# Pilot's Operating

Handbook

Copterra AP
- 1 Multirotor Unmanned

Aerial SystemCopterra AP
- 1 Pilot's Operating Handbook

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Published June 2015 Table of Contents



### Table	of	Contents **Introduction ................................**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ......**  **3 Performance Specs**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ............................**  **4 Power Distribution Map**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ .....................**  **5 Front and Top View**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ............................**  **6 Component Descriptions**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ....................**  **7 Emergency Operations**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ .......................**  **8 Environmental Limitations**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ .................**  **9 Preflight Check**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ................................**  **. 10**  **Power Up and Takeoff Procedure ................................**  **................................ ................................**  **..... 11**  **Landing Procedure ................................**  **................................ ................................**  **........................... 12**  **Maintenance ................................**  **................................ ................................**  **................................ ...**  **13 Additional Cautions** **................................ ................................**  **................................ ..........................**  **1 4** Copterra AP
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## Introduction This manual provides an overview of the Copterra AP
- 1, including specifications, preflight procedures, emergency procedures, required maintenance and operational best practices. The Copterra AP
- 1 is a multirotor unmanned aerial system (UAS) equipped with six motors. It has been designed to carry HDSLR cameras on short aerial video and photography missions in controlled environments. For ideal flight performance, the sensors payload should not exceed 1 kg. It is designed to be used with the Panasonic GH4 camera or a lighter weight alternative. The AP
- 1 i s not equipped for large scale surveys, and should only be flown for missions requiring less than twelve minutes flight time. This manual assumes that the mission being flown fits this description. Any other uses of the aircraft should be evaluated, and th is manual revised to reflect them. The Pilot in Command must be a qualified airman, holding at minimum a Private Pilot's License for either fixed wing or rotor wing aircraft and a minimum Class 3 medical. If sensors operation and/or monitoring is required , this is to be accomplished with the help of a Flight Technician. The Flight Technician is also responsible for monitoring in flight telemetry. All commercial flight operations require that a Flight Technician be on site, and connected to the AP
- 1 via com puter telemetry. The aircraft must also remain within visual line of sight of both the Pilot and Flight Technician. Please see any relevant documentation from the Federal Aviation Administration regarding regulatory limitations to flight operations. These include published rules regarding unmanned aircraft, the limitations put forward in the company's Section 333 Exemption Request, and any other official communications. All P ilots and F light Technicians are required to read this manual in full before they are authorized to control the AP
- 1. This manual must also be kept in printed form near the ground station during missions, accessible by the Flight Technician and PIC. Preflight checklists are to be printed and laminated separately for quick and easy refe rence.Copterra AP
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## Performance **and Specifications** 
Weights and Dimensions All Up Weight ( Unladen ) * 1 : 4.37 kg / 9.63 lb All Up Weight (GH4 Payload): 5.98 kg / 13.18 lb Airframe Diameter : 3 4 " Height: 12.5" Rotor Length: 14"
Motors Motors: Axi 2826/12 (6) RPM At Hover (with GH4) : ~9,000 RPM Rotor Tip Speed at Hover (with GH4) : ~562 ft/s Max RPM: 15,000 RPM Note: Throttle has been limited to prevent excessive motor speed
. Tip Speed at Max RPM: ~937 ft/s

Power Power Source: 3x 5s Lipo Batteries @ 16.40 volts max Nominal Draw (Total Drive): 806.4 Watts Average Flight Time at Sea Level: 25 .5 Minutes Airspeed Limits Velocity Never Exceed (V NE ) 38 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS) Maximum Structural Cruise (V NO ) 22 KIAS Maneuvering Speed (VA) 15 KIAS

