iFly Micro Lightning
Helicopter
MIFLYML010811E
SWTOY-IFLYML-GL
2
The Helicopter
iOS controller interface
Upper Rotors
Balance Bar
Lower Rotors
Charging socket (far side)
Power ON/OFF
Flight control
Transmitter
ON/OFF
Trim control
Flips the
screen to use
the controller
rotated 180
degrees
Toggles Motion Tilt
Control on/o (which
uses the mobile
device’s tilt function
to control the
helicopter)
Band Selector: shows
the current transmission
channel.
Return to
helicopter select
screen
Throttle control
Tail rotor
Congratulations on purchasing your licence to have fun! You always knew your mobile device
could do almost anything. Now you can add one more cool thing to the list. With this iFly
chopper from Swann, you can take to the skies using the remote control or by using your iOS
device (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) as the control panel with the included iFly IR transmitter. Your
chopper is probably already on the helipad waiting to take ight so let’s get to it.
3
Quick Start Guide - iOS
Quick Start Guide
1. Fully charge the iOS transmitter (see page 4)
and the helicopter (see page 5).
2. Go to the Apple iTunes App Store.
3. Search for the app called “Swann iFly”.
Download and install the app. At the time of
writing, the app is free to download but you
will need an iTunes account.
4. Tap the Swann iFly icon to run the app.
5. Tap “Go” to start the app.
6. Turn on the helicopter.
7. Choose your helicopter by tapping the Swann
iFly Micro Lightning shown on the screen.
8. Tap “OFF” to toggle the transmitter control
interface to “ON.”
9. Plug the transmitter into the headphone jack
of your iOS device.
10. Turn up the volume on your mobile device to
maximum. The display should indicate you
are turning up the ‘headphones’ volume (NOT
the ringer or speaker volume). If this is not
done, a warning will prompt you to turn your
headphones volume to maximum.
11. Move the throttle control slowly up to send
power to the helicopter. The controller will
automatically nd a channel for the helicopter.
If more than one helicopter is within range,
make sure they are o or make sure you
have chosen a di erent channel to any other
helicopter.
12. Adjust the trim control if needed to ensure the
helicopter ies straight
13. Use the ight control to control the direction of
the helicopter.
(i) INFORMATION: If you need additional help, you can tap the (i) button in the
bottom right of the screen to get more information.
8
9
10
7
4
Charging the Transmitter
Quick Start Guide - Remote Control
Charging the transmitter
• Plug the transmitter charging plug into the
charging port on the transmitter labelled “CHG”
and the USB end into a compatible USB port.
NOTE: The transmitter uses a di erent charging
cable to the helicopter. When charging, the
red light on the transmitter will glow. When
charging is nished, the light will stop glowing.
• When connected to a mobile device and the
transmitter is turned on from the control
interface, a blue light will glow on the
transmitter. If the blue light begins to ash, the
transmitter is low on power and needs charging
with the USB cable.
• The transmitter will not charge through the
mobile device, even if the mobile device is
plugged into a power source.
Fitting the transmitter to your device
• Install the transmitter by plugging it into the
headphone socket of your mobile device as
shown in the picture on the right. Make sure it
is properly seated and pushed in all the way or
you may not get a proper connection.
• When controlling the chopper, ensure the infrared LEDs are facing towards the chopper at all
times.
WARNING: Do NOT y near eyes or face.
!
To use the remote control as the controller, you will rst need to install batteries.
Replacing Batteries in the Controller: The battery compartment is located on the
rear of the controller. Undo the screw with a precision screwdriver and open the battery
compartment. Install 6x AA alkaline batteries. Don’t mix old and new batteries. For more
information on battery usage and safety, consult page 13.
IR LEDs
5
Charging the helicopter
Charging the helicopter using the USB cable
Before you can take ight, you need to charge the battery in the helicopter using the supplied
USB charging cable. NOTE: The helicopter uses a di erent charging cable to the transmitter.
• Ensure the helicopter is turned OFF before attempting to charge it.
