Resources 

Thank you for being a responsible drone operator. For more information about the X8, 

visit the pages below. 

Online information portal: 

3DR Support: 

Terms and Conditions: 

Happy flying! 

3DR.com/X8/info 

help@3DR.com 

3DR.com/terms 
MeettheX8+ 

Thank you for purchasing an XB•! 

The X8 is a powerful octocopter platform for aerial video. 

Review this manual in its entirety before your first flight. 

Additional instructions can be found in the XB information 

portal at 3DR.com/XB/info. 

Happy flying! 

Specs 

Battery: 

Battery Dimensions: 

Battery Weight: 

Autopilot hardware: 

Autopilot firmware: 

GPS: 

Ground Station Radio: 

Motors: 

Frame Type: 

Propellers: 

Vehicle Dimensions: 

Payload Capacity: 

Vehicle Weight with Battery: 

Maximum Altitude•: 

Range•: 

Maximum Estimated ·Right Time: 

·while geofence enabled (default) 

4S 14.8V 10,000 mAh 10C 

6.6 in x 2.6 in x 1.4 in (16.7 em x 6.5 em x 3.5 em) 

803g 

Pixhawk v2.4.5 

ArduCopter 3.2 

3DR u-blox GPS with Compass (LEA-6H module, 5 Hz update) 

3DR Radio v2 (915 MHz or 433 MHz) 

SunnySky V2216-12 KVBOO II 

X 

APC Propeller 11x4.7 SF (4) 

APC Propeller 11x4.7 SFP (4) 

13.7 inx20.1 inx11.8 in(35cmx51 cmx20cm) 

800 g (1.7 lbs) 

2.56 kg (5.6 lbs) 

100m 

300 m from launch point (1 km when geofence disabled) 

15 min 

33 
Appendix: oubleshootin~ 

Pre-Arm Safety Check Failure 

eo 

If the status LED displays blinking yellow, the XS is failing one the pre-arm safety checks. To determine the specific failure, check the 

heads-up display on the ground station. There will be an error message specifying the failed check. 

Radio Calibration Failure: 

Accelerometer Calibration Failure: 

Compass Calibration Failure: 

GPS Failure: 

Perform Radio Calibration or RC controller re-binding 

Perform Accelerometer Calibration 

Perform Compass Calibration 

Wait for improved GPS signal or move to a more open area 

Video tutorials for performing calibrations can be found at 3DR.com/X8/info. 

Maintenance 

Replacement parts for the XS can be purchased at store.3DR.com. 

Instructions for replacing the wiring, plates, motors, and legs of the XS can be 

found at 3DR.com/X8/info. 

Contents 

Parts 2 Flight Procedures 

Takeoff 

Setup 4 Landing 

Assembly 4 Monitoring 

Ground Station 5 

Missions 

Power Management 7 Planning 

Charging 8 Saving 

Safety 8 Initiating 

Controller Battery 9 Ending 

Powering the XS 10 

Connecting to a Ground Station 11 Appendix 

Troubleshooting 

Flight Basics 12 Maintenance 

Safety 12 Specs 

Operating Limits 13 Resources 

Controls 14 

Modes 17 

Return to Launch 19 

Failsafes 20 

Status Indicators 22 

24 

24 

26 

27 SfetLY~ 28 

·)x-:f~ 29 

30 

31 

31 £-eu(Jif 

32 -::::::-- - 32 

~ f f1 / tY vf c; IY>.vfX 32 

33 

34 

32 
Parts 

RC Controller Propellers Battery Kit Ground Station Radio 

SF propellers (4) 

Flight battery Radio 

- SFP propellers (4) 

• USB adapter 

Charger and accessories 

5 Android 

~ adapter 

Guard bag 

lnitiatin~ 

Once you've saved the mission to the XS, follow these steps to fly the mission. 

1 Perform a pre-mission test flight. 

Follow the standard takeoff procedure, and fly a 

brief test flight to verify that all controls (throttle, 

yaw, roll, and pitch) are responding normally. 

