## FIRE SPRITE FIXED WING

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT

OVERVIEW AND OPERATIONS MANUAL

12 August 2015

Revision: 01.1



# AcuTech

AcuTech Proprietary Information and Export Notification

This document contains technical information that is proprietary in nature and is intended for use only by the customers and partners of AcuTech. Technical data in this document may also fall under specific export control laws. Information in this document should not be transferred to a foreign person without prior authorization from the appropriate government agencies.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 2 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 3 

## Table of Contents

Scope

............................................................................................................................... ......................... 6
Safety

............................................................................................................................... ........................ 6

Manual Sections

............................................................................................................................... ....... 6

Support Documentation

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

Abbreviations and Acronyms.................................................................................................................. 8

REVISION HISTORY

............................................................................................................................... .. 10

General Description

............................................................................................................................... 12

Aircraft Specifications and Performance Characteristics

....................................................................... 14
Autopilot and Avionics Overview

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

Command and Control

........................................................................................................................... 16

Electrical System Overview

.................................................................................................................... 18
Propulsion System

............................................................................................................................... ... 19
Flight Control and Actuators

.................................................................................................................. 20

Aircraft Payload

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

Mission Planner Software Overview/ Operation

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

Mission Planner Description

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

Mission Planner Setup

........................................................................................................................ 24

Caching Map Data

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

How to Plan a Mission

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

Setting Failsafes for the Mission

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

System Assembly and Setup

................................................................................................................. 32

Aircraft Assembly

............................................................................................................................... 32

Aircraft Parts Included

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

Battery Mounting

............................................................................................................................... .... 38

Aircraft Inspection

............................................................................................................................... ... 39

Aircraft Structure

............................................................................................................................... 39

Aircraft Battery

............................................................................................................................... ... 39

Propellers

............................................................................................................................... ............ 39

Motor

............................................................................................................................... .................. 39

Aircraft Center of Gravity

....................................................................................................................... 40

Control Surface end point adjustment

............................................................................................... 40

Payload

............................................................................................................................... ................ 41

Ground Control Station Assembly

.......................................................................................................... 42
Telemetry Radio

............................................................................................................................... .. 42

Remote Video Terminal Setup

........................................................................................................... 43

Aircraft Launch Procedures

.................................................................................................................. 47

Normal Operational Procedures

........................................................................................................... 49
Flight Limitations:

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

Aircraft Failsafe and Non

‐ Normal Flight Procedures

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

Aircraft Battery Failsafe

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

Loss of GPS Signal

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

Geo

‐ Fence Excursion

.......................................................................................................................... 53AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 4 EKF/ Inertial Navigation Health

.......................................................................................................... 54

Telemetry/ GCS Link Failsafe

.............................................................................................................. 55

RCTx Link Failsafe

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

Aircraft Recovery and System Disassembly

......................................................................................... 58
Appendix A ‐ Flight Mode Description

................................................................................................... 60
Appendix B ‐ Maintenance Schedule Matrix

.......................................................................................... 61
Appendix C

– Preflight Briefing Guidelines

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

Airspace Coordination

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

Flight Objectives

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

Safety Items

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

Non

‐ Normal Flight Procedures........................................................................................................... 62

Preflight Procedures

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

Ground Station Assembly

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

Remote Video Terminal (RVT) Assembly

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

Aircraft Assembly

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

Radio Control Transmitter Setup

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

Aircraft Preflight

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

Flight Plan Building

............................................................................................................................. 65

Aircraft Launch

............................................................................................................................... .... 65

Normal Flight Procedures

................................................................................................................... 66

Non

‐ Normal Flight Procedures / Aviate ‐ Navigate ‐ Communications

.............................................. 66

Aircraft Recovery and Disassembly

.................................................................................................... 66

Notes

............................................................................................................................... ...................... 67

Table 1

‐ Abbreviation and Acronyms

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

Table 2 FIRE SPRITE Aircraft General Specifications

.......................................................................... 14

Table 3 ‐ PixHawk Autopilot Specifications

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

Table 4 ‐ Radio Frequency Matrix

........................................................................................................ 16

Table 5 –Specifications

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

Table 6 ‐ Electronic Speed Controller Specifications

.......................................................................... 20

Table 7 ‐ Tools and Hardware Required for Aircraft Assembly

......................................................... 32

Table 8 ‐ Aircraft Inventory Sheet

........................................................................................................ 32

Table 9

‐ Aircraft Battery Failsafe Details

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

Table 10

– Loss of GPS Failsafe Details

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

Table 11

– Geo

‐ Fence Failsafe Details

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

Table 12

– EKF Variance Failsafe Details

............................................................................................. 54

Table 13

– Telemetry/ GCS Link Failsafe

............................................................................................. 55

Table 14

– RCTx Link Failsafe

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

Table 15 ‐ Flight Mode Descriptions

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

Table 16 ‐ FIRE SPRITE Maintenance Schedule

................................................................................... 61AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 5 Figure 1 FIRE SPRITE Fixed Wing Aircraft

............................................................................................ 12

Figure 2 FIRE SPRITE Fixed Wing View Drawing

.................................................................................... 13

Figure 3 ‐ Aircraft Electrical System Overview

........................................................................................ 18

Figure 4

– FIRE SPRITE Motor

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

Figure 5 ‐ GoPro 3

‐ axis Gimbal

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

Figure 6 ‐ Mission Planner Overview

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

Figure 7 ‐ Mission Planner Configuration Window

.............................................................................. 24

Figure 8– Mission Planner Time in Air Selection

................................................................................ 25

Figure 9 ‐ HUD showing Time in Air

...................................................................................................... 25

Figure 10 ‐ Mission Planner

– Autopilot Communications

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

Figure 11

‐ Mission Planner Heads Up Display

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

Figure 12 ‐ Flight Planner Window

........................................................................................................ 29

Figure 13 ‐ Failsafe Configuration Window

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

Figure 14

‐ Aircraft components

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

Figure 15

‐ Wing root

............................................................................................................................... 34

Figure 16 ‐ Tail boom

.............................................................................................................................. 34

Figure 17

‐ Tail boom tightening

............................................................................................................. 35

Figure 18

‐ Elevon connector

.................................................................................................................... 35

Figure 19

‐ Complete Wing Assembly

...................................................................................................... 36

Figure 20 Wing Assembly Mount to Fuselage

....................................................................................... 37

Figure 21 Assembled Aircraft

................................................................................................................. 38

Figure 22

‐ Aircraft Center of Gravity

...................................................................................................... 40

Figure 23 ‐ Telemetry Radio

.................................................................................................................. 42

Figure 24 ‐ Remote Video Terminal Example

....................................................................................... 43

Figure 25 ‐ RCTx Setup

.......................................................................................................................... 44

Figure 26 ‐ RCTx Switch Mapping

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

Figure 27 ‐ Auto Mode Selection in MP

................................................................................................ 48AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 6 

## Scope

This manual contains the system description, aircraft assembly and disassembly
procedures, operator’s responsibilities during normal and non-normal operations,

and a condensed version of these procedures (oper ations checklist).



