GoFly Easy Drone, XL Pro Operation Manual

Operation Manual

Read before

ying!

IMPORTANT

Easy Drone

easyaerial.com

Easy Drone

Contents

01 This is Easy Drone
03 Parts
04 Charger
06 Frame Assembly

07 Learn to Fly
11 Safety
12 Altitude Hold Mode
13 First Flight
18 Stabilize Mode
18 Loiter Mode
19 Return-to-Launch Mode
19 Autonomous Mode and Missions

21 Specications and Resources
22 Learn More and Support

01

This is Easy Drone

Congratulations on getting your Easy Drone!

Easy Drone is an autonomous quadcopter powered by open-source
hardware, software, and rmware. Please read this manual carefully
before your rst ight and pay close attention to safety information.

Happy ying!

!

Important note : When using a GoPro always ensure
that the WiFi on the GoPro is turned OFF .

02

Flybot

Frame

L

Video transmitter

Easy Drone consists of two components

Gimbal and camera

ports

Safety button

Micro USB Port

Foldable landing gear

03

Parts

RC transmitter

Your direct link to Easy Drone

Telemetry Radio

Wirelessly change settings from computer or tablet
Also used for “Follow me” mode

Battery kit

4S Battery, charger, and contacts

Video receiver kit

Plug your screen or head mounted display
to get video feed from your camera
(requires 12V power source)

Quick snap-on adapters for gimbal and GoPro camera

04

Charger

Easy Drone is powered by a rechargeable lithium polymer (LiPo) battery.
Store battery at half charge then charge fully before ying. Batteries must
ship at half charge, so please charge before your rst ight. Each full battery
provides 10 to 13 minutes of ight time.

Connect charger to the
power adapter cable and
a wall outlet.

Connect the red cable to the
+ port and the black cable
to the - port.

Set the charger to
LiPo and 3A.

Connect the white
connector to the 4S port.
Join the two yellow
connectors together.

1

2

+

–

LiPo

3A

3

05

Charge until the status
indicator displays green.

Charging Complete

4

Protect battery from extreme heat, extreme cold, puncturing,
and ammable surfaces.

Charge battery using a designated LiPo balance charger only.
Always monitor battery while charging.

Flying with a low battery is a safety risk and can render the battery
unusable. Always discontinue use when you receive a low battery
notication, and always y with a fully charged battery.

you observe any swelling of the package or the battery ceases to
function, locate your local battery recycling center to dispose of
the battery. In the US and Canada, visit call2recycle.org to nd a
location. Do not dispose of the battery in the trash.

!

Battery Safety

06

Easy Drone frame consists of four color coded arms with motors and
propellers. Follow the easy steps below to assemble the frame.

Frame Assembly

Repeat the process with the other two arms.

Take the two sub-assemblies and put them together to nish your frame.
Look at it from the side to make sure it’s straight and hand-tighten the
black thumbscrews.

Take the left arm in your left hand and the (same color) right arm in
your right hand and plug the end of the right arm into the ring on
the left arm.

1

2

3

07

Control Easy Drone in ight using the transmitter’s
left and right sticks.

left stick

right stick

Lower stick
to decrease
altitude.

Before takeo, set
stick fully down.

To maintain altitude,
set stick to center
position.

Take o by raising stick
halfway to center.

To increase altitude, raise
stick slowly.

left stick

Move the left stick forward and backward to control altitude and acceleration.

Throttle

Learn to Fly

Land by setting stick
fully down once Easy
Drone is a few inches
above the ground.

08

Flight Tip

When adjusting orientation, move the left stick horizontally without changing its
vertical position.

Move stick to the
left to rotate
counterclockwise.

Move stick to
the right to
rotate clockwise.

left stick

Release stick to
stop rotating and
maintain current
orientation.

Move the left stick horizontally to rotate Easy Drone and change orientation.
For a slow rotation, move the stick slightly away from the center
in either direction. Moving the stick farther from the center creates
a faster rotation.

Yaw

09

Move stick
forward to y
forward.

right stick

Move stick back
to y backward.

The right stick allows you to control Easy Drones’ position in the air.
Move the right stick to tell it to move in that direction: forward, back , left
or right. Further the stick is from the center faster the Easy Drone will move.

Pitch and Roll

Move stick left
to y left.

