Tutorials for manual-mode flying?

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Does anyone know of any good tutorial videos (or posts) for manual-mode flying? I've had many years of experience flying "traditional" RC helis, so I should be OK with it, but I'd like to minimise the chances of breaking my expensive toy :).
 
I've been playing around with manual mode for a little while but I don't think I'm good enough to do a tutorial just yet, unless you just wanna see how the controls work. It's very different from gps and atti, but I'll explain it the best I can.(I'm using fc40 as reference) Once you're in manual mode, the light that usually flashes green/yellow/red will turn off, and it will start to fly up slowly so you have to play with the left stick to keep it level. Once you get that figured out, you can try moving forward but keep in mind that you don't hold the right stick up to go forward as you'll flip it, you just move it up a little and let go, and you'll keep going forward until you push the right stick down a little to either stop or to level it out. If you roll left or right, it's the same thing, you don't hold it down, and you have to pull in the opposite direction to level out again. The controls in manual mode are also more sensitive and it will fly much faster than atti mode. I think that covers it for the most part, I also highly reccomend flying high up in the air when testing manual mode for the first time because it can get away from you or drop from the sky very fast! Also, one lifesaving tip is to remember, when things go bad, just flip it into atti or gps and it'll level itself and will even flip back over if you're upside down.
 
kitari said:
The controls in manual mode are also more sensitive and it will fly much faster than atti mode.

I also highly commend flying high up in the air when testing manual mode for the first time because it can get away from you or drop from the sky very fast!

This sounds pretty scary. It's kinda like flying my old Blade 180 QX (which got me started in this quad stuff in the first place). You've got to be on your toes all the time, or it's all over. :eek:
 
If you have many years of experience flying "traditional" RC helis you will be fine flying it in manual mode. Just make sure that you have some hight.
Also remember that the blade pitch is fixed. So do not fly inverted with it :)
 
LOL... yeah - if you're upside down... get to amazon quick and order a new one :)
 
MrTommy said:
This sounds pretty scary. It's kinda like flying my old Blade 180 QX (which got me started in this quad stuff in the first place). You've got to be on your toes all the time, or it's all over. :eek:

Don't quote me on this... but doesn't the Blade 180 have a gyro? In which case, it's even more stable in manual than your Phantom would be. But, yeah... manual either way takes constant stick, and you can never look away. I used to fly something like a Blade, and it absolutely exhausted me. lol
 
The phantom definitely has gyros, they are just not used in manual mode. What is amazing to me is that the phantom seems to auto trim and remembers those setting in manual mode. This is because I am pretty sure that my p2's CG is not perfectly centered and I didn't see a Loy of crazy drifting as soon as I turned on manual mode
 
Manual mode sounds like flying my Syma X1, which has 3-axis gyro.

So if you start going left, it will keep going and it may even lose control if you give too much input to go more left... It's a nice tumble. You need to pull back right on the right stick to level it out again.

Compare that to 6-axis gyro miniquads like my Hubsan X4: if you start going left and let off the sticks, it will eventually level out. It will drift for a while because it's light, but it will level out.

I'm not sure I would test this in high altitude. Just put on your prop guards and go slow near the ground over some nice soft grassy field. Crash damage will be minimal but you will see much better how the quad is reacting to your input.
 
The BMFA (UK) has just issued it's part A and B examinations for multi-rotors. Guess what - GPS and ATTI is banned, you must do the tests in manual. I was a bit taken aback by this decision, it's like doing your driving test with all the ABS, airbags and other safety features turned off. Anyway, the result is that if you have a BFMA multi-rotor A or B qualification, then you have proven you can fly in manual mode.
http://www.bmfa.org/News/NewsPage/t.../Multi-Rotor-Achievement-Scheme-Launched.aspx
 
flidget said:
The BMFA (UK) has just issued it's part A and B examinations for multi-rotors. Guess what - GPS and ATTI is banned, you must do the tests in manual. I was a bit taken aback by this decision, it's like doing your driving test with all the ABS, airbags and other safety features turned off. Anyway, the result is that if you have a BFMA multi-rotor A or B qualification, then you have proven you can fly in manual mode.
http://www.bmfa.org/News/NewsPage/t.../Multi-Rotor-Achievement-Scheme-Launched.aspx
I like it now if we can get the FAA to do it too .
If DJI would have made it you have to fly so many hours in manual mode before GPS & Atti mode would kick in we would have a lot less problems with people being stupid flying and having all the bad Publicity . GPS makes it to easy anyone can fly .
 
flidget said:
The BMFA (UK) has just issued it's part A and B examinations for multi-rotors. Guess what - GPS and ATTI is banned, you must do the tests in manual. I was a bit taken aback by this decision, it's like doing your driving test with all the ABS, airbags and other safety features turned off. Anyway, the result is that if you have a BFMA multi-rotor A or B qualification, then you have proven you can fly in manual mode.
http://www.bmfa.org/News/NewsPage/t.../Multi-Rotor-Achievement-Scheme-Launched.aspx

Excellent - that's very good news. I'll have to get practising :).
 
When learning CP helis...I always looked at it like you are on top of a bubble (or beach ball here in FLA) and can easily slide down any side.
 
N017RW said:
When learning CP helis...I always looked at it like you are on top of a bubble (or beach ball here in FLA) and can easily slide down any side.

An excellent analogy. Yes, that's exactly what it is.
 
I've been practicing flying in manual mode for sometime now and have made some mistakes, as in I am on my second shell replacement right now. I honestly think it developes your flying skills and awareness of where your aircraft is at. I also think manual mode, once you master it , will give you some of the smoothest videos.

A YouTube training video I have been using even though it is not a Phantom is:

http://youtu.be/6btEFJJD4_o?list=UU9zTuyWffK9ckEz1216noAw

Just take you time and don't push it and be safe.
 
dcoski said:
I've been practicing flying in manual mode for sometime now and have made some mistakes, as in I am on my second shell replacement right now. I honestly think it developes your flying skills and awareness of where your aircraft is at. I also think manual mode, once you master it , will give you some of the smoothest videos.

A YouTube training video I have been using even though it is not a Phantom is:

http://youtu.be/6btEFJJD4_o?list=UU9zTuyWffK9ckEz1216noAw

Just take you time and don't push it and be safe.

How about a mode like stabilize in the APM? Which self levels but doesn't hold altitude?
 

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