As always, remember to take a break every 5-10 minutes. If you choose to land in the
grass ensure that the throttle is reduced to the lowest possible setting once on the ground
to avoid stalling a motor. Takeoffs from grass are not recommended, as the blades of
grass can be hard on the rotors and motors.
Lesson 4: Orientation
The object of this lesson will be to teach you to control the Draganflyer X8 in
orientations other than “nose-out” (front of the helicopter pointing away). Take off with
the Draganflyer X8 and establish a stable hover. Keep the helicopter fairly low to the
ground as it is likely that you will lose control at least once during this lesson.
Start by using the yaw control to slowly rotate the Draganflyer X8 from left to right and
back again (do not rotate further than 10-15 degrees initially). Once you are comfortable
spinning the Draganflyer X8, start rotating further until you have spun it 90 degrees from
the starting position and maintain a hover with this orientation. It will help if you turn so
you are facing in the same direction as the front of the Draganflyer X8 and watching it
over your shoulder. Remember to take a break every 5-10 minutes.
Once you master hovering the Draganflyer X8 with it turned 90 degrees, you can think
about beginning to practice “nose-in” flight. To do this, you will be best served to repeat
lessons 1, 2, and 3, but complete all these with the front of the Draganflyer X8 turned
towards yourself. The roll and pitch controls will be reversed in this orientation, so don’t
rush! Learning to fly “nose-in” will be just like learning to fly all over again, but don’t
get discouraged! Try to practice a few minutes of nose-in each time you fly the
Draganflyer X8, and continue through the rest of the flying lessons.
Lesson 5: Climbs and Descents
Now you are ready to begin flying the Draganflyer X8 at higher altitudes. The helicopter
does not know it has gone any higher, so the only real factor here is your own nerves.
Climbing is easy; just add power and it will smoothly climb up. Reduce the throttle
setting to hover, and the climb will stop naturally (remember, small movements are
essential). Descending is more difficult, because the Draganflyer X8 forces air
downwards to generate the lift it needs to fly (this is called downwash), as you descend
vertically, you will pass into air that is moving downwards, causing the helicopter to
accelerate as it descends. To counter this, you can either begin the descent and then add
small amounts of power as necessary to offset the downwards acceleration, or you can
descend while moving the Draganflyer X8 forwards, backwards, left, or right.
Descending in this manner will allow you to fly outside of the downwash the helicopter
generates. Set up for this lesson by first making sure your batteries are fully charged.
Stand well away, as you will be passing through your eye level, and make sure any
spectators are also a safe distance away. Start by establishing a hover, then add power to
climb to just above your head. Reduce power to stop the climb, settle back into a hover,
then slowly descend. Keep the front of the Draganflyer X8 away from you at all times.
Repeat this process until you can climb and descend comfortably.
Now you can begin climbing higher and faster. However keep in mind that the higher you
fly, the greater the risk of causing damage in a crash. As well, you should keep the
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