*1: Includes batteries and all required equipment.Copterra AP
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Power is transformed to +5v at the Electronic Speed Controllers (ESCs) . The APM 2.5 Flight Controller Board is able to provide additional power to the receiver, GPS and telemetry transmitter. The camera servos and APM board itself receive power directly from the ESCs.Copterra AP
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## Component Descriptions **Flight Control Board:** Flight control is provided by the 3D Robotics APM 2.5. The APM interprets inputs from the controller, translates these to motor speed signals, and monitors the attitude, altitude and position of the aircraft. It is also able to perform automated flight maneuvers for emergency situations, including failsafe landing in the event of a loss of controller communication. Power is routed through ESC 1 to the APM 2.5 as a +5v feed. Enough current is available to power the GPS, telemetry transmitter, and receiver. Power should not be pulled through the APM 2.5 for any other systems, or power shortage s are a serious risk. All configurations to the APM 2.5 are left to the manufacturer's manuals for clarification. Any changes must be followed by extensive flight testing before field use. **Control Transmitter and Receiver:** Pilot inpu t is transmitted by the Spektrum DX8, paired with the AR8000 8
-channel receiver. These inputs are then sent to the appropriate input channels on the APM 2.5. **Telemetry:** Telemetry feeds are sent and received through the 3DR Telemetry Set. This set provides a two way link between the aircraft and a ground station. This transmits position, attitude, voltage and other data to the ground station. It also allows the aircraft to receive commands from the ground station for emergency procedures. **Motors:** The AP
- 1 is powered by six AXI
-282 6/12 motors, with 14 inch rotor blades attached. See the manufacturer's data sheet for specifications on these motors. **GPS** : The U
- Blox NEO
-7 GPS provides position data to the flight control board. See the manufacturer's data sheet for any necessary specifi cations and configuration information. **ESC:** The Electronic Speed Controllers translate the signal from the flight control board to a throttle level at the motors. This aircraft uses RC Timer 50 amp ESCs with SimonK firmware, with default settings. See the RC Timer manuals for more information on this component. **Voltage Monitor:** Voltage and current information is provided by the AttoPilot 90A Voltage and Current Sense Breakout. This has been tested accurate to +/

- . 5 volts and +/

- 1 amp. Voltage and current readouts are sent to the APM 2.5, which transmits this information via the telemetry link to the ground station. This provides a readout of the current battery charge level (averaged across all three batteries). T he flight technician must ensure that this is monitored at all times, to reduce the risk of a loss of power during flight.Copterra AP
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## Emergency Operations **Crash Landings:** If a crash landing is necessary, note that the spinning rotor blades are much more dangerous th an the force of impact from the AP
- 1. As such, during any imminent crash the pilot must cut all throttle to zero immediately to prevent serious damage to people or properties. **Single Motor Failure**  : In the case of a single motor failure, the pilot can comp ensate for the imbalanced torque by applying approximately 3/4 yaw input as needed. Testing flights have shown this to allow for controllable flight. Land immediately in the nearest available location. **Multiple Motor Failures** : In multiple motor failures, the torque controls may or may not be useful, depending on which motors have failed. If the above corrections do not work, a crash landing is necessary. Cut throttle to zero immediately to prevent the blades from spinning in case of impact. **Failure to Disa**  **rm After Landing:** If the AP
- 1 does not disarm after landing, attempt to disarm via the ground station software. If this does not work, ensure that the pilot is in 'stabilize' mode, and is holding the controller with the throttle at zero. The flight technic ian must then place a cover over the rotor blades
- a towel or shirt, for example
- to prevent them from spinning. The flight technician may then remove the battery connections, making sure to keep clear of the rotor blades. **Impact With Airborne Object** : In the case of impact with an airborne object, the AP
- 1 may or may not suffer damages. The highest risk is damage to one rotor blade. In this case, refer to the procedures for motor failure. Even if there is no apparent change in flight characteristics, land immediately at the nearest location. **Note:** In any emergency situation, or suspicion of technical failures, the pilot must land immediately. Do not attempt to return to the designated landing site if a suitable location requiring less transit is available. If there is any risk of impact with people or properties on the ground, the pilot is required to cut all throttle immediately. While this may result in the loss of the AP
- 1, the impact on the ground will be minor when compared to the danger posed by the quickly spinning rotor blades.Copterra AP
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## Environmental Limitations **Wind:** The AP
- 1 is designed to fly in winds up to 10 miles per hour. While it has been tested to perform safely in winds up to 15 miles per hour, the limitations of battery life make this impractical. If there is any question, the pilot must consult a weather reporting service to see both the current recorded wind speed and the forecasted wind speed before making a go/no

