impact SUAS TRANSPORTED DISRUPTOR Manual
SUAS TRANSPORTED DISRUPTOR
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE MANUAL
REVISION A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
System Overview 3
Unpacking Instructions 4
Battery Charging 5
Aircraft Assembly 6
Controller Overview 8
Power-Up 9
Flight Modes 13
First Flight 14
Post-Flight 16
Winch & Gripper Installation 17
Winch & Gripper Operation 21
Maintenance 22
Troubleshooting 24
Additional References 25
sUAS Transported Disruptor Data Sheet 26
SYSTEM OVERVIEW
The Public Safety Bomb Technician (PSBT) and military Explosive Ordnance Disposal
(EOD) communities are faced with constantly evolving threats and seek emerging
technologies to neutralize, disrupt, or destroy improvised explosive devices.
The sUAS Transported Disruptor System consists of a ready-to-fly, heavy-lift Hexacopter
and a Carbon Fiber RTS remote disruptor turret. The Hexacopter is equipped with a
winch and gripper/release mechanism to deliver the RTS to a remote threat devise.
The hexacopter comes from the manufacturer with only the gripper/release mechanism
installed on the payload mounting plate. It is strongly recommended that the user trains
with the aircraft before installing the winch, as a suspended payload causes inherent
stability issues.
The sUAS comes pre-calibrated and tuned, so it is ready-to-fly. This manual guides you
through unpacking, completing your first flight, troubleshooting, and maintenance
operations. The latest version of the manual as well as links to subsystem and software
manuals are available for download at http://www.impact-rt.com/sUAS/manuals.html.
3
UNPACKING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove Controller, Landing
Skids & Winch. Raise both
GPS masts to vertical.
2. Carefully remove the top
layer of Foam Packing.
3. Remove Hexacopter by lifting
straight up by sides of Battery Tray. 4. Remove the Battery Charger,
Cables & Tools.
5. Inspect all wires, screws and connectors for proper installation, tightness,
and wear. Do not over-tighten screws. Snug plus 1/4 turn is recommended.
4
BATTERY CHARGING
Set-Up
1. Plug the charging and LiPo balance
cables into the charger.
2. Attach a batteries to the Channels 1-4
cable sets. Both cables from a single
channel must be connected to the same
battery.
3. Plug the Charger into a 110V outlet with
the included power cord.
Charging
1. Verify that LiPo Charge, 7.0A, and
22.2V(6S) are displayed as shown. If not,
refer to the charger user manual to
change the settings. The red LED
indicates the current channel.
2. Long press START. The charger will
perform a battery check.
3. When prompted, short press ENTER to
initiate charging.
4. Press CHANNEL to switch to the next
battery and repeat Steps 2 and 3to
initiate charging.
5. Repeat Step 4 until all 4 batteries are
charging simultaneously.
6. The charger will Beep as each battery
becomes fully charged.
Controller - The controller is charged via the micro USB port on the bottom of the unit.
Pressing the Home button displays charging progress.
5
AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY
GPS
Landing Gear
1. Insert the Right-Side Landing Gear tube into the Right-
Side Mount on the bottom of the aircraft while pressing
the Locking Pin.
2. Rotate until the Locking Pin clicks in place, securing the
Landing Gear.
3. Inspect the Landing Gear for excessive play. If
necessary, slightly tighten the clamping screws to
reduce play.
4. Repeat for the Left-Side Landing Gear.
GPS
Rotate the two (2) GPS masts until they
snap into their upright positions as shown.
6
AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY (CONT.)
Batteries
1. Center two (2) batteries between the
straps on each side of the battery
tray with the battery cables toward
the rear of the aircraft.
2. Align the front faces of the batteries
to the front edge of the battery tray
to ensure maximum support and to
maintain the aircraft’s center of
balance.
3. Secure the four (4) Velcro straps by
threading the outer straps through
the buckles on the inner straps,
pulling tight, and securing the Velcro.
4. DO NOT PLUG THE BATTERIES
INTO THE BATTERY CABLES AT
THIS TIME.
Arms & Blades
1. Rotate each arm upward until it locks in
the horizontal position.
2. Remove the red blade retention clips and
straighten the propellers as shown.