## Safety

Varying levels of safety warnings are call ed out in this manual with the definitions

as follows:

Note - An operating procedure, prac tice, or condition, etc., which is essential to

emphasize.

Caution - An operating procedure, practice, or condition, etc., which if not
strictly observed, may c ause damage to the equipment.

Warning - An operating procedure, practice, or condition, etc., which may
result in personnel injury or death if not carefully obser ved or followed.



## Manual Sections

This manual contains the following major sections:

1. Aircraft Description – A brief description of the aircraft and the
performance and physical specifications to include flight controller and
propulsion system information.

2. Mission Planner Software Overview / Operation – Description of the

Mission Planner operating software, setup and basic functionality.

3. System Assembly and Setup – Procedures outlining the aircraft, GCS
and RVT assembly.

4. Operational Procedures – Overview of the proper pr eflight, in flight and
recovery procedures for the FIRE SPRITE aircraft.

5. System Disassembly – Procedures outlining the aircraft, GCS and RVT

disassembly.

6. Non-Normal Procedures – Descriptions and how to perform aircraft and
ground station emergency procedures.

7. Appendix – List of various charts, t ables and special procedures.

8. FIRE SPRITE Operations Checklist – Condensed version of the Operational

Procedures.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 7 

## Support Documentation

Support documentation and additional material regar ding the autopilot and
functionality can be found online at: http://www.plane.ardupilot.comAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 8 

## Abbreviations and Acronyms

Table 1-Abbreviation and Acronyms

Abbreviation Definition

AC Alternating Current

AES Advanced Encryption Standard

AGL Above Ground Level

Ah Amp Hours

AP Autopilot

ASL Above Sea Level

ATP Acceptance Test Procedure

AV Air Vehicle

AVO Air Vehicle Operator

CM Centimeter

DA Density Altitude

dBm Power Ratio in Decibel

DC Direct Current

DEG Degrees

DTED Digital Terrain Elevation Data

ELOC Electronic Loss of Communications

EO Electro-Optical

EO/IR Electro-Optical / Infrared

EP External Pilot

ESC Electronic Speed Control

ESD Electro Static Discharge

FOD Foreign Object Debris

FMU Flight Management Unit

FW Firmware

GCS Ground Control Station

GHz Gigahertz

GPS Global Positioning System

GSE Ground Support Equipment

GTOW Gross Take-off Weight

GUI Graphical User Interface

HDOP Horizontal Dilution of Precision

IAS Indicated AirspeedAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 9 IR Infrared

In Inch

INS Inertial Navigation System

ISM Industrial, Scientific, and Medical

I2C Inter Integrated Circuit

Kg Kilogram

KHz Kilohertz

Km Kilometer

Kw Kilowatt

Kv RPM/ Volt

Lbs Pounds

LED Light-Emitting Diode

LOS Line of Sight

M Meter

mA Milliamp

mAh Milliamp-Hour

MHz Megahertz

mm Millimeter

mW Mill watt

MP Mission Planner

MSL Mean Sea Level

m/s Meters per second

nm Nanometer

NM Nautical Mile

NTSC National Television System Committee

OAT Outside Air Temperature

OZ Ounce

PAL Phase Alternate Line

PPM Pulse Position Modulation

PWM Pulse Width Modulation

RCTx Radio Control Transmitter

RF Radio Frequency

FIRE SPRITE Remotely Operated Air Vehicle

RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator

RVT Remote Video Terminal

TCP Transmission Control Protocol

SPI Serial Peripheral Interface

UAS Unmanned Aerial System

UART Universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter

UAV Unmanned Aerial VehicleAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 10 UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply

USB Universal Serial Bus

V Volts

VAC Volts Alternating Current

VDC Volts Direct Current

W Watt

WP Waypoint

V Volts

VAC Volts Alternating Current

VDC Volts Direct Current

W Watt

WP Waypoint



## REVISION HISTORY

Rev ision

Lev el Release Date Description of Change Affecte d

sec tion s /

Pa g es
Rev. A 12 August 2015 In itial document release A llAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 11 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 12 

## General Description

The Fire Sprite is a fixed wing, aerial vehicle produced by AcuTech of Vancouver, Washington, USA. The aircraft is desig ned to carry several payloads to perform

various commercial tasks such as industrial inspec tion and mapping.

The airframe is comprised of lightweight ca rbon fiber frame cover wing EPO foam to achieve an optimal str ength to weight ratio. T he airframe and subcomponents have been designed and tested to withstand the stress loadings witnessed in normal flight conditions while re taining ample safety factors.

Figure 1 FIRE SPRITE Fixed Wing AircraftAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 13 

### Figure 2 FIRE SPRITE Fixed Wing View DrawingAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 14 

## Aircraft Specifications and Performance Characteristics

Table 2 FIRE SPRITE Aircraft General Specifications

Parameter Value (Imperial) Value (Metric)

Gross Takeoff Weight (GTOW) 10 lbs 4,530 g

Wing Span 81 In 2060 mm

Length 55 In 1410 mm

Fuel Type Electric/ Lithium Polymer Batteries

Nominal Payload Capacity ~2 lbs ~907 g

Payload Option 36x zoom EO and/ or Infrared sensor

Trillium HD25 Payload EO/ IR - E. Stab and Inertial stab.

