower part of the screen. **Note:** The hand held controller must

be **off** for the software to detect the helicopter.

7. **Click on the “Configuration” tab at the top of the control software window.**  This opens up a new page, with several options. The ones we’re interested in have to do with updating the configuration file.

8. **Press the “Load Draganflyer Configuration File” but ton.**  This will open a file selection window, which you can use to browse to th e configuration file you downloaded earlier. Select this file, and then pres s “Open”.

9. **Click the “All Payloads” and “All Wind Conditions” radio buttons.**  After you do this, the “Upload to X6” button becomes acti ve. 10. **Click the “Upload to X6” button.** The upload will begin. This process usually

takes 5 to 10 sections.

Congratulations! You’ve just successfully updated t he Draganflyer X6 helicopter configuration file, giving you improved flight perf ormance, and all the latest optimizations.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

84 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Flight Troubleshooting**

**PROBLEM POSSIBLE** 

**CAUSES SOLUTION** 

Handheld controller

not connected to Draganflyer X6 Turn on Draganflyer X6, and then turn on controller

. The controller should emit a triple-beep, indicatin g it has connected. Also when connected you will see telemetry on the controllers screen The Draganflyer X6 is not armed yet Ensure you are holding the left controller stick in its lower right corner for at least five seconds. You w ill hear a beeping tone and the LED lights will stop flashing once armed Draganflyer X6 won’t

start the motors at all

The GPS Position

Hold Switch is not in

Manual Mode Ensure the GPS switch is down in Manual Flight mode

, you will receive and audible and visual warning whe n trying to take off in GPS or Altitude hold. Draganflyer X6 will

not turn on Fuse may be blown Check the fuse on the bottom of the helicopter to ensure it is not blown replace if necessary. Shut the motors off by going to the lowest throttle setting on the handheld controller’s left stick and holding the descend switch down for 3 seconds. Slowly advance the throttle stick until motors begi n to power up. Leave the throttle stick at a low settin g until all motors are spinning slowly and smoothly. It is now OK to throttle up more If one motor always fails to start, despite repeate d attempts on your part, it may be damaged or disconnected. Open the motor pod for inspection, a nd ensure both motors are connected properly. Swap connectors between upper and lower motors One motor doesn’t start properly Poor signal, damaged

or disconnected

Launch Draganflyer X6 Interface program



### . Utilize single motor utility to help trouble shoot the prob lem
Check for this behavior indoors, to rule out the ef fects

of wind Inspect each motor to ensure it spins freely, and e ach rotor by looking for cracks and missing sections. Inspect the Draganflyer X6 circuit board. Ensure i t is solidly mounted to the carbon fiber plate via the insulating soft-mounts Draganflyer X6 requires a lot of stick input or trim to hold

level. Wind, damaged rotors, insecure

circuit board

If the problem hasn’t been spotted, contact Draganf ly Innovations. You may need to send in the Draganfly er X6 circuit board for repair
Out of calibration Conduct the Calibration Test, an d set Magnetic

Declination Calibration and the Vertical Direction

Calibration Draganflyer X6 spins in circles despite yaw input. Yaw control trim is Center the yaw trim

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

85 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p not centered If the problem persists, contact Draga nfly Innovations. Your Draganflyer X6 circuit board may require repai r Conduct the Calibration Test, and set the Vertical

Direction Calibration Draganflyer X6 flies in very large circles while in GPS Flight Mode Out of calibration

If the problem persists, contact Draganfly Innovati ons. Degraded batteries, Normal flight times are 18-20 minutes without a payload, and 7-15 minutes with a payload. If yours are significantly shorter, you probably need to replace your Draganflyer X6 lithium batteries. Overheated motors After a flight, feel the six moto rs to gauge their temperatures. If one or two are especially hot, th e motors may need replacing Flight times are very

short.

Damaged rotor blades Inspect rotor blades for damage including chips and crack, replace all damaged rotors before flying.

Poor satellite

conditions The ideal conditions for acquiring a satellite lock are: outside, clear sky, and no nearby buildings, trees, or hills.

GPS may be “cold starting” After not being used for several days the GPS syste m may take 5 to 15 minutes to acquire a lock.

