• Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

When I received my drone, it flew perfectly. After a few days, I broke one of the little motors (or better the cog at the top of the motor broke off).
Today, I received my replacement motor. After I installed it, I tried to start the drone again.
But when I start it, it does not lift of straight up, but one side (the one with the camera) seems to have much more uplift and the drone just tilts with that side up (the other side stays on the ground).
I tried resetting the drone and even a flat trim to no avail.

  • Registered: 04-20-2012
  • Posts: 139

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

Did you buy a replacement motor or did Parrot send it to you for free?

  • Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

I bought a replacement motor.

In fact, I bought two motors and tried the other one too - with the same result.

  • Registered: 12-15-2011
  • Posts: 121

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

What does your Hardware Information page in the FreeFlight application say? Does it give a different version number for the new motor over the other three?

  • Registered: 04-21-2012
  • Posts: 1,664

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

Good call... i wondered that as soon as i read this post... or if it has the brass gear... it's the motor for the drone 1.0

1.4mile (2.25kilometer) World Record AR.Drone 2.0 long range flight
December 16th 2012.................YouTube Link here
  • Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

They don't have the brass gear, so they seem to be for the 2.0 drone. But I have to check the exact hardware version when I come home.

The other thing that I will check tonight is if it's actually the motor that causes this. I'll move the new motor to "the other side" of the drone and see if it still tilts into the same direction. If yes, then it probably won't be the motor, but something in the processor that controls the motor speed broke.

  • Registered: 04-21-2012
  • Posts: 1,664

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

Could be on to something there... maybe when that one motor burnt out it also affected something on the board...

1.4mile (2.25kilometer) World Record AR.Drone 2.0 long range flight
December 16th 2012.................YouTube Link here
  • Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

So, all motors show the same versions:
Type 1.1
Hardware 5.0
Software 1.41

... next: switch them and see what happens...

  • Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

So, I switched the motors around - several times. The drone tilts into different directions. But I could not make out any pattern of one motor being constantly slower (i.e. be on the side that stays on the ground) or one motor being faster (i.e. be on the side that always lifts up). That doesn't seem to make any sense...
Is there any easy way to measure the rpm of each rotor?

  • Registered: 06-05-2012
  • Posts: 7

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

Wow, this is embarrassing. With all the switching of motors, I must have switched some of the rotors around. I put them back into the correct order... and everything works again!

  • Registered: 04-21-2012
  • Posts: 1,664

Re: Drone only tilts, but does not lift off.

Oh my god... i was gonna say something but i didn't wanna be insulting... hahaaaaaa... hey man... it's all good news when it turns out to be a simple mistake... give you props for not giving up on the whole deal... (give you props for checking your props) roll

1.4mile (2.25kilometer) World Record AR.Drone 2.0 long range flight
December 16th 2012.................YouTube Link here