Command and Control (C2) Manual Control via RCTx operating on 2.4 G H z, frequency hopping

Command and Control Range 2 NM 3.7 Km

Aircraft Telemetry Up to 1 watt, discrete, frequency agile, ISM

band, bi-directional radio modem (Rx/ Tx)

Aircraft Telemetry Range ~2 NM 3.7 Km

Video Transmitter 600mW Analog or 27dBm Digital Link

Video Transmitter Range ~ 2 NM 3.7 Km

Launch Type - Procedure Vertical Takeoff – Manual or Auto

Recovery Type - Procedure Vertical Landing – Manual or Auto

Navigation - Horizontal GPS / I N S

Navigation - Vertical Barometer / I N S

Nominal Mission Altitudes

(AGL) 20 - 400 ft 6 - 121 m

Service Ceiling (@GTOW) 8,000 ft MSL 2,400 m

Nominal Mission Endurance ~1.5 Hours

Cruise Ground/ Airspeed 25 kts 12 m/s

Maximum Ground/ Airspeed 55 kt s 28 m/s

Max Climb Rate 1,000 fpm 5.0 m/ s

Max Descent Rate 500 fp m 2.5 m/ s

Headwind Limitation 20 kt s 10.3 m/s

Crosswind Limitation 10 kt s 5 m/s

Turbulence Rating Ligh t

(OAT) Operating Range 20 ° F - 100 ° F

Shipping Container Size -

Weight 52 x 22 x 15 inches

70 lbs 1.32 x .56 x .38 m

31.75 KgAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 15 

## Autopilot and Avionics Overview

The aircraft flight stabili zation and navigation management is accomplished by the PixHawk autopilot system, which runs a flight control firmware stack called

ArduPlane 3.2.x in the NuttX operating system.

The PixHawk autopilot boasts a suite of sensors where incoming data is managed by a robust inertial measur ement unit (IMU) utilizing an extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm. This logi c makes efficient use of the single and redundant sensors creating a reliable system with fail-ba ck capabilities.

Table 3 - PixHawk Autopilot Specifications

Pr o cess o r
32-bit ARM Cortex M4 core with FPU, 168 MHz/ 256 KB RAM/ 2 MB Flash

32-bit STM32F103 failsafe co-processor

Se n s o rs

Dual 3 axis 16-bit ST Micro L3GD20H gyro for determining orientation.

Dual 3 axis 14-bit accelerometer and magnet ometer for determining outside influences and

compass heading.

Provision for external magnetometer wi th automatic switchover if desired.

MEAS MS5611 barometric pressure se nsor for determining altitude.

Built in voltage and current sensing for battery condition determination.

Options for dual externally mounted UBLOX LEA GPS for determining absolute position.

I/O In terfaces

Fourteen PWM servos or ESC speed control outputs.

Five UART (serial ports), one high-power capable, 2x with HW flow control.

Two CAN I/O ports (one with internal 3. 3V transceiver, one on expansion connector)

PPM sum signal input.

RSSI (PWM or voltage) input.

I2C and SPI serial ports.

Two 3.3 volt and one 6.6 volt analog inputs.

Internal microUSB port and external microUSB type-B port extension.

Contains its own onboa rd microcontroller and stacks with the FMU.

Power System

The PixHawk is supplied with an in line power supply with voltage and current sensor outputs.

Ideal diode controller with redundant powe r supply inputs and automatic fail-over.

Servo rail high-power (max. 10V) and high-current (10A+) ready.

All peripheral outputs are over-current pr otected and all inputs are ESD protected.

The provided external safety button enable s safe motor activation / deactivation.

Piezo buzzer audio warnings, Flight st atus indicators and driver for high brightness external multicolored LEDAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 16 

## Command and Control

There are a total of three radio frequency (RF) links that control and communicate with the autopilot/ aircraft. All links are operat ing within the ISM bands provided for industrial use and operate simult aneously without

interference.

Mission plan data is transmitted via Mavlink (a serial telemetry data protocol) on the GCS/ Telemetry radio link and is received by an identical radio which

communicates data to t he Mission Planner GUI.

Safety pilot commands are transmitted to the vehicle on 2.4GHz and are received onboard by a separate recevi er (typical RC equipment). The PWM signal reveived is then conv erted to PPM and sent to the flight management unit.

Table 4 describes the RF link(s) functionalit y and operating frequencies.

Table 4

- 

### Radio Frequency Matrix

Description Tran smissi on Device – Pow er
Ma gnitud e Function Frequency

GCS/ T eleme t ry
Radio Bi Dire ct ional
serial, UART radio

modem with 128 bit AES encryp t ion

available – Adjustable up to 1

Watt Ground station t o
aircra ft

communica t ions

for heal t h monitoring and flight plan management 902 – 928 MH z, frequency hopping

over 50 channels

Video Link Commercial grade analog video

transmitter - 600

mW Video downlink t o the remote video

terminal (R VT ) 5.8 GHz

Radio Control Radio Con t rol

hand held

transmitter -120

mW Camera manipulation and safety pilo t/

manual con t rol 2.4 GHzAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 17 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 18 

## Electrical System Overview

The FIRE SPRITE is an electrically powe red aircraft that receives power for propulsion and onboard systems from dual Lithium Poly mer battery packs. The battery pack are in the fuselage and pr ovides a nominal voltage of 14.8VDC and has a capacity of 20.0 Ah. This produces a flight time of ~1.5 hours with 20% battery capacity in reserve.

The avionics system requires 5V and draw s approximately 800 mA. The propulsion system draws 38 amps on tak eoff and at cruise ground speed, with a maximum of 15 amps observed in high wind scenarios.

Payloads typically require 5-12V and draw approximately 2 amps or less. On- board voltage, current, and battery percent age monitoring provides power system health status to the pilot through the teleme try radio and is displayed on the Mission

Planner GUI.

Figure 3- Aircraft Electrical System OverviewAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 19 

## Propulsion System

Table 5 –Specifications

KV..................................................................................................................400

Configu ration......................................................................................12N14P

Stator Diameter......................................................................................35mm

Stator Length..........................................................................................20mm

Shaft Diameter.........................................................................................4mm

Motor Dimensions (Dia.*Len)...................................................... Φ 42.5×42mm

Weight (g)..................................................................................................194g

ldle current(10)@10v(A)...........................................................................1.2A

No.of Cells (Lipo)......................................................................................4-8S

Max Continuous current (A) 180S..............................................................38A

Max Continuous Power (W) 180S........................................................1140W

Max.-efficiency-current..............................................................(.10-23A)>83%

internal resistance..................................................................................82m Ω



### Figure 4 FIRE SPRITE MotorAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 20 

## Flight Control and Actuators

The FIRE SPRITE is controlled via surface deflection of the four control surface using commanded servo positing. An electronic speed controller (ESC) is dedicated to the motor to apply pow er and change RPM as directed by the autopilot.

The ESCs used on the FIRE SPRITE feature dynamic PWM and motor advance timing algorithms and 490 Hz refresh rate fo r high-speed response to flight control commands. Critical component s of the ESC are protec ted by two thermal-epoxy

bonded aluminum heat sinks. Table 6 lists the specifications of the ESCs.