ALIGN
7
Inspection
Inspect all wires, screws and connectors for proper installation, tightness, and wear. Do not
over-tighten screws. Snug plus 1/4 turn is recommended.
Note: The sUAS is shipped with three unconnected auxiliary power cables for future use. The
two 5V and one 12V cables are located next to the forward-facing FPV camera. There is also an
unconnected winch connection cable on the bottom of the airframe.
CONTROLLER OVERVIEW
Land Flight Mode
Winch Up
Power
Pitch (up/down)
Roll (left/right)
Throttle (up/down)
Rotation (left/right)
1080P Touch Screen
Gripper Control
Thumb Wheel
Winch Down
Pre-programmed Flight Mode Buttons (See page 13 for Flight
Mode descriptions):
1. Short press A: Pos-hold
2. Long press A: Auto
3. Short press B: Alt-Hold
4. Long press HOME: RTL
5. Short press right shoulder button: Land
8
Pos-Hold Flight Mode
Alt-Hold Flight Mode RTL Flight Mode
POWER-UP
Aircraft Flight Controller &
Accessories
1. Place aircraft in an open area with no
overhead obstructions.
2. Ensure that the MOTOR PWR switch is
in the OFF position to prevent sparking
when the batteries are connected.
3. Connect the 4 batteries to the aircraft’s
battery cables.
4. Press and hold the green CPU ON/OFF
button until the aircraft’s flight controller
and fan power on.
9
Select Solex TX
Start-up Screen
Controller –Press and hold the power button to start the controller
POWER-UP(CONT.)
With the aircraft powered up,
select “Connect” to pair the
controller with the sUAS
1
0
Once paired with the sUAS,
select the airplane button to
enter the flight control screen
POWER-UP(CONT.)
Select “CONTROLS”
11
Current flight mode. Press to
change flight modes
POWER-UP(CONT.)
12
Press to change video feed
between forward and
downward-facing cameras
Camera 1: Forward-Facing FPV
Camera 2: Downward-Facing
FLIGHT MODES
The default flight mode at boot-up for the ArduCopter flight control software is Stabilize. We do
not recommend operating the aircraft in this flight mode, and it must be changed to
either Pos-Hold or Alt-Hold prior to arming the aircraft.
Approved flight Modes are:
1. Alt-Hold –Altitude Hold maintains altitude and stability when throttle is centered. Position and
flight speed is controlled manually.
2. Pos-Hold –Position Hold maintains altitude, stability, and position when both controller sticks
are centered. The aircraft will automatically correct for disturbances that force it from its held
position.
3. Auto –Auto mode executes preplanned missions. Caution: Always verify that the loaded
mission plan is applicable to your location and flight plan. An unexecuted mission
plan from a previous operator will remain loaded until its either deleted or executed. If
a mission is inadvertently executed, immediately change the flight mode to AltHold or
PosHold to retake control of the aircraft.
4. RTL –Return to Launch automatically takes the aircraft to a pre-specified safe altitude, then
returns and lands at the takeoff location. This flight mode automatically executed when
communication between the controller and aircraft is disrupted.
5. Land –Automatically lands the aircraft at its current location.
13
FIRST FLIGHT
Power Motors
Rotate the MOTOR PWR knob 90 degrees
clockwise to the on Position. The propellers
will chirp and twitch, but they will not spin
until the aircraft is Armed with the Controller.
Arming Button
Arm Aircraft
Press the Arming button. The motors will
stop chirping and emit a long tone to indicate
proper electronic speed controller (ESC)
calibration, but they will not spin until the
Controller is also armed.
Prior to Arming the Controller, ensure that
the GPS has acquired and locked in
satellites. This is indicated by a Solid Green
LED on the GPS.
The aircraft will operate in GPS-denied
environments, but the Auto and Return to
Launch (RTL) flight modes cannot be used.
Arm/Disarm
Arm Controller/Start Motors
1. Change Flight Mode –The default Flight
Mode is Stabilize at boot-up. Short press
the “A” button on the controller to change
the Flight Mode to Pos-Hold.
2. Ensure that the aircraft and takeoff area
are clear of obstructions.
3. Click the Arm/Disarm symbol on
controller touch screen’s left toolbar. The
controller will audibly announce that the
Aircraft is armed, and the propellers will
begin to spin at idle.
14
Current flight
mode
FIRST FLIGHT (CONT.)