-go decision. **Rain:** This aircraft does not feature any weatherproofing. As s uch, no rain is allowable during flights. If rain is observed during a flight, the pilot is to land immediately following normal landing procedures. If the site is actively raining, the aircraft may not be launched. **Obstacles** : Do not fly within 50 feet of any raised power lines or communications wires. When flying near trees, houses, or other objects, observe the separation before engaging in the flight mission to ensure no collisions are likely. Remember that the AP
- 1 is a larger than average s UAS, and the refore is not suitable for maneuvering through tight spaces. **RF Interference** : Radio frequency interference can disrupt telemetry, controller input and compass readings on the aircraft. This is not an issue in rural environments. However, when operating in industrial or urban settings, the flight crew must have access to an RF Spectrum Analyzer. Consistent readings greater than
- 50 dBm in the 2.4 GHz range are considered dangerous to flight operations. **People and Property:** Do not fly in any manner that endan gers people or property not connected directly to the mission being flown. For video and photography work, the AP
- 1 must only be flown in controlled, closed environments, in which all activities in the immediate area are under the control of the flight tea m or its hiring agent.Copterra AP
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## Normal Operations Before the first flight of the day, the Pilot is responsible for checking any available weather forecast data, NOTAMS and other relevant information. 

## Preflight Check To be performed before every flight To be completed before batteries are added. **1.** Choose take off and landing site. Site should be even and as level as possible with no nearby obstacles. If necessary, place a launching/landing pad in a suitable location. **2.** Visually inspect the ai rcraft for any a pparent defects, including damage to the rotor blades. **3.** Ensure that the eight screws (on either side of four spacers) attaching the camera gimbal and landing skids to the main airframe are secure. **4.** Ensure that the rotor blades are attached securely to the motors. This is done by grasping each motor in succession and attempting to rotate the rotor blades while the motor remains stationary. If the rotor blades are able to move independently, they must be removed and replaced with thread locker and a tight ened nut. **5.** Check that all connectors between motors and electronic speed controllers are secure. **6.** Look for any stray wires or other obstacles that may be struck by the rotors on power up. **7.** Attach sensors payload to appropriate mount. Platform should be placed in neutral position before power on. **8 .**  Attach batteries to Velcro platform. Connect safety straps, ensuring that wires are not left loose.Copterra AP
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## Powering On And Take Off **1 .**  Ensure that transmitter is powered on, throttle is placed in the lowest position, pitch/roll axis is neutral and the transmitter has sufficient battery power available for the mission. All toggle switches should be in the neutral position, which is towards the rear or top of the transmitter, depending on orientation. **2 .**  The F light Technician or individual connecting batteries must a nnounce, 'Batteries Hot!' verbally. Connect batteries to power distribution system. At this time the Flight Tech nician and any other individuals on the ground should move to a safe distance (greater than 30 feet away) from the AP
- 1. **3.** Connect telemetry system on appropriate ground station. A 3D GPS fix must be established before arming the aircraft in case of failsafe. **4.** Observe for traffic or other hazards. When ready, the pilot must announce verb ally, "Arming
Stand Clear!". Arm the AP
- 1 by holding the throttle stick all the way down and to the left for four seconds. **5.** Provide minimum throttle to the aircraft. Observe for tilt, and compensate with the pitch/roll controls before advancing to take off power. **6.** Raise throttle slowly to ~60% to engage hover and climb to the necessary altitude.
The Flight Technician should monitor the ground station during all flight operations to ensure altitude, velocity and battery drain do not exceed limits. In the absence of a Flight Technician (such as during test flights and practice flights), the Mission Planner software provides the option of a voice assist. This software should be programmed to read, at minimum, altitude and battery charge remaining every t hirty seconds. The AP
- 1 must land if battery charge reaches 2 0% or less. During extended flights, or flights taking place in adverse wind conditions, it is the pilot in command's responsibility to land with enough excess battery charge to safely reach the designated landing site.Copterra AP
