SONIKRC WWII Warbird Series User Manual
- June 7, 2024
- SONIKRC
Table of Contents
- Safety Precautions
- Battery Usage & Charging Warnings
- Box Contents
- Charging Instruction
- Setup Instruction
- Center Control Surfaces
- Transmitter Instruction
- X-PILOT Switch
- Binding Instruction
- Throttle Unlock(Arming)
- Digital Trims
- Channels Reactions Checking
- One-key Aerobatics instruction
- One-key LI-turn instruction
- X-PILOT System Calibration
- Propeller Saver Instruction
- Propeller Replacement
- Flight Checklist
- Find a Flight Field
- Flying Conditions
- Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
- Download This Manual (PDF format)
SONIKRC WWII Warbird Series User Manual
WARNING
The following terms are used throughout the product literature to indicate
various levels of potential harm when operating this product.
CAUTION: Procedures, which if not be properly followed, is able to create a
possibility of physical property damage AND or possibility of injury.
Read the ENTIRE instruction manual to become familiar with the features of the product before operating. Fail to operate the product correctly can result in damage to the product, personal property and cause serious injury.
This is a sophisticated hobby product and NOT a toy. It must be operated with caution and common sense and requires some basic mechanical ability. Fail to operate this Product in a safe and responsible manner could result in injury or damage to the product or other property. This product is not intended for use by children without direct adult supervision. Do not attempt to disassemble, use with incompatible components or augment product in any way without the approval of Volante RC Co., Ltd .. This manual contains instructions for safety, operation and maintenance. It is essential to read and follow all the instructions and warnings in the manual, prior to assembly, setup or use, in order to operate correctly and avoid damage or serious injury. Age Recommendation: Not for children under 14 years. This is not a toy.
Safety Precautions
As the user of this product, you are solely responsible for operating in a
manner that does not endanger yourself and others or result in damage to the
product or the property of others.
– Always ensure all batteries have been properly charged before using the
vehicle.
– Always check all servos and their connections prior to each run.
– Never operate your vehicle near spectators, parking areas or any other area
that could result in injury to people or damage of property.
– Never operate your vehicle during adverse weather conditions. Poor
visibility can cause disorientation and loss of control of your vehicle.
– Never point the transmitter antenna directly toward the vehicle. The
radiation pattern from the tip of the antenna is inherently low.
– If at any time during the operation of your vehicle you observe any erratic
or abnormal operation, immediately stop operation of your vehicle until the
cause of the problem has been ascertained and corrected.
Battery Usage & Charging Warnings
CAUTION: All instructions and warnings must be followed exactly.
Mishandling of Li-Po/Li-Lon/Ni-MH batteries can result in fire, personal
injury, and/or property damage.
– The battery charger included with your plane(if there be) is designed to
safely balance and charge the specific Li-Po/Li-Lon/Ni-MH battery.
– By handling, charging or using the included battery, you shall assume all
risks associated with Li-Po/Li-Lon/Ni-MH battery.
– If at any time the battery begins to balloon or swell, discontinue use
immediately. If charging or discharging, you should discontinue and
disconnect.
Continue to use, charge or discharge a battery that is ballooning or swelling
can result in fire.
– Always store the battery at room temperature in a dry area for best results.
– Always transport or temporarily store the battery in a temperature range of
40-120 Fahrenheit degrees (5-49 degrees centigrade).Do not store battery or
your plane in a car or direct sunlight. If stored in a hot car, the battery
can be damaged or even cause fire.
– Always charge a battery away from flammable materials.
– Always inspect the battery before charging and never charge damaged
batteries.
– Always disconnect the battery after charging, and allow the charger cool
before next charge.
– Always constantly monitor the temperature of the battery pack while
charging.
– ONLY USE A CHARGER SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO CHARGE SPECIFIC BATTERIES.
– Never discharge Li-Po cells till below 3V under load.
– Never cover waning labels with hook or loop strips.
– Never leave charging batteries unattended.
– Never charge batteries outside recommended levels.
– Never attempt to dismantle or alter the charger.
– Never allow minors to charge battery packs.
– Never charge batteries in extremely hot or cold places(recommended between
40-120 Fahrenheit degrees/ 5-49 degrees centigrade) or in direct sunlight.
Box Contents
Charging Instruction
- Unplug the battery from your plane.
