The majority of drones today make use of propellers and whilst there are some with fixed wings the most popular unmanned aircraft today is the quadcopter drone. This type of drone has four rotors each with a set of propellers - one pair of rotors turns counter-clockwise and the other turns clockwise. Drones with quadcopter motors are used for 3D mapping and surveying, emergency services like site management and disaster relief, in agriculture and to inspect bridges, wind turbines etc. But why this drone design is so popular?
Advantages
Thanks to their small form-factor, quadcopter motor drones can be used together with a camera without losing on manoeuvrability. A drone with a quadcopter engine is capable of taking off and landing vertically whilst being very stable and easy to control. They also have the ability to hover.
Advantages
Thanks to their small form-factor, quadcopter motor drones can be used together with a camera without losing on manoeuvrability. A drone with a quadcopter engine is capable of taking off and landing vertically whilst being very stable and easy to control. They also have the ability to hover.
How to Fly
What You Need
Safety is the most important part of flying a drone for the first time and there's some protective equipment you'll need just to be sure that you avoid injuries or disaster. The basics of drone safety are cones signs and a landing pad as this safety gear allows you to mark out a safe area for you to fly around.
Then you have equipment regarding your own safety like a hi-vis vest, a hard hat and protective goggles. To prevent a mishap from escalating you'll need to have a fire blanket, first aid kit and even a fire extinguisher. You'll also need a spectrum analyser to ensure that you won't encounter any interference and an anemometer to measure wind speed before you take off.
Location
For beginners it's best that you start in an open field or in any place where there aren't that many buildings and trees. But you also need to makes sure you are legally allowed to fly a drone before you set everything up.
Taking Off & Landing
As simple as this may sound taking off with a quadcopter engine drone takes some practise. The first thing you want to do when practising is to slowly lift the throttle up and then down until you get the feel of the controls. Do this by lifting the drone about a centimetre or two off the ground and scoot around by a little. If the drone starts drifting away just throttle down and start from the original position.
After you've done that, try to go higher and you'll notice that when you are about a metre off the ground it's easier to control the drone. To keep hovering in place just use the right stick to make small adjustments and keep your quadcopter motor drone stable in the air. When you want to land just slowly start cutting back on the throttle and when you are about 5 cm from the ground cut the throttle off completely.
Flying
Once you have your drone hovering in the air push the right stick (which is usually for movement) forward to fly the drone about half a metre and then pull the stick back to bring it back in place. Do the same thing to the left and right and if the drone starts to rotate just adjust the stick to either left or right to keep it facing the same direction it was before. Remember when moving in any direction the drone will dip in altitude so make sure you push the throttle a little bit each time you change direction in order to give it more power and maintain altitude.
In order to fly the drone continuously you need to change direction and throttle simultaneously. To get the hang of this, start by taking off and hovering in the air then rotate the quadcopter engine drone so you have it at a slight angle and use the right stick to go left/right, forward/ backward. Doing this will make it easier when flying with the drone facing in a different direction.
Precautions
If you are about to crash the drone into something your best bet is to completely cut off the throttle. This way you will minimise damage and lower the risk of injury. If you happen to be learning indoors have the quadcopter motor drone tied down or in a cage. Always keep your fingers away from moving propellers and make sure you take out or unplug the battery before you turn on the drone as there is a certain inspection you need to do before every take off.
Before you do the visual inspection, which we will get to in a bit, make sure there are no obstructions such as wires, trees and towers and that the visibility is at least 4.8 km. Wind speeds need to be under 15 knots (32 km/h) and cloud base should be at least 150 m. Inspect the drone for abnormalities regarding propellers, frame undercarriage, transmitter, gimbal and camera. Make sure you always clean the lens with a microfiber cloth and that you have the proper lens filter and SD card inserted.
What You Need
Safety is the most important part of flying a drone for the first time and there's some protective equipment you'll need just to be sure that you avoid injuries or disaster. The basics of drone safety are cones signs and a landing pad as this safety gear allows you to mark out a safe area for you to fly around.
Then you have equipment regarding your own safety like a hi-vis vest, a hard hat and protective goggles. To prevent a mishap from escalating you'll need to have a fire blanket, first aid kit and even a fire extinguisher. You'll also need a spectrum analyser to ensure that you won't encounter any interference and an anemometer to measure wind speed before you take off.
Location
For beginners it's best that you start in an open field or in any place where there aren't that many buildings and trees. But you also need to makes sure you are legally allowed to fly a drone before you set everything up.
Taking Off & Landing
As simple as this may sound taking off with a quadcopter engine drone takes some practise. The first thing you want to do when practising is to slowly lift the throttle up and then down until you get the feel of the controls. Do this by lifting the drone about a centimetre or two off the ground and scoot around by a little. If the drone starts drifting away just throttle down and start from the original position.
After you've done that, try to go higher and you'll notice that when you are about a metre off the ground it's easier to control the drone. To keep hovering in place just use the right stick to make small adjustments and keep your quadcopter motor drone stable in the air. When you want to land just slowly start cutting back on the throttle and when you are about 5 cm from the ground cut the throttle off completely.
Flying
Once you have your drone hovering in the air push the right stick (which is usually for movement) forward to fly the drone about half a metre and then pull the stick back to bring it back in place. Do the same thing to the left and right and if the drone starts to rotate just adjust the stick to either left or right to keep it facing the same direction it was before. Remember when moving in any direction the drone will dip in altitude so make sure you push the throttle a little bit each time you change direction in order to give it more power and maintain altitude.
In order to fly the drone continuously you need to change direction and throttle simultaneously. To get the hang of this, start by taking off and hovering in the air then rotate the quadcopter engine drone so you have it at a slight angle and use the right stick to go left/right, forward/ backward. Doing this will make it easier when flying with the drone facing in a different direction.
Precautions
If you are about to crash the drone into something your best bet is to completely cut off the throttle. This way you will minimise damage and lower the risk of injury. If you happen to be learning indoors have the quadcopter motor drone tied down or in a cage. Always keep your fingers away from moving propellers and make sure you take out or unplug the battery before you turn on the drone as there is a certain inspection you need to do before every take off.
Before you do the visual inspection, which we will get to in a bit, make sure there are no obstructions such as wires, trees and towers and that the visibility is at least 4.8 km. Wind speeds need to be under 15 knots (32 km/h) and cloud base should be at least 150 m. Inspect the drone for abnormalities regarding propellers, frame undercarriage, transmitter, gimbal and camera. Make sure you always clean the lens with a microfiber cloth and that you have the proper lens filter and SD card inserted.