The following should be monitored when the vehicle transitions from vertical flight to horizontal flight.
After reaching transition altitude, the vehicle will commence the transition to fixed-wing flight. The pusher motor will engage 5 meters below the target altitude (switching from quadcopter to fixed-wing). It will transition in the direction planned for takeoff, but wind can affect the direction, especially if the vehicle is not positioned with its nose directly into the wind.
The vehicle will engage high thrust using its pusher motor until it reaches the target airspeed. After this period, it should navigate towards the hold pattern or first waypoint.
If any malfunction occurs with the airspeed sensor, the vehicle will abort the transition after a timeout of 25 seconds. During this period, the vehicle can cover a long distance at the transition altitude. LAND mode must be engaged before the vehicle is at risk of colliding with any obstacles.
Operator Action: LAND
If the vehicle is not moving forward or is drifting with the wind and does not seem to transition towards fixed-wing, there is likely a problem with the pusher motor or propeller. The operator should review the propeller configuration as described in the manual.
Operator Action: LAND
If the vehicle starts flying backward with increasing speed, the pusher propeller is likely mounted in the wrong direction. The transition should be aborted, and the pusher motor should be inspected.
The following should be monitored during the landing sequence.
Depending on the mission plan or flight mode, the Evo can perform a straight-line, loiter-down, or manual landing. When the Evo is executing a landing sequence, it will significantly lower the altitude. Special care must be taken during the descent stage to avoid collision with obstacles. When a collision seems imminent, the pilot must take control of the drone and increase altitude either by switching to a manual control mode and pulling the pitch stick down (nose up) or by repositioning the vehicle and increasing altitude. In such an occurrence, it is advised to either change the mission plan and execute an RTL after the change or land the vehicle manually.
Operator Action: None
If the vehicle becomes unstable during landing, the landing speed, as indicated in the Safety features, is likely set too high.
Operator Action: DISARM (Emergency Action -> SHUTDOWN)
The DeltaQuad Evo should disarm automatically 5 to 10 seconds after touchdown. If the vehicle does not disarm automatically, the disarm command (Shutdown) should be sent. This command can be sent by selecting Emergency Actions - Shutdown. The reason for this could be related to landing on a significantly uneven surface or slope. It can also indicate that the sensors need calibration.
Operator Action: None or reposition above soft ground
If one of the landing gear legs does not deploy during descent, do not interfere, as the DeltaQuad Evo is designed to balance itself on the ground even with only three legs deployed.
If two legs or more do not deploy during descent, position the vehicle above soft ground (NUDGING), such as grass, and avoid hard ground, such as concrete.
After an incident or crash wait 10 minutes as the battery may become unstable. Take pictures of the vehicle from every direction. Try to document the crash and crash site as thoroughly as possible.
This section outlines the emergency procedures for the different flight stages.
It is essential that the following section be read and comprehended thoroughly to ensure a clear understanding of the emergency scenarios and the appropriate actions to be taken. Proper understanding guarantees prompt, effective, and correct responses in these situations, thereby enhancing safety and minimizing risks.
The following should be monitored directly after takeoff while the vehicle is ascending vertically to its transition altitude.
Operator Action: LAND or ALTITUDE
The vehicle should take off in a straight line after the first few meters. If the vehicle starts "toilet bowling" (circling up), the mission should be aborted and a sensor calibration must be performed. If an autonomous landing does not stop the toilet bowling behavior, ALTITUDE mode should be engaged for a manual landing.
Operator Action: LAND or ALTITUDE
The vehicle should take off in a straight line. If the vehicle starts drifting from its position by more than a few meters, it should be commanded to LAND. Contact support to have your log files analyzed. If an autonomous landing cannot safely be performed, ALTITUDE mode should be engaged for a manual landing.
When operating in GNSS-Denied mode, some drift is expected above 10 meters.
