Aero-M

Operation Manual

Thank you for purchasing an Aero-M! This manual contains important information about your 

aerial mapping platform. Please read these instructions before your first flight. 

1 Plan 1

2 Fly 20

3 Process 37

Appendix 41

Online information portal: 3DR.com/Aero-M

3DR support: help@3DR.com

Terms and conditions: 3DR.com/terms

Pix4D instructions: support.Pix4D.com
1 Plan

Parts 2

Flight Battery 3

Charging 3

Safety 3

Powering the Aero 4

Camera Setup 5

3DR EAI 5

Charging 5

Starting a Mission 5

Mounting 6

Ground Station Setup 7

Download Software 7

Connect to Radio 7

Mission Planning 8

Operating Parameters 8

Load Maps 9

Draw Polygon 10

Configure Survey 11

Save and Write Mission 19
Parts

Aero

wings

camera

batteries (2)

horizontal stabilizer

wing spar

FPV/OSD System 

If you selected to receive a FPV/OSD system, those components 

will be included with the Aero’s accessories. See page 34 for 

parts and instructions.

registration card and 

Pix4D license key
1 

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.

+

–

2 

Set the charger to LiPo and 3A.

LiPo 3A

3 

Connect the white connector to the 4S port, and 

join the two yellow connectors together. 

4S

4 

Secure the battery inside the guard bag, 

and charge until the status indicator 

displays green.

Charging

Complete

The Aero is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery. 

Charge the battery before your first flight.

!

Flying with a low battery is a sa

battery permanently unusable. 

battery. 

Charge the battery using a des

only. Always monitor the batter

battery from extreme heat, extr

flammable surfaces. Always tra

battery in the guard bag.

Inspect the battery for damage

observe any swelling of the pa

to function, do not use the bat

recycling center, and dispose o

Canada, visit call2recycle.org t

dispose of the battery in the tr

Flight Battery

Charging Safety

Charger with power cable and 

split-wire charging cable

Charger settings

Flight battery charging wiring Charging in process
1

Turn on the controller. To avoid triggering 

the controller’s startup alarm, ensure that 

all switches are set back (away from you) 

and the throttle stick is set fully down.

!

It is important to establish commu

powering on the Aero. Always turn

before connecting the battery. Whe

the Aero, disconnect the battery b

the controller.

3

Insert a charged battery into the battery slot, 

and attach the yellow connectors. This will 

power on the Aero.

 

Hold the Aero still and level while it powers on.

Attach the velcro above the battery slot to the 

velcro on the battery. Close and secure the lid 

onto the battery compartment.

!

2

Open the battery compartment by 

sliding the knob on the orange switch 

forward and lifting out the lid. orward and lifting out the lid.

Powering the Aero

RC controller

Throttle stick

Switches

Aero: battery compartment lid

battery slot

battery 

connector

Aero: battery compartment interior

flight battery
Camera Setup

The Aero includes a Canon PowerShot SX260 HS running the 3DR EAI script.

SD card locked

Load 3DR EAI

» Fly a mapping mission

SD card unlocked

Load default Canon software

» View images on camera

» Save images to ground station

» Update script

3DR EAI (Exposure-Aperture-ISO)

3DR EAI runs on the Canon Hacker Development Kit (CHDK), a powerful opensource tool that expands the functionality of Canon point-and-shoot cameras. 3DR 

EAI optimizes image exposure and integrates with the Pixhawk autopilot to enable 

distance-based imaging.

This software is designed to load off the camera’s SD card, leaving the original Canon 

programming intact. The yellow switch on the side of the SD card allows you to lock 

or unlock the card. Lock the SD card to run 3DR EAI; unlock the SD card to save 

images to your ground station or to boot the camera with its original programming.

For more information about 3DR EAI, see page 43.

Charging

Charge the camera battery before your first flight

fully charged, insert the battery into the camera.

status indicator

Starting a Mission

To prepare the camera to fly a mapping mission, 

that the mode dial is set to P (program) mode. Pow

camera using the silver button on the top. 3DR EA

automatically, and you will see the script message

camera display. Check to see that the last line of t

reads waiting on USB signal. The camera is now read

Camera ready to map: waiting on USB signal

Canon battery charger

Power off the camera before removing the SD card. !

