Read this section before taking control manually with the remote control (RC) in assisted mode
WingtraOne can be fully controlled with just the tablet as a ground station. We highly recommend operating the WingtraOne without using the remote control (RC). This is the default setting in WingtraPilot. You can find more information about how to land the WingtraOne using the in-app controls in the article Reposition WingtraOne for landing.
The RC functionality can be enabled from the General settings or during the pre-flight check. In this case, the RC can be used for manual flying in Assisted mode. Read the following section carefully before you switch to assisted mode. Use the "Assisted" button on your RC to switch from auto or RTH mode to assisted mode. The flight regime will stay as it was before you switched to assisted Mode, i.e., if you engage assisted Mode during cruise flight, you will take over in cruise, and if you engage assisted Mode during hover flight, you will take over in hover flight. Be aware that there are no extended safety features (collision avoidance or similar) available for WingtraOne.
Why is there a remote control (RC) if it is not recommended to use?
Since 2020 the RC is not required anymore and operating WingtraOne in the RC mode lacks important safety features, such as pause and resume. Trying out the RC (e.g. for training purposes) is dangerous and can easily lead to user faults that are not covered under Wingtra warranty. The RC is primarily there for regulatory purposes. There is no country that requires it, but for a few countries, it is not clear how the regulations evolve.
How to switch to assisted mode?
You can find the necessary guidelines in the following video.
Possible interactions with remote control (RC)
The following table summarizes your options to interact with the drone during flight, in order to switch between the flight modes and orientations. Make sure to observe WingtraOne, and be prepared to interact, especially during the landing. You can take all the described actions from the RC by pressing the respective buttons.
An RC button should be pushed for at least 0.2 sec so that the command is transferred to WingtraOne. Make sure that you firmly push the button until you see at the top right corner in WingtraPilot that the flight mode is changed.
| Return to Home |
The plane flies back autonomously, performs the planned landing procedure and lands. Note: If RTH is triggered while flying the mission, the drone will come home using the set RTH mode. If triggered in assisted mode, the drone will always come straight at the defined minimum height above home. If none has been set, it will use the default value. |
| Assisted mode | Gives the pilot authority via the RC. Engage only if you know how to fly the WingtraOne! |
| Transition (only works in Assisted Mode) | Lets WingtraOne transition between hover and cruise. |
Flight Instructions for flying in Assisted Mode
The main reason to take over should be to hold or adjust the drone's position before landing. Taking over in cruise is a safety feature that can be used in case of bird attacks or if RTH cannot be performed safely, etc. When flying in assisted mode you won't be able to collect images. The easiest point in time to take over is when WingtraOne is hovering. In this case, WingtraOne is stabilized and it will stay at its current location. If you need to change to assisted mode during cruising, it is therefore advisable to immediately do a back-transition to change to hover. With that procedure you will have time to think before further actions need to be taken.
WingtraOne can severely harm people if handled inappropriately. Only fly WingtraOne manually if you know what you are doing.
Depending on GPS quality, WingtraOne can drift for several meters. Be prepared to react.
Hover
Flying WingtraOne in hover works similarly to flying a multicopter. WingtraOne will keep its position if you do not touch the sticks. Likewise, it will move according to your control stick input.
Cruise
You can fly WingtraOne in cruise mainly with two control inputs: rising/sinking (pitching) and turning. WingtraOne will fly at constant altitude, speed (16m/s), and heading if you do not touch the sticks and rise/sink/turn according to your control stick input.
Transition
Use the "Transition" button (6) to transition from hover to cruise or vice versa.
Forward-transition (hover->cruise): Make sure you are on a safe altitude before you transition into forward flight (cruise). There is no option to rise or interact in any way during transition!
Back-transition (cruise->hover): The back-transition needs a lot of space. Engage it 50m before you reach the point at which you want to hover. Always engage back-transition at a safe distance and altitude away from obstacles and yourself. There is no option to interact in any way during transition!
Landing
If you are flying in assisted mode in cruise, transition back to hover by using the "Transition" button (6) at a safe distance and altitude. In case of low wind, change the heading after back transition such that the Wingtra logo is facing you to simplify the navigation. Direct WingtraOne to its intended landing position. WingtraOne will use its distance sensor to detect landing and switch-off the engines at a 25cm distance above ground. As a safety feature, WingtraOne only listens to the distance sensor if landing is commanded, which means that the left stick on the RC is pushed down. During the last meter of landing do not try to slow down WingtraOne because it could lead to an early motor shut-off.
Under no circumstances should you try to catch WingtraOne with your hands during the landing. The spinning propellers of WingtraOne can cause severe injuries.
Assisted-transition
From cruise flight mode you can shift to hover regime any time by pressing the assisted button and then the transition button on the remote control. When assisted-transition is triggered, WingtraOne will immediately change into its hover flight mode and stabilize itself in air. Example situations when you should consider such a maneuver are:
- Unplanned approach of an object, e.g. helicopter, bird, etc.
- WingtraOne behaves abnormally or looks unstable in the air
- You simply need time to think about what the WingtraOne should do next
After you manage to get the WingtraOne into a safe situation, you can trigger RTH. The WingtraOne will then bring itself back to the home point and land safely autonomously. Note that once you enter assisted mode you can not resume the mission again until you return to home and re-power.
Remote control
- Menu navigation buttons, to navigate the RC's settings - don't change them.
- On / off switch, turns RC on / off
- Navigation stick right
- Navigation stick left
- Engage assisted mode: allows you to take manual control of WingtraOne
- Transition: performs the "transition" maneuver—switching from cruise to hover regime and vice versa (only works when flying in assisted mode)
- Return-to-home: initiates WingtraOne's flight to home position and landing
- Emergency button: when pushed three times within two seconds, this will terminate the flight by cutting the power to the engines. From the 1.12 version, the button is deactivated. The emergency shut-off is only possible through WingtraPilot.
Control Sticks
Use the control sticks to fly manually in assisted mode. These are carefully tuned and allow you to maneuver easily and safe. The flight controller limits the range of possible maneuvers to prevent WingtraOne from exceeding load factor.
Assisted mode: cruise
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Assisted mode: hover
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