Move stick right
to y right.

Flight Tip

Always start ying with Easy Drone facing away from you and do not change
your remote orientation while ying. It’s default setting is “Simple” mode which
means it will always go forward and back based on its original orientation.
In this mode you can spin the craft around while maintaining innitial direction.

10

left

left mode switch

up downcenter

right mode switch

Mode switches

up down

right

Use the two switches above the right stick to select a ight mode.
There are six dierent combinations each triggering a dierent mode
(Up/Up, Down/Up, etc.) and they are customizable through Mission
Planner. Default modes are illustrated on the next pages it is recommended
that you learn about each before trying to use them in the eld.

Both switches must be set to the correct position to select a mode.
In this manual, the position of the left switch is specied rst, followed by
the position of the right switch. For the example center/down, set the left

switch to center and the right switch to down.

Flight Modes

11

Easy Drone has powerful motors and carbon ber propellers.
Never place your hands near propellers while the craft is armed.

Always y in an open area away from people and buildings; do not attempt to
y indoors or in a conned space. Do not y over people, near airports, or in any
situation that could pose a hazard to those around you. Always y within your
line of sight and in compliance with local regulations. Easy Drone will not avoid
obstacles on its own. As the operator, it is your job to recognize and avoid
obstructions while ying. Always follow the preight and postight steps in the
order described in this manual, and remain attentive at all times while ying.

Environmental factors, such as wind and GPS irregularities, can cause instability
in ight. Easy Drone will attempt to compensate for these factors by automatically
landing if it detects an unsafe ying condition due to loss of RC signal, loss of
GPS signal, or low battery. To avoid potential hazards due to environmental
factors, identify the boundaries of your ying area before takeo, and recover
Easy Drone manually by switching into stabilize mode if it moves outside your
designated ying area.

Always use an RC transmitter as a primary or backup control system when
ying. Ensure that the transmitter is turned on any time Easy Drone is powered.
If contact with the transmitter is lost during ight, it will land and display
a blinking yellow light. If Easy Drone is more than 2 meters (6 5 feet) from the
launch point, it will return to launch (RTL) before landing. (See page 19 for more
information about RTL.)

Loss of RC signal

Autopilot-positioned ight modes (loiter, autonomous, and return to launch)
require an active GPS signal. If GPS signal is lost during ight, Easy Drone will
land and display a blinking blue and yellow light with a high-high-high-low tone.
Always choose an unobstructed ying area to improve signal strength.

Loss of GPS signal

When the battery reaches 25% of its remaining charge, it will land and display
a blinking yellow light with a quick repeating t

one. If Easy Drone reaches the low

battery limit during a mission, it will return to the launch point before landing.

Low battery

!

Flight Safety

12

Once you feel comfortable ying in altitude hold, try out other ight
modes for GPS-positioned and autonomous ight.

Altitude Hold Mode (ALTH)

Allow Easy Drones’ autopilot to help you y by engaging altitude hold mode

This autopilot-assisted ight mode maintains altitude automatically.

ALTH is your default start mode and it makes it really easy to take o and land.

Set both sticks up, and craft will hover at the current altitude. Adjust altitude
and orientation with the left stick, and navigate with the right stick.

Altitude hold (ALTH)

up/up

» Autopilot-assisted altitude control
» Great for new iers

13

First Flight

Select an open area for ying, away from people and buildings, and remember
to bring the Flight Checklist and a fully charged battery. Determine the
boundaries of your ying area before takeo, and select a level, unobstructed
space as a launch point. Follow these preight and postight steps in the order
shown here and on the Flight Checklist every time you y.

1

L

Preight

Check
Easy Drone

Check that
transmitter antenna
is oriented horizontally for
the strongest signal.

Check that the frame and the propellers
are tight. Tighten if necessary.

Set the switches to select
a ight mode. For your rst
ight, select altitude hold
mode (shown here).

Check that the left stick
on the transmitter is
set fully down.

Altitude hold

(ALTH)

up/up

14

2

Power on
transmitter.

If the left stick is not fully
down, the transmitter will
display an alert message.

3

Connect battery.

Insert battery underneath the frame.
Make sure the cable on the battery is closer to
the yellow connector on the FlyBot.

Connect battery and hold the
Safety Switch.

