# Aquacopter Bullfrog

Operation Manual1



## Contents

Overview

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 2

Parts

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 3

Charging the Battery

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4

Attaching Propellers

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

Learn to Fly

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

Throttle

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

Yaw

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................ 9

Pitch and Roll

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

Understanding Flight Modes

................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 11

St andard (altitude hold mode)

................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 11

Loiter mode

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 11

Auto mode

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......... 11

Land

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

Return to Launch (RTL)

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

Geofen ce

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

First Flight

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

Flight

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

Postflight

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

Planning Missions

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

Flying Mis sions

................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 152



### Overview

Specifications

Size: 550mm

Weight: 1600g w/FPV (w/o batteries)

Flight time: 20

- 25+ minutes

Payload capacity: 1500+g

Motor: 41mm x 8mm (stator)

Prop: 12" Carbon Fiber

Power system: 2

- 4000mAh 6S3



### Parts

Transmitter

For optional manual control of the aircraft

Ground Station Module

Carries video and telemetry

downlinks

Battery Kit

Batteries & charger

Propellers

Four carbon propellers, two CW and two CCW4



### Charging the Battery

The Bullfrog is powered by rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries in either a single or parallel

configuration. Store the batteries at half charge then charge fully before flying. Batteries also ship at half

charge, so they must be charged before first flight. Refer to the fo llowing excerpt from the Hyperion

EOS0720i charger user manual.5



# Battery Safety

Protect the battery from intense heat, extreme cold, puncturing, and flammable surfaces. Always

carry, store, and charge the battery in the guard bag.

Only charge the battery with a designated LiPo balance charger and always monitor the battery

while it is charging.

When you receive a low battery notification, discontinue flight. Flying at low battery is unsafe and

can permanently damage the battery . Always fly with a fully charged battery.

Before takeoff and after landing, ensure that you check the battery for damage. If the battery

package is swelling or the battery stops functioning, dispose of it. Use call2recycle.org in the US and

Canada to find the battery recycling center nearest to you. Do not dispose of it in the trash. 

# !6



### Attaching Propellers

The Bullfrog has four carbon fiber propellers. Two rotate clockwise and two rotate counter

- clockwise.

They should be installed on the aircraft in the following configuration:

To install each propeller, slip the brass centering ring inside the prop hub. Slide the propeller onto the

motor shaft, and then install the aluminum cover disc. Secure the propeller with two socket

- head

screws.7



# Safety

The Bullfrog has high

- speed propellers and powerful motors. Keep your hands clear of the propellers

when the Bullfrog is armed or when the safety button shows a solid red color. Press the safety

button and wait until it displays blinki ng red before handling the copter.

Do not fly the Bullfrog indoors, in a confined space, near people or buildings. Always fly in an open

area away from people, airports, or spaces that could pose a hazardous situation. Local regulations

also apply. Because the Bullfrog cannot avoid obstacle s on its own, always fly it within line of sight

and understand your responsibility to avoid obstructions while flying. Follow the preflight and

postflight steps in the order they appear in this manual.

Wind, loss of controller signal, loss of GPS signals, and low battery are factors of unpredictability

during flight. When the Bullfrog detects these irregularities it will attempt to compensate by

triggering a failsafe. Understand the boundaries of your flying space before takeoff. If the Bullfrog

moves outs ide the designated flying area, recover it manually by switching into standard mode

(STD). If, during flight, you notice any inconsistent behavior, land the vehicle and consult the

troubleshooting guide

.



# Failsafes

Loss of RC signal

Have the controller turn ed on anytime the Bullfrog is powered on. Use the controller as a primary or

backup control system when flying. If the controller signal is lost during flight, the Bullfrog will land

and display a blinking yellow LED. If it is flying more than 2 meters (6. 5 feet) from its launch point, it

will return to launch (RTL) before landing.

Loss of GPS signal

The Bullfrog needs an active GPS signal before takeoff. When choosing a flying space, try to choose

an unobstructed area for stronger GPS signal. A blinking bl ue and yellow LED with a high

- high

- high

low tone is a failsafe that indicates a loss of GPS signal. When you experience this, automatically

switch to manual control (standard

- altitude hold mode). Be prepared to take manual control of the

copter at any time during flight. When flying a mission, it is recommended that you change the GPS

failsafe behavior to land.