Table 6

- 

### Electronic Speed Controller Specifications

Refresh rate 600 Hz PWM Rate 16 KHz

Maximum

Current 100 a (5s burst) A dvance Timing 22-30 deg

Maximum Power 2790 W (5s burst) Weight 32 g (54g with wires/bullets)

C ontinuou s Current 80 A Power Leads 13 AWG, 200 deg C

C ontinuou s Pow er 1625+ W Motor Leads 15 AWG, 200 deg C

Maximum Efficiency >98% ESC Lead 22 AWG, 3-wire JR

V oltage Range 7.4 – 29.6 V Maximum

RPM 210,000 RPMAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 21 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 22 

## Aircraft Payload

The FIRE SPRITE can carry various came ras on an external 2 or 3-axis gimbal platform mounted beneath the nose sect ion. Figures 5 show 3-axis gimbal

with a GoPro Hero-4. For instructions on a specific payload please see the operations checklist and manufacturer data.

Figure 5 GoPro 3-axis GimbalAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 23 

## Mission Planner Software Overview/ Operation

Mission Planner Description

Mission planner (MP) is the command and cont rol graphical user interface (GUI) between the operator and the aircraft for running in a Windows environment. This software is used to plan autonomous missi ons, monitor aircraft health, dynamically re-task the aircraft in-flight and setup aircra ft functionalities; e.g. failsafe’s, sensor calibration and camera configurations.

Figure 6 Mission Planner OverviewAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 24 

## Mission Planner Setup

Mission Planner is a free dow nload that c an be found at ardupilot.com/downloads/ . The Downloads portion of the website is always updated with links to the latest download for your specific operating system. Once downloaded, navigate to the “Downloads” folder and ex tract the zipped file to the directory of your choice.

1. Double click the MP installer ex ecutable and follow th e steps through the installation process. 2. After installing MP, open the application. 3. Select the Config/ Tuning Page from the top-level menu and then select the

“Planner” Tab on the left.

Figure 7 Mission Planner Configuration Window

4. Select the appropriate units of measurement for di stance and speed for your

area and air traffic control. 5. Check the “Enable Speech” box to enable audible alerts. 6. Select the Flight Data page from the top-level menu.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 25 

### 7. Right Click in the HUD and select “User Items” from the drop down box.

8. Check the “Time in Air” box to add a flight timer into the HUD.

Figure 8 Mission Planner Time in Air Selection

9. The time in Air data field will t hen be populated as shown in figure 11.

Figure 9 HUD showing Time in AirAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 26 

## Caching Map Data

Satellite imagery of th e area you intend to fly is only available in the field if the user has cached the imagery for the ar ea. This is acco mplished from the Planning window found in the top-level menu.

1. Open the Planning Window

2. Ensure that an Internet connection is available and navi gate the map to the

area to be flown. 3. Zoom in as far as po ssible until the area to be fl own fills the entire screen. 4. Right click anywhere on the map and select “Map Tool” fr om the drop down. 5. Select the “Prefetch” option and answer yes to the next popup window.

Figure 10 GEO MapAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 27 

## How to Plan a Mission

1. Connect the GCS/ Telemetry radi o to an open USB port on the GCS computer. 2. Select the appropriate comm port from the communications drop down located in the upper right hand corner of MP. This will typically be the only comm port available.

3. Select a baud rate of 57600 from the drop down window to the right of the comm port drop down. 4. Press the connect icon to the right of the baud rate drop down and MP will then begin to connect and pull para meters from the autopilot.

Figure 11 Mission Planner – Autopilot CommunicationsAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 28 

### 5. After the connection is co mplete the user can see in formation in the artificial horizon such as: battery voltage, alti tude and indicated airspeed start to populate and change.

Figure 12 Mission Planner Heads Up DisplayAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 29 

### 6. Select the Planner window to begin planning an autonomous mission.

7. Set the “Default Alt” to your desired altitude of t he flight plan. Keep in mind that the altitude for the waypoints are recorded in above ground level (AGL)

Relative to the altitude when the aircraft in armed.

8. Left click a location on the map where a waypoint or command point is to be

. Continue to do this until all of t he waypoints and command points for the mission are populated. 9. Open the waypoint ma trix window by selecting the double arrows on the righ t hand side of the waypoints bar, locat ed below the map wi ndow. This is highlighted in figure 16. 10. Configure the waypoints and comm ands points as necessary and send the flight plan to the aircraft by se lecting the “Write WPs” button. 11. You can verify that the WP’s were received by requesting the flight plan data from the aircraft by select ing the Read WP’s button.

Figure 13 Flight Planner WindowAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 30 

## Setting Failsafes for the Mission

There are several failsafe settings availabl e for multiple type s of failure modes. System failsafe can be set from the Fa ilsafes tab located in the Initial Setup window. A full description of failsafe conditi ons and events is described in tables 9 through 14 under the Fails afe’s and Non-Normal Operat ions section of this

manual.

Figure 14 Failsafe Configuration WindowAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 31 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 32 

# WARNING System Assembly and Setup

Loss of aircraft or injury to pe rsonnel or property can occur if these steps are no t followed care f ully

.
Aircraft Assembly

This section of the manual describes how to correctly assemble the FIRE SPRITE aircraft in preparation for flight. The oper ator should always follow the prescribed preflight checklist before every flight.

The tools and hardware for aircraft assembly are described in Table 7.

Table 7 - Tools and Hardware Required for Aircraft Assembly

Quantity Descrip t ion 1 Hand Operated Screwdriver

4 M3 x 40mm arm bolts

1. Inventory the aircraft and aircraft par ts. The inventory sheet can be found in

the lid of the aircraft case.

Table 8 - Aircraft Inventory Sheet

FIRE SPRITE Aircraft

Qu antity Descrip t ion

1 FIRE SPRITE Aircraft 1 Aircraft Manufacturing and Data Log 1 Aircraft Flight Log 1 GCS/ Telemetry Radio 2 GCS/ Telemetry Radio Antenna

1 Radio Control Transmitter

1 FIRE SPRITE Tool Kit

2. Remove the aircraft from the case by lifting up on the aircraft components.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 33 

## Aircraft Parts Included

Figure 15 Aircraft components

 Fuselage

 Right and Left Wings

 Right and Left elevons



##  Tail BoomsAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 34 

### 1. Locate assembled main wings and CF spars 2B & 3B

a. Insert CF spar 2B into forwar d spar on one wing until it stops.
b. Insert CF spar 3B into rearward spar on one wing until it stops.
c. Slide opposite wing onto spars until wings meet as shown.