Take-off
Ensure that the aircraft and takeoff area are
clear of obstructions. Slowly raise the throttle
stick until the aircraft reaches 1-2 meters
above the ground and release the throttle.
The aircraft will maintain it’s current altitude,
position and orientation by making subtle
corrections when forced from its position by
wind or other forces.
Auto Land
Auto Land Mode is recommended due to the
aircraft’s long landing gear and high center
of gravity. Excess speed or lateral
movement during touchdown may cause the
aircraft to roll over.
1. Ensure that the landing area is clear of
obstructions.
2. Short press the right shoulder button to
LAND. The aircraft will slowly descend,
land and disarm. The propellers will stop,
and the controller will audibly announce
that the aircraft is disarmed. It is now
safe to approach the aircraft.
Land
Pitch (up/down)
Roll (left/right)
Throttle (up/down)
Rotation (left/right)
Flight
1. Apply throttle to raise the aircraft to a
safe altitude.
2. Use the right control stick to move the
aircraft laterally in the direction of the
stick movement.
3. Move the left control stick side-to-side to
rotate the aircraft.
15
POST-FLIGHT
Power Down Aircraft
WARNING: The power to the motors
must be turned off before powering
down the flight controller. Failure to
do so may result in a power surge
which could spin the propellers.
1. Once the aircraft is disarmed and the
propellers have stopped, rotate the
MOTOR PWR switch counter-clockwise
to the OFF position
2. Press and hold the green CPU ON/OFF
button until the aircrafts flight controller
and fan power off.
3. Disconnect all four (4) batteries from the
aircraft’s battery cables. The aircraft is
now SAFE.
Power Down Controller
Press and hold the controller’s power button,
then select Power Off to shut down the
controller.
Power Button
16
WINCH & GRIPPER INSTALLATION
17
Remove The Payload Mounting Plate
1. Carefully unplug the micro-HDMI cable
from the downward-facing camera on the
underside of the sUAS.
2. Disconnect the downward-facing camera’s
power cable.
3. Remove the four (4) M4 corner screws
securing the payload mounting plate and
remove the plate from the aircraft.
4. If previously installed, remove the servo
gripper from the mounting plate.
Install the Servo Winch
1. Install the servo winch to the bottom side
of the mounting plate as shown, using the
four (4) M4x12 screws provided with the
winch. Do not over tighten the screws. We
recommend using blue Loctite medium
thread locker and tightening the screws
snug plus 1/4 turn.
2. Install the limit switch to the top side of the
mounting plate as shown, using the two
(2) m3x8 screws provided with the winch.
18
WINCH & GRIPPER INSTALLATION (CONT.)
Install the Servo Winch (Cont.)
3. Uncoil about 1-ft of winch cable and feed
the end up through the rectangular
opening, over the guide rollers, and back
down through the hole in the center of the
mounting plate as shown.
Connect the servo gripper
1. Remove the four (4) screws securing the
top cover of the servo gripper and remove
the cover and steel roller as shown.
2. Feed the end of the winch cable through
the gripper cover as shown.
3. Connect the gripper’s servo connector to
the mating connector on the end of the
winch cable.
19
Connect the servo gripper (Cont.)
4. Secure the winch cable to the gripper by
inserting the steel roller pin through the
cable loop and installing the roller into
the gripper as shown.
5. Carefully reinstall the gripper cover,
ensuring that the lifting and servo cables
do not get pinched.
WINCH & GRIPPER INSTALLATION (CONT.)
20
Reinstall Payload Mounting Plate
1. Reinstall the four (4) M4 corner screws,
securing the payload mounting plate to the
posts on the bottom of the airframe. Do
not over tighten the screws. We
recommend using blue Loctite medium
thread locker and tightening the screws
snug plus 1/4 turn.
2. Connect The winch and gripper cables to
their mating cables on the sUAS.
3. Reconnect the micro-HDMI cable into the
downward-facing camera.
4. Reconnect the downward-facing camera’s
power cable into a black and white 12V
power cable on the sUAS.
5. Secure loose cables by tucking them
between the airframe and the payload
mounting plate and/or by taping them to
the aircraft. We recommend cloth gaffer’s
tape.
WINCH & GRIPPER INSTALLATION (CONT.)
Table of contents