Low battery

The Bullfrog will land and a blinking yellow LED with a quick repeating tone will indicate that the

battery has reached 25% of its rema ining charge. If it reaches the low battery limit during a mission

it will return to the launch point before landing. 

# !8



### Learn to Fly

Use the controller sticks to

maneuver the Bullfrog in flight

Throttle

Move the left stick u p and down to control altitude.

Left stick

Up To take off and gain altitude,

r aise the throttle stick slightly

a bove the center position

Center Set the throttle stick to center

to maintain current altitude

Downward Lower the throttle stick

below center to decrease

altitude

Fully Down Set the throttle stick fully

down to land once the

Bullfrog is a few inches above

the ground.

Left stick:

throttle

& yaw Right stick:

Pitch

& roll9

Yaw

Move the left stick horizontally to change the orientation of the Bullfrog. For a slow rotation, move the

stick slightly away from the center in either direction. The farther the stick is from the center, the faster

the rotational motion.

Left stick

Left Move the stick to the left

for counterclockwise rotation

Right Move the stick to the right

for clockwise rotation

Center Release the stick to stop rotating

and maintain the current

orientation

Flight tip

For adjusting orientation, move the left stick horizontally without changing its

vertical position.10

Pitch and Roll

The right stick on the controller is useful for controlling the Bullfrog’s position in the air. The direction of

the copter’s movement is directionally correlating to the direction you move the stick on the controller.

The distance you move the stick from the center determines how fast the copter will move in that

direction.

Right stick

Forward Flying forward

Right Flying to the right

Left Flying to the left

Back Flying backward

Flight tip

The Bullfrog moves according to its orientation. Use the yaw controls to keep the

Bullfr og in this outward orientation before you adjust the right stick.11



### Understanding Flight Modes

There are 3 flight modes: manual flight (STD

- altitude hold), hover mode

(LTR

- loiter), and mission flight (AUTO). The switch on the right side of the

controller allows you to select the flight mode.

Standard (altitude hold mode)



### STD

– fly manually

St art your flight in standard to select altitude hold mode, and fly the Bullfrog manually using the

controller

.

Loiter mode



### LTR

– hover

Switch to loiter mode to set the Bullfrog to hover in place automatically. Use the controller to

set the Bullfrogs position and then release the sticks to hold that position. Loiter is beneficial for

beginners, as compared to standard.

Auto mode



### AUTO

– fly a mission

Use Auto mode to fly an autonomous mission. The Bullfrog will automatically fly the series of

waypoints saved to the autopilot. mode switch

Set the throttle stick to the center position before switch modes, including in the

event of a GPS failsafe, to avoid sudden changes in altitude. Do not switch to auto mode unless you have saved a mission to the Bullfrog using a

ground station application. 

## !

!12

Land



### CH 7

– landing at the current position

To end your flight and land the copter at its current position, set the CH 7 switch to ON. Put the

throttle stick fully down, and the Bullfrog with automatically disarm after landing.

Return to Launch (RTL)



### land at the launch point

To end your flight and automatically return to the launch point, s et the RTL switch ON. Make

sure that the RTL switch is set to OFF before takeoff.

When given the RTL command, the Bullfrog will:

1 Rise to 15 m (50 ft) altitude or maintain current

altitude if above 15 m

2 Move to launch point and hover for 5 seconds

3 Land at launch point

Reposition during landing: While landing, use the right stick on the controller to adjust the

copters position.

Geofence

The Bullfrog is constrained by a safety fence that extends 300 m (980 ft) radially and 100 m (320

ft) in height. If the Bullfrog reaches the edges of this fence, it will automatically return to launch.

RTL returns the Bullfrog to the position where it was armed. Be sure to arm the

Bullfrog in a safe and unobstructed p oint, to minimize hazards.

The horizontal geofence becomes disabled in the event of a GPS failsafe. If the

Bullfrog breaches the vertical geofence during a GPS failsafe, it will land at its

current position. 

## ! !13



### First Flight

Prepare by choosing an open, unobstructed ar ea for flying, bringing the Flight Checklist, and bringing a

fully charged battery. Have determined the boundaries of your flying area before takeoff and pick a level

launch point. Follow these preflight and postflight steps in this order for every flight.