Figure 16 Wing root

2. Fully insert male stereo side of ta il boom into boom anchors under main wing.

Figure 17 Tail boomAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 35 

### a. Once fully inserted, tighten down clamps with 2.5mm tool.

Figure 18 Tail boom tightening

3. Slide Elevons onto rear portion of tail booms

a. Tighten clamps once fully inserted and no gaps in foam are showing.
b. This may be more difficult during the first installation.
b. Plug male servo leads into female plugs in rear of tail boom.

Figure 19 Elevon connector

c. You should now have fully assembled the wing and tail portions.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 36 

### 4. Plug in “Y” servo cables from E11 for ailerons and flaps if you have

chosen to install them.

Figure 20 Complete Wing AssemblyAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 37 

### 5. Place wing and tail on top of assembled fuselage. a. Locate wing mount bolts and washers from E8.

b. Make sure that servo wires are not smashed between surfaces.
b. Fasten longer bolts in front an d shorter bolts towards rear of wing.

Figure 21 Wing Assembly Mount to FuselageAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 38 

### Figure 22 Assembled Aircraft



## Battery Mounting

1. Remove a charged battery fr om the storage/ shipping case. 2. Attach the battery to t he inside of the fuselage ensur ing the Velcro strap firmly against the mounting plane. 3. Connect battery power to aircraft main power c able when ready to begin the preflight process.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 39 

## Aircraft Inspection

Aircraft Structure

1. Inspect the aircraft for integrit y and secureness. Signs of wear and fatigue

should be noted in the aircraft logbook and addressed before f ligh t. 2. Check that all fasteners are pres ent and secure on t he entire airframe.



## Aircraft Battery

1. The battery should be free of puncture s, swelling and other signs of visible damage. Do not use the batteries if they are exhibiting signs of wear or visible damage. 2. The battery and aircraft main power connections should be clean and free of

FOD. If the connectors are blackened from connection arching, replace the connector(s) before flight.



## Propellers

1. Inspect propellers for cracks or delam ination. Do not fly the aircraft with a compromised propeller. 2. Propeller fasteners should be tigh t and secured with thread locker



## Motor

1. The aircraft motor should spin fr eely without noticeable friction. Ensure the motors spin smoothly and they are free of FOD.

2. Check that all fast eners are present and secure.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 40 

## Aircraft Center of Gravity

After attaching all equip ment and batteries, be sure to check for proper center of gravity before taking off for the first time. The best CG we have found is at 45mm measured from behind the leading edge flap shown below. This measurement is slightly behind the main spar. For your firs t flight, we recommend setting CG directly on the main spar (slightly nose heavy).

Figure 23 Aircraft Center of Gravity



## Control Surface end point adjustment

For our personal preference, we use 100% travel on all of our end points for the
Anaconda. We suggest that if your RC transmitter has the capability, to use a 2 or
3 position switch to set throws at 60% an d 80%. This will allow you to change midflight if you find that you have too much or too little control over the aircraft. If you

are using flaps, you may wish to have a 5-10% downward mix in the elevator. This
will help eliminate any “ballooning” effect when applying flaps. Experiment with the
flaps at higher altitude before attempting to land to see how the plane reacts to your

setup.

As a reminder, please 

## DO NOT attempt to hand launch this aircraft. It is simply too

large and unwieldy to try it.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 41 

## Payload

1. Inspect the payload mounting points and hardware ensuring that all fasteners

are secure. 2. Ensure that the isol ation dampeners are properly installed and free of cracks or signs of aging.

3. Check the movement of the sensor along all the axes of rotation, ensuring

smooth movement and ther e is no FOD present. 4. Wipe the lens with an appropriate cloth to remove dust and debris. 5. Check all fasteners are present and secure.

6. Check movement and ensure that all moveable intersections are clean.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 42 

## Ground Control Station Assembly

Telemetry Radio

This section of the manual describes the steps to pro perly assemble the ground control station (GCS) for the FIRE SPRIT E. The operator should always follow the prescribed preflight check list before every flight.

1. Inspect the GCS shipping case and ensur e that all parts ar e present. If there are parts of the GCS missing, do not fly. 2. Setup the GCS computer on a stable and clean surface.

3. Power on the GCS co mputer and ensure the batte ry level is adequate for operations. If available, plug the computer into a power source. 4. Inspect the USB connection on the telemetry radio for FOD then plug the telemetry radio into the GCS computer. 5. Place the telemetry radio up and away from obstructions that may block RF signals.

6. Orient the antennas vert ically and offset to each side, creating a “V” shape. This will help ensur e that the GCS antenna polarity matches the aircraft while in flight.

7. Launch the Missi on Planner program

Figure 24 Telemetry RadioAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 43 

## Remote Video Terminal Setup

As there are many payload options fo r the FIRE SPRITE ; there are equally abundant options for receiv ing the video on the ground. Generalized procedures for setup are listed below. For details about a specific part or component, please

see the manufacturers’ information sheets.

1. Inspect and inventory all parts of the Remote Video Terminal (RVT) system. 2. Setup the video display on the mount provided with t he system. This could be a tripod or table mounted display. 3. A video receiver (Rx) will be mounted to the display or integrated into the display. The antennas will be inspected for FOD before being installed onto

the receiver. Orient the antennas in a manner that will allow for best reception/ coverage. 4. Secure the battery or power source for the display and Rx. 5. Connect the power sour ce to the display and Rx.

Figure 25 Remote Video Terminal ExampleAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 44 

### Radio Control Transmitter (RCTx) Setup

The FIRE SPRITE aircraft comes with a r adio control box that is used by the External Pilot (EP) for manual cont rol flight modes, autonomous mode augmentation and flight abort pr ocedures. As it is an int egral part of the system and many flight modes are reliant on it, special care and handling is required. Setup procedures are listed below and inspection points highlighted in Figure 23.

1. Inspect the radio ensuring that a ll switches and gimbal s (joysticks) are

functional. Excessive dirt or dust that collects in the gimbal mechanism can
inhibit movement, which can cause cont rol issues in manual flight mode(s).

2. Power on the radio and c onfirm that the internal bat tery is fully charged or adequate for the length of operations.

3. As most modern RC transmitters are capable storing informa tion for multiple
models, the user must ens ure that the correct m odel is selected. If the incorrect model is active, the RC tr ansmitter will not communicate with the

receiver on the aircraft side. 4. For safety and to preparat ion to arm the aircraft, set the throttle stick at the lowest setting. 5. Set all moveable switches to the posit ion furthest away for the user as he/ she is holding the transmitter. This ensures that the flight m ode and other functions are in a preflight st ate. Figure 24 shows the RCTx switch functions. Switches

not listed are inhibited.

