SYSTEM INSTRUCTION MANUAL FM/QPCM Futaba is a registered trademark of the Futaba Corporation. Airtronics is a registered trademark of the Sanwa corporation. JR is a registered trademark of the JR corporation. Multiplex is a registered trademark of the Multiplex corporation.
Table of Contents Introduction to the Optic System About this manual Optic System Options: Flying Safety Airplane Frequencies Radio Installation Notes Notes on Servos Mounting Servo Throw Switch Harness Installation Receiver Notes Antenna Connectors Using The Aileron Extension Vibration and Waterproofing Charging the Optic Ni-Cd Batteries Operating With A Trainer Cord Other Adjustments Adjustable length control sticks Stick lever tension adjustment Changing the Optic transmitter's mode Factory Repair Se
Flying Safety To ensure your own safety and the safety of others, please observe the following precautions: Charge the Batteries! Be sure to recharge the batteries before each flying session. A battery low in charge will soon die, causing loss of control and a crash. Plug in the charger that comes in this system and hook up the transmitter and airborne batteries the day before a planned flying session.
Radio Installation Notes Connectors Be sure the alignment of a servo or battery connector is correct before inserting it into the receiver. To remove a connector from the receiver, try to pull on the connector's plastic housing rather than pulling on the wires. Pulling the wires can ruin the connector pins and break wires.
Factory Repair Service Information Please read the warranty card supplied with your system and return it. Before you decide to have your system repaired, if there is no apparent physical damage, read this instruction manual again and check to be sure that you are operating the system as it was designed to be operated. If you are still having trouble, pack up your system in its original shipping materials and send it to the nearest authorized Hitec R/C Service Center.
Transmitter Displays and Messages This screen appears at startup. The model memory number is shown by the small down-arrow. Battery voltage is shown in the bottom left, and operating time is on the lower right. You can reset the operating time display by hitting the Clear button (the one on the farthest right). Do this after each charge to keep track of your operating time on a single charge. Pressing the Lock button locks the throttle servo and holds it where you last commanded it.
Model Setup Functions Destination (Flashing) 3. The source model memory (the memory that will be duplicated) is the current one, indicated by the fixed upper arrow. To select your destination model number, press the Left or Right Cursor keys. The selected destination memory number is shown by the flashing triangle under it. 4. Press the +Increase and -Decrease Data keys at the same time. The transmitter beeps twice rapidly, indicating the copy has been completed. 5. Switch power off. 6.
Model Setup Functions Modulation - PPM, QPCM The Modulation function is used to choose what type of receiver you will be using with your Optic system. Hitec has two types of receivers, PPM and QPCM. PPM receivers are also referred to as "FM" receivers. QPCM receivers offer you the option of failsafe which will hold the last set of positions received before the interference, or allow you to choose what positions the servos will move to if the signal is lost or interfered.
Simple Transmitter Setup - Aerobatic Airplane (ACGL Menu) The following pages will take you step-by-step through the setup process for a sport or aerobatic airplane in the ACGL menu. Going through this complete section will help you learn how to use your system quickly and easily. If you need to set up a helicopter, please refer to the quick setup instructions in the helicopter section. Simple Transmitter Setup - Aerobatic Airplane (ACGL Menu) 12.
Simple Transmitter Setup - Aerobatic Airplane (ACGL Menu) RIGHT Servo LEFT RIGHT LEFT Pushrod 90 Front View If the rudder moves the wrong direction, move over to Channel 4 by pressing the Cursor Right key. Now the '4' should be flashing in the display. Activate the opposite direction for the rudder servo by pressing the Active/Inhibit (Clear) key. Move the left-hand stick left-and-right again and verify the rudder moves the right direction.
Simple Transmitter Setup - Aerobatic Airplane (ACGL Menu) 41. To set the FULL throttle position, move the throttle stick all the way to the transmitter top and hold it. The letters "R/D" should appear next to the flashing percent sign. [Notice that the Optic transmitter thinks of throttle stick positions to the reverse of the way it seems, in that with the throttle stick fully forwards - "up" towards the transmitter top, is the Down position.
Simple Transmitter Setup - Aerobatic Airplane (ACGL Menu) 65. Programmable mixers: now take advantage of your system's advanced custom programming capabilities. You may use one or both of the two programmable mixers (PMX1, PMX2) to get rid of unwanted tendencies (for example, rolling or tucking during knife-edge flight. 66. For tucking during knife-edge, you want to apply a little up elevator when you are using full rudder to sustain knifeedge.
Simple Transmitter Setup - Electric Airplane, 5-Channel Receiver (ACGL Menu) 16. If the throttle stick operates the speed control the wrong direction, move over to Channel 3 by pressing the Cursor Right key. Now the 3 should be flashing in the display. Activate the opposite direction for the throttle servo by pressing the Active/Inhibit (Clear) key. Verify the throttle stick makes the motor turn on and off in the correct direction. 17.
