Outlaw Online Manual

Flight And Pre-Flight Checklist
Aircraft Battery
Controller Setup
Propeller Installation And Removal
Aircraft Setup
Completing Aircraft Compass Calibration
Unlocking The Aircraft
Flight Operation
Return-To-Home Functions
Landing and Locking The Aircraft
Using Our Mobile App

Flight And Pre-Flight Checklist

For easy reference, here is a brief overview of all the steps you need to go through to set up and fly the Outlaw. Click a particular step to learn more!

Ensure that the battery in the aircraft has been completely charged and correctly inserted.
Ensure that the batteries in the controller have been completely charged and correctly inserted.
Make sure that you have completed controller setup and adjusted all preferences to your liking.
Ensure that propellers have been installed correctly.
Connect the remote controller to the aircraft.
Let the aircraft complete initialization detection.
Complete aircraft compass calibration.
Unlock the aircraft.
Take off by pulling up on the throttle stick.
When you’re done flying, land by pulling down on the throttle stick.
Remove the battery from the aircraft.

Aircraft Battery

The Altair Aerial Outlaw comes with a single 7.4V 1800mAh LiPo battery.

How To Charge The Battery

The Altair Aerial Outlaw comes with one battery, a balance charger, and a micro USB cord. To charge the battery, follow these steps:

Insert the micro USB cord into the balance charger as shown in the video above.

Use the cord to connect the balance charger to any USB interface (5V adapter or any device with USB interface). At this point, the red light on the balance charger should light up, while the green light remains off.

Insert the cord on the battery itself into the triplex-wire socket of the balance charger. The green light on the balance charger should start flashing to indicate that the charging process has begun.

Once the charging process has finished, both the green light AND the red light will hold solid. The charging process for a single battery will take about five hours.

NOTE: If there is a malfunction during charging, the red light will hold solid while the green light flashes rapidly.

How To Put The Battery In The Drone

Slide the battery into the battery compartment at the rear of the aircraft by pushing with appropriate force. Make sure that you hear a click sound indicating the battery is firmly installed. Then, turn the lock located at the bottom of the aircraft 90 degrees clockwise to the " LOCK" position.

Controller Setup

How To Put Batteries In The Controller

The Outlaw’s remote controller requires 4 AA batteries. Follow these steps to insert them:

Use a Phillip’s head screwdriver to turn the screw in the back of the controller counter-clockwise. Remove the cover to the battery compartment.
Insert four AA batteries into the indicated areas in the battery compartment, making sure to match polarity (the “+” side on the battery should match the “+” side on the diagram inside the compartment.)
Replace the cover for the battery compartment and re-attach the screw by turning it clockwise.

Please be aware of the following safety concerns:

Only batteries of the same or equivalent type as recommended are to be used.
Batteries must be inserted with the correct polarity.
Do not attempt to charge non-rechargeable AA batteries.
Do not mix old and new batteries.
Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries.
Rechargeable batteries are to be removed from the controller before being charged.
Rechargeable batteries are only to be charged under adult supervision.
Dead batteries should not be left in the transmitter.
Do not short-circuit the supply terminals.

Throttle Mode

The Outlaw comes with four different control schemes, or “Throttle Modes”, which users can choose based on their own personal comfort. Here’s what each throttle mode looks like:

Mode 2 is the default, since it’s most comfortable for right-handed people. But pilots who are left-handed or who are more comfortable with a different control scheme may want to choose a different throttle mode. To do so:

Turn on the controller while the aircraft is still off.
While the indicator light on the remote is flashing, hold the RTH button down for 3 seconds. (The RTH button is the top right button on the controller, near the “H” symbol.)

When you’ve done this successfully, you’ll hear a “beep” and the LCD screen on the front of the controller will say that the mode has changed. You can follow this procedure again to switch to the next number - the mode will change from 2 to 3 to 4 to 1 to 2.

How To Change Flight Mode

The Outlaw has two different flight modes.

In GPS Mode, the aircraft will precisely position itself and hover automatically. This is an easier flying mode that is recommended for beginners.

In Gesture Mode, the GPS is not used for positioning and the aircraft only uses its barometer to maintain altitude. The aircraft cannot fly with precise positioning and hovering. This is a more difficult flying mode that should only be used by experienced pilots.

