FAQ

Below is a selection of questions often posed to our sales and admin lines. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask, by sending an e-mail to sales@snelflight.co.uk or see the Contact Us page for more details.

QuadPod
Q: What is QuadPod?

A. QuadPod is a quadcopter, a type of vertical take-off hovering aircraft. Unlike a helicopter which uses variable-pitch blades for control, a quadcopter achieves full three-axis control by varying the speeds of its four lift propellers in various combinations. For example, to pitch forwards (as if to dive), the front two propellers slow down slightly, while the rear two speed up.

QuadPod uses state-of-the-art brushless motors, and a 3-axis computer gyro system to provide stabilization. It can be flown indoors or outside.

Q: Is QuadPod suitable for learning to fly?

A. Although not strictly a training model, compared to other Quadcopters the QuadPod is small and stable. It can comfortably be flown indoors for practice and it is robust, although the propellers are vulnerable in a crash. We would not recommend QuadPod for a complete beginner, but it is ideal for practice once basic hovering skills have been learned. Our QuadPod Nano is perfect for a novice pilot, however.

Q: Is QuadPod available pre-assembled?

A. Yes. We offer an assembly-to-order service.

Q: What equipment is needed in addition to the QuadPod kit?

A. If you are starting out from scratch, you will need a radio transmitter (handset) and a battery charger to charge the lithium polymer flight battery. We offer a complete package which includes these items.

Q: Does QuadPod have proportional controls?

A. Yes. It has four, fully proportional channels of control.

Q: Are spares available?

A. A full range of spares is available from our web shop.

Q: What receiver should be used with QuadPod?

A: We recommend the Snelflight 2.4GHz Receiver, because it is small, lightweight and reliable. However any receiver with 4 or more channels, operating on any band, can be used provided it will physically fit – almost all will do so. Five channels are recommended because the fifth channel allows the QuadPod’s Heading Hold function to be switched on and off. With four channels the Heading Hold will not be available.

Q: What battery should be used with QuadPod?
A. The battery we recommend is the Snelflight 850mAh 3S, because it is the ideal size and weight, and comes with the right JST connector pre-fitted. Other batteries can be used, provided they meet the following requirements:

* 3S Lipo
* 800 – 1600mAh capacity (around 120g max weight)
* 20C (min) discharge rate
* JST power plug (the red type).
* less than 21mm thick x 37mm wide.

Q: How is the QuadPod trimmed?

A. The QuadPod should be trimmed at the transmitter in the standard way. However having done this, the trim settings can be stored in the QuadPod’s internal memory by briefly pressing the calibration button, allowing the transmitter trims to be returned to centre.

Q: Why do the QuadPod’s propellers have tape attached to the blades?

A. For smooth flight it is crucial that the propellers are well balanced. We therefore balance each one at our factory, after first mounting it onto its spinner adapter so that the assembly can be balanced as a single unit. The tape is used to add weight to one or more blades to achieve precise balance. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT NOT TO FLY WITH UNBALANCED PROPELLERS, as they will produce unstable flight and could even cause the motor mountings to work loose.

Q: What payload can the QuadPod carry?

A. The QuadPod’s maximum flying weight should not exceed 380g. Since the aircraft weighs 240g, this allows a payload of up to 140g to be added. However this can be slightly increased by removing non-essential parts, such as the transparent dome (11g) and perhaps the foam feet (4g).

Jump Jet
Q What is Jump Jet?

A. Jump Jet is a vertical take-off, hovering aircraft which uses a combination of 3-axis solid-state gyro sensors and special aerodynamics to produce stable yet highly manoeuvrable flight. It is optimised for a living room environment, where we believe that many hobbyists would like to be able to fly. So it is lightweight, durable and it has no whirling rotor blades to take out the knick-knacks on the mantelpiece. It can fly forwards and steer like an aeroplane, but its speed is self-governed to a rate suitable for a domestic space. Of course it can hover about like a helicopter, and can be landed on the palm of an outstretched hand. It can also be flown all around the house!

Q Is Jump Jet suitable for learning to fly?

A. Definitely yes. Unlike a radio controlled helicopter, Jump Jet is aerodynamically self-righting, which means that it tends to bring itself back to a horizontal, stationary hover if it is tilted or moving. This makes it a lot easier for a new pilot to get it into the air and begin developing a feel for it. However, unlike many “super stable” hovering novelty products, Jump Jet has a full set of effective flight controls, so it can be flown with similar precision to a true RC helicopter. Additionally, it is very safe to operate, with no large whirling rotor blades.

