VTOL Parameter Evaluation Tool

VTOL Parameter Check

VTOL Parameter Check

Upload a problem aircraft file, optionally compare a genuinely similar reference, and get a props-off test plan.

Props off before actuator or output testing.
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The reference file is a troubleshooting guide, not a copy source.
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Result files can be saved without retaining the raw uploads. On supported Chromium browsers, the first save can write into VTOL Review Results inside your chosen Arimota pCloud folder.
Learn how this works Method, references, diagrams, watchlists, and saved case studies Collapsed by default

What the tool checks before it suggests another test.

This review follows the normal fixed-wing QuadPlane setup order: confirm the VTOL stack is enabled, verify orientation and outputs on the bench, check tilt or forward-thrust geometry, then use short logged retests instead of speculative changes.

Official ArduPilot references are built in.

The page carries a full local snapshot of the ArduPilot /plane/docs material and ranks the most relevant official pages for each symptom and finding.

QuadPlane and VTOL detection come first.

QuadPlane support only exists after Q_ENABLE is enabled. If the file is not really a fixed-wing VTOL or QuadPlane setup, the tool stops instead of pretending otherwise.

Orientation comes before tuning.

HUD attitude, board orientation, and wrong-way correction checks happen before any motor-order or PID advice.

Output mapping tells the real aircraft story.

Servo functions, hover-motor outputs, forward-thrust outputs, tilt outputs, and reversals often explain more than a raw diff count, especially on 4+1 and tilt-rotor aircraft.

Transition geometry is a flight gate.

A front motor that is not truly vertical in VTOL mode, or a 4+1 forward-thrust lane that is mapped wrong, can look like a tuning problem while actually being a geometry or output problem.

Retests stay short and logged.

The tool favors minimal reversible changes, props-off confirmation, and short hover-only retests with logs after each pass.

Aircraft and parameter visuals

Open the layout and geometry reference cards only when you need them.

Tilt-rotor layout Hover thrust stays vertical first Wing and fuselage Tilt motor Tilt motor

Confirm both tilt lanes agree on vertical thrust, neutral angles, and the direction each servo should travel before transition logic matters.

Lift-plus-cruise / 4+1 layout Fuselage Forward thrust Four hover motors plus one forward-thrust lane

A 4+1 file should clearly separate hover-motor ownership from the forward-thrust output. If those lanes blur together, the file story is already wrong.

Motor direction check Expected direction Wrong-way thrust risk Check motor order and spin before hover

Motor order and spin direction are still first-pass crash checks. A pretty tune cannot save a motor lane that is pushing the wrong way.

Servo direction and tilt geometry Expected tilt Reversed tilt risk Neutral angle first, then direction, then endpoints

Tilt-servo direction errors masquerade as tuning trouble all the time. Verify neutral geometry, travel direction, and endpoints on the bench first.

Flight controller orientation Forward Left Right AHRS orientation must match the real airframe

If the controller thinks forward is right, every downstream correction lane becomes suspect. Orientation is a gate, not a footnote.

Hover-to-forward transition and comparison logic Known-good Stable baseline Problem aircraft Rank the risky differences Use the baseline to shrink the fault lanes Compare similar aircraft. Do not cargo-cult copy values.

The baseline aircraft is there to narrow the search, not to grant blind permission to copy settings into different geometry.

VTOL database watchlists

Prebuilt hover, transition, and fixed-wing offender lists stay here so they do not block the primary safety path.

Ready when the file is

Upload the current problem-aircraft parameter file to begin.

The first screen after analysis is limited to the safety verdict, the top three likely causes, and the next props-off action. Full diagnostics, output maps, references, and all differences stay collapsed until you ask for them.