If left ON, it won’t charge.
• Plug the charging plug into the charging port marked ‘CHA”
on the left side of the helicopter and the USB end into a
compatible USB port. The connector only plugs into the
helicopter one way. Check the orientation of the power
cable carefully when connecting it to the helicopter. If it
feels tough to insert or you need to use force, it’s probably
upside down!
• When charging, the red light on the USB plug will NOT glow.
When charging is nished, the RED light WILL glow.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When charging from a USB port, always connect the USB plug to a USB
port without connecting the helicopter. Ensure the red light in the USB plug lights up. When
you connect the helicopter, this light will turn o . If it does not go out, this indicates that
the helicopter is not being charged - check that the helicopter is turned o , and check the
integrity of the connection.
Note:
• It will take about 45-60 minutes to fully charge. Don’t over-charge the helicopter by leaving
it connected to a charger for more than ninety (90) minutes.
• On a full charge with no wind, you should get over 8 minutes ight time.
• If the helicopter has trouble lifting o the ground or does not y as high as normal, it
means the battery is running low and needs recharging.
• The range of the transmitter and helicopter is about 18ft/6m. Avoid ying the chopper
outside this range since you may lose control of the helicopter.
Charging the helicopter using the remote control
• Open the charging lead compartment located on the
underside of the remote control, and extend the charging
lead.
• Turn the remote control ON.
• Plug the charging plug into the charging port marked
‘CHA” on the left side of the helicopter.
• The RED/ORANGE charging LED on the remote control will
glow whilst the helicopter is charging. The GREEN LED will
glow when charging is complete.
• If the LED is ashing, then pair the remote, as described on
“Pairing the Remote” on page 6, and it will then
read accurately.
6
Pairing the remote control
Pairing the Remote
Before you can y, you need to ‘pair’ the helicopter and remote together. To do this:
• turn on both the helicopter and remote
• select a frequency using the band selector switch. If ying multiple helicopters, ensure
each is on a dierent band
1. slide the throttle
control to minimum
2. aim the controller’s IR transmitter at the helicopter
3. move the throttle from minimum to maximum (bottom to
top) and back again. The helicopter will now be paired to
that controller.
Band Selection
This is a two channel IR helicopter. This means that two helicopters can be used at the same
time, provided they are paired to dierent bands.
The switch in the upper centre of the controller selects bands. You can choose either BAND A
or BAND B.
If using two helicopters at once:
• Ensure that one controller is set to BAND A and the other set to BAND B.
• Pair the helicopters very carefully. For best results, pair each helicopter in separate rooms.
• Ensure that they aren’t within line of sight of one another when pairing.
• If you’re only using one helicopter, you can use either BAND A or BAND B.
• If the controller is interfering with any other devices, or other devices are interfering
with the helicopter, try changing control bands.
Flight Control
Rotational Trim Control
IR Band Selector
IR Transmitter LEDs
Power Switch
Power
Indicator LED
Throttle
7
Using the Controller
Up/Down (Ascending/Descending)
The height of the helicopter is controlled by the throttle which varies the speed of the
spinning rotors.
Ascend: Slide the throttle up to increase
the spinning speed of the rotors and make
the helicopter ascend.
Descend: Slide the throttle DOWN to
reduce the speed of the spinning rotors
and make the helicopter descend.
Note: To get good results, be gentle and subtle. Small adjustments made slowly and carefully
are the best way to get the helicopter to y well. Be careful when easing o the throttle – if the
helicopter stalls (that is, doesn’t have enough lift to stay in the air) it’ll fall, and might not be
able to recover in time, even if you jam the throttle back on.
8
Forward, Backwards
The ight control on the controller a ects the helicopter’s direction.
Forwards: Sliding the ight control up will
pitch the nose of the helicopter down and
move the helicopter forward.
Backwards: Sliding the ight control down
will pitch the nose of the helicopter up and
move the helicopter backwards.