2 Arm in standard mode. 

When you're ready to start the mission, 

arm the X8 in standard (STD) mode. 

Controller: mode switch 

3 Switch to auto mode. 

For automatic takeoff, arm the X8 in standard 

mode. Then switch to auto mode, and raise the 

throttle to initiate the mission. 

For manual takeoff, initiate the mission in flight by 

switching to auto mode. 

Controller: mode switch 

For auto-takeoff, raise 

throttle to start mission. 

~ ~'J~ ~~J 

Controller: left stick 

Tool Kit 

~ 

Propeller wrench 

II 

Pixhawk micro-SD card 

adapter 

End n~ 

Flight Checklist 

xa:---_. 

,-- i:;l~ :;: ......... · - .. ~ ..... Q• n. To 

1~: . ':; ... 

' lil - p · ! 13 · .,.. 

' .,. Cl• 

End the mission according to the type of 

landing configured in the mission. 

Automatic Landing 

For missions configured with a land 

waypoint, the XS will disarm automatically 

after landing. Ensure that the throttle 

stick is set fully down during landing; the 

XS will not disarm automatically unless 

the throttle stick is set fully down. 

Manual Landing 

For missions without a land waypoint, 

switch to standard or loiter mode in flight 

then land manually. 

A To avoid sudden changes 

in altitude when switching 

from auto mode to standard 

mode, ensure that the left 

stick is set to the center 

position. 

2 

31 
Saving 

After planning the mission, save the mission to the XB. The Pixhawk autopilot 

can store one mission at a time. When you initiate the mission, the XB will 

start the mission stored to the autopilot at the time. 

Tablet (DroidPianner) 

Select the option menu in the top-right corner, and 

select Send Mission. This will save the mission to the XB. 

DroidPianner. Send Mission (option menu) 

xa• 

Laptop (Mission Planner, APM Planner) 

On the Flight Plan screen, select Write WPs to save the mission to the XB. 

Select Save WP Ale to save the mission to your computer for future use. 

Wnte WPs 

Mission Planner: Flight Plan 

: GPS mast 

Pixhawk autopi ot 

Front arms (blue) 

Rear arms (black) 

Antenna 

Safety button 

Status LED 

Micro-USB port (not pictured, side 

of Pixhawk) 

30 

3 
Setup: Assembly 

The XB arrives in travel configuration. Complete 

these steps to prepare the XB for flight. 

1 Unfold Arms 

Remove the bolts and thumbnuts outside the two folded black arms (1 ). 

Unfold the black arms, re-insert the bolts, and secure with the thumbnuts (2). 

2 

X8 Assembly: Unfold Arms 

Plannin~ 

To plan a mission, power the XB and connect to your ground station. Ground 

station applications require an Internet connection to access maps. 

Tablet (DroidPianner) 

Select the DroidPianner icon, select Editor. Tap to add 

waypoints, or select the brush tool and draw a path 

for the XB to follow. 

:i} 

~ Flight Data 

~ Editor ) 

c9 Locator 

:!..--.. 

-·· Senings 

Dro1dPianner: Edit wa:r;:x>ints 

Takeoff and Landing 

Both ground station options provide the choice to configure automatic takeoff 

and landing into the mission. Missions without automatic takeoff and landing 

must be initiated and ended in flight. 

Laptop (Mission Planner, APM Planner) 

Select Flight Plan, and click to add waypoints. Select the green arrows at 

the bottom of the screen to configure altitude and change waypoint types. 

E 

Mission Planner: Flight Plan 

29 
Missions 

The XS's Pixhawk autopilot is capable of flying an autonomous mission 

without operator input. Ensure that you feel comfortable operating the XS 

manually before attempting an autonomous mission. 

Environmental Awareness 

Before you fly, assess the features of your flying area. Determine the boundaries of the safe flying area, and be prepared to recover the copter manually 

if it goes outside this area. Be aware of any risks at your location, including 

bodies of water, structures. trees, etc. Designate a few areas as safety zones 

where you can safely land the copter in case of an unsafe situation. 