- Carefully plug the charger into the USB port on your computer or USB adapter.
- Connect battery into the charger.
4. The charging process takes about 3 hours. For safety reasons, never charge the battery for longer than 4 hours. While charging, the red LED indicator will be flashing. When the charging is finished, the red LED will be off.
Setup Instruction
1. Install 4 AA batteries(not included) in the transmitter.
2. Plug the landing gears into the fuselage as shown above, and tighten with included screws.
3. Connect the battery to the receiver, then stick the battery into the cabin, making sure the battery is well secured.
4. Setup is done. Make sure you read and follow all instructions in this manual before start flying the airplane.
Center Control Surfaces
NOTE: Keep the X-PILOT switch off (manual mode) before you operate the steps below. See more information in “X-PILOT switch” section. With the transmitter turned on and the battery connected to the ESC(and installed in the battery compartment), it is now possible to check the center of all control surfaces.
If the rudder is angled off to the right or left, adjust the push rod by its arc-shaped section slightly, making sure the rudder is properly centered.
If the elevator is angled off to the upper or lower position, adjust the push rod by its arc-shaped section slightly, making sure the elevator is properly centered.
If the aileron is angled off to the upper or lower position, adjust the push rod by its arc-shaped section slightly, making sure the aileron is properly centered.
Transmitter Instruction
X-PILOT Switch
The airplane comes with pre-installed X-PILOT to help control flying easily.
The switch is with 3 levels to control the X-PILOT. To turn on the X-PILOT,
switch to upper position(towards you). To turn off the X-PILOT, switch to
lower position(away from you).
CAUTION: It is strongly suggested to turn on X-PILOT while flying the
airplane.
Binding Instruction
Binding is the process of programming the receiver to recognize the GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) code of a single specific transmitter. When a receiver is bound to a transmitter, the receiver will only respond to that specific transmitter. If you need to rebind for any reason, please follow these steps:
-
Keep the transmitter switched OFF, throttle joystick at bottom position.
NOTICE: Keep X-PILOT switch at Middle or Beginner position.
NOTICE: Keep the plane still in a calm environment for calculating the X-PILOT. -
Connect the battery to the plane, then turn on the transmitter within 5 seconds.
-
The receiver LED will flash for 3-8 seconds to bind automatically.
-
After the receiver LED stop flashing, it means the binding process is done.
Follow below steps when you operate a bound plane:
-
Power on transmitter first.
-
Connect the battery to the plane within 3 seconds.
-
The receiver LED in plane will flash and then turn to solid in several seconds.
-
Switch the X-PILOT control stick to X-PILOT assist level(MIDD or BEGINNER).
NOTICE: Allow the airplane stay still about 3~5 seconds in a calm environment when you first time turn on X-PILOT, in order to calibrate and activate the X-PILOT. When the X-PILOT starts to react, means it is activated. -
Turn throttle stick up to max and then down to min to arm the motor.
CAUTION: Do NOT operate around people or property, otherwise it may cause serious damage!
Throttle Unlock(Arming)
To prevent from damages, the throttle channel is locked each time when
powering on your transmitter. Follow below instruction to unlock the throttle.
CAUTION: Keep the propeller in distance for your safety. Turn the
throttle stick up to max position until you hear a “beep” sound. Then turn the
throttle stick down to min position until you hear a “beep” sound. Now the
throttle is unlocked.
Digital Trims
Digital trims allow to adjust the centered position of aileron, rudder or elevator hinge. Each time when a trimmer is moved, the servo output will change one angle. If the Rudder trimmer is held, the output will scroll in that direction until the trimmer is released or the output reaches its end. When you hear a short “beep” sound, it means the trimmer is centered.
Channels Reactions Checking
Place your plane in a neutral position, follow below steps to check the channels reactions. Move the sticks(except the throttle stick) to see if all servo surfaces react correctly as shown in the left diagram(left throttle for example). Swing your plane to check if all servo surfaces react correctly as shown in the right diagram.
One-key Aerobatics instruction
The one-key aerobatics feature allows beginner pilot to perform aerobatic
actions by simply pressing the button on transmitter.
During flight, under X-PILOT control mode, press the on key aerobatics button,
the transmitter will beep several times. During the beeping, simply move the
aileron stick to either direction for auto-roll. Or move the elevator stick to
either direction for auto-flip.