Using the Controller
9
Turning/Rotating left/right
Rotate/Turn Left: To make the helicopter
turn to the left, slide the ight control to the
left.
Rotate/Turn Right: To make the helicopter
turn to the right, slide the ight control to the
right.
Using the Controller
10
Trim (Rotation)
Drifting right: While hovering, if the
helicopter is rotating clockwise:
• Tap the LEFT trim control -or-
until the helicopter stops drifting to the
right.
Drifting left: While hovering, if the
helicopter is rotating counter-clockwise:
• Tap the RIGHT trim control - or-
until the helicopter stops drifting to the
left.
What is trim (rotation)?
If you nd that the helicopter is turning slowly left or right when you’re not using the ight
control, then you’ll need to adjust the trim. The trim control is located in the centre of the
controller, between and just below the primary controls.
You’ll probably have to do this every couple of ights, but it only takes a moment. Basically, the
trim ‘ ne-tunes’ the speed of the rotor blades, and will help keep the helicopter ying straight.
• Rotate the trim control clockwise
• Rotate the trim control counter-
clockwise
11
What is motion control?
Turning on ‘Motion Tilt Control’ in the top right corner of the iOS
control pad switches directional control of the helicopter to the
accelerometer in your mobile device. You can now control the
direction of the helicopter through movements of the actual
device, rather than using the ight control pad.
The helicopter will respond to tilting of the controller to control its
left, right, forward, and backward movement. This puts you right
in the action, allowing you to spend more time watching your
chopper perform stunts than looking down at the controller.
Use the throttle to control the speed of the helicopter. Use motion
control to control the direction of the chopper. As you tilt the
controller, the ight stick moves to indicate the degree of tilt.
Motion Control
Rotate/Turn Right: Tilt the controller
to the right to make the helicopter turn to
the right.
Backwards: Tilt the controller backward
to make the helicopter move backwards.
Rotate/Turn Left: Tilt the controller to
the left to make the helicopter turn to the
left.
Forwards: Tilt the controller forward to
make the helicopter move forward.
Motion Tilt
Control = O
Motion Tilt
Control = On
12
Flight Tips
Wind: Basically, these are (approximately) 1/40th scale helicopters. Full sized helicopters
can’t y in high winds – and neither can these models. If a full sized helicopter has diffi culty
overcoming 50mph winds, then the model will have the same diffi culty with 1~2 mph winds
(i.e. 1/40th as much). There’s nothing that can be done about this, it’s just physics.
Air conditioning: Hot air rises and cool air falls – this creates movement in the air, leading
to an e ect called “wind shear”. Basically, this is when there’s a column of hot air going up next
to cold air going down. Many full-scale aircraft accidents have been caused by wind shear. Air
conditioners create a lot of wind shear. If the helicopter ies through wind shear, it will seem
to suddenly y up or down (depending on the direction of the wind shear).
The Ground Eff ect: When the helicopter is near the ground, the air it pushes down with its
rotor has nowhere to go – the ground is in the way. Some of this air bounces back, this pushes
the helicopter up. When the helicopter is near the ground, it will get slightly more lift than it
normally would. This is something to keep in mind when landing.
The Ceiling Eff ect: Conversely to the ground e ect, when you y too close to a ceiling, a
small pocket of low pressure is created above the helicopter, and it will be sucked upwards.
This could be bad – if you hit the ceiling, the helicopter will stall, fall and possibly be damaged.
Multiple Helicopters: If you’re using more than one helicopter in a space at once, be very
careful when setting the controller band and pairing them to the helicopters. You may nd
that the more than one helicopter will be controlled by a single controller, and this can lead to
crashes, accidents, injuries or other very undesirable outcomes.
Places to Fly: Because high winds can be a problem, we recommend ying indoors. However,
you really do need a bit of space to get the most out of the helicopter. Some places which are
good for ight include large garages (whilst the car’s not parked there), indoor sports areas,
aircraft hangars, secret underground submarine pens and so on (though why you’d y a toy
helicopter in your secret underground submarine pen is beyond us). Or a large lounge room
with delicate items stashed somewhere out of the way - whatever you’ve got.