Figure 26 RCTx Setup Verify correctr

model and
adequate

battery

. Check joystick

functionalityAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 45 

### Figure 27 RCTx Switch Mapping 2-Position switch used
for camera change, if

applicable.

3-Position switch for
changing flight modes

 Away= Stabilize

 Middle=Loiter

 Toward=RTL

Rear left Slider used

for camera pitch

control

3-position switch used

for camera zoom, if
applicable.

Rear Right Slider
userd for camera yaw

control with a 3-axis
gimbalAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 46 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 47 

# WARNING Aircraft Launch Procedures

Loss of aircraft or injury to personne l or property can occur if these steps

are no t followed care f ully

.

1. Determination of the wi nd direction is critical fo r launch. The aircraft should

never be launched downwind as it could cause a vortex ring state situation. 2. The AVO should once again verify t hat all the aircraft systems are within acceptable limits. 3. For arming and safety, the aircraft shoul d be in the Stabilize flight mode. The EP will verify this on the RCTx and the AVO will confirm this in the MP HUD. 4. The EP will power the payload and check that is operational. 5. The EP will now clear all personnel from the launch area and disable the safety switch. The safety switch will glow solid red when it is disabled. 6. If applicable, begin recording the sensor data on the onboard DVR. 7. The EP will power on the navigation li ghts at the time. 8. The EP will arm the aircraft by holdi ng the left stick on the RCTx down and to the right for >5 seconds. The propelle rs will spin upon arming. The AVO will also see “ARMED” in large red text in t he MP HUD indicating that the aircraft is

armed.

8.1. During the arming sequence, the Autopi lot status LED will flash Red-Blue rapidly indicating that t he gyros and barometric sensor are being calibrated. It

is critical that the aircraft is not moving during this phase. 9. The AVO will now set the aircraft flight mode to AUTO by pressing the AUTO

button in the Actions Tab. Confirmati on of this is depicted in Figure 29.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 48 

### Figure 28 Auto Mode Selection in MP

10. The EP will now give a verbal warning th at the aircraft is launching and raise the

throttle on the RCTx to launch the aircraft. Auto mode selection “Auto” displayed after
flight mode is

c h a n ged

.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 49 

## Normal Operational Procedures

Flight Limitations:

1. The aircraft should not be flown in t he proximity of high voltage power lines, certain types of radar any ot her high power emitting devices. 2. A thorough site survey should be a ccomplished before any flights occur. Airspace and vertical obstructions should be well known and briefed prior to flights.

3. See Table 2 – FIRE SPRITE Aircraft G eneral Specifications for environmental

limitations.

4. The AVO and/ or EP will not intentionally place t he aircraft into a non-normal state of operation. 5. While in flight, the EP and observers should not lose visual line of sight with the aircraft. In the event of an airspac e incursion, the EP will take manual control of the aircraft and manually fl y the aircraft to a safe airspace or perform a flight abort procedure. 6. The AVO will monitor the aircraft’s syst em health and flight tracking during normal operations. Large deviations in flig ht path tracking or altitudes may be indicative of a system malfunction. If this is witnessed, the AVO will alert the EP to take over manually.

7. The AVO will also ensure that the battery voltage doesn’t reach a state of low voltage or a < 20% capacity. If a higher than normal battery depletion rate is witnessed, the AVO will notify the EP to take over manually and

land the aircraft as soon as is reasonable. 8. As GPS is the primary source for position information and augments other sensors in the flight controller, a healthy GPS solution is critical. If

the VO witnesses a state where the visible satellit e count drops below 5 or the HDOP raises above 2.5, he wi ll notify the EP so the aircraft could take over manually.

9. 

### Proper communication between the AVO, EP and other flight crewmembers is

crucial for sufficient sit uational awareness during fli ght operations. It is also important to ensure a “sterile cockpit” so communications are not inhibited in any

way.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 50 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 51 

## Aircraft Failsafe and Non-Normal Flight Procedures

In the event of a state of emergency or non-normal fli ght, the AVO and EP shall perform the following procedures to mi tigate risk of damage to personnel, property or the aircraft itself. It is imperative that the fl ight crew first establishes that the aircraft is flyi ng and navigating well. If no t, communication between the flight crewmembers and non- crewmembers must cease.



## Aircraft Battery Failsafe

The battery failsafe can be setup and changed in the mandat ory hardware tab under the Initial setup window. The operat or has the option of setting a low voltage and/ or a capacity re serve (mAh) that will tri gger the failsafe when the

threshold is met. Characterization of the discharge curve will be necessary to

establish viable threshold numbers.

Table 9-Aircraft Battery Failsafe Details

Failure Type Low Main Battery Power

Condition Battery voltage exceeds low lim it for more than 10 seconds or Estimated battery consumed exceeds.

Warning Low voltage audible alert – Ba ttery voltage text in HUD

colored in red – Aircraft onboard buzzer tone.

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Based on failsafe settings aircraft will autonomously Return to Launc h or Land. Operator will monitor aircraft through landing sequence. Manual Flight: External Pilot will engage Stabilize flight mode and navigate the aircraft to a safe landing area. Flight Termination Procedure: RCTx throttle stick will be lowered to minimum position and Stabilize Flight mode engaged to stop motors.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 52 

## Loss of GPS Signal

The GPS failsafe is activated by default, but can be disabled by the user if necessary. Failsafe actions are adjustable by the user in the Full Parameters

Window.

Table 10 – Loss of GPS Failsafe Details

Failure Type Loss o f GPS Signal

Condition 3 dimensional lock is lost or a glitch is detected that lasts longer than 5 seconds. Warning “BAD POSITION” display ed in red text in HUD.

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Aircraft stops navigation and Lands or Aircraft switched to AL T HOLD flight mode. Manual Flight: External Pilot will engage Stabilize flight mode and navigate the aircraft to a safe landing area. Flight Termination Procedure: RCTx throttle stick will be lowered to minimum position and Stabilize Flight mode engaged to stop motors.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 53 

## Geo-Fence Excursion

The geo-fence function provides the oper ator with an invisible ceiling and/ or horizontal wall that prevents the aircraft from continuing on excursions outside of the specifications of the f ence. The dimensions of t he fence are user adjustable with the ceiling being m easured from the ground altitude relative to the aircraft when it is armed (0 AGL), to the ceiling or altitude spec ified. The horizontal walls

are built in a circular fash ion radiating outward from t he point of where the aircraft is armed and are also adj ustable by the operator.

