USER MANUAL

V.1

© 2024 Flightory by Szymon Wójcik All rights reserved.

USER MANUAL 1
 Socials

Join Flightory Tech group on Facebook and create community with us.
Share progress of your builds. Any suggestions or questions welcome.
www.facebook.com/groups/flightory

Join our Discord server as well, where the discussions are organized
by topics, and the interaction between users is lively.
https://discord.gg/GPMgDZ3Cxv

Follow us on Instagram for regular updates and fresh content

www.instagram.com/flightory_

USER MANUAL 2
 General Aircraft Data

The build of this aircraft requires owning the basic version of the Super
Stingray. Modification for VTOL requires reprinting the wings along with all
motor mounting components. This instruction manual presents conversion to
VTOL version. If you are starting to build the aircraft from scratch, refer to the
manual for the regular Super Stingray, which details the construction of the
entire aircraft.

USER MANUAL 3
 General Aircraft Data

The aircraft is in a classic 4+1 configuration with a single pusher motor located
at the rear and 4 VTOL motors arranged in an X pattern. The rest of the aircraft's
geometry remains unchanged from the regular Super Stingray version.

USER MANUAL 4
 PARTS LIST - VTOL

PART MATERIAL

AILERON VTOL L /R LW-PLA

WING 1 VTOL L/R LW-PLA

WING 2 VTOL L/R LW-PLA

WING ROOT VTOL L/R PETG

BOOM MOUNT L/R PETG

MOTOR MOUNT TOP VTOL PETG

MOTOR MOUNT BOTTOM VTOL PETG

If you have access to a printer capable of printing at high temperatures

around 300°C you may also consider printing with materials containing
carbon fiber additives instead of regular PETG, which will further
reinforce the components.

USER MANUAL 5
 Reccomended Accessories and
RC Equipment

Reccomended electronics
Motors VTOL Emax ECOII 2306 1700KV link/ T- Motor F60 1700KV link
Motor Pusher 23XX 1000-1400 KV e.g. link / link
Propellers VTOL 7x4 / 7x5 / 7x6 (two CCW, two CW) link
Propeller Pusher 10x5 / 10x6 e.g. link
ESC 5pcs BlHeli30-40A / 4in1 T-Motor V45A or similar link
PDB Matek PDB or similar link
Battery 4S (max 4S3P 10,5Ah Li-Ion) or similar LiPo link

USER MANUAL 6
 Parts Orientation

WING 1 L/R VTOL - 3% cubic subdivision infill

WING 2 L/R VTOL - 3% cubic subdivision infill

USER MANUAL 7
 Parts Orientation

AILERON 1 VTOL L/R - 3% gyroid infill

AILERON 2 L/R VTOL - 3% gyroid infill

USER MANUAL 8
 Parts Orientation

WING ROOT VTOL L/R – 3 walls, 20% cubic infill

BOOM MOUNT 3 walls, 20% cubic infill

USER MANUAL 9
 Parts Orientation

MOTOR MOUNT BOTTOM VTOL – 3 walls, 20% cubic infill

MOTOR MOUNT TOP VTOL - 3 walls, 20% cubic infill

USER MANUAL 10
 STL AND STEP FILES

All files in VTOL PACK are available in STL and STEP format.

You can find these files in folders labeled STEP

USER MANUAL 11
 Fuselage Preparation

We start by preparing the fuselage. If you already have a built Fixed Wing
version of the Super Stingray, simply remove the wings. If you are starting from
scratch, refer to the instructions for the regular version of this aircraft, where
the assembly of the fuselage is described.

USER MANUAL 12
 Boom Assembly

First, take the Wing Root VTOL and Boom Mount components and glue them
together as shown using CA glue. Ensure achieving a strong bond between the
two parts. Prepare this for both the left and right sides.

USER MANUAL 13
 Boom Assembly

175mm 148mm 177mm

FRONT

Above is an illustration showing the dimensions helpful for correctly placing the
boom. It is a carbon tube with a diameter of 16mm and a length of 500mm.
Insert it and measure the distances according to the drawing. You can mark the
boundary points, for example, with a light-colored marker. Inside the Boom
Mount, there is a hole that leads to a channel designed for wires. Cut a
corresponding hole in the carbon tube at this location. It doesn't need to be
perfectly shaped, but it is important that it is large enough to accommodate all
the motor cables that will be routed through it in the next steps.

USER MANUAL 14
 Boom Assembly

If the boom is already properly positioned, secure it. To do this, use M3 screws
and nuts in the designated spots. As shown in the drawing, the mounting is
done by clamping the tube and securing it against movement. Optionally, you
can wrap the tube with a layer of duct tape at the mounting zone, which will
further reduce play and increase friction, and strengthen the boom's attachment
even more.

USER MANUAL 15
 Boom Assembly

Now it's time to install the motors. Mounting is done by clamping the carbon
tube between the upper and lower parts of the mount. As shown in the
drawing, insert the M3 threaded inserts from below, and secure them with
screws from above. In this case, you can also wrap the end of the tube with a
layer of duct tape to increase friction and strengthen the mount.
It’s easier to install the propeller first and then attach the motor to the mount.
At this stage, also extend the motor wires to the required length, route them
inside the tube and lead into the fuselage.

USER MANUAL 16
 Boom Assembly

Proceed the same way with the remaining motor. Prepare this for both the right
and left wings.

USER MANUAL 17
 Boom Assembly

Now it's time to assemble the rest of the wing. Glue all the segments together
using CA glue. Insert the 6mm carbon tube, cut to a length of 350mm, into the
designed slot. The installation of the aileron, hinges, and servos is identical to
the fixed wing version. However, make sure to print the aileron labeled as VTOL,
as it is slightly shorter than the fixed wing one.