Low Battery: To get the longest possible life from the built-in battery, never completely
discharge it. As soon as the helicopter shows any sign of running low on power (such as
responding slowly or being unable to maintain altitude easily) turn it o and charge it as
soon as practicable. For more information about battery care, see
“Helicopter Battery
Warnings:” on page 14.
CAUTION: Do not touch the running rotors.
Do not y above or near someone’s head.
Adult supervision is required at all times.
!
13
Warnings
Battery Warnings:
• Requires 6 x 1.5V AA Alkaline batteries (not included)
• Batteries are small objects.
• Replacing batteries must be undertaken by a competent adult.
• Follow the polarity diagram ( + / - ) in the battery compartment.
• Promptly remove dead/exhausted batteries from the controller.
• Dispose of used batteries responsibly.
• Remove batteries for prolonged storage.
• DO NOT incinerate used batteries.
• DO NOT dispose of batteries in re, as batteries may explode or leak.
• DO NOT mix new and old batteries or types of batteries (i.e. alkaline/standard).
• DO NOT recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
• DO NOT short circuit the supply terminals.
• Rechargable batteries are NOT recommended.
Precautions and Maintenance
• Never y near your face. Keep hands, hair and loose clothing away from the rotors when
the power switch is turned on.
• Always lift o from a at surface.
• Never hold the ying helicopter in your hand when lifting o.
• DO NOT launch helicopter near people or animals.
• Stay away from obstacles and electrical hazards.
• The helicopter is NOT intended for use by children under eleven (11) years old, unless
directly supervised by a competent adult at all times.
• To clean, wipe gently with a damp cloth. Avoid use of solvents, as these can damage the
plastic components.
• Keep the helicopter and remote away from heat sources.
• Do not submerge the helicopter or controller in water. This will damage the electronic
components, and could pose a severe risk to the built-in battery.
• Turn o controller/helicopter when not in use.
• Remove batteries from the controller when not in use.
• Keep your helicopter close and within line of sight – if the line-of-sight to the controller is
lost, you will lose control of the helicopter.
• Read and obey all warnings and safety guidelines in this manual.
• The helicopter must only be used with the supplied controller/charger or iOS adapter.
• Regularly examine the helicopter and controller for any damage to the plugs, enclosure,
rotors, battery covers and other parts. In the event of any damage, neither the helicopter
nor controller should be used until the damage is completely repaired.
• Only use the matching USB cable for the transmitter and for the helicopter. They are not
interchangeable.
DANGER: Never insert any sharp objects, pins or
screws into the helicopter as this may puncture the
internal battery!
!
14
CHOKING HAZARD: Small parts. NOT for children
under 3 years.
!
Helicopter Battery Warnings:
The helicopter has a built in Lithium Polymer battery. This battery is light and powerful, as its
chemistry is based on lithium, a light and extremely volatile metal.
• Never completely exhaust the battery. When the helicopter starts to lose power, turn it o
and charge it as soon as practicable.
• Never leave the helicopter unattended while charging.
• Charge battery in an isolated, controlled environment. Keep far away from ammable
materials.
• Do not expose to direct sunlight: there is a risk that the battery may overheat, ignite and/
or explode.
• Do not disassemble, modify, heat, or short circuit the battery. Don’t place it in re or leave
in hot places or near heat sources.
• Do not drop the battery or subject it to strong impacts.
• Do not allow the battery to get wet.
• Only charge the battery from the supplied charging equipment. Using other charging
equipment will void your warranty, may damage the battery and poses a risk of re or
explosion.
• Use the battery only in this helicopter, and use only this battery in the helicopter.
• Read these instructions carefully and thoroughly, and obey all guidelines herein.
• In the unlikely event of leakage or explosion, use sand or a chemical re extinguisher to
extinguish the batteries.
• The battery must be disposed of responsibly.
• The battery pack in the helicopter will become warm if charged for too long and could
become damaged. Do not overcharge the battery in the helicopter.