Optic Aircraft Controls and Switch Assignments Airplane Model Function Descriptions EPA - End Point Adjust SW2 Aux(ch-5:gear) Crow ON/OFF Trainer Switch The EPA function is used to set (or limit) the travel of each servo, and may be set anywhere from 0% and 125% for each travel direction. Reducing the percentage settings reduces the total servo throw in that direction. The EPA function is normally used to prevent any servos from binding at the ends of their travel.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions 3. Use the Data +Increase or -Decrease key to choose the amount of dual rate for that switch position. You may set the travel for both sides of the switch simply by flipping the switch to the other position (the arrow will also switch sides). If you wish to return to the original 100% value, press the Active/Inhibit (Clear) key. 4. Press the Cursor Right key to move to another channel you wish to input dual rate settings. 5.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions 2. Press the CLEAR key to switch between the two possible settings. 3. If you choose the Switch SW-01 control setting, be sure the switch is in the OFF position before you switch on the airborne system. This is to ensure you do not accidentally turn on full throttle. FLPT - Flap Travel Function CH1 Setting Flap Travel function 1. Use the Edit Up Down arrow keys to select the FLPT window. The number in the display may be different. 2.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions Setting Up Differential 1. Press one of the Up Down Edit buttons repeatedly to select the ADIF window. To begin with, the function is already activated, but it's set to 100% on both sides so there is no differential. Flashing 2. A small arrow is displayed under the numeral 1, showing that CH1 is the affected channel.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions Airplane Model Function Descriptions VTAL - V-Tail Mixing ELVN - Elevon Mixing The Elevon function should be used with delta wings, flying wings, and other tailless aircraft whose layouts combine the aileron and elevator functions, and requires one servo for each elevon. Connect the right elevon to receiver CH1 and the left elevon to CH2. The amount of aileron and elevator response can be adjusted independently.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions A->R - Aileron Rudder Mixing Aileron-to-rudder mixing is a function that causes the rudder to move automatically with the motion of the aileron stick. This is done because when ailerons are used to command a turn, the down-moving aileron has more drag than the up-moving one, so the plane's fuselage tries to yaw against the turn.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions 5. Now press the Cursor right key one time to get to the elevator setting menu (a small arrow will appear over the number 2 in the display). Press the Data +Increase or -Decrease keys to set up the throws for the elevator as desired. Move the left lever and be sure the elevator goes down with crow. If it doesn't, change the sign (this may depend on servo orientation). You probably should not use much elevator motion until you determine if Crow changes the trim. 6.
Airplane Model Function Descriptions 3. Move the stick to command aileron. In addition to the aileron servo(s), both elevator servos should move. They may move in opposite directions (as they should) or the same direction (instructions for correcting this are below). Airplane Model Function Descriptions 7. If the elevator servo plugged into CH5 goes the correct direction with aileron stick, go to the next step.
Aircraft Flight Trimming Chart To test for... 2. Control throws Test Procedure Observations Fly the model and apply full deflection of each control in turn Check the response of each control - Aileron high-rate: 3 rolls in 4 seconds; low-rate: 3 rolls/6 sec - Elevator high-rate: to give a smooth square corner; low-rate gives approx.
Optic Helicopter (HELI) Programming Optic Helicopter Controls and Switch Assignments This section describes how to use the Optic helicopter functions (model type HELI). Descriptions of the other functions, such as endpoints, dual rates, expo, etc., are contained in the aircraft (ACGL) section. The HELI menu provides three flight conditions in addition to the normal one (NOR). ST1 may be used for forward flight and mild aerobatics, ST2 may be used for inverted, and ST3 is used for autorotations.
Helicopter Setup Instructions Helicopter Setup Instructions The following example shows how the Optic may be programmed for a helicopter model. Your model's settings will be dependent on the setup and linkages. If you're not sure about the settings for your particular model, please ask an experienced pilot for assistance. The helicopter setup procedure presented below uses a standard helicopter setup, one servo each for ailerons and elevator.
Helicopter Setup Instructions 16. Collective Pitch. The blade collective pitch angle (controlled by CH6 on a conventional helicopter) should vary from -2° to +10° with full stick motion, in the "NOR" or hovering Flt Mode. We recommend setting the hovering pitch (pitch with throttle stick at center) to +4.5°. Adjust servo arms and EPA values to get the desired travel at the end points, measuring with a pitch meter. 17. Engine Servo travel. On the regular display menu, enter a value of -25% for throttle trim.
Menu Descriptions - Helicopter As these functions are switched on or off, ST3 = HOLD has highest priority, followed by ST2 and ST1. Regular settings (NOR) occur when all of the others are off. You can see which condition your transmitter is currently in by viewing the display. The current condition may be found flashing in the lower right of the TRIM display. Flashing EPA - End point adjust See ACGL instructions on page 27.
Menu Descriptions - Helicopter Menu Descriptions - Helicopter THCV - Throttle Curve Setting Up The Throttle Curve PTCV - Pitch Curve The throttle & pitch curves are tied to the position of the collective stick, and are specified at five points labeled 1 through 5 below.
Menu Descriptions - Helicopter SWAH - Swashplate adjust (120 °swash only) The revolution mixing function mixes pitch commands into rudder (pitch rudder) in order to suppress the torque generated by changes in the main rotor's pitch angle and rotational speed. You can input independent values for revolution mixing above and below one-half throttle for each of the NOR, ST1, and ST2 flight conditions. Revolution mixing is disabled whenever throttle hold (ST3, operated by switch SW -1) is on.
Helicopter Flight Trimming Chart GLOSSARY The abbreviations used with the Optic are defined below alphabetically. Related pages are given in parenthesis following the definition. This procedure assumes helicopter is trimmed for hovering. Trimming must be done in near-calm conditions. Repeat tests several times before making adjustments. If any changes are made, go back over the previous steps and verify, or further adjust as necessary. To test for... Test Procedure 1.
ACGL Model Data Recording Sheet HELI Model Data Recording Sheet Make copies before using Make copies before using Memory No. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 Model Name ___ ___ ___ ___ -__ __ __ MENU FUNCTION CH 1 REV EPA N.R % % % % % % % % % % % T.CUT Servo Rev (circle) End Point Adj.