Q Does Jump Jet have proportional controls?

A. Yes. It has four, fully proportional channels of control.

Q Are spares available?

A. Four spare props are included with every Jump Jet. We stock propellers and other spares, the range of which will increase as further parts become available.

Q: Can several batteries be used so that the Jump Jet can be flown more than once without re-charging?

A: We offer spare batteries as replacements for worn-out units. Use of multiple batteries is not recommended because the Jump Jet’s battery socket is not designed for frequent re-connection. Additionally, back-to-back flights will cause excessive wear of the motors, because they will not have the usual time in which to cool down.

Q. How is the High Performance (25C) Battery better?

A. This battery is a “go faster” replacement for the standard Jump Jet battery pack, and brings improved performance through a new chemistry. The Jump Jet maintains peak climb-out power through most of the discharge, rather than losing performance steadily as the flight proceeds.

Q What is the benefit of infrared control?

A. Infrared control has one huge advantage over radio-based communication: It works by line-of-sight, so it cannot suffer interference originating from outside the immediate environment. Jump Jet is intended to be operated indoors in a confined space, amongst people of all ages. It is therefore crucial that it doesn’t pick up interference from another nearby transmitter, potentially causing erratic or violent movements. Infrared control is immune to interference coming from outside the room it is operating in.

Q Can the Jump Jet be trimmed?

A. The Jump Jet has no trims on the handset. That’s because the electrical values of both the TX signal and the on-board gyros are automatically zeroed at the aircraft each time the TX is switched on. If the handset had trims and these were offset from centre, the aircraft would re-zero to these trim positions at the next power-up, negating their effect.

However, the automatic trim is not always 100% perfect because it cannot correct for small differences in performance between the motors and propellers, or a centre-of-gravity imbalance. The best way to correct these errors is by adding one or two small blobs of Blu Tack to the extremities of the aircraft as necessary to bring it into balance.

Q Can Jump Jet be enhanced in any way?

A. Performance can be “souped-up” considerably compared with the stock product, by removing unnecessary weight. In order to qualify for mass-marketing, Jump Jet includes a number of parts whose purpose is to make the aircraft pass various stringent safety tests, which go way beyond the requirements of hobby aircraft. A typical model helicopter is after all, a self-assembled, flying power scythe, with hot parts, noxious fumes etc. It is up to the operator to use it safely.

If you are such a responsible hobbyist then there is no reason not to pare down your Jump Jet to obtain the best possible performance – the performance it was always meant to have! But do treat it with respect.

1) The foam wings and tail have transparent tape applied in various places, top and bottom. This weighs a total of 3g, or 5% of the total aircraft weight! Removing it isn’t always easy but it can usually be done; alternatively, a replacement foam set can be purchased, which will come without the tape.

2) The guard rings around the propellers weigh a gram each. These do offer some real protection, but on the other hand the propellers are quite well guarded by the surrounding body. The rings easily unclip from the motors.

These two measures will save a total of 7g – more than 10% of the aircraft’s weight! Climb-out speed will be greatly increased, and up to a minute may be added to the flight time. One note of caution: At its stock weight, the aircraft is designed to have insufficient lift to fly when nearing the end of the battery’s discharge, so that it is safely landed before the power cut-off point is reached. With reduced weight there is a good chance that it will still be airborne when the power quits, so be careful!

Experienced pilots might like to consider flying with the foam body removed altogether. The four-rotor “flight engine” is perfectly flyable by itself, and is very fast and manoeuvrable. It will no longer be self-righting however, so take care! RC helicopter pilots should have no trouble flying it. It would be a good idea to re-fit the propeller guard rings, and to add a conspicuous marker to indicate the aircraft’s orientation.

Q Why do all the propellers turn in the same direction, instead of in counter-rotating pairs?

A. Jump Jet belongs to a class of aircraft known as “quadrotors”, and traditionally these have used four horizontal propellers with diagonal pairs turning in opposite directions. On such a machine there is no net torque reaction, and yaw forces have to be generated entirely by differential torques from changing the propeller speeds. Jump Jet has small, direct drive propellers which do not generate much torque reaction, and the aircraft has the outboard foam body which has a large moment of yaw drag. As a result, differential torques alone are not enough to provide adequate yaw authority. To boost this, we could have tilted the counter rotating pairs of propellers equally in opposite directions, making a small portion of their thrust available for yaw control. However, having once decided to tilt the propellers, it was a small additional step to tilt the pairs by different amounts so that all the propellers could turn the same way. The resulting net torque reaction is compensated by the differential tilts.