In the event of a fence breach the fails afe function will engage per the operator’s settings as noted in the tabl e below. It is possible for the operator to attempt

manual control of the aircraft after the geo-fence failsafe has been activated and in that case a backup fenc e is erected 20 meters fu rther out and up from the original fence. If the airc raft continues on a trajecto ry away from the HOME position and the backup f ence is breached, the fails afe will once again become engaged.

The operator is given every opportunity to regain control of the aircraft before an uncontrolled landing is comm anded; however, in the event of a rouge flight where the aircraft cannot be commanded HOME, t he aircraft will be forced to land once

it reaches 100 meters distance out from the original fence wall.

Table 11 Geo-Fence Failsafe Details

Failure Type Geo-Fence Breach

Condition Vehicle travels outside of Geo-fence boundary Warning “Geo-Fence Breach” is displayed on HUD

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Based on failsafe settings aircraft will autonomously Return to Launc h or Land. Operator will monitor aircraft through landing sequence. Manual Flight: External Pilot will engage Stabilize flight mode and navigate the aircraft to a safe landing area. Flight Termination Procedure: RCTx throttle stick will be lowered to minimum position and Stabilize Flight mode engaged to stop motors.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 54 

## EKF/ Inertial Navigation Health

The GPS failsafe is activated by default, but can be disabled by the user if necessary. Failsafe actions are adjustable by the user in the Full Parameters Window. A detailed description of the EKF Variance failsafe is described in

Table 12.

Table 12 EKF Variance Failsafe Details

Failure Type EKF V ar i a n ce

Condition Position and velocity measur ements conflict with the EKF

for more than one second.

Warning Yellow color displayed on the aut opilot status light and “EKF Variance” displayed in HUD.

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Aircraft is switched to a manually augmented flight mode. The aircraft will then begin the landing sequence. The EP will c ontrol aircraft attitude and position until landing. Manual Flight: External Pilot will ens ure Stabilize Flight mode and navigate the aircraft to a safe landing area. Flight Termination Procedure: RCTx throttle stick will be lowered to minimum position and Stabilize Flight mode engaged to stop motors.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 55 

## Telemetry/ GCS Link Failsafe

If the link between the GCS and the aircraft is lost the aircraft will activate the GCS failsafe based on the operator’s settings. The aircraft will not return to the mode it

was in before the loss of communication ; however, and the operator will have to change the flight mode out of the failsafe flight m ode to retake control.

Table 13 Telemetry/ GCS Link Failsafe

Failure Type Telemetry/ GCS Link Failsafe

Condition Loss of Telem/ GCS link for more than 5 seconds.

Warning No data updates in MP and a red “X” will cover the RSSI graphic.

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Based on user settings the aircraft will

continue with the autonomous mi ssion or Return To Launch.

If the aircraft is within 6.5 feet of the home pos ition and GPS is lost, the aircraft will Land autonomously. Manual Flight: When in line of sight - External Pilot will engage Stabilize Flight mode an d navigate the aircraft to a safe landing area. Flight Termination Procedure: RCTx throttle stick will be lowered to minimum position and Stabilize Flight mode engaged to stop motors.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 56 

## RCTx Link Failsafe

The operator has the option to set a failsafe function that is activated when the

contact between the radio c ontroller (RC) and the RC rece iver is lost. There are several scenarios where the RC signal can be lost and the function of the failsafe will change accordingly:

Table 14 RCTx Link Failsafe

Failure Type RCTx Link F a il safe

Condition Communication from the RCT x to the autopilot stops

Warning No data updates in MP and a red “X” will cover the RSSI graphic.

Operator Action Autonomous Flight: Based on user settings the aircraft will

continue with the autonomous mission, Land at the point, which the failsafe is engaged, or Return To Launch. Manual Flight: Maintain a throttle sti ck position higher than minimum. If possible, manual co ntrol will re-establish itself when in range. Flight Termination Procedure: No flight termination procedure available.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 57 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 58 

## Aircraft Recovery and System Disassembly

Extra awareness is required duri ng the recovery phase of fligh t. It is best practice to ensure that non-flight crewme mbers are clear of the reco very area during recovery.

1. The AVO will command the aircraft to RTL and begin the landing sequence or this will happen automatic ally if a RTL command point is built into the flight plan.

2. The EP and observers will ensure visual line of sight thr oughout the recovery phase of flight.

3. When the aircraft reac hes the "Land" way point it will lower the throttle and begin a glide to the predetermined point. 4. The EP will arm the safety switch on the aircraft. The switch will flash when armed (in safe mode). 5. Power down the payload and nav igation lights at this time. 6. Remove power to the aircraft by disconnecting the aircraft battery.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 59 

# Page Intentionally BlankAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 60 

## Appendix A - Flight Mode Description

There are multiple flight modes avail able in ArduCopter 3. 2; however, there are four primary modes used in normal mission profiles. These flight modes

are described in Table 15.

Table 15 Flight Mode Descriptions

STABILIZE Stabilize mode is what can be considered closest to manual flight

mode and what would be used in an emergency recovery when the

aircraft is in visual LOS. Stabilize automatically levels the vehicle and maintains the current heading, while a llowing the pilot fu ll control over the throttle and axial control up to the bank angle maximums.

LOITER In loiter mode; the vehicle maintains a consistent location, heading, and altitude. This can be adjusted by using the st icks on the pilot

handheld controller:

• Horizontal location can be adj usted with the Roll and Pitch

control stick.

• The aircraft heading can be set with the Yaw control st i ck.

• Altitude can also be adjusted with the Throttle control stick operating as a variabl e rate control.

RTL In return to launch (RTL)

mode , the plane navigates from its current position to final approach above the home position. The behavior of RTL mode can be controlled by several adjustable parameters.

AUTO In autonomous (Auto) mode

,the vehicle will follow a preprogrammed mission script stored in the autopilot, including autonomously navigated waypoints, commands, and

events.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 61 

## Appendix B - Maintenance Schedule Matrix

Table 16 FIRE SPRITE Maintenance Schedule

FIRE SPRITE Insp ec tion and Maint e nan ce S c h e dul e

Service

I n terv al Before Every

Fli g ht As Needed 150 h ou rs

Propellers Insp ec t fo r d amage X

Electronic Speed

Contro ll ers X

Motors Insp ec t fo r

wear & FOD X

Insp ec t fas te n er s and s tr u c tu re X

Propellers

Re pl ace X

Motors

Re pl ace X

Servos Insp ec t X XAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 62 

## Appendix C – Preflight Briefing Guidelines

Airspace Coordination

Contact all applicable air-authorities and notify them of your intentions. This should include
date and times of flight, altitudes and airspace.



