Before you fly and every time before you fly, you should run through your preflight checklist. Would you be comfortable on a commercial jet if they didn't inspect the aircraft before every flight? No. Similarly, you should not be comfortable flying your multicopter without checking through your list … every time you connect a battery.
The following list illustrates the steps you should go through when you're getting ready for a flight:
- Check props for tight mounting. Loose props can lose power or even fly off in midflight.
- Check all your connections to make sure nothing is loose.
- The motors should be snug on their mounts. Any screws can loosen from the vibration and stress of a flight. This is especially true on the motor mounts.
- Check all airframe parts for a snug fit. As stated in the previous step, screws can loosen from flight stress. They can also loosen due to temperature differentials. Any unexpected flex or play in the frame can cause a failure. Also check for any cracks/dents.
- Spin each motor with your finger. If any motor feels rough (not just the magnetic attraction) or significantly different from the other motors, you may need to replace that motor due to scarred or chipped bearings.
- Check your guidance system for snug mounting. Also, check that the components are facing the proper direction. Any play on guidance system parts can lead to a crash.
- Turn on your remote control transmitter. Make sure your controls are all in the idle position.
- Connect the battery to your multicopter (and if you have a power switch, turn it on). Listen for the ESCs to make their start up beeps. An unusual sound may indicate a power short.
- Calibrate your compass as indicated by your guidance system's instruction manual.
- Wait for the GPS lock. Every guidance system needs time to lock to the minimum number of satellites for a flight. On the WooKong-M, this means waiting for the red flashing lights to stop. Skipping the GPS lock and not calibrating the compass is the reason for most multicopter crashes.
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.