Preflight

1 Point the antenna on the controller up and the antenna on the Bullfrog down for strong signals.

Set the mode to standard (STD)

If this is your first time flying, set the mode to loiter (LTR)

Ensure that the RTL switch is OFF

2 Power on the controller

Press and hold the DN button on the controller to view flight data.

3 Insert the battery and attach the yellow connectors

The Bullfrog needs to remain still and level during the power on

Connect the radio to the ground station and select Connect. The ground station will allow you to

view live data and configure the autonomous features.

4 Press down on the safety button until it turns red, signaling that the copter is live.

5 Check that the LED is flashing a blinking freen light, implying that the Bullfrog has a GPS lock

Initializing, please wait

Finding GPS, please wait

GPS acquired, Autopilot ready

Safety check failure. Connect to

ground station

.

6 Arm the motors by holding the left stick in the down

- right

position until the motors begin to spin. Ensure the controller is always powered on while the copter is on. If the copter

experiences a loss of communication with the controller in flight, it will

automaticall y return to launch. 

## !

Never approach the Bullfrog when the safety button appears red. Always hold the

button and wait until you see a blinking red light before handling the copter.

The GPS lock may take a few

minutes to acquire due to

the need for a clear view of

the sky. Remember that

flying in an unobstructed

area enhances GPS strength. 

## !

Disarm the motors before

approaching the Bullfrog.

Spinning propellers are a

safety hazard. 

## ! !14



### Flight

To take off and gain height, raise the left stick above center slightly. To keep a steady height, keep the

left stick at its center position.

For clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, move the left stick left and right.

Move the right stick in the direction you wish to fly in.

Release the right stick to its center position to level the Bullfrog

Move the left stick down to descen d

When the Bullfrog is a few inches above the ground, push the left stick fully down to land



### Postflight

1 Disarm motors: hold the left stick in the down

- left corner until the motors come to a complete

stop

2 Safety button: press the safety button until it flashes a blinking red light, signifying the Bullfrog is

safe for handling

3 Disconnect the batter y

4 Power off the controller

5 Complete! Due to the power of this vehicle, move the

sticks in small increments to gain a better

understanding of how the Bullfrog is controlled

. 

## !

Flight tip

Hover: This essential skill involves maintaining a constant altitude and simultaneously constant

orientation, with the Bullfrog’s rear towards you and front facing away. To practice, take off and

find a m aintainable alititude, and use the corresponding controls to keep the Bullfrog at constant

altitude and position.

Box : To fly in a box pattern, take off and reach your hovering altitude, and then fly forward, right,

backward, and left by slightly adjusting the right stick. Fly the box pattern in front of you, with the

Bullfrog in full site.

Figure Eight : Using the right stick, create a smooth flight path. Using the left stick, maintain

constant altitude and adjust orientation. Ensure that you fly the figur e 8 in front of you, in line of

sight.15



### Planning Missions

In order to plan a mission, you need a ground station application.

DroidPlanner 2 for Android Mission Planner for Windows

APM Planner for OS X

1 Turn on the Bullfrog, connect Connect the radio and your laptop

the radi o to your laptop or device, and to the USB adapter. Select AUTO,

Connect

. 57600, and Connect.

2 To configure waypoints, select edit and To configure waypoints select Flight

click to add waypoints. Alternatively, use Plan and click to add waypoints. The

the brush tool to draw a path for the green arrows at the bottom of the

Bullfrog to follow. screen allow you to configure altitude

and waypoint types.

3 To save the mission, sele ct options in To save the mission, select Write WPs.

the top

- right corner and Send Mission.

For flying missions, it is recommended that you adjust the GPS failsafe setting to have the Bullfrog land if

it loses the GPS signal.



### Flying Missions

1 Perform a test flight to verify the operability of all the controls (throttle, yaw, roll, and pitch)

2 To start the mission, switch to standard (STD) mode

3 If you planned a takeoff waypoint in your mission, switch modes to AUTO on the ground and

use the throttle control to increase altitude and initiate the mission.

To retrieve the Bullfrog during a mission, switch the mode to standard (STD) and land

manually, or switch to RTL and return automatically to the launch point.

4 After the mission is completed, switch to standard (STD) mode on the ground and then

disarm and continue with the postflight steps. If your mission included an automatic landing

waypoint, the Bullfrog with disarm after landing automatically.