The GPS module may need to be reset Disconnect the battery from the helicopter, move th e GPS power switch, located on the lower GPS board toward the front of the helicopter for 5 seconds th en return to the on position toward the back of the helicopter. The GPS will “cold start” after this. GPS refuses to acquire

a satellite lock.

damaged GPS

antenna GPS antennas are sensitive to impact, and may be ruined in a crash despite appearing fine. A motor arm is wobbly Damaged frame Your Draganflye r X6 may have a damaged frame. Inspect it carefully for cracks and missing pieces, and

also for the source of the extra arm movement. Purchase replacement parts to solve this problem. If a top motor is loose, either the motor’s bolts a re loose, or its motor mount is broken. A bottom motor may be loose for the same reasons, or because the lower section of the pod is loose. A motor is loose in its pod Loose bolts, broken

motor mounts

Remove the bottom motor from the pod to gain access

to the motor mounts and internal bolts.

The Base Station will not power off The software may

have frozen This can occur when the base station is operated without a video source running. To power down the base station press and hold the power button for 30

seconds then release

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

86 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p Poor GPS conditions. Entering a Hold Mode before th e Draganflyer X6 has acquired a sufficient satellite lock is impossible. You can flip the switch, but the Draganflyer X6 will re main under your control. Use the Interface program to determine the status of the GPS, and try entering a Hold Mode again once the Draganflyer X6 is ready.

Trim tabs not

centered The trim tabs will effect the flight during GPS pos ition hold, ensure the trim tabs are at the center positi on

Wind conditions are too high The GPS Position Hold will only reliably work in wi nd speeds up to 6 mph (10km/h) Magnetometer out of

calibration Ensure Magnetic Declination and Inclination calibrations have been performed. Conduct Heading

Test The Draganflyer X6 will not properly hold

in GPS mode.

If this problem persists contact Draganfly Innovat ions.



### How do I contact Draganfly Innovations?

**Technical Support** : For Draganflyer Aircraft owners please have your Cu stomer ID number and Tech Support Account User information available when con tacting Draganfly Technical

support.

**E-mail** :

support@draganfly.com

.

**Phone & Fax:**

Toll Free: 1-800-979-9794

Int: 1-306-955-9907

Fax: 1-306-955-9906

**Mailing Address:**

Draganfly Innovations Inc. Saskatoon, SK S7M0K7 2108 St. George Avenue

Canada

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

87 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p **Glossary of Terms**

If you find a term in the manual that you don’t und erstand, look here for its definition.

• **Accelerometer** – An accelerometer is an electromechanical device t hat will measure acceleration (change in speed and direction ) forces. These forces may be static, like the constant force of gravity pulling at your feet, or they could be dynamic - caused by moving or vibrating the acceler ometer.

• **Altitude** – A measure of how high something is. Altitude can be measured above ground level, or above sea level.

• **Altitude Hold Flight Mode** – The helicopter will maintain altitude with this flight mode turned on however it will not hold its position.

• **Attitude** – Attitude is a term for the angle the aircraft is tilted in reference to the

horizon.

• **Barometric Pressure Sensor** – A barometer senses atmospheric pressure. The Draganflyer X6 comes equipped with a small electric barometer, which is used to

sense and hold altitude.

• **Bearing** – The direction that the helicopter is moving.

• **Boom Strike** – In windy conditions and making a sudden roll or p itch movement flexing of the rotors may cause them to strike the frame arms.

• **Brushless Motor** – A type of electric motor powered by DC (direct c urrent) electricity. They provide superior performance to b rushed motor designs.

• **Celsius** – The metric measure of temperature. In America, te mperature is usually measured in degrees Fahrenheit. Switch between metr ic and imperial units by selecting config > basic config > display units in the transmitter menu.

• **Climb Rate** – The speed with which the aircraft is increasing its altitude.

• **dBm** – Short for Decibel Milliwatt, this is another mea sure of power, but

referenced to one Milliwatt.

• **Direct Drive** – Each motor shaft is directly attached to a rotor blade, without using gears.

• **DSSS** – Short for Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum, this is a type of spread spectrum technology. Spread spectrum radios “spread ” their frequencies across different wavelengths, which reduce radio interfere nce.

• **Gb** – A gigabyte is a measure of data capacity.

• **Ghz** – Short for Giga Hertz, this unit is used to measur e frequency in billions of cycles per second.

• **GPS** – Short for Global Positioning System, a GPS recei ver locks on to radio signals from several satellites and uses them to de termine its location.

• **GPS Hold Flight Mode** – This flight mode holds both altitude and positio n without pilot input.

• **Gyro** – A Gyro (short for gyroscope) is an electronic de vice which measures or maintains orientation based on the principles of an gular momentum. In the simplest case, a gyroscope detects the angle the ai rcraft is at. The helicopter senses its rotation relative to the gyro, and the c omputer cancels out any motion.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

88 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p • **Heading** – The direction that the helicopter nose is pointi ng.