Radio Signal Conditions 

Rying behind solid objects, like buildings and trees, will block radio signals. 

Always maintain visual contact with the copter to ensure that the radio signal 

is unobstructed. Radio towers, cell phone towers, and nearby WiR signals 

can also cause interference with the radio system and decrease its range. 

Avoid flying in populated areas to avoid sources of interference. 

Altitude 

Select an appropriate altitude for your flying location and local regulations. 

Remember the XS will not avoid obstacles during a mission; it will complete 

the mission as planned. Select altitudes that avoid any obstacles, such as 

trees, and comply with the safety information in this manual. 

Speed 

By default, the X8 will travel at 6.5 m/s (14.5 mph) during a mission. 

2 Unfold Legs 

Remove the bolts and nuts to the inside of the folded legs (1 ). 

unfold the legs, re-insert the bolts, and secure with the nuts (2). 

2 

XS Assembly: Unfold l egs 

Power 

As the operator, it is your responsibility to ensure that all missions comply 

with the XS's operating limits, including flight time. Don't forget to take into 

account the effect of current wind conditions on power consumption. 

Regaining Manual Control 

During a mission, keep the controller easily accessible, and be prepared to 

regain manual control at any time. To regain manual control during the 

mission, switch to standard mode using the controller. If you observe 

instability in the XS's flight behavior or it the copter moves outside your 

designated safe flying area, switch to RTL. Turning off the controller will 

automatically trigger an RTL and can be used in an emergency situation 

as a hard recall command. 

Fail safes 

The XS's default failsafe behaviors are optimized for manual flight. For 

autonomous missions, we recommend re-configuring the failsafe settings 

for your flying location. For instructions, visit 3DR.com/XB/info. 

3 Attach Propellers 

The XS uses SF and SFP propellers. These labels can be found on the 

individual propeller packages and on the propellers themselves. See 

the diagram below for which motors require SF or SFP propellers. The 

accuracy of this assembly is critical for the XS to fly correctly. 

To attach each propeller, remove the nut and washer from the motor, 

and add the correct type of propeller with the writing on the propeller facing 

the sky. (This will be a tight fit; apply pressure and twist the propeller 

onto the motor.) Replace the washer over the propeller. and tighten the 

nut on top using the propeller wrench. 

lop moto·: SFP .i. .J. top motor· SF 

bottom motor: SF ' . n . ' bottom 'l'Oto•: SFP 

top motor: SF .i. ~ .J. top motor: SFP 

bottom -:-otor: SFP ' • . , bottor, mo:or· SF 

XB Propeller Order 

~-0 

.--------~~"~----~-

XS Propeller Assembly 

A 

Ensure that the writing on all 

propellers faces the sky. 

28 

5 
Ground Station 

A ground station is a laptop or tablet running an ArduPilot-compatible mission control application. 

In the field, a ground station helps you monitor the X8 during flight, plan missions, and troubleshoot issues. We recommend using a ground station at all times with the X8. 

To set up a ground station, choose a platform below and visit 30R.com/download_software to install 

the application. 

DroidPianner 2 

Android 

Mission Planner 

Windows 

II 

APM Planner 

osx 

Important Note About Vehicle Setup in Mission Planner and APM Planner: 

Your X8 has been pre-configured at the factory and is ready to fly. As-performing the 

calibrations on the Initial Setup screen, including the mandatory hardware configurations 

and setup wizard, can adversely affect the performance of your aircraft. 

iOS? There are currently no ground station applications available for iOS. 

Monitorin~ 

Monitor the X8 in flight using the controller's flight data screens. 

• 

Controller 

GPS status 

connection strength ~ 

altitude in meters 

speed in m/s 

meters from launch point 

flight time 

current latitude 

current longitude 

altitude in meters 

--

-- -

--• 

---... 