Camera running 3DR EAI Camera running Canon software
Mounting 

autopilot integration cable

The camera mounts to the Aero inside the battery compartment 

and connects to the autopilot using the mini-USB cable. When the 

camera is ready to start the mission, insert the camera into the 

mount inside the battery compartment as shown below, connect 

the mini-USB cable to the camera, and secure the camera in place 

using the velcro strap.

Connect mini-USB cable inside 

battery compartment here.

The camera mount includes a lens cap that protects

travel. Make sure to remove this lens cap before you

that the filter contains no foam particles, dirt, or scra

affect image quality.

It is expected that the filter will accumulate scratche

use. If you notice any damage to the filter that could

quality, unscrew the filter and replace with one of the

provided with the Aero.

UV filter

Aero battery compartment: camera mount

Camera (side)

Camera mount (bottom): cap removed

Camera mount (bottom): cap attached

The camera mount is fixed to the inside of the battery compartment 

and is not intended to be removed from the Aero.
Mission Planner

Your license key for Pix4Dmapper can be found on the registration card 

inside the documents package. 

Visit mapper.pix4d.com/license-redeem to create an account and redeem 

your license key; then visit pix4d.com/download to download Pix4Dmapper 

Discovery. Pix4D will automatically upgrade from the Discovery edition to 

the LT 3DR Edition (or Pro Edition if you selected to upgrade) when you 

log in to the program with your Pix4D account information.

Mission Planner is a full-featured ground station application for planning 

missions and monitoring the Aero in flight. Download Mission Planner 

from 3DR.com/download_software.

If you already have Mission Planner installed, make sure you’re running 

the most recent version: Select the Help tab and Check for Updates.

Mission Planner: Help tab

Ground Station Setup

Pix4Dmapper LT 3DR Edition

To connect the Aero to Mission Planner, connect the gro

to the laptop, and power the Aero.

1 

Connect the ground station radio to your 

laptop using the micro-USB cable. Open 

Mission Planner.

3 

Select Flight Data to view live data from the Aero.

2 

Select 5

(When 

micro-U

Download Software Connect to Radio

Mission Planner allows you to turn a Windows laptop into a full-featured 

ground station for configuring and monitoring autonomous missions. You will 

need to take this laptop into the field when you fly the mission. As part of the 

mission procedure, you will use the Pix4D Rapid Check to verify the quality of 

the image set before leaving the field.

Ground station laptop with radio connected

Mis

Mission P
The Aero is a complete solution for creating 

high-resolution visual-spectrum aerial maps. 

Pixhawk 

autopilot 

system

Pix4Dmapper 

LT 3DR Edition

Canon SX260

3DR EAI

To create a map, the Aero flies an autonomous mission over 

the survey site, using the integration between the Pixhawk 

autopilot and custom-programmed camera to capture images 

at a consistent distance interval. Pix4Dmapper then stitches 

these images together into a georeferenced, orthorectified 

mosaic.

The accuracy of the map depends on the configuration of the 

mission. Planning a mission that captures high-quality images 

requires balancing the Aero’s operating parameters with the 

environmental factors at the survey site.

Operating Parameters

Camera Canon SX260

Camera Orientation Portrait (side

Operating Altitude 80-120 m

Standard Operating Altitude 100 m

Low-Wind Conditions 0-6 m/s

High-Wind Conditions 7-10 m/s 

Maximum Wind Conditions 10 m/s

Operating Speed 8-20 m/s

Default Speed 15 m/s

Estimated Maximum Flight Time 40 min

Estimated Ground Resolution 5 cm/pixel

Estimated Maximum Survey Area 1 km2

Minimum Photo Interval 2 seconds

Mission Planning

Operating Parameters

Mapping system diagram
1

Open Mission Planner, select Flight Plan, and 

zoom to your flying location. 

2

Right-click on the map, select Map Tool and 

Prefetch, and accept the defaults prompts. 

Mission Planner will download the maps 

for the selected location to your computer. 