One-key LI-turn instruction
The airplane comes with one-key U-turn function, which enable the plane to
U-turn by the opposite direction that the airplane takes off. Follow below
steps to activate the function.
1. Place your plane heading to the take-off direction.
2. Do NOT unlock the throttle, press the activation button and hold for
several seconds until you hear a “beep” sound, the rudder surface will
respond, meaning the one-key U-turn function is now activated.
NOTICE: Every time when you power on the plane, it requires to activate
the one-key U-turn function.
To use this function during flight, press the one-key U-turn switch button, the plane will turn around automatically, back to the opposite direction where it takes off. To quit, just press again the switch button, or control any servo stick(rudder/elevator), the plane will back to One-key upturn your control immediately. No matter you flies the plane Activation under manual control or X-PILOT assist mode, when you turn on the one-key U-turn function, the plane will enter X-PILOT assist mode automatically to help stably flying back. When you quit this function, the airplane will back to the what the control mode it was.
CAUTION: This function is bound to the receiver, instead of to the
transmitter, which means the plane will U-turn ONLY to the opposite direction
that the plane takes off. It also means when the plane U-turns and passes the
position where you activated the function, the one-key U-turn function will
NOT U-turn the plane back to the take-off position.
X-PILOT System Calibration
- Turn the throttle stick to min position.
- Power on the transmitter and the receiver.
- Do NOT unlock the throttle.
- Keep the sticks as above picture for several seconds.
- When you hear a “beep” sound, it means the X-PILOT system is calibrated based on the horizontal level you are keeping it.
Propeller Saver Instruction
The propeller saver keeps the propeller from damage, and prevent the electronic components from over current. When the airplane hits any obstacle, the propeller will loose from the base. To install the propeller back to the base, insert the upper part century through the motor shaft, and hearing a “click” sound to ensure it is secured.
Propeller Replacement
Follow below steps to replace broken propeller and shaft adaptor. You will need help of a Philips screw driver and pliers(not included).
- Take off the spinner and propeller by loosen the screw with a Philips screw driver.
- Take off the shaft adaptor carefully. If it is too tight, use pliers to help.
- Replace any part broken.
- Install all parts back by inverted orders to finish the replacement.
Flight Checklist
NOTE: This checklist is NOT intended to replace the content included in this
instruction manual. Although it can be used as a quick start guide, we
strongly suggest that read all though the manual completely before proceeding.
– Always turn the transmitter on first.
– Ensure the throttle control stick is at bottom position before connecting
the battery.
– Fly the model(hand-launch or take off from a flat/level surface).
– Land the model(on a flat/level surface).
– Unplug the battery from ESC.
– Always turn off the transmitter last.
Find a Flight Field
Based on the size and weight of the plane it is typically considered to be a “park flyer” class airplane. As a result it is best to fly the plane at a local park, schoolyard, flying field or other area that is large enough and free of people and obstructions. We recommend and area the size of at least one football/soccer field. However, even larger areas are better suited and preferred especially when learning how to fly. Do NOT fly in parking lots, crowded neighborhood areas or in areas that are not free of people or obstructions.
We also suggest flying over grass as it is a much more forgiving surface that
causes less damage in the unfortunate event or a crash. Short grass is better
for takeoffs and landings as grass that is too long can cause the airplane to
onceover/flip and be damaged. An ideal flying area allows for takeoffs and
landings on a smoother surface(such as asphalt) and flying over grass.
Fly in spacious ground without obstacles and boscage. Never fly the plane near
highway, railway, high tension line, crowded people, flying area and
residential area.
NOTE: The plane is designed to be flew outdoors only.
Flying Conditions
It is typically best to fly on days that are calm without wind, especially when learning how to fly. It is strongly suggested flying only in calm conditions until you are familiar with the controls and handling of the model. Even light winds can make it much more difficult to learn to fly, and in some cases can even carry the model beyond your line of sight. Also, if you are a first-time or low-time pilot, we highly recommend that allow a more experienced pilot to test fly and properly trim the model before attempting your first flight. A proven flyable and properly trimmed model is significantly easier and more enjoyable to fly.
After you have properly trimmed the airplane in calm conditions and become
familiar with its handling/capabilities you will be able to fly in light winds
or depending on your experience and comfort level, in winds up to 5-7 mph.
Do NOT fly on days when significant moisture, such as rain or snow, is
present.