The bottom left toggle on the controller (shown in the video above) is used to change flight mode. Slide it to the “A” position on the left to enter Gesture Mode. Slide it to the “B” position on the right to enter GPS Mode.

How To Use Headless Mode

Headless mode allows the Outlaw to automatically orient itself in the air. That means the “front” of the drone from a control standpoint will be whatever side of the drone is facing away from you, rather than being the literal front of the vehicle. For those not familiar with Headless Mode, the above video explains in clear visual detail why this mode makes it easier to fly the aircraft.

To turn on headless mode:

Turn on the controller
Turn on the aircraft
Complete signal connection
Place the aircraft flat on the ground with the main headlight facing away from you.
Slide the bottom right toggle on the controller (the one just above an image of the drone with arrows pointing in all four directions) all the way to the right, to the “B” position. This will cause the same image to appear on the LCD control screen.

Some experienced pilots might want to turn off Headless Mode. This can be done by following the above steps, but moving the toggle to the “A” position instead of the “B” position.

Control Stick Calibration

Control stick calibration has been completed by default, and you shouldn’t need to complete it yourself a second time. Only attempt control stick calibration if you have noticed that the controller is not responding correctly to stick input.

To re-calibrate the control sticks:

Hold the red button on top of the controller and slide the power switchto the ON position.
Push down the calibration button and hold it for 3 seconds. This will cause the remote controller to beep three times and cause the indicator light on the remote to start flashing slowly.
Turn both the left stick and the right stick to any directionand rotate for two whole circles.
Push the calibration button again and hold for three seconds.
The remote controller will beep three times and the indicator light will start flashing quickly again to indicate that control stick calibration has been completed.

Remote Control Status Indicators

These are the different types of remote control status indicators you might observe while using the Outlaw.

If you see that...	It means that...
The indicator lights on the controller are flashing quickly	The remote controller is in the process of connecting to the drone.
The indicator lights are flashing slowly, there is a steady beeping sound, and the battery indicator on the LCD display is flashing	The remote controller needs new batteries.
The battery indicator on the display is at half capacity and the controller is beeping slowly	The aircraft's battery is running out and the aircraft will return to its takeoff point automatically when the altitude is over 100m or the distance is over 300m.
The battery indicator on the display is at low display and the beeps are much longer	The aircraft’s battery is low and the aircraft will return to its takeoff point automatically when the altitude is over 15m or the distance is over 15m. (Note: the aircraft will land automatically once its battery is drained.)
The signal indicator on the display has two or fewer bars and the controller is beeping slowly	EITHER the distance between the aircraft and the remote is so long that the signal is weak, OR the battery has been removed after the aircraft has connected to the remote controller.

Propeller Installation And Removal

To Install Propeller A:

Put the propeller labelled with an "A" into the clockwise rotating motor shaft. The side marked A should be facing up. Then, put the soft pad into the center bore of the propeller. Finally, take one of the screws marked with a white dot, put it into the motor shaft, and tighten it clockwise.

To Install Propeller B:

Put the propeller labelled with a "B" into the counter-clockwise rotating motor shaft. The side marked B should be facing up. Then put the soft pad into the center bore of the propeller. Finally, take one of the screws marked with a black dot, put it into the motor shaft, and tighten it counter-clockwise.

To Remove The Propellers:

Hold the motor. Unscrew screws with a white dot counter-clockwise and unscrew screws with a black dot clockwise. Lift and remove the propeller from the housing.

Aircraft Setup

How To Connect The Aircraft To The Remote

Insert the battery into the aircraft and lock it as described above. This will cause the aircraft to turn on, and you will hear a short series of five beeps.
Hold down the red button on the top left of the controller.
While continuing to hold down this button, turn the controller on. You will hear two beeps.
Once a connection has been made, the lights on the aircraft will begin flashing less rapidly and the signal icon will be shown on the LCD screen built into the controller.

Aircraft Initialization Detection

After signal connection, the aircraft will automatically begin the initialization detection procedure, as shown by the front and rear lights flashing alternately red, light green, and green.

This procedure requires no human interaction. However, you should make sure that the aircraft has been set on a flat and still surface during the 8 second aircraft initialization detection process.

Once the front and rear lights on the aircraft glow start alternately flashing green and light green, initialization detection has been completed and the aircraft will begin compass calibration (see next section.)