3

Mission Planner will attempt to load the map data from the current level of zoom down to the 

closest level of zoom available. However, it can take hours to pre-fetch every level of zoom, 

and it is unlikely that the closer levels will be useful in planning the mission. To shortcut this 

process, check the slider on the right side of the map. The levels of zoom are represented by 

this slider from 0 (bottom) to 25 (top). Press the ESC key to skip levels of zoom at a greater 

detail than you need for mission planning.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Select Prefetch

Load Maps

Mission Planner allows you to plan the mission away from the mapping location; 

however, it is important to assess the environmental conditions on site at the time 

of the mission and adjust the flight plan if necessary. Alternatively, you can plan 

the entire mission at the mapping location. To create or alter the mission, Mission 

Planner requires an Internet connection to access the maps. If you’re unable to 

access the Internet on site, follow the instructions below to pre-fetch the maps 

within Mission Planner while you have Internet access.
2

Right click on the map. Select Draw Polygon and 

Add Polygon Point. Click and drag to add points 

around the area you want to map. 

3

Right click on the polygon. Selec

Survey (Grid) to open the Survey T

Units

The Survey Tool uses metric units. If your Mission Planner is 

set to imperial units, please change the settings to use metric 

to plan the mission. Support for imperial units in Mission 

Planner is coming soon; check 3DR.com/Aero-M for updates.

Draw Polygon

To begin planning the mapping mission, select the area you want to map using 

the Polygon tool. You’ll be able to adjust the size and shape of the polygon later in 

the mission configuration process.

1

Select Flight Plan, and zoom to your 

mapping location.

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: zoom to mapping location

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: draw polygon

Missio

!
Set Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Set Camera Orientation

Uncheck the option for Camera top 

facing forward.

Set Default Speed

15 m/s 

Apply Survey Speed

Check the option for Use speed for this missio

If unchecked, the mission will use the Aero

default speed of 15 m/s regardless of the 

speed selected in the Survey Tool.

Configure Survey: Set Default Parameters

Mission Planner Survey tool

The Survey tool allows you to configure a mapping mission according to the 

Aero’s operating parameters and the current environmental conditions at the 

mapping location. First, set the default values for the Aero.
Set Angle

Wind Direction

In environments with winds of less than 6 m

the Aero flies into the wind. In winds from 7-

flight path to travel perpendicular to the wind

wind.

No. of Strips 

Adjust the angle so that the Aero makes as 

complete its course. The No. of Strips parame

passes the plane will make as you adjust th

Review Wind Conditions On-Site

Always assess the wind conditions at your s

the mission and adjust the mission accordin

Mission Planner Tip: Adjust Polygon

Click and drag the red polygon points to adjust the size 

and shape of the polygon from the Survey Tool. 

Configure Survey: Set Angle

wind

Confi

wind 

Confi

the w

wind

wind

Use caution when flying in wind

may degrade as a result of ina

appropriate groundspeed.

Mission Planner Survey tool

Next configure the angle of the flight path for the current wind conditions.

!
Set Altitude

Standard operating altitude: 100 m

Operating altitude range: 80-120 m

Increasing altitude decreases flight time, a

per minute. Decreasing altitude improves g

tude to get the best ground resolution whi

40 min and the altitude under 120 m.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure th

your flying area and local regulations.

Check Flight Time

Flight Time estimates the duration of the m

time must be under 40 min for a fully char

flight time, increase altitude or speed.

High winds, humidity, high altitude, and ex

consumption and reduce flight time. Cons

your site when configuring flight time.

Check Ground Resolution

Ground Resolution is the centimeters per pixel that you will have 

in the map and corresponds to the amount of detail that you 

will see.

To improve ground resolution by decreasing the number of 

centimeters per pixel, decrease altitude.

Configure Survey: Set Altitude 

Mission Planner Survey tool

The survey altitude determines the duration of the mission and the ground 

resolution of the final map. Adjust altitude to balance flight time and power 

consumption with the current environmental conditions.

!
Check Photo Interval

Photo Every must be longer than 2 seconds for the SX

Altitude

Increasing altitude increases photo interval.

Keep altitude below 120 m, and ensure that the altitu

appropriate for your flying area and local regulations.

Speed

Decreasing speed increases photo interval. 