Operator Action: DISARM (Emergency Action -> SHUTDOWN)
If the vehicle fails to take off or only one-half of the vehicle rises, the VTOL propellers are likely damaged, mounted incorrectly, or upside down. The operator should disarm the vehicle and review the propeller configuration as described in the manual.
The following should be monitored during fixed-wing flight.
Operator Action: TRANSITION to fixed-wing mode or LAND
There are some conditions where the vehicle can switch to multi-rotor mode. This can happen if the fixed-wing flight is unsustainable, wind conditions result in a breach of maximum bank angles or accidental mode switching by the operator. In these events, it is usually prudent to attempt to resume fixed-wing flight by switching to HOLD mode and pressing the VTOL Transition mode switch. If this fails for any reason, the vehicle must be landed.
When the vehicle is higher than 300 meters, it will not engage the automatic QuadChute failsafe until it drops below this altitude. In the event of a QuadChute, the vehicle will initiate a LAND procedure unless instructed otherwise. It is the pilot’s responsibility to ensure a safe landing can be performed.
After such an event, the cause must be determined before a new flight is attempted. Please contact DeltaQuad support for assistance in analyzing the cause of the failsafe event.
The vehicle is designed to maintain a maximum of 90 seconds of hover flight. If the vehicle exceeds this threshold, it will force a landing. For operations above sea level, this limitation may be disabled at the operator's own risk.
Operator Action: Return (RTL) or LAND
During and shortly after transition, the vehicle may lose some altitude, generally not more than 5 meters. In extreme cases (high payload, strong wind), this can be up to 8 meters. The vehicle should recover from this loss quickly and regain and maintain altitude. Some altitude gain or loss may occur when banking (changing direction). This should not exceed 5 meters.
If the vehicle does not maintain altitude, or if the altitude error exceeds 10 meters and the vehicle does not recover from this error, an RTL should be commanded. If the vehicle does not adequately perform the RTL procedure (continues to lose altitude or fails to navigate back), a LAND instruction should be given. After a LAND instruction is given and the vehicle is performing a landing in quadcopter mode, the RTL instruction can be given again to have the vehicle return in quadcopter mode.
This should only be attempted when the vehicle is less than 1 km from the takeoff site and more than 50% of the battery capacity is available.
The reason this can occur could be related to weight, balance, or a problem with the servos or pusher drive. A thorough inspection of the vehicle is required. If the problem cannot be found and resolved, you should contact DeltaQuad support.
Operator Action: Return (RTL) or LAND or ALTITUDE
During the transition, if the vehicle does not fly in the direction expected:
When the transition phase completes, the vehicle should fly towards its first waypoint or orbit. If the vehicle does not follow its intended path after the transition phase, an RTL should be commanded. If the vehicle does not adequately perform the RTL procedure (continues to lose altitude or fails to navigate back), an attempt can be made to return the vehicle in ALTITUDE mode. If this also fails, a LAND instruction should be given. After a LAND instruction is given and the vehicle is commencing a landing in quadcopter mode, the RTL instruction can be given again to have the vehicle return in quadcopter mode.
This should only be attempted when the vehicle is less than 1 km from the takeoff site and more than 70% of the battery capacity is available.
The reason this can occur could be related to a failure of the servo actuation or if a mission is incorrectly loaded.
Operator Action: Return (RTL)
The battery level percentage indicated in the top bar of the flight screen should be monitored throughout the flight. The percentage should always be higher than the relative distance the vehicle still has to travel. For example, if only 50% battery remains, more than 50% of the mission should have been completed. The CURRENT and CONSUMED values will also help determine this; these values become visible when tapping the Battery Level Indicator. The DeltaQuad Evo should draw between 5 and 15 amperes of current on average during cruise flight. This value increases:
If the vehicle is flying significantly above sea level
If the vehicle is flying with maximum payload
As the battery percentage drops
When the vehicle is climbing or banking
When the cruise throttle is set higher
When the LiPo battery gets older
When a power-consuming payload is active