The benefit of this is simplicity….only one propeller to make and no worries about which is which.

Q What is the control range?

A. Infrared range varies depending upon the environment. Although IR works in straight lines (rather like a torch beam), it provides good omni-directional coverage of a room because it reflects and re-reflects from the walls and ceiling, filling the available space with energy travelling in all directions. A torch beam can illuminate a whole room in the same way.

However this only works well if the room is not too large, and the ceiling is not too high. Generally a domestic room with 8 – 10 foot white ceilings is ideal, when range will be 20 – 25 feet. This allows full freedom within the great majority of home spaces.

Range will be reduced outdoors or within a large indoor space such as a sports hall. Also, some types of lighting can disrupt IR reception and reduce range, especially high powered discharge lamps and some types of fluorescent tube. Domestic lighting usually causes no problems, unless the Jump Jet is flown very close to the lamps.

Q How can the IR control strength be maximized?

A. The Jump Jet’s infrared control is very robust in most domestic environments. However in larger rooms and at longer ranges, it is necessary to keep in mind the transmission medium being used. The following tips can make a real difference:

1) It may seem obvious, but when flying, point the controller at the plane! Many pilots tend to point it downwards, so that the infrared energy has to reflect off the floor before it has a chance of reaching the receiver. This is even worse if there is furniture between pilot and aircraft.

2) Don’t fly the aircraft close to lights. Unfortunately, many compact fluorescent lamps operate at a similar frequency to infrared, and can disrupt reception if too close.

3) Avoid direct sunlight, which will reduce range dramatically if it hits the aircraft.

4) Jump Jet will not tolerate other infrared devices operating in the same room.

5) Use fresh, alkaline batteries in the handset.

Q What is the difference between Mode-1 and Mode-2 control?

A. In Mode-1 the left-hand stick controls elevator and rudder. The right-hand stick controls throttle and aileron. In Mode-2 the left stick controls throttle and rudder and the right stick elevator and aileron.

(Snelflight sells many more Mode-2 sets than Mode-1.)

Q: Is a 2.4GHz upgrade planned?

A. No. This is for two reasons:

Existing hobby 2.4GHz systems use proprietary signalling formats. These may or may not be legally protected and additionally, they are incompatible with one another. Therefore it would not be possible to make an upgrade module to work with more than one brand of radio. One major advantage of conventional FM is that the signalling is reasonably standardized across the industry.
One of the most exciting things to do with a radio controlled Jump Jet is to mount a wireless video camera on it. Most cameras tend to transmit on 2.4GHz, and interfere with other communications in this band. During operation the camera transmitter is located very close to the flight receiver, making interference almost impossible to avoid unless the two transmissions differ greatly in frequency. Combining the camera with conventional FM provides an ideal solution.

Flying Saucer
Q. What is Flying Saucer?

A. Flying Saucer is a vertical take-off, hovering aircraft which uses a combination of 3-axis solid-state gyro sensors and special aerodynamics to produce stable yet highly manoeuvrable flight. It is optimised for a living room environment, where we believe that many hobbyists would like to be able to fly. So it is lightweight, durable and it has no whirling rotor blades to take out the knick-knacks on the mantelpiece. It can fly forwards and steer like an aeroplane, but its speed is self-governed to a rate suitable for a domestic space. Of course it can hover about like a helicopter, and can be landed on the palm of an outstretched hand. It can also be flown all around the house!

Q. Is Flying Saucer suitable for learning to fly?

A. Definitely yes. Unlike a radio controlled helicopter, Flying Saucer is aerodynamically self-righting, which means that it tends to bring itself back to a horizontal, stationary hover if it is tilted or moving. This makes it a lot easier for a new pilot to get it into the air and begin developing a feel for it. However, unlike many “super stable” hovering novelty products, Flying Saucer has a full set of effective flight controls, so it can be flown with similar precision to a true RC helicopter. Additionally, it is very safe to operate, with no large whirling rotor blades.

Q. Does Flying Saucer have proportional controls?

A. Yes. It has four, fully proportional channels of control.

Q. Are spares available?

A. A set of replacement props are included with every Flying Saucer. We stock propellers and other spares. Please note that unlike Jump Jet, the Flying Saucer has left and right handed propellers, and the correct replacement must be fitted.