Ensure that the Use speed for this mission option is chec

Configure Survey: Check Photo Interval

Mission Planner Survey tool

With the basic parameters in place, verify that the photo interval calculated from 

the altitude and speed complies with the operating parameters for the camera.

!

!
Takeoff and Land WP’s

For automatic takeoff and landing

Check the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option.

Uncheck the Use RTL option. 

This will create a takeoff waypoint and a pla

tern. After accepting the survey, configure t

the instructions on page 20.

For automatic takeoff and manual landin

Check both the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s op

This will create a takeoff waypoint so the A

altitude before heading to the first waypoin

launch point after completing the mission. 

For manual takeoff and landing

Uncheck the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s optio

Check the Use RTL option. 

For this option, take off manually then initia

return to circle over the launch point after c

Configure Survey: Set Takeoff and Landing 

Mission Planner Survey tool

Now select a takeoff and landing pattern, either manual or automatic.
Check Advanced Options

to view the Survey Tool’s advanced configuration options.

Set OverShoot

The Aero has a minimum turning radius of 90 degrees. To accommodate the 

sharp angles of the survey mission, set both OverShoot parameters to 50 to 

have the Aero overshoot the waypoints on either side of the polygon by 50% 

to ensure that the complete area of the polygon is covered by the images.

OverShoot will affect flight time. Ensure that the total estimated flight time is 

less than the Aero’s maximum flight time of 40 minutes.

Adjust Overlap and Sidelap

Overlap and sidelap are set to 50% and 60%, respectively, by default. See 

page 42 for an in-depth discussion of these parameters.

Adjust StartFrom

During the mission, you will maintain contact with the aircraft through the RC 

controller and ground station signals. If your mission is likely to experience a 

loss of signal, it is best practice to start from the corner of the mission farthest 

from the launch point. In this example, TopLeft is the corner of the mission 

farthest from the launch point.

Configure Survey: Advanced Options 

Select Grid Options

Camera Config

The options under the Camera 

Config tab allow you to configure 

a camera other than the SX260 

and won’t be used for operating 

the Aero.

!

The Survey tool includes the following advanced configuration options. These options 

allow you to customize the mission to comply with best operating practices.

Mission Planner Survey tool: advanced options

Mission Planner Survey tool: advanced options
Before accepting the survey, verify that the mission complies with the 

Aero’s operating parameters. 

Camera

Canon SX260-SX280

Altitude

80-120 m

Camera top facing forward

unchecked

Flying speed

9-15 m/s

Use speed for this mission

checked (optional if speed set to default speed of 

Photo Every

greater than 2 s

Flight time

under 40 min depending on environmental conditi

Do not accept the mission if any of th

exceed the Aero’s operating limits.

Operating Parameters

Configure Survey: Accept Survey

Accept

Select Accept to create this mission. After acceptin

will need to reconfigure the survey completely to m

adjustments.

If Mission Planner prompts you for a home altitude

the altitude that you specified in the Survey tool.

Mission Planner Survey tool

!
Configuring Automatic Takeoff and Landing

If you selected automatic landing in the Survey Tool by checking the Add Takeoff and Land WP’s option and unchecking 

the Use RTL option, you will need to configure the landing waypoint pattern manually at this step in the mission planning 

process.

To begin, determine the direction of the wind and select an unobstructed area 200-500 m in length leading to the 

launch point, into the wind. On the main Flight Plan screen, create a series of waypoints along this path to decrease 

altitude gradually from the survey altitude to 0, ensuring that:

» Turns along the flight path are greater than 90 degrees.

» The altitude decreases by a maximum of 20 m between waypoints

» There is at least 20 m between each waypoint

» The Grad % does not exceed 20% 

To add a waypoint, right click on the map in the location of the waypoint you would like to add, and select Insert WP. For 

each waypoint you add to the mission, Mission Planner will prompt you for the new waypoint’s place in the script: Add 

the series of landing waypoints immediately before the LAND waypoint in the script of events. For the first waypoint in 

the pattern, add it to the mission immediately following the DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST waypoint at the end of the mission. 

Specify the altitude of each waypoint and check the distance and gradient angle in the waypoints table.