Press and hold the ON button to access the flight data screens . 

Press ON again to toggle between screens. 

current flight mode 

GPS signal strength in # of satellites 

flight battery level (14-16.8 V) 

flight battery mAh 

consumed since armed 

1:\ End your flight at 14.1 V. 

LJ.._i Do not exceed 8000 mAh for a 

fully charged X8+ battery (80% of 

available capacity). 

controller battery level (9-12 V) 

6 

27 
and n~ 

If you end your flight using the Ch 7 land command or RTL, the X8 will 

disarm automatically; wait for the motors to stop, and proceed to powering 

off. Attempting to disarm the X8 in either land or RTL can cause the cause 

the copter to flip. 

Disarm 

For manual landing in standard or loiter mode: 

2 

Press and hold the safety button until it 

blinks red. The motors are now inactive, 

and the X8 is safe to handle. 

To disarm the motors, hold the left stick down/left 

until the motors stop. 

eo e o 

•••• 

Motors inactive, safe to handle 

Motors active, deactivate before 

handling 

Safety button indicators 

@50 Controller left stick: disarming posttion 

Do not handle the propellers or pick up the copter while the safety button is 

active (solid red). Remember to disconnect the battery before turning off the 

controller when powering off. 

Power Mana~ement 

The X8 is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery. When fully 

charged, the battery provides up to 15 minutes of flight time depending on payload, 

environmental conditions, and flying style. Flying with a gimbal, GoPro, and FPV 

system can reduce flight time by up to 5 minutes. Flying aggressively or in high winds 

can affect power consumption and reduce flight time. Monitor power consumption 

using the flight data display on the controller (press and hold the DN button). 

When the battery reaches the low voltage limit, the X8 will initiate a low battery failsafe 

and land automatically at the current position. (See page 20 for more information about 

failsafes.) To avoid a low battery failsafe, monitor battery voltage during flight on the 

controller's flight data display, and end your flight before the battery reaches the low 

voltage limit. 

flight battery level 

Full battery: 

Low battery limit: 

16.8 v 

14 v 

Press and hold the DN 

button to view flight data. 

6 End your flight at 14.1 V. 

--- flight battery mAh consumed since armed 

Controller 

Controller Flight Data Display: Screen 1 

Another way to monitor power consumption is by using milliamp-hours (mAh). 

Monitor the mAh on the controller, and ensure that it does not exceed 8,000 

mAh (80% of the battery's available capacity). Exceeding 8,000 mAh can 

render the battery permanently unusable. 

6 Do not exceed 8,000 mAh for a fully charged X8+ battery. 

26 
~ 

Chan~in~ 

Charge the battery before your first flight! 

Connect the charger to the power adapter cable 

and a wall outlet. Connect the red cable to the + 

port and the black cable to the - port. 

..... 0 

::::-

0 

2 

Set the charger to LiPo and 3A. 

LiPo 3A 

Charger with power cable and 

split-wire charging cable 

Charger settings 

3 

Connect the white connector to the 4S port, and 

join the two yellow connectors together. 

UJ.®!!!!!!! - 4S 

.__ 

Flight battery charging wiring 

0 

4 

Secure the battery inside the guard bag, 

and charge until the status indicator 

displays green. 

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risk and can render the battery 

permanently unusable. Always fly 

with a fully charged battery. 

Charge the battery using a designated 

LiPo balance charger only. Always 

monitor the battery while charging. 

Protect the battery from extreme 

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flammable surfaces. Always transport, 

charge, and store the battery in the 

guard bag. 

Inspect the battery for damage before 

and after flying. If you observe any 

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ceases to function, do not use the 

battery; locate your local battery 

recycling center, and dispose of the 

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call2recycle.org to find a location. 

Do not dispose of the battery in the 

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the X8 

Follow these steps to power the XB. 

Turn on the controller. Ensure that the switches 

are set to CH 7 OFF, STD. and RTL OFF. 

