Scout UAV

Preflight Check

Before the first flight a safety check is necessary.  If the propellers have been installed, remove them for the preflight check.

The quadcopter’s motors need to be armed before the throttle responds.  This is a safety feature to prevent accidental turning on of the motors.  To arm the motors, move the throttle stick to the lower right corner for 5 seconds.  Wait about 10 second and slowly move the throttle stick up to 30%.  All four motors should increase power equally.  If a motor is not responding to the throttle increase, check the connections to that motor.   With the throttle at 50%, roll by hand the quadcopter to each of its motors.  The quadcopter should respond by throttling higher the motor that is dipping low.   If the quadcopter passes the roll test, check that the motors are spinning in the correct direction. Refer to the diagram below for the correct propeller rotation. If the motor is spinning in the wrong direction, disarm the motors. Switch two of it’s wires on the motor that is spinning in the wrong direction.

http://code.google.com/p/arducopter/wiki/AC2_Multi

First Flight

Now, the quadcopter is ready for its first test flight.  Install the propellers onto the motors.  Perform the first test flight in an area clear of buildings, people and trees. Further tuning of stability can be done wirelessly using the XBee modules.