To add a waypoint, right click on the map in the location of the waypoint 

you would like to add, and select Insert WP. For each waypoint you add to 

the mission, Mission Planner will prompt you for the new waypoint’s place 

in the script: Add the series of landing waypoints immediately before the 

LAND waypoint in the script of events. For the first waypoint in the pattern, 

add it to the mission immediately following the DO_SET_CAM_TRIGG_DIST

waypoint at the end of the mission. Specify the altitude of each waypoint 

and check the distance and gradient angle in the waypoints table.

Set altitude.

Check Grad %.

Mission Planner Tip: Con

Measure the distance betw

end and selecting Measure 

and select Measure Distance

distance between the two 

Double-click on a field in th

for a waypoint.

Use the Up and Down arro

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Correctly configured automatic landing pattern Use the Delete option to re

Locate the Takeoff waypoin

first option in the row to ass

Set the takeoff angle to 20-

length of your takeoff area.
Select Write WPs

to save the mission to the Aero.

Select Save WP File

to save the mission file to your computer. To 

repeat this mapping mission, load the saved

WP file from your computer.

For the Aero to run the mission, write the waypoint file to the autopilot. 

Don’t forget to save the waypoint file to your ground station for future use.

Save and Write Mission

Mission Planner Flight Plan tab: Save and write mission
2 Fly

Safety 21

Aircraft Operation 22

Components 22

Assembly 23

Controls 26

Modes 27

Arming and Disarming 28

LED Indicators and Tones 28

GPS Lock 28

Preflight Checks 29

Manual and Automatic Takeoff 32

Manual and Automatic Landing 33

FPV System Operation 34

Flying Mapping Missions 35

Takeoff Checklist 35

Initiating 35

Monitoring 35

Failsafes 36
To ensure safe and successful flying, familiarize yourself with the safety information 

on this page. Always fly in accordance with your location regulations and these best 

operating practices.

Always fly at least 100 feet (30 m) away from 

people, vehicles, and buildings. Make the safety 

of people and property your first priority!

Always fly below 400 ft (120 m) and within your visual 

line of sight. Don’t let the Aero get too far away from 

you; make sure you can always see its orientation. 

Don’t fly in low light, rain, or other conditions that 

might impede visibility.

Always fly at least 5 miles (8 km) away from airports 

and other areas where pilots operate manned 

aircraft.

visual line 

of sight 400 ft

(120 m)

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

outside the designated area or exhibits instability in flight, switch to fly-by-wire mode 

and land the plane manually. Always be ready to regain manual control of the plane 

in the event of an unsafe situation. 

The Aero will not avoid obstacles on its own, including during missions. As the 

operator, it’s your job to recognize and avoid obstructions while flying. When 

planning missions, ensure that the selected altitude is appropriate for all 

geographical features of the area, including terrain.

Location

Spinning propellers ca

button indicates the s

prevent hazardous co

propeller.

• When the Aero i

 button will blink r

 is inactive and th

• When you’re rea

button until it sh

the motor is arm

throttle stick is ra

 to handle again,

 button until it blin

Propeller

You can find more safety 

where you see this yellow

Safety 

100 ft (30 m)

5 miles (8 km)

!
Aircraft Operation

Components

body

tail boom

tail

left wing

motor

nose

right wing

battery compartment

airspeed sensor

electronics compartment 

(under wings)

left aileron right aileron

If the terms above are unfamiliar to you, visit 3DR.com/Aero-M, and dive into the 

exciting world of planes with our Introduction to Flying Fixed-Wing Aircraft.

video system compartment 

(above battery compartment)

ground station radio Aero (top)

Aero tail
On the top of the horizontal stabilizer, open the blue clasp at the end of the servo rod. Insert the pegs on the clasp into the open 

space in the servo horn, and close the clasp. Slide the blue rubber ring over the clasp to secure it in place.

servo horn

Turn the plane over and insert the provided tail screw into

and vertical stabilizers.

Tail

Slide the horizontal stabilizer into the vertical stabilizer along the orange groove. 

Make sure not to stress any of the components on the tail.

Assembly

clasp

Tail assembly (underside)

Tail 

Horizontal stabilizer

Vertical stabilizer Complete tail assembly