Usage instructions

If hover, transition, and fixed wing flight work in a manual flight test...

1. Plug a USB cable into the Pixhawk's microUSB port. Plug the other end into one of the Raspberry Pi's USB ports (I tested with the top left but it should work with any USB port). Ensure that the Raspberry Pi is not powered.

2. Turn the RC controller on, power the VTOL, ensure that the Pixhawk is flashing green, hold down the little button to turn off the throttle failsafe (wait for the solid red color), put the VTOL in the quadcopter flight mode (the middle flight mode on the RC controller currently, flight mode 1). The VTOL should be armable by an RC controller just like a manual flight (but don't arm it).

3. Place the VTOL anywhere on the flight range.

4. When you are ready, power the Raspberry Pi through its micro USB port. The VTOL will begin flight in 60 seconds after powering the raspberry pi as long as you don't change the flight mode on the RC controller. Start a timer on a stopwatch.

5. The VTOL will autonomously takeoff to 10 meters, transition, and fly in a spiral pattern with a 25 meter radius. It may fly a bit past the safety barriers but that is expected behavior.

6. To override the autonomy, change the flight mode on the RC controller to any manually controlled flight mode. Make sure that you have the throttle stick high enough to catch it once your manual control takes over. If the throttle stick is at the bottom and the VTOL is in copter mode, the VTOL will immediately freefall upon overriding the autonomy.

Troubleshooting

1. If nothing happens for more than 180 seconds after powering the pi, you can assume that something has gone wrong. Approach the VTOL carefully and disarm it. Wear oven mitts and safety glasses if available.

2. Take the propellers off and try to arm the vehicle with an RC controller. If that doesn't work, refer back to step 1 in the previous section.

3. If things still don't work, call Miles Cobb or Tiana Ton Nu on their cell phone.