You will hear two musical tones - one
for the autopilot check and another for
the motor controllers.

Place Easy Drone at the launch point
with the side with the lights facing
towards you and remember that the motors form

a square that should inform the orientation.

If you are using a ground station to navigate, select Connect.
For Mission Planner or APM Planner, select COM or USB and
set the rate to 57600 before connecting. To learn about
using a ground station in ight, visit www.easyaerial.com.

!

Ensure the transmitter is always
turned on while Easy Drone
is powered. If communication
with the transmitter is lost,
it will initiate an automatic
recovery landing.

15

Do not handle Easy Drone while
the safety button is solid color
and it is live. It should only be
connected when you are ready
to y.

!

!

Autopilot ready, GPS locked

Autopilot ready, no GPS

Initializing, please wait.

Easy Drone is ready to be armed

Safety button should
be solid color (red or blue)

Stand back!

Check LED.

Check the LED to view the status of Easy Drone.
Wait to proceed until you see the blinking blue light
indicating that you’re ready to y. If you plan to
use loiter, RTL, or autonomous modes during your
ight, please wait to see the blinking green light
indicating that the craft has acquired GPS lock.

Error, disconnect battery and restart
ight procedure.

6

5

4

To activate the motors,
hold the left stick down-right
until the motors spin.

Now you’re ready for takeo!

L

Arm motors.

Easy Drone will NOT start spinning
propellers when armed.
Only when throttle is raised.
Ensure that the launch point
is clear of obstructions before
arming. Always disarm the
motors before approaching.

Inactive, motors beeping

Active, ready to arm

!

RTL, loiter, and autonomous modes

not initiate these modes during ight
unless you observed a blinking green
light prior to takeo. It may take
a few minutes to acquire GPS lock
depending on your ying location.

16

Flight

L

Take o by
raising the left
stick halfway to
center.

L

Nudge it over the
center line to
take o.

R

L

R

Fly forward, backward, left, or right
by moving the right stick in the
direction you want to y.

Release the right
stick to level.

R

Slowly lower
the left stick to
descend.

L

Hover by setting
the left stick to
center.

Rotate counter­clockwise and
clockwise by
moving the left
stick left and right.

!

Easy Drone is a powerful
ier. Move the sticks in small
increments until you feel
comfortable with how it
responds in each ight mode.

L

Set the left stick fully
down to land once drone
is a few inches above
the ground.

L

17

Postight

L

1

Disarm
motors.

After landing, hold the left stick down-left until you hear
a double, disarming tone.

2

Disconnect
battery.

3

Power o

transmitter.

Tips for New Fliers: Practice these exercises to help you master ight controls.

Skill 1: Hover (Simple Mode)

Your rst step is to maintain a consistent altitude while keeping Easy Drone
oriented away from you. Use Stabilize mode for this exercise (center/up)
Practice taking o, rising to a comfortable hovering altitude, and keeping in place
without allowing for any changes in orientation or position. If it drifts forward,
backward, left, or right, or rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, use the
corresponding stick controls to correct.

Skill 2: Box (Normal Mode)

When you feel comfortable with your ability to maintain a consistent hovering
altitude, try ying a box pattern. To practice this, take o, reach your hovering
altitude, then y forward, right, backward, and left by making small adjustments
to the right stick. Make sure to y the box in front of you and not around you.
Use the left stick to rotate Easy Drone knowing that the lights are always back.

Skill 3: Figure Eight (Normal Mode)

When you can condently navigate a box while maintaining altitude and
orientation, try ying a gure-eight pattern. Once again, make sure to y the gure
eight in front of you and not around you. Use the right stick to create a smooth
ight path while using the left stick to correct orientation and maintain altitude.

18

Stabilize Mode (STB)

Stabilize mode (STB) is the most acrobatic ight setting. In stabilize, the
autopilot provides basic stabilization while allowing full manual control of both
sticks. In this mode, you’ll need to make continuous, small adjustments to the
left and right sticks to maintain a hovering altitude, navigate, and maintain
orientation without autopilot assistance.

Select stabilize mode by setting left switch to center and right switch up like in
the illustration below.

Stabilize ( STB )

center-up

» Manual ight
» Acrobatic ying
» Recovery

Flying condently in stabilize mode is required for ying your rst mission.
To practice, try the exercises on page 17.

