Dromida Twin Explorer Instructions Manual

READ THESE

READ THESE

INSTRUCTIONS

BEFORE

FLYING!

INSTRUCTIONS

BEFORE

Flight
Battery
Charger

LiPo Flight Battery

FLYING!

ITEMS INCLUDED

2.4GHz
Transmitter

“AA”

Batteries

Twin Explorer

WARNINGS

FOR YOUR SAFETY PLEASE
READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE
WARNINGS.

Radio control models are not toys.
Serious injury to people or damage to property
can result if they are not used in a responsible
manner.

Read all instructions carefully prior to
assembling and before flying this model. Seek
advice should any information be unclear. You
assume all risk and responsibility when using
this model.

GENERAL WARNINGS

● Never fly your aircraft from the street or at night.

Always fly in an open area free of obstructions.

● When flying, make sure any spectators are

behind you.

● Always be conscious of the spinning propellers.

Be careful not to allow loose clothing to be drawn
into the propellers.

● Because your aircraft is operated by radio control,

it is important to make sure you are always using
fresh and/or fully charged batteries. Never allow
the batteries to run low, or you could lose control
of the aircraft.

● Do not allow any of the electrical components to
get wet, or electrical damage may occur.

● You should complete a successful range check

of your radio equipment prior to each new day of
flying, or prior to the first flight of a repaired aircraft.

● Do not use any solvents to clean your model.

Solvents will damage the foam and plastic.
Use a dry cloth to clean any dirt from outside
of the aircraft.

● This product includes small and sharp-edged
parts. Always assemble and keep this product
out of children’s reach.

● Do not fly your airplane on days with strong
winds or side winds.

● When not using the model, always take the battery
out of the plane and switch off the transmitter.
Also, remove the batteries from the transmitter as
batteries may overheat or leak, causing damage.

● Do not store this model in a high-temperature/
humidity area or in direct sunlight.

RADIO CONTROL
SYSTEM WARNINGS

● Always turn on your transmitter
before turning on the aircraft and
always switch off or remove the
battery from the aircraft before
turning off your transmitter.

● Always unplug the flight battery when not flying
the aircraft.

● Never shorten the receiver antenna, or you could
lose control of the aircraft during flight.

● Never attempt to disassemble or modify any of
the radio control system components.

LIPO BATTERY WARNINGS

YOU MUST READ THIS BEFORE

CHARGING THE BATTERY

● All instructions, warnings, and cautions must be
followed at all times. Failure to do so can lead to
serious injury or fire. Do NOT use this product
before reading and understanding all directions
and warnings.

● Do NOT use or charge the battery if it is hot
or swollen.

● Do NOT overcharge. Maximum voltage for each battery
must be followed.

● Do NOT short-circuit the battery. Check polarity before
connecting the battery to the charger.

● Remove the battery when it’s not in use.

● Do NOT operate or charge unattended.

● Do NOT use the battery if you do not understand the

warnings and proper use of the battery.

● Always let the battery cool and “rest” between uses and
charging. Do NOT charge inside your car.

● Inspect the battery before each use for swelling or other
malformation. If the battery has swelled, it MUST be discarded.

● Do NOT poke, bend or damage the battery. The outer casing
is soft and can be damaged.

● The battery must never exceed 160° F (70° C) for any reason.

INSTALL

Phone Charger

or DIDP1125

(not included)

100 – 240 V AC

NOTE: Charging from the transmitter will deplete the

batteries very quickly. We recommend charging
from an AC powered USB adapter (phone charger)
whenever possible. (DIDP1125 - not included)

“ON” while

charging.

TRANSMITTER BATTERIES

“AA”

NOTE: Use only AA dry cell/ alkaline batteries. Do not

use NiCd or NiMH.

CHARGE THE FLIGHT BATTERY

2.

3.

4.

Plug the charge cord into the battery. The red LED
will turn on while the battery is charging.

Once the battery is charged, the red LED on the
charger will turn off.

Unplug the charger from the battery and
transmitter. Turn off the transmitter.

PLUG IN THE FLIGHT BATTERY

Open the battery hatch on the underside of the plane.

