SIM001 › Flying the VTOL › Flying with a radio

The six buttons of the radio

The six buttons on the front of the radio are the six flight modes that the plane needs. Press one button to choose the flight mode.

1. QHOVER: a hover. The throttle stick sets the climb. The plane drifts with the wind.

2. QLOITER: a hover that holds the plane at one place. Use it to take off and land.

3. FBWA: forward flight that levels itself. The sticks set the angle of bank and pitch.

4. CRUISE: forward flight that holds the height and the heading. Use it to travel.

5. AUTO: the plane flies the mission on the vehicle.

6. QRTL: the plane flies to home and lands there, straight down and softly.

The throttle stick in a hover shows QLOITER, Forward flight with self-levelling shows FBWA and Switches shows the buttons. Mission flights in AUTO are in Flying a mission.

QHOVER is a hover mode

If the vehicle is armed, the flight is hovering, the height above home is at least 15 m and the throttle stick is high, press button 1 on the front of the radio. The plane stays in the air, and the wind can move it. The QHOVER button lights up. The plane stays at one place in the air, and the speed in the PFD is near 0.

Screenshot to come.

See it in Trying the buttons of the radio.

How this is tested untested

Given the vehicle is armed
  And the flight is hovering
  And the height above home is at least 15 m
  And the throttle stick is high
When the pilot switches to QHOVER
Then the autopilot mode is QHOVER
  And the flight is hovering

Follows: the section's setup
Leads to: Disarming outside AUTO restarts the mission
Tested by: Trying the buttons of the radio › Lift off, try QHOVER and CRUISE, then fly home failed

CRUISE changes a hover into forward flight with the radio

If the vehicle is armed, the flight is hovering, the height above home is at least 15 m and the throttle stick is high, press button 4 on the front of the radio, with the throttle stick up. The wing motors tilt forward and the plane flies on its wing. The speed in the PFD is above 11 m/s, and the plane flies forward. The CRUISE button lights up.

Screenshot to come.

See it in Trying the buttons of the radio.

How this is tested untested

Given the vehicle is armed
  And the flight is hovering
  And the height above home is at least 15 m
  And the throttle stick is high
When the pilot switches to cruise
Then the flight is cruising
  And the autopilot mode is CRUISE

Follows: the section's setup
Leads to: Disarming outside AUTO restarts the mission
Tested by: Trying the buttons of the radio › Lift off, try QHOVER and CRUISE, then fly home failed

QRTL brings the plane home and lands it softly

A soft landing is one at less than 2 m/s.

If the vehicle is armed and the plane is flying, press button 6 on the front of the radio. The plane flies to home, and lands there. The QRTL button lights up. The plane lands and stops on the ground. The plane touches the ground at less than 2 m/s, and the HUD of the sim does not say CRASHED.

Screenshot to come.

See it in Flying a VTOL with self-levelling, Trying the buttons of the radio, Flying a VTOL with the TX15.

How this is tested untested

Given the vehicle is armed
  And the plane is flying
When the pilot sends the plane home
Then the autopilot mode is QRTL
  And the plane is on the ground
  And the last landing is soft

Follows: A raised throttle stick lifts the plane, The throttle stick lifts the plane on the serial line
Tested by: Flying a VTOL with self-levelling › Lift off, fly forward in FBWA, hover again and land softly failed, Trying the buttons of the radio › Lift off, try QHOVER and CRUISE, then fly home failed, Flying a VTOL with the TX15 › Arm, lift off, fly forward in FBWA, hover again and land softly failed