• The battery pack in the helicopter becomes warm after use. We recommend you allow 30
minutes for it cool before re-charging the helicopter.
• Do not dispose of the batteries in the remote control or the helicopter in re as they may
explode.
If your high school chemistry teacher ever demonstrated what happens when sodium is placed
in water (“bam” is the technical description of the outcome) then you’re somewhat familiar
with how volatile lithium is – except that lithium is lighter (and therefore packs a bigger bang
per gram) than sodium is! Basically, obey all the guidelines and respect the power of lithium!
15
Troubleshooting
Can’t control the helicopter.
• Ensure the transmitter is switched ON from the
iOS controller.
• Ensure the helicopter is switched ON.
• Try pairing the remote and the helicopter again.
• Ensure the transmitter is fully charged.
• Ensure the helicopter is fully charged.
• Ensure the transmitter is securely attached to the
mobile device.
• Replace the batteries in the remote control.
• Do not y the helicopter in high winds as this may
make it hard to control.
• Another helicopter on the same channel is nearby.
Move away from the other device or make sure
each transmitter is set to a dierent channel ID.
Helicopter will not ascend.
• The charge in the helicopter may be too low. You
will need to recharge the helicopter.
• Check that you are providing enough throttle to
lift the chopper.
Helicopter lands too fast
• You are reducing the throttle too fast. Lower the
throttle gently to get a gradual descent to the
ground and a softer landing.
• Ensure the helicopter is fully charged.
The transmitter does not charge
• Ensure you are using the correct USB charging
cable for the transmitter (round plug)
The helicopter does not charge
• Ensure you are using the correct USB charging
cable for the helicopter (twin socket).
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Specications subject to change without notice.
For the latest version of this manual, please visit:
www.swann.com
© Swann Communications 2011
Helpdesk / Technical Support Details
Limited Warranty Terms & Conditions
Swann Communications warrants this product against defects in workmanship and material for a period
of one (1) year from it’s original purchase date. You must present your receipt as proof of date of purchase
for warranty validation. Any unit which proves defective during the stated period will be repaired without
charge for parts or labour or replaced at the sole discretion of Swann. The end user is responsible for all
freight charges incurred to send the product to Swann’s repair centres. The end user is responsible for all
shipping costs incurred when shipping from and to any country other than the country of origin.
The warranty does not cover any incidental, accidental or consequential damages arising from the use of
or the inability to use this product. Any costs associated with the tting or removal of this product by a
tradesman or other person or any other costs associated with its use are the responsibility of the end user.
This warranty applies to the original purchaser of the product only and is not transferable to any third
party. Unauthorized end user or third party modi cations to any component or evidence of misuse or
abuse of the device will render all warranties void.
By law some countries do not allow limitations on certain exclusions in this warranty. Where applicable by
local laws, regulations and legal rights will take precedence.
Swann Technical Support
All Countries E-mail: tech@swannsecurity.com
Telephone Helpdesk
USA toll free
1-800-627-2799
(Su, 2pm-10pm US PT)
(M-Th, 6am-10pm US PT)
(F 6am-2pm US PT)
USA Exchange & Repairs
1-800-627-2799 (Option 1)
(M-F, 9am-5pm US PT)
AUSTRALIA toll free
1300 138 324
(M 9am-5pm AUS ET)
(Tu-F 1am-5pm AUS ET)
(Sa 1am-9am AUS ET)
NEW ZEALAND toll free
0800 479 266
UK
0203 027 0979
See http://www.worldtimeserver.com for information on time zones and the
current time in Melbourne, Australia compared to your local time.
FCC Veri cation
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class B digital device, pursuant
to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment o and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
•Connecttheequipmentintoanoutletonacircuitdiff erentfromthattowhichthereceiverisconnected
•Consultthedealeroranexperiencedradio/TVtechnicianforhelp
WARNING: Modi cations not approved by the party responsible for compliance could void user’s authority
to operate the equipment.
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