RC controller CH 7 switch 

2 

Mode RTLswitch 

Join the yellow connector on the battery with the yellow connector 

on the XB; this will power on the X8. Keep the XB still and level 

while it powers on and initializes the sensors. Check the status 

LED; when it displays blinking blue, the sensors have completed 

initialization and you can move the X8. 

10 

Status LED indicators: 

e • • e Initializing, keep still and level 

0e0 e Initializing complete 

X8: Connect battery, keep level while initlaliztng 

3 

When the initialization process is complete, turn over 

the XB and secure the battery to the underside of the 

vehicle using the velcro straps. 

XB: Secure battery 

A 

It is important to establish 

communication before powering 

on the X8. flJways turn on the 

controller before connecting the 

battery. When powering off the 

XB, disconnect the battery before 

turning off the controller. 

Safety Button 

The safety button indicates the status of the motors 

to allow you to arm and disarm the XB safely. 

XB Safety Button 

eo eo 

•••• 

Safety 

Motors inactive, safe to han

Motors active, deactivate be
he X8. During flight, the LED won't 

d station to view the status of the 

awk's status tones. 

Status LED 

e XB still and level 

ease wait 

GPS locked 

, automatic landing 

matic landing 

al, switch to standard mode (altitude hold) 

heck failure. Connect to a ground station 

leshooting section. 

Connectin~ to a Ground Station 

To connect the X8 to a ground station, connect the ground station radio to 

your laptop or tablet, and power the X8. 

Laptop (Mission Planner/APM Planner) 

2 

Connect the ground station radio to your 

laptop using the USB adapter. Open 

Mission Planner or APM Planner. 

Select 57600 and AUTO, then select CONNECT 

(When connecting directly to Pixhawk's 

micro-USB port, set the rate to 115200.) 

f tf!iii 5J6il0 yMission Planner Connect tool (top-right corner) 

Ground station laptop with radio connected 

3 

Select Flight Oata to view live data from the X8. 

• 

Mission Planner Flight Data tab: connected to aircraft 

• 

Tablet {DroidPianner) 

Connect the blue end of the Android adapter 

to your device and the black end to the radio. 

Ground station tablet with radio connected 

2 

Select Connect. 

DroidPianner: Connect icon 

11 
~ 

Fli~ht Basics: Safety 

To ensure safe and successful flying, always fly in accordance 

with your location regulations and these best operating practices. 

Before you fly, determine the boundaries of your safe flying area. 

If the XB moves outside the designated area or exhibits instability 

in flight, switch to standard mode and land the XB manually. 

The XB will not avoid obstacles on its own, including during 

missions. As the operator, it's your job to recognize and avoid 

obstructions while flying. Always be ready to regain manual 

control of the XB in the event of an unsafe situation. 

Location 

t' 

/ * 

visual line 

of sight 

0 

0 

400 ft 

(120m) 

Nways fly below 400 ft (120 m) and within your 

visual line of sight. Don't let the X8 get too far 

away from you; make sure you can always see its 

orientation. Don't fly in low light, heavy wind, rain, 

or other conditions that might impede visibility. 

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Always fly at least 1 00 feet (30 m) 

away from people, vehicles, and 

buildings. Make the safety of people 

and property your first priority! 

S~(l~) g Nways fly at least 5 miles (8 km) 

away from airports and other areas 

where pilots operate manned aircraft. 

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Spinning propellers can cause serious injury. The safety 

button indicates the status of the motors to help you 

prevent hazardous contact with the XB's high-speed 

propellers. 

• When the X8 is powered on, the safety 

button will blink red, indicating that the 

motors are inactive and the propellers are 

safe to handle. 

• 

• 

0 

When you're ready to fly, press and hold the 

safety button until it shows solid red. This 

indicates that the motors are active and the 

propellers can spin if armed. To make the 

propellers safe to handle again, press and 

hold the safety button until it blinks red. 

• 

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12 
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s triggered, the assigned behavior 

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. 