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## Landing Landi ng approaches should be made at an angle of 50 degrees, assuming 0 degrees is the ground plane and 90 degrees is vertical. This angle will prevent the aircraft from interacting with its own turbulent air. Landing sites must be chosen in advance (usually the original launch site). Ensure no obstacles are near the landing site and that no people or property is dangerously close. The last portion of the approach must be made at as low of a vertical speed as is practical. The first contact point on the landing gear should be the front or back ends of the skids, never the sides. Note that the APM 2.5 is primarily flown in 'Stabilize' mode, which keeps the aircraft pitched to match the user controls. This means th at landing on uneven ground may result in an undesirable throttle up on one side of the aircraft as the flight controller attempts to keep level flight. Landing sites should be as level as possible. In the case that the landing site is not perfectly level, the pilot must input corrective roll and pitch levels matching the desired landing angle. Approach as slow as possible during this maneuver to ensure that the ground is not impacted too quickly, which could potentially cause damage to the payload and/or s ensors mount. Immediately after landing, disarm the AP
- 1 by holding the throttle stick all the way down and to the right for four seconds. Slightly raise the throttle, ensuring that the motors do not spin. If they do, attempt to disarm again. Announce verb ally 'Disarmed!' when complete . The flight technician or pilot is now clear to approach and disconnect the batteries from the power distribution system. This should be done immediately. Do not leave batteries connected to the aircraft. The pilot must remai n with his or her hands on the flight controls until the batteries are disconnected completely.Copterra AP
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## Maintenance Basic checking of structural components is to be done before each flight. Additional maintenance requirements must be completed and logged every s ix months. The steps for these are outlined below. 1. **Check all structural components** . The person performing maintenance should observe that all screws, spacers and other structural elements are securely attached to the primary airframe. The arms should not be able to be rotated, pulle d out or pushed in using moderate force. If they are able to be moved, the airframe is not tightened securely. 2. **Balance rotor blades.** Remove all rotor blades. Using a standard propeller balancing apparatus and standard pract ices, ensure that all rotor blades are balanced to center as well as possible. 3 . **Clean motors** . Remove the motors from the arms. Remove the rotor from the stator. Using compressed air, clean any dust or other contaminants from the windings and insides of t he rotor. Reassemble. 4 . **Measure arm length** . Using a tape measure, ensure that the distance between the motors and the edge of the airframe plates is the same for all arms. 5 . **Check for level rotor blades.** Place the AP
- 1 on a level surface. Using some form of leveling device, make sure that each rotor blade is also level. If any are not, readjust until they are. 6 . **Range test transmitting equipment** . The ground station software and remote control transmitter each contain range testing features. During six month maintenance, it is important to ensure that telemetry and control signals are transmitting at full power. A strong signal should be received from both up to one mile from the source in open space. The equip ment in question may need to be replaced if signal degradation is observed. 7 . **Check for wire insulation** . All wiring in the AP
- 1 should be covered in heat shrink or electrical tape to prevent shorts. Both of these are prone to occasional slipping. Make sure that no metal is visible from any wire, and replace the insulation if any metal has been exposed. It is the responsibility of the Pilot in Command to note any abnormalities during flight at all times. If there is any suspicion of damaged components, loose connections or other potential problems, all flight operations must cease until the problem is identified and corrected. Safety is of paramount concern at all times. The six month maintenance procedure and preflight checklist do not exempt the pilot and ground crew from being vigilant at all times.Copterra AP
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## Additional Cautions **Damage:** Flying the AP
- 1 with any damaged components may cause serious injury or death and is strictly forbidden. It is the responsibility of the Pilot in Command to ensure that the aircraft is fully functional at all times. **Area Restrictions:** This aircraft is intended to flown only over controlled areas, in which all activities and individuals are directly under the control of either the flight team or their employer. All individuals in the operational area must be informed that unmanned flights are taking place, and must consent to being near these operations. Do not fly over uninformed bystanders or in any environment in which the activities and events may be unpredictable. Further permission must be obtained from the site owner at any flight location. **Flight Maneuvers:** Aerobatic maneuvers are forbidden. The AP
- 1 is intended to be flown only in translational and orbital movements. High speed, high pitch movements are considered too risky for an aircraft of this weight class. All maneuvers should be flown with as little pitch and roll as possible, and at as low of a velocity as is reasonable. **Payloa d Balancing:**  Any payload added to the AP
- 1 must be properly balanced. The flight control system is able to compensate for loads substantially far from the center of gravity, but doing so causes higher strain on some motors than others. This results in substantial wear on the motors, and reduces the efficiency of the flight (potentially altering flight time). The mounted camera gimbal is centered directly under the center of gravity; this is the only reliable way to add any payload to the AP
- 1.