Loiter (LTR)

down-up

» Automatic positioning
» Easy ying

Loiter Mode (LTR)

Loiter mode (LTR) uses GPS positioning to hold Easy Drones’ current position
and altitude automatically. Just release the sticks and it will hover in place. Use
the left stick to adjust altitude and orientation; use the right stick to navigate
and change position.

To select loiter mode, set the left switch to down position and the right
switch to the up position (down-up).

Loiter mode requires GPS lock (ashing green LED) and an HDOP value lower
than 2.0 prior to takeo.

19

Return-to-Launch Mode (RTL)

Return to launch (RTL)

down-down

command. RTL automatically returns drone to the launch point, and can be used
any time you would like to land quickly. RTL requires GPS lock.

When commanded to RTL, Easy Drone will:
1 Achieve minimum altitude of 15 m (50 ft)

or maintain current altitude if above 15 m.
2 Move to launch point and loiter for 5 seconds.
3 Land at launch point.

launch point

15 meters

1

2

3

hover 5 seconds

» First, achieve altitude of 15 m
» Next, return to launch point
» Then, land

To RTL, set both switches to the down position (down-down). Ensure the
launch point is clear to allow Easy Drone to land safely.

Autonomous Mode (AUTO) and Missions

Fly a fully autonomous mission using a computer or Android device as a
ground station. When switched into autonomous (AUTO) mode, Easy Drone will
automatically perform the mission and report data back to the ground station.
For instructions on setting up your ground station, planning a mission, and
saving it to Easy Drone, visit www.easyaerial.com.

and

HDOP value lower than 2.0.

autonomous mode.

Autonomous (AUTO)

up-down

» Fly a planned mission
»

20

!

To avoid sudden changes
in altitude when switching from
autonomous mode to stabilize
mode, ensure that the left stick
is set to the center position.

stabilize mode to verify
that all controls (throttle,
yaw, roll, and pitch) are
responding normally.

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For more information about using a ground
station, visit www.easyaerial.com .

Easy Drone will

begin the
mission.

1

Perform a pre-mission

Set the switches to stabilize

steps shown on page 13
and the Flight Checklist.
Wait to arm until you see
the blinking green light.

2

Arm in altitude
hold mode.

3

Switch to autonomous
mode (AUTO).

4

Raise the left stick slightly
to initiate the mission.

When the mission is complete
and Easy Drone has landed, use the
transmitter to switch to
alt-hold mode before
disarming and proceeding

5

Switch to alt-hold mode
before disarming.

To recall it during a mission,
use the transmitter to switch
to stabilize mode and land
manually. Or switch to RTL,

ot nruter yllacitamotua dna

the launch point.

AUTO

ALTH

With the motors
armed, switch to
AUTO by setting
the left switch
up and the right
switch down.

up-down

ALTH

ALTH

Missions

up-up

up-up

up-up

21

Specications

Autopilot hardware: Pixhawk

Firmware: APM:Copter 3 2

GPS: uBlox GPS with Compass (LEA-6H module, 5 Hz update)

Telemetry radio: Radio Telemetry V2 (915 mHz or 433 mHz)

Motors: 900 kV (L frame) or 810 kV (XL frame)

Frame type: X

Propellers: 10 x 4.5 Slow Flyer - L Frame

11 x 4.7 Slow Flyer - XL Frame

Battery: 4 cell 15.1 V 3.5 Ah lithium polymer

Low battery voltage: 14.5 V

Minimum voltage: 13.2 V 4 cell

Maximum voltage: 16.8 V 4 cell

Payload capacity: 1 lbs (453gr) - L frame or 2lbs (906gr) - XL frame

Radio range: 1 km (.6 miles)

Flight time: 10-13 minutes

Resources

Hardware: www.easyaerial.com

Firmware: copter.ardupilot.com

Software: planner.ardupilot.com and planner2.ardupilot.com

Store: store.easyaerial.com

Community:

YouYube Channel:

diydrones.com

https://www.youtube.com/easydrone

Happy ying!

The layout of this manual has been borrowed from 3D Robotics Iris Manual as there is a lot

of the same informations regarding the autopilot inside the drone.

Specic design and functional details, as well as igth mode selection of the Easy Drone have

been edited in to this document.