USER MANUAL 18
 Finishing Build

Insert the completed wings using the 12x460mm and 6x680mm tubes as spars,
just as with the fixed wing version. Finally, secure them in place with M3 screws.
At this stage, the entire airframe is ready, and it's time to move on to connecting
wires and configuration.

USER MANUAL 19
 Wiring

Above is a diagram showing a sample wiring and equipment layout. This configuration
uses 5 separate ESCs and a PDB for power distribution. Power is provided by a single
battery. The diagram also includes suggested channel assignments for the servos and all
motors. Only the essential equipment is shown on the schematic. FPV Camera, VTX,
Receiver, and other optional sensors and equipment are not included, as they can be
implemented in various ways depending on the chosen hardware.
The presented schematic is not the only solution but is intended to help beginners
understand the setup. For example, instead of individual ESCs, you can use a 4-in-1 ESC
board. Another option to consider is using separate batteries for hover and horizontal
flight. The diagram is also available in a larger size in PDF format in the file package.

USER MANUAL 20
 Configuration

The software I recommend is Ardupilot. It's necessary to familiarize yourself with

the information on the website where the full configuration of Quadplanes in
Ardupilot is described.

https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/quadplane-setup.html

I will present here the most important information and parameters that need to
be set and paid attention to.

X Frame Configuration

The configuration used is a classic X Frame layout. Two pairs of propellers are
needed: one pair of CW and one pair of CCW, as indicated in the drawing.

USER MANUAL 21
 Configuration

Servo Output

This is the assignment of all channels that you can set at the beginning.

USER MANUAL 22
 Configuration

MAIN QUADPLANE PARAMETERS

Q_ENABLE = 1
Next, you need to set the parameter Q_ENABLE to 1. This enables all options
related to quadplane support. You need to click ‚write’ and then ‚refresh’
to obtain the full list of parameters.

Q_FRAME_CLASS = 1
Next, set Q_FRAME_CLASS to 1, indicating the selection of the quadplane layout

Q_FRAME_TYPE = 1
This parameter specifies the choice of frame. 1 corresponds to our X frame
layout.
TKOFF_THR_SLEW= 40
Defines the slew rate for the throttle during automatic takeoffs and when
transitioning from hover mode to fixed wing. Expressed in percentage per
second, so a value of 20 means the throttle will gradually increase over 5
seconds until it reaches the maximum value. A value of 40 corresponds to just
over 2 seconds and is tested for our aircraft, allowing for a quick transition to
horizontal flight without immediately loading the ESC with full power.

Q_ASSIST_SPEED = -1
Determines the speed below which the tilt motors will assist in generating lift.
This can be seen as an additional safeguard against stalling, where the motors
will automatically tilt upwards. However, we do not want this function in this
aircraft, so we set it to -1 to disable it.
Q_M_PWM_TYPE = 2
Specifies the PWM type for the motors. If you are using the recommended ESCs,
they support ONESHOT125, and the value of the parameter should be set to 2. If
you are using other ESCs, adjust this parameter accordingly. Without specifying
it, manual ESC calibration will be required.

USER MANUAL 23
 Configuration

MAIN QUADPLANE PARAMETERS

Q_OPTIONS = 163841
This parameter allows you to set additional options. You can manually select the
functions you are interested in, and the parameter value will adjust
automatically. By selecting the recommended options, the value comes out to
be 163841. Select the functions: Level Transition (Maintains wings level within
the LEVEL_ROLL_LIMIT range during transition), ThrLandControl (Allows manual
throttle control during landing), EnableLandReposition (Allows manual position
adjustment during automatic landing).
AIRSPEED_MIN = 17
AIRSPEED_MAX = 35
These parameters specify the minimum and maximum speed in m/s in
automatic throttle modes. The values align well with the characteristics of the
Super Stingray. The minimum speed is crucial during transitions. Full transition
will be executed upon reaching the minimum flight speed.
Q_TRANSITION_MS = 3000
Q_TRANSITION is related to the previous one and determines the time in
milliseconds for a full transition after reaching the minimum speed. During this
time, the VTOL motors gradually slow down while the pusher motor speeds up.
3 seconds is the tested time for this aircraft, providing an efficient and smooth
transition.
Q_LAND_SPEED = 20
The descent rate in Q_LAND mode. The value is expressed in cm/s. 20 ensures a
gentle descent. After touching the ground, for a few seconds, the lack of altitude
change is detected, and shortly after, the motors switch to disarmed mode.

Q_M_BAT_VOLT_MAX = 16.8
Q_M_BAT_VOLT_MIN = 13.2
These parameters determines the maximum and minimum battery voltage
values. When using 4S packs, you should enter the above values. This allows
compensation of throttle in hover mode depending on the current battery state.
This way, the throttle position should always provide the same thrust regardless
of the voltage.

USER MANUAL 24
 Configuration

After setting all the mentioned parameters, the aircraft is ready for its first flight
tests. However, I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the entire
chapter on quadplanes on the Ardupilot website. You will find a lot of
information there regarding configuration and tuning, flight mode operations,
and much more.

QUADPLANE GENERAL CHAPTER

https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/qua
dplane-setup.html

IMPORTANT SUBSECTIONS

FLIGHT MODES
https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/qua
dplane-flight-modes.html

FLYING A QUADPLANE
https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/qua
dplane-flying.html

VTOL TUNING
https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/qua
dplane-first-flight.html

QUADPLANE SETUP TIPS

https://ardupilot.org/plane/docs/qua
dplane-tips.html

USER MANUAL 25
USER MANUAL 26