Gyroscope Calibration

Gyroscope calibration has been completed by factory default, and does not need to be performed again unless the aircraft is unable to exit the initialization detection procedure.

To complete gyroscope calibration:

Connect the aircraft to the remote
Set the aircraft flat on a horizontal surface
Push down both of the control sticks to the lower left corner and hold them there.
This should cause the front and rear lights of the aircraft to turn green and begin flashing rapidly. This means that the gyroscope is calibrating. Continue holding the control sticks down during this time.
Once calibration is complete, the aircraft lights will turn solid. This means that calibration has been successful, and you can now let go of the sticks.

Completing Aircraft Compass Calibration

Aircraft compass calibration must be completed every time the battery is changed or reinstalled. Compass calibration should be performed immediately after successful aircraft initialization detection.

The first step of this process is horizontal calibration. When the aircraft’s front and rear lights start flashing light green, hold the aircraft upright and rotate it 360 degrees horizontally for 3 full circles as shown in the video above. The aircraft lights will change from light green to green when this step is complete.

The second step of this process is vertical calibration. Once the lights have started flashing a darker shade of green, hold the aircraft so that its camera is facing straight down. Rotate the aircraft 360 degrees for three full circles as shown in the video above until the front and rear lights stop flashing. This indicates that the compass calibration has been successful.

Unlocking The Aircraft

After compass calibration has been completed, you must unlock the aircraft in order to take off.

There are two ways to unlock the aircraft:

Push the red lock button (top left of the controller, labeled with a symbol of a lock.) This will immediately cause the aircraft to unlock, as shown by the rotation of the propellers.

Push the left control stick to the lower right corner and the right stick to the lower left corner at the same time. In other words, point both sticks towards the bottom and towards each other, making a “V” shape. The aircraft is unlocked once the motors begin to rotate.

Flight Operation

Takeoff

Once the aircraft has been unlocked and the propellers are moving, push the one-touch takeoff and landing button. This button is in the top left corner of the controller, just UNDER the red button, and is labeled by a pair of arrows pointing up and down to signify takeoff and landing.

Flying The Aircraft

As explained in the “Controller Setup” section of this manual, the Outlaw has two different flight modes: GPS Mode and Gesture Mode. In GPS Mode, if you are not currently sending inputs to the aircraft, it will precisely position itself and hover in space. In Gesture Mode, the aircraft will not precisely position itself and may drift in the breeze if not constantly given input.

The controls used to fly the aircraft are determined by the Throttle Mode of the controller, as described in the “Controller Setup” section of this manual.

Taking Photos And Video

If you wish to take photos and videos using the Outlaw’s built-in camera, but do not wish to connect to the mobile app as shown in a later section, it is possible to do so using the controller itself.

First, you will need to insert a TF card or micro SD card (not included) into the aircraft, as shown in the video below. To insert a memory card:

Flip the drone so you can see its underside.
You will see a port under the drone near an image of a memory card. Plug the card into this port and orient it as seen in the image. You will hear a click.
To remove the card, push in gently until you hear another click. Let go of the card and it should pop right out of the aircraft.

Once the card has been inserted, you can push the camera button on the top right corner of the controller (next to the picture of the camera) to take photos or videos. Press the button once, quickly, to take a photo - the camera symbol on the LCD screen will flash once to show that a photograph has been taken.

Hold the same button for longer and the video symbol on the LCD screen will start flashing slowly to show that the aircraft's camera is now filming continuous video. Hold the button again until the symbol stops flashing to stop filming.

Return-To-Home Functions

The Return-to-Home (RTH) functions brings the aircraft back to the last recorded Home Point. A Home Point is simply the location from which the aircraft takes off.

In order to use RTH functions, the drone must be put in GPS Mode. The LCD controller screen will show a picture of a satellite next to a number, like so:

This indicates how many satellites are currently over your position. This number must be seven or higher before takeoff in order to use RTH mode.

There are 3 types of RTH procedures: Smart RTH, Failsafe RTH and Low Battery RTH. The following sections describe them in detail.

Smart RTH

If more than 7 satellites were present before takeoff, the home point has been recorded previously. You can now press the RTH button to make the aircraft return home. This is the button on the top right corner of the aircraft, just above the button that shows an “H” in a balloon-like shape, signifying the Home Point. The button in question is also shown in the videos above.

