P a g e
|
12
KOPIS 2
Pre-Flight Check
For safety, here are steps that you should perform before EVERY pack you fly. Yes, there are a lot of
them. There are a lot of steps before a fighter pilot takes off in his jet, or an F1 driver starts up his car.
This is no different.
1.
Turn on your controller.
2.
If the controller has multiple model memories, confirm that the correct model is selected.
3.
If you use switch arming, confirm that the arming switch on the transmitter is in the “disarmed”
position and throttle is all the way down.
4.
If you crashed last time you flew, perform a physical inspection of the quad for damage.
5.
If you just installed any props, confirm that props are installed correctly. Yes, I know you’re sure
you put them on correctly. CHECK IT AGAIN. Trust me.
6.
Confirm that prop nuts are tight enough that a prop cannot spin without some effort.
They don’t
need to be gorilla-
tight. Just tight enough that the prop doesn’t slip in flight.
7.
Check LiPo battery voltage. A fully-charged LiPo should be about 4.2 volts per cell, or about 12.6
volts for a 3S, or 16.8 volts for a 4S.
8.
Install the LiPo on the bottom of your KOPIS using the battery strap.
9.
Secure the balance lead so that it can’t be struck by the props. For example, twist the balance
lead around the discharge lead and tuck the balance plug between the red and black wires of
the discharge lead.
10.
Route the main LiPo discharge lead so that it cannot be struck by the props. This might involve
twisting it to take up slack or wrapping it in the battery strap. The exact way of doing this will
vary depending on the length of your battery lead.
11.
Look in your FPV goggles or screen to see if anybody is transmitting on your channel. If they are,
stop. Do not power up.
12.
Scan the flight area for any safety issues that might be present, such as people or dogs. A
spotter should always be watching the flight area while you fly.
13.
Plug in the LiPo. Imagine that, the instant you plugged in the battery, the motors went to full
power. How would you want to be holding the quad when that happened? One approach is to
turn the quad upside down while plugging in the battery. This works especially well for bottom-
mounted batteries like the KOPIS.
14.
After plugging in the LiPo, set your KOPIS down and do not move it for a few seconds until you
hear the three beeps that indicate the gyro has calibrated.
15.
Verify that you have clean, strong video in your FPV goggles or screen. If you see interference or
you see another pilot’s feed, resolve this issue before flying.
16.
Arm the quad. Listen for the props hitting anything like an antenna or the battery wire. Check
your video for any signs of issue like increased noise or degraded video quality.
17.
Take off and fly. If you have just performed a repair on the quad, or if this is a new build, fly
conservatively until you have verified that everything is working as intended. Fly low to the
ground and close-in. Be prepared to disarm immediately if you lose video or lose control of the
quad for any reason.