Q. What is the benefit of infrared control?

A. Infrared control has one huge advantage over radio-based communication: It works by line-of-sight, so it cannot suffer interference originating from outside the immediate environment. Flying Saucer is intended to be operated indoors in a confined space, amongst people of all ages. It is therefore crucial that it doesn’t pick up interference from another nearby transmitter, potentially causing erratic or violent movements. Infrared control is immune to interference coming from outside the room it is operating in.

Q. Can the Flying Saucer be trimmed?

A. The Flying Saucer has no trims on the handset. That’s because the electrical values of both the TX signal and the on-board gyros are automatically zeroed at the aircraft each time the TX is switched on. If the handset had trims and these were offset from centre, the aircraft would re-zero to these trim positions at the next power-up, negating their effect. However, the automatic trim is not always 100% perfect because it cannot correct for small differences in performance between the motors and propellers, or a centre-of-gravity imbalance. The best way to correct these errors is by adding one or two small blobs of Blu Tack to the extremities of the aircraft as necessary to bring it into balance.

Q. Can the Flying Saucer be enhanced in any way?

A. While the Flying Saucer is generally less easy to modify than Jump Jet, it can be disassembled and “tweaked”. The working part can be removed from the foam body entirely and flown about on its own. In this form it makes a charming little miniature quadcopter. With care the battery can be accessed for replacement, and we offer an upgrade battery with enhanced performance.

Q. What is the control range?

A. Infrared range varies depending upon the environment. Although IR works in straight lines (rather like a torch beam), it provides good omni-directional coverage of a room because it reflects and re-reflects from the walls and ceiling, filling the available space with energy travelling in all directions. A torch beam can illuminate a whole room in the same way. However this only works well if the room is not too large, and the ceiling is not too high. Generally a domestic room with 8 – 10 foot white ceilings is ideal, when range will be 20 – 25 feet. This allows full freedom within the great majority of home spaces. Range will be reduced outdoors or within a large indoor space such as a sports hall. Also, some types of lighting can disrupt IR reception and reduce range, especially high powered discharge lamps and some types of fluorescent tube. Domestic lighting usually causes no problems, unless the Jump Jet is flown very close to the lamps.

Q. How can the IR control strength be maximized?

A. The Flying Saucer’s infrared control is very robust in most domestic environments. However in larger rooms and at longer ranges, it is necessary to keep in mind the transmission medium being used. The following tips can make a real difference:

1) It may seem obvious, but when flying, point the controller at the plane! Many pilots tend to point it downwards, so that the infrared energy has to reflect off the floor before it has a chance of reaching the receiver. This is even worse if there is furniture between pilot and aircraft.

2) Don’t fly the aircraft close to lights. Unfortunately, many compact fluorescent lamps operate at a similar frequency to infrared, and can disrupt reception if too close.

3) Avoid direct sunlight, which will reduce range dramatically if it hits the aircraft.

4) Flying Saucer will not tolerate other infrared devices operating in the same room.

5) Use fresh, alkaline batteries in the handset.

Q. What is the difference between Mode-1 and Mode-2 control?

A.In Mode-1 the left-hand stick controls elevator and rudder. The right-hand stick controls throttle and aileron. In Mode-2 the left-hand stick controls throttle and rudder. The right-hand stick controls pitch and roll.

Q. How is the High Performance (25C) Battery better?

A. This battery is a “go faster” replacement for the standard Flying Saucer battery pack, and brings improved performance through a new chemistry. The Flying Saucer maintains peak climb-out power through most of the discharge, rather than losing performance steadily as the flight proceeds.

Q: Can several batteries be used so that the Saucer can be flown more than once without re-charging?

A: We offer spare batteries as replacements for worn-out units. Use of multiple batteries is not recommended because the Saucer’s battery socket is not designed for frequent re-connection. Additionally, back-to-back flights will cause excessive wear of the motors, because they will not have the usual time in which to cool down.

Q: How should the Saucer battery be replaced?

A: To replace the Saucer battery, it is first necessary to remove the mechanical flight “engine” from the foam body. To do this it must be pulled upwards with steady force, whilst holding the foam down in the area immediately adjacent to the electronics housing. The mechanical part is held into the foam with double-sided tape on the bottom only, and with persistence this can be peeled apart.

Once the mechanical section is removed, flip it upside down to reveal a black slotted box containing the battery pack. Unfortunately this cannot be removed easily, so instead it is better to cut away the slotted section to access the battery (photo). The plastic is thin and soft, and can be cut easily with scissors. Take care not to pierce the battery pack whilst doing this.

The battery can then be carefully prised out of the casing, and unplugged. After the replacement has been installed the mechanical section can be pressed back into the foam body – the double-sided tape will usually work a second time.