When you press this button to activate the Smart RTH function, you can use the remote controller to guide the aircraft around obstacles. You can also press the RTH button again to end the Smart RTH procedure and regain full control of the aircraft.

Failsafe RTH

If the home point has been recorded previously and more than 7 satellites are currently present, Failsafe RTH will be automatically activated if the connection between the aircraft and the remote controller is lost for more than 6 seconds. The aircraft will automatically take control of itself and will fly back to the last recorded home point. You can regain control of the aircraft by pressing the RTH button if the remote control signal is recovered.

Note that you cannot use the remote controller to avoid obstacles during the Failsafe RTH procedure.

If the connection between the aircraft and the remote controller is lost for more than 6 seconds and one of the following is true…

There are fewer than 7 satellites in the sky
The home point was not recorded previously
The drone is not currently in the GPS Flight Mode

...the aircraft will instead descend slowly until it lands on the ground, at which point the aircraft will automatically lock itself.

Low Battery RTH

When the aircraft's rear lights flash red slowly, the battery icon shown on the LCD screen is at half capacity, and a succession of three beeps is heard, the aircraft will automatically fly back to the Home Point if it is more than 300 meters away or more than 100 meters in the air.

When the aircraft's rear lights flash red slowly, the battery icon shown on the LCD screen is at one-quarter capacity, and a slow single beep is heard, the aircraft will automatically fly back to the home point if it is more than 15 meters away or more than 15 meters in the air.

In either case, the aircraft will automatically land and lock itself, and you cannot regain control of the aircraft by pressing the RTH button.

Landing and Locking The Aircraft

When you are done flying, fly over a flat patch of ground and then push the one-touch takeoff and landing button. This button is in the top left corner of the controller, just UNDER the red button, and is labeled by a pair of arrows pointing up and down to signify takeoff and landing. After pressing this button, the drone will immediately descend.

Once you have landed, there are two ways to lock the aircraft and turn off the motors:

Pull the throttle stick down to the bottom position and hold it there. Simultaneously hold the red button on the controller for three seconds. The motors will stop immediately to indicate that the aircraft is locked.

After the aircraft lands on the ground, pull the throttle stick down to the bottom position and keep it

there for three seconds. The motors will stop immediately to indicate that the aircraft is locked.

ALWAYS remove the battery after landing. To remove the battery, turn the lock located at the bottom of the aircraft 90 degrees counterclockwise to the "UNLOCK" position. Then place your thumb and index finger at the positions shown in the video above, push with light force, and pull the battery out of the dock. To avoid slipping, please keep your fingers and your aircraft dry and clean.

Using Our Mobile App

The Bugs GO mobile application is an essential hub from which you can operate the camera of your Altair Aerial aircraft. Please make sure that you have downloaded the “Bugs GO” app to your mobile device before you fly your Outlaw.

Note that, unlike with other Altair Aerial products, you cannot fly the Outlaw aircraft using the Bugs GO app. You can only use this application to take photos and video.

Installing The App

Apple users can go to the App Store, search for “Bugs GO,” and download the app.

Android users can go to the Google Play Store, search for “Bugs GO,” and download the app.

You can also use these QR codes:

outlaw manual qr code

Connecting The Phone To The Aircraft

To connect the Bugs GO app to your aircraft camera:

Turn on the aircraft
Enter your phone or mobile device’s WiFi settings.
Find the network named “drone_******”, where the asterisks are any six randomly assigned characters, on the list of networks.
Connect to this network.

Please make sure that your mobile device supports 5G WiFi before linking the Bugs GO app to the camera.

Taking Photo And Video With The App

Once the app has been installed and connected to the aircraft, exit your phone’s settings and open the application. Click “GO” to enter into the real-time image transmission screen.

Overlaid on the FPV live video transmission itself, you will see the following suite of photo and video controls. Though most are self-explanatory, the function of these controls is shown in more detail in the video above:

You can push the “Photo” button to take a photograph and push the “Video” button to start recording a video. Press the “Video” button a second time when you want to stop filming.

If you have inserted a memory card into the aircraft (as described in the “Taking Photos And Video” section above), photos and videos will be saved to the card. If you have not inserted such a card, photos and videos will be saved on your phone, provided there is available space. Photos and videos saved on the TF card can be downloaded to the Bugs GO app.