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it will return to the launch point auto

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ying style can affect power 

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14 

Controls 

Maneuver the X8 in flight using the 

controller's two joysticks. 

Throttle 

Move the left stick vertically to control altitude. 

To take off and to 

gain altitude, raise the 

throttle stick slightly 

above center position. 

Set the throttle stick 

to center to maintain 

the current altitude. 

Lower the throttle 

stick below center to 

decrease altitude. 

Set the throttle stick 

fully down to land 

once the X8 is a few 

inches above the 

ground. 

left stick 

0 

0 

0 

left stick: 

throttle 

&yaw 

right stick: 

pitch 

& roll ~ ..................... ~ p,.,~ ~ Return to Launch land at the launch point Set the RTL switch to ON to end your flight and retu

the launch point automatically. Once you activate RT

throttle stick fully down, and the X8 will automaticall

landing. The X8 will not disarm automatically unless 

stick is set fully down. Ensure that the RTL switch is 

before takeoff. When commanded to RTL, the X8 will: Achieve minimum altitude of 15 m (50 ft) or mainta

above 15m. 2 Move to launch point and loiter for 5 seconds. 3 Land at launch point. Wait a few seconds and disa

1 15 meters 

* ....... ·························· ····· ···

Reposition during landing: During landing, use the ri

stick on the controller to adjust the X8's position. 

A RTL returns the X8 to the location where 

Always arm the X8 at a safe, unobstructe
us mission. The X8 will 

nts saved to the autopilot. 

 for instructions on planning and flying missions. 

unless you have saved 

ground station application. 

ely), and use the TILT knob to control the 

R.com/X8/info for instructions. 

ur flight and land at the current position. 

e stick fully down, and the X8 will auto

 will not disarm automatically unless the 

ding, use the right ·(· ) (( _)· 

8's position. __ . .·,··V' . 

Yaw 

Move the left stick horizontally to rotate the X8 and change orientation. 

For a slow rotation, move the stick slightly away from the center 

in either direction. Moving the stick farther from the center creates 

a faster rotation. 

Move the stick to 

the left to rotate 

counterclockwise. 

Move the stick 

to the right to 

rotate clockwise. 

Release the stick to 

stop rotating and 

maintain the current 

orientation. 

Flight Tip 

left stick 

0 

0 

0 

When adjusting onentation. move the left stick horizontally without changing its 

vertical position. 

15 
16 

Pitch and Roll 

The right stick allows you to control the X8's position in the air. Move the right stick to tell the 

X8 to move in that direction: forward (toward the blue arms). back (toward the black arms), 

left (toward the left arms), or right (towards the right arms). How far you move the stick from 

the center before releasing it tells the X8 how fast to move. 

Move the right 

stick forward 

to fly forward. 0 

Move 

stick back 

the ri

to 

ght fly 0 

backward. 

Move the right 

stick left to fly 

left. 

Move the right 

stick right to fly 

right. 

Flight Tip 

0 

0 

right stick 

p,.,~ 

~ 

~ 

~ 

The X8 moves according to its onentaliOn. The blue arms face forward, and the black 

arms face backward. Before us1ng the right stick, use yaw to keep the X8 fac1ng in . 

outward orientation so that the black arms face towards you and the blue arms and face 

away from you. 

Modes 

The X8 includes three flight modes: manual flight 

(STD-altitude hold), hover mode (LTR-Ioiter), and 

mission flight (AUTO). Use the switch on the 

right side of the controller to select a flight mode. 

Standard (altitude hold mode) 

STD 

fly manually 

Start your flight in standard to select altitude h

and fly manually using the controller. 

Loiter mode 

LTR 

hover 

Select loiter to hover in place automatically. Us

to adjust the X8's position then release the stic

that position. Loiter is a great way for beginner

If you're new to flying, start your first flight in lo

To avoid sudden changes in altitude, set 

stick to center position before switching 

including in the event of a GPS failsafe. S

for more information about failsafes.