## Flight Objectives

• Aircraft and sensor(s) ................Cover aircraft/ sensor specifics, limitations

• Flight Profile

.................... Altitude, Range, Endurance, LOS/ RF concerns

• Risk Mitigation ......... Loss Comms plan, Battery failsafe/ Voltage, crew rest

• Flight Crew

.............. ............. ................Identify AVO, EP and back up pilots

• Ancillary personnel.... Identify observers, communications and safety officers



## Safety Items

• Environmental

...... Conditions within operational limits and favorable forecast

• Takeoff and launch area.......Identity vertical obstructions and LOS concerns

• Non-Essential Personnel

............................................. Clear from launch area

• Propellers ................. Personnel must stay out of the arch and standoff 20 ft.

• Other hazards

.................... Wildlife, sun/ heat, tripping hazards, food – water

• PPE

..................................... Personnel will don safety glasses, hardhats, etc.

• Fire e xt inguisher ..Manned in the event of a downed aircraft or charging hazards



## Non-Normal Flight Procedures

Ensure that all flight crewmembers are familiar with the procedures and rehearse possible

situations.AcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 63 

# WARNING

CAUTION Preflight Procedures

Failure to follow the directions pre scribed in this checklist can lead
to loss of aircraft and/ or inju ry to personnel and property.

The Non-Normal flight procedures should be committed to memory
to ensure proper execution of a pro cedure in the case of an in-flight

emergency.

Ground Station Assembly

 Laptop/ Tablet

.................................................................................. Power On

 Battery life/ Power Source/ Back up Power Source Adequate for operations with safety margin

 Telemetry Radio .....Connect to ground station and orient antenna vertically

 Mission Planner

................................................................................... Start



## Remote Video Terminal (RVT) Assembly

 Video Display .......................................................................Setup and secure

 Video Receiver

...................................................... Setup and install antennas

 Monitor/ Receiver Power Source ........... Connect power source to power ON

 Mount/ Secure Monitor/ Receiver............Connect power source to power ONAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 64 

## Aircraft Assembly

 Airframe and structural connections

.................................................... Inspect

 Propellers......................................Inspect for damage and fastener tightness

 Mo t ors

........................................... Inspect function, fasteners and clear FOD

 Payload

............................................................................ Inspect functionality

 Aircraft Power Source

........................... Install Batteries/ Ensure secureness



## Radio Control Transmitter Setup

 Inspect Radio .................Check that all gimbals and switches are operational

 Power O n

... Ensure battery life is adequate for operations with safety margin

 Model Selection

........................................... Ensure proper model is selected

 Throttle St ick

................................................................. Set to lowest position

 Switches

............................................................................................ All away



## Aircraft Preflight

 Aircraft Propellers

.......................................... Clear all objects and personnel

 Aircraft

................................................. Connect battery to aircraft main power

 Mission Planner ..................................................................Select Com Port #

 Mission Planner

........................................................ Select Baud Rate 57600

 Mission Planner

........................ Press Connect to establish communications

 Communications ............................................................. RSSI value is > 90%

 Battery Level .....................................Greater than 16.8 volts / 100% capacity

 Flight Mode ................................................................Confirm Stabilize in MP

 HUD Aircraft attitude/ heading

............. Check pitch, roll movement matches in the

HUD

 GPS

............................... 3D Fix displayed in HUD / > 5 satellites and < 2.5 HDOPAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 65 

## Flight Plan Building

 Planner W indow

..................................................................................... Select

 Home Location Link ........

................... Select Home Position link to move map to aircraft’s current position

 Clear Mission

......................................................... Select – Write WPs Default

 Alt

............................................................... Set desired altitude for waypoints

 Waypoints and Command Points

................. ...................... Add as necessary

 Takeoff and Land WPs .................................... Ensure that the TO and Land WPs are higher than the tallest vertical objects

 Waypoints .......................................................... Write WPs

 Mission Planner ..............................................Close Flight Planner window



## Aircraft Launch

 Wind Direction

................................................ Confirm appropriate for launch

 Aircraft

........................................ Battery, GPS, RSSI all within specifications

 Flight Mode ......................................................Stabilize / Confirm in MP HUD

 Payload ..............................................................Power and confirm operation

 Navigation Lights

.............................................................................. Power On

 Arming Safety Swi t ch

............................................. Disarm – Clear personnel

 Payload

................................................................................... Start recording

 Aircraft ........................ EP - Arm with Transmitter

 AVO confirm ARMED in HUD

 Mission Planner .................Select Auto – Confirm in HUD - 0>1 - Announce to EP R/C

transmitter

 .Increase throttle to Mid-stick position to launch aircraftAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 66 

## Normal Flight Procedures

 External Pilot and Observers ...... Maintain visual line of sight with the aircraft

 AVO

................................................ Monitor WP tracking and aircraft Altitude

 Battery Health ........................................................................ >15.0 volts

 GPS

....................... 3D Fix displayed in HUD / > 5 satellites and < 2.5 HDOP

 Communications .........................AVO and EP will relay pertinent information



## Non-Normal Flight Procedures / Aviate - Navigate - Communications

 Battery

............... .................. .............. .......Voltage < 14.8 = RTL immediately

 GCS Loss Comm

............. Monitor aircraft flight path and RSSI in HUD RCTx

 Loss Comm. ...............................Monitor aircraft RTL + Mid. throttle position

 EKF Variance........................... Stabilize flight mode and/or flight termination

 Bad GPS

........................................ Stabilize flight mode and land in safe area

 Uncontrolled F ligh t

........................... Stabilize flight mode + flight termination



## Aircraft Recovery and Disassembly

 Aircraft

.................................................................................... Command RTL

 End of f ligh t .............. Monitor aircraft through the autonomous landing phase

 Aircraft touchdown ......Ensure the aircraft disarms by lowering throttle to Min

 Arming Safety Swi t ch

............................................. Arm (ensure blinking light)

 Payload and Light Switch

................................................................. Turn OFF

 craft Battery ............................................................................... DisconnectAcuTech Fire Sprite OPERATIONS MAN. – REV. A 67 

## Notes