1.

1.

Turn “ON”

Plug the charger into the transmitter or into a USB
power adapter and swith on the transmitter.

2

Connect the matching plugs and install the battery into

2.

the battery compartment.

TRANSMITTER FUNCTION

Power off - 0%

Close the battery hatch.

3.

GETTING READY TO FLY

Blinking LED

Turn on the transmitter.

1.

(Always do this first!)

Turn on the plane.

2.

Switch

Solid LED

Half power - 50%

Full power - 100%

1.

2.

When ready, the LED turns solid.

3.

Arm the motors by moving

4.

the left stick all the way up,
then all the way down.

33

Trim Dial

The trim dial is used to
make small steering
trim changes. Adjust
the dial as necessary so
the plane ies straight
when the right control
stick is centered.
Center the dial before
your rst ight.

4

CHOOSING A FLYING FIELD

The flying field you choose is very important and should

be a large, open grass field. There should not be any ve­hicles, buildings, power lines, trees, large rocks or anything
else that your model can crash into.

150 ft

150 ft

150 ft

[150 meters] from the
transmitter.

150 ft

Control may be lost
if the airplane is
more than 500 feet

CHOOSING A GOOD DAY TO FLY

Very
Light

Wind

Strong

Wind

TAKEOFF

No

YES

No

Apply full throttle while facing into the wind. Hold the

1.

plane horizontally and launch straight and level with a
gentle pushing motion.

After launching, reduce power to 50–75%, use gentle right

2.

stick movements to turn left or right. Use small movements
of the sticks to adjust the climb and direction. (If the battery
is not charged properly, the plane will not climb).

Use the throttle to maintain altitude.

3.

Calm weather with either no wind or wind speed of 2–3 mph
[3–5 kph] is suitable for flying.

Move the throttle stick down to 0% when crashing
to avoid damage.

TURNING

Once you reach 50 to 75 feet [15–20m] in altitude, you will be able to make a safe turn. Practice making turns both left and
right, adding a small amount of throttle as the turn begins.

Continue...

4

To complete the

5

turn, slowly
release the right
stick and reduce
the throttle.
Move the right
stick slightly to
the left if
necessary to

Use small

3

movements of the
sticks to control the
turn radius and
altitude.

Once the turn starts, add in

2

a small amount of throttle to
maintain altitude and help
turn the plane.

level the wings.

Enter the turn by

1

slowly moving
the right stick
about halfway.

55

LANDING

When your plane feels like it is beginning to lose power, it is time to land.

Fly downwind to set up for landing.

1

Reduce the throttle to about 25%.

Top View

Turn 90 degrees

2

using a small
amount of left stick.

Glide until
lined up for

3

final turn into
the wind.

Use a small amount of

4

right stick to turn into
the wind. You will want to
be lined up with the grass
landing area. Reduce or
increase throttle to adjust
speed and altitude so that
you reach your desired
landing point.

Wind

Pilots View

Reduce throttle to zero. Let it glide!

5

If you are short of the landing area,
add in a little power to extend the
glide. If you are long, power up and
go around for another try.

50−75 feet

2

1

3

4

Always land directly into the wind!

With the throttle at zero, just let the

6

plane glide into the grass and come
to a stop.

5

grass landing area

Wind

6

Wind

AFTER LANDING

Always unplug and remove the plane’s battery first.

1.

Turn off the transmitter second.

2.

Allow the motors time to cool before flying again.

3.

Allow the flight battery to cool before recharging.

4.

MAKING REPAIRS

For light weight and durability, the Twin Explorer is made
of foam. If it does break, repairs can be made using CA
(cyanoacrylate) glue or epoxy (available at your local hobby
shop). Once the glued parts are fitted together, use clear tape
to hold them in place as the glue dries. Small cracks can be
fixed with the clear tape without the glue. When doing repairs,
use as little glue as possible to keep the weight down and be
sure to keep the tail and wings as straight as possible.