Microfly
Q. What is Microfly?

A. Microfly is a tiny indoor hovering UFO, which spins during flight and is entirely self-stabilising. It has a proportional throttle, but no other controls or adjustments. Lift is provided by a propeller on the underside of the aircraft. It also has a little blue light on top, and looks very cool!

Q. Is Microfly suitable for learning to fly?

A. Microfly only requires a single channel of control (throttle) in order to hover. However it has excellent climbout, so it is necessary to use the throttle with some skill to maintain a steady hover. This same skill is equally applicable to any hovering aircraft, so Microfly is an excellent way to learn this crucial aspect of flying, without having to think about anything else.

Q. Does Microfly have proportional controls?

A. Microfly has only one control, the throttle which controls lift. It is proportional, yes.

Q. Are spares available?

A. No.

Q. Can the Microfly be trimmed?

A. Because the Microfly spins during flight, no trimming is necessary or possible.

Q. What is the control range?

A. Infrared range varies depending upon the environment. Although IR works in straight lines (rather like a torch beam), it provides good omni-directional coverage of a room because it reflects and re-reflects from the walls and ceiling, filling the available space with energy travelling in all directions. A torch beam can illuminate a whole room in the same way. However this only works well if the room is not too large, and the ceiling is not too high. Generally a domestic room with 8 – 10 foot white ceilings is ideal, when range will be 10 – 15 feet. Microfly will not work outdoors.

Q. How can the IR control strength be maximized?

A.
1) It may seem obvious, but when flying, point the controller at the plane! Many pilots tend to point it downwards, so that the infrared energy has to reflect off the floor before it has a chance of reaching the receiver. This is even worse if there is furniture between pilot and aircraft.

2) Don’t fly the aircraft close to lights. Unfortunately, many compact fluorescent lamps operate at a similar frequency to infrared, and can disrupt reception if too close.

3) Avoid direct sunlight, which will reduce range dramatically if it hits the aircraft.

4) Microfly will not tolerate other infrared devices operating in the same room.

5) Use fresh, alkaline batteries in the handset.

Hoverfly
Q1. What makes the Hoverfly right for the beginner?
A. Several factors make the Hoverfly ideal for a beginner: Robust construction, slow rotor speed (added safety benefits!), high flight stability and the Command Line (for unlimited flight time). These benefits give the novice the confidence to learn to fly without worrying about the consequences usually associated with crashing.

Q2. I have seen a number of Hoverflys on Internet auction sites recently, they have been significantly cheaper than purchasing from a hobby store or from your website. My question is, should I buy one at the reduced price?
A. At Snelflight we have monitored these sales and do not discourage this activity. However we would advise that the full facts are obtained regarding the condition of anything bought from the internet. If you do purchase this way you may wish to note that we offer a return to factory repair service at very reasonable rates.

Q3. I already have a 4-channel transmitter; can I use this to control the Hoverfly?
A. Yes: We researched the various transmitters available today, and we offer interfacing signal leads to suit most types. If you go to the On-line Shopping pages you can match your Tx model to a lead.

Q4. What are the benefits of using genuine Snelflight propellers?
A. Our propellers have been carefully designed for optimum thrust and accurate balance. The propellers in each set have been precisely matched to give smooth flight. Propellers from other manufacturers may give poor thrust, high levels of vibration (which can harm the Hoverfly) and unsteady flight.

Q5. I have noticed that the pitch and roll controls appear to be switched when the Hoverfly is standing on the floor or held in the hand.
A. This is normal; the controls will become correct the moment the Hoverfly leaves the ground. Due to the gyroscopic effects in flight the controls have to be offset by 90ยบ counter clockwise, which gives a false impression before the Hoverfly actually takes off. It will try to pitch forward when right roll is applied (and so on).

Q6. My Hoverfly has wobbled in flight since I reassembled it. Why might this be?
A. Possible reasons include rotor mass imbalance, thrust imbalance, misaligned motors, bearing hole not vertical and bad carbon brush contact. Phillip Jermyn, Hoverfly’s designer, has written a technical advice article on this topic. Along with others, it can be found on the download page.

Q7. What is the difference between the Hoverfly and a computer simulator?
A. The Hoverfly is an authentic three-dimensional miniature trainer for 30-size model helicopters, and is far more realistic than a flat screen representation could ever be. Because it is real, the pilot feels a similar adrenaline buzz to that felt when flying an outdoor model. This helps the pilot learn to prevent panic reactions in difficult situations: a leading cause of crashes.

 

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