FS8 Co-Pilot™ user guide
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General information
Q:
Will FS8 Co-Pilot™ prevent my airplane from crashing?
A:
No. FS8 Co-Pilot™ can only move your airplane’s control
surfaces and throttle to preset positions when it doesn’t re-
ceive a clean signal from your transmitter. This may keep
your airplane flying long enough for you to find and correct
the problem.
Q:
Can I use FS8 Co-Pilot™ with all types of airplanes?
A:
Yes. FS8 Co-Pilot™ works with all aircraft configurations,
including dual aileron servos, quad flaps, elevons, V-tail,
digital servos and CCPM. It learns all pitch and roll mixes
for all types of airplanes and helicopters. Its flight stabiliza-
tion will level any aircraft.
Note:
If you are using a channel for on/off control
of Co-Pilot™, set the failsafe for that channel so
Co-Pilot™ is on during a failsafe. Even if you don’t
normally use flight stabilization, it will activate when
the receiver enters Failsafe Mode.
Setting up
Q:
I can’t take my computer to the flying field. How do I set up
FS8 Co-Pilot™ without the Co-Pilot™ Viewer Software?
A:
You can set all FS8 Co-Pilot™ functions without the Co-Pi-
lot™ Viewer Software. You interact with the receiver
through its buttons and LED, and you set failsafe positions
using your transmitter sticks. Details are provided in this
manual.
Q:
What are good failsafe preset servo positions for an airplane?
A:
The best failsafe preset servo positions will depend on your
particular aircraft and how it behaves in the air. A reasonable
starting point for flight-stable airplanes is:
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Ailerons: neutral.
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Elevator: neutral or slight up.
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Rudder: moderate right turn.
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Throttle: 1/4 to 1/3.
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Flight stabilization: on.
You’ll need to test these settings and adjust them as needed.
Your goal is to have the plane circle and gently descend,
without stalling, during a failsafe condition.
Q:
My airplane has flaps and/or retractable landing gear. What
about failsafe presets for those?
A:
Since flaps can slow the airplane, deploying them (with some
rudder failsafe preset) may help keep the airplane close to the
field. It’s probably a good idea to drop the landing gear, al-
though for some airplanes a belly landing may be less costly
than bent landing gear.
Q:
How do I test failsafe operation?
A:
First, do a check on the ground:
1. Turn on your transmitter, then turn on FS8 Co-Pilot™.
2. Move the transmitter sticks to make sure the aircraft con-
trols respond correctly to your commands.
3. Turn off the transmitter and watch the airplane’s control
surfaces and throttle:
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For channels with failsafe presets, the servos should
move to their preset positions.
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For channels without failsafe presets, the servos should
remain where they were (last frame hold) when you
turned off the transmitter.
If the radio system works properly, try forcing a failsafe con-
dition in the air:
1. Take off and gain altitude until the airplane is at least three
mistakes high.
2. Put the plane into straight and level flight at 3/4 to full
throttle.
3. Turn off the transmitter for 2 to 3 seconds, THEN TURN
IT BACK ON.
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While the transmitter is off, watch how the plane re-
sponds.
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Be prepared to correct the plane’s attitude as soon as
you turn the transmitter back on.
If necessary, land the airplane, change the presets, and test
again on the ground and in the air. Be sure to avoid settings
that would stall the airplane.
Q:
Do I have to set up FS8 Co-Pilot™ before each flight?
A:
No, the receiver stores setup information even when power is
off. However, it’s a good idea to test failsafe operation on
the ground (by turning off the transmitter) and flight stabili-
zation as part of your usual preflight checks.
Flying
Q:
What can cause FS8 Co-Pilot™ to enter Failsafe Mode?
A:
There are several possibilities:
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You accidentally turned off your transmitter.
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Your transmitter batteries are depleted.
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Someone else turned on a transmitter on your channel.
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There is electrical interference from the aircraft’s gasoline
engine ignition system. Gasoline-powered aircraft need
buffers or opto-isolators on FS8 Co-Pilot™ servo outputs.
See “Special installation considerations” on page 10 for
one approach.
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There is radio frequency interference from some unknown
source.
Frequently asked questions