REPLACEMENT PARTS

DIDA3030 Prop Set
DIDA3031 Motor Set
DIDA3032 Airframe
DIDA3033 Battery Hatch
DIDA3034 Motor Base
DIDA3035 2.4 GHz Receiver
DIDJ2000 2.4 GHz Transmitter
DIDP1093 LiPo 1S 300 mAh
DIDP1123 USB 1S LiPo Charger
DIDP1125 AC USB Charger Adapter 2 Amp

6

TROUBLESHOOTING

PROBLEM: Transmitter LED does not illuminate when

tuned on.

Solution: Transmitter batteries are installed incorrectly.

Remove batteries and check polarity markings.

Solution: Transmitter batteries are low. Replace the

batteries.

PROBLEM: The model does not respond to the transmitter.

Solution: The flight battery needs to be charged. Charge

the flight battery.

Solution: The battery is not plugged in to the plane. Plug

it in.

Solution: The plane is not linked to the transmitter. Power

down the transmitter and plane and try again.

Solution: The transmitter batteries are low. Replace the

batteries.

PROBLEM: Flight time is short.

Solution: The flight battery was not fully charged. Let the

battery cool and charge again.

Solution: The flying conditions are too cold (below 60°F

or 15°C).

Solution: The battery is old or damaged. Replace the

battery.

PROBLEM: The props are spinning but the plane will

not fly.

Solution: The props are reversed. Pull the props off the

motors and swap their positions. The prop with
the “A” on the blade should be on the RIGHT
motor.

A

A

“A”

PLANE SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 in. [ 80 mm]

Height

PROBLEM: The plane has excess vibration.

Solution: A propeller is damaged. Replace the propeller.
Solution: A motor shaft is bent. Replace the motor.
Solution: Motor base is loose. Reglue with CA or epoxy.
Solution: Motor base is broken. Replace motor base.

PROBLEM: Propeller will not stay attached.

Solution: Propeller hub is worn. Replace the propeller.

PROBLEM: The model does not fly straight.

Solution: The transmitter trim dial is not set properly. Adjust

the dial until the plane flies straight.

Solution: The motor base is loose. Reglue the motor base

with CA or epoxy.

PROBLEM: The motors begin to slow down in flight.

Solution: When the flight battery voltage drops too low

the motors will slow down gradually until they
stop. Land immediately and recharge the battery.
Failure to land immediately may result in total

loss of control.

PROBLEM: The battery won’t charge from the transmitter.

Solution: Replace the batteries in the transmitter.
Solution: Charge using a USB power adapter. (DIDP1125)

13.8 in.

[380 mm ]

Length

18.9 in. [480mm]

1.5 oz
[42 g]

Wingspan

Weight

SERVICE

If your Dromida product requires repairs or replacement,
contact:

Hobby Services 9am-5pm Central Mon.-Fri.
3002 N. Apollo Drive, Suite 1 [phone]
Champaign, Il, 61822, U.S.A.

[e-mail]

BATTERY RECYCLING

Be good to the environment! The Twin
Explorer is powered by a rechargeable LiPo
battery. At the end of the battery’s useful life,
under various state and local laws, it may be
illegal to dispose of the battery into the municipal
waste system. Check with your local solid waste officials for
details in your area for recycling options or proper disposal.

We encourage contacting your local recycling center for

more information.

77

FCC STATEMENT

FCC ID#: IYF-DromidaQ300
Brand: Dromida

This device complies with part 15 of the FCC rules. Operation

is subject to the following two conditions.
(1) This device may not cause harmful interference.
(2) This device must accept any interference received,

including interference that may cause undesired
operation.

NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE
FOR ANY RADIO OR TV INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY
UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THIS EQUIPMENT.

Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.

This equipment complies with FCC radiation exposure

limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment.

This equipment should be installed and operated with a

minimum distance of 8 inches [20cm] between the radiator
(transmitter) and your body.

This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in

conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.

KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY

As a new owner of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS),
you are responsible for the operation of this vehicle and
the safety of those around you. Please contact your local
authorities to find out the latest rules and regulations.

In the United States, please visit:

knowbeforeyoufly.org faa.gov/uas

www.hobbico.com/ama-lipo-warning.html

dromida.com© 2016 Dromida, a Hobbico® company DIDA0010 v2