• **Kbps** – Short for kilo bytes per second, this unit is us ed to describe the rate at

which data is transmitted.

• **Latitude** - The elevation angle of the helicopter above or b elow the equator.

• **LED** – Light emitting diode. A light emitting diode is a highly efficient and very bright light source.

• **Lithium Polymer Battery** – Lithium polymer batteries technologically evolve d from lithium ion batteries, and use a lithium salt electrolyte held in a polymer composite to achieve superior capacity and performa nce.

• **Lm** – Lumen, or unit of luminous flux. This measures h ow bright something is, or the perceived power of light.

• **Magnetic Declination** – Magnetic declination measures how much differenc e there is between magnetic north and true north at y our location. The Earths magnetic field does not align with the north pole, so the Draganflyer X6 has to be calibrated to correct for this difference. See page 49 of the manual for more

information.

• **Magnetometers** – A sophisticated electronic compass, which allows the Draganflyer X6 to sense it’s orientation relative to the Earth’s magnetic field.

• **mAh** – Short for Milli Amp Hour, this unit measures the capacity of a battery, or the total charge that it can provide.

• **Manual Flight Mode** – When flying the Draganflyer X6 manually, the alti tude and GPS hold features are off, giving you complete control of the UAVs position.

• **mW** – Short for Milliwatt, this is a measure of power, or the rate at which energy is emitted. One watt corresponds to one Joule of en ergy per second, and milli means “thousandth”, so one Milliwatt is a thousandt h of a Joule per second.

• **Omni Directional** – Omni Directional is a term usually used to descr ibe a radio transmitter that emits a signal evenly in all direc tions.

• **Pitch** – A flight control used to describe if the nose is tilting up or down. The pitch of the aircraft is what makes it move forward or back.

• **Radio Waves / Radio Signal** – A radio is a device which emits electromagnetic waves with a long wavelength, on the order of 1 met er in length. These waves are transmitted and received by the helicopter and tran smitter, allowing

communication between them.

• **RoHS** - Directive on the restriction of the use of certa in hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment.

• **Roll** – A flight control used to describe if the aircraf t is tilting left or right. Tilting the aircraft left or right will cause it to go in t hat direction.

• **Servo** – A servo is a device which changes the orientatio n of a mechanical component. Servos are used to control the camera ti lt on the Draganflyer X6 Helicopter.

• **Spotter** – A spotter is a person designated to look for haz ards in the air or on the ground, so that the pilot can concentrate on flying

.

• **Stall** – A stall is a loss of lift. This occurs when a wi ng or rotor of an aircraft is tilted to steep relative to the ground.

## Draganflyer X6 – Users Manual

89 9/04/12 Ver 10-9-p • **Telemetry** – Refers to all the sensor measurements and flight data transmitted during flight.

• **Throttle** – The throttle is the flight control which corresp onds to how fast the motors and rotor blades are spinning. The throttle directly controls the thrust produced by the rotor blades, and thus the altitude of the helicopter.

• **Trim** – Adding trim to the helicopter compensates for unw anted drift in any

direction.

• **Vertical Magnetic Field** – A measure of how the Earths magnetic field diffe rs from true North at your location. See page 52 of th e manual for calibration

instructions.

• **VTOL** – Abbreviated form of “Vertical Takeoff and Landin g”. A VTOL aircraft can take off and land vertically, without needing a runway to accelerate.

• **Watt** - The SI unit of power, one Watt is one Joule of e nergy per second.

• **Wired Whip Antenna** – A type of radio antenna, used to transmit radio waves.

• **Yaw** – How much an aircraft is rotated left or right on a horizontal axis.



## Transmitter Abbreviations and Terms

Some of the terms used in the transmitter menus and displays might not be familiar to new operators. The following is a list of all the n on obvious menu entries and display terms found in the Draganflyer X6 transmitter.

• **Barometric Altitude** – This is the altitude above ground level as deter mined by the onboard barometer.

• **GPS Altitude** – This is the altitude as determined by the GPS.

• **GPS PDOP** – Stands for Positional Dilution of Precision. This bar indicates GPS signal quality. A value of 1 is considered idea l, with larger values indicating lower signal strength. A PDOP of less th an 3 is sufficient for GPS position hold.

• **GPS Svs** – This bar indicates the number of satellites that the GPS receiver is currently communicating with. For the position hold feature to work the GPS receiver in the aircraft requires communication wit h 6 or more satellites.