Manufactured by Interactive Toy Concepts Ltd. and part of the Bladerunner Series of RC helicopters, the Firefly and Micro Mosquito are two of the most popular mini indoor RC helicopters on the market today. We hope this FAQ and troubleshooting guide will help you diagnose any problems you may encounter with your favorite little RC heli. If you require spare parts we sell a complete selection of spare parts for both the Micro Mosquito and Firefly on our Web site or you can order by phone by calling 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907.
How much space do I need to fly my Firefly or Micro Mosquito?
At least a mid size living room, clear of any obstructions is needed. Be sure to keep the Firefly or Micro Mosquito away from walls, ceiling and other fixtures. Because of the aerodynamics of the rotors the Firefly or Micro Mosquito will seem to get sucked towards any obstacle/wall if it gets too close.
What about fans, air conditioners, vents and windows?
The Firefly or Micro Mosquito is very light weight and hence sensitive to wind, any air movement from heating vents, fans, windows, etc will make it more difficult to control.
Can I fly outdoors?
The Firefly and Micro Mosquito are indoor helicopters. The same innovations that make it super stable also makes it easily effected by wind and turbulence. Even the calmest out door day has wind that will effect the Firefly or Micro Mosquito’s performance.
The Rotors are tilted an not level, is this okay?
When the rotors are not spinning it is normal for the rotors to rest in a tilted position. This is normal even if they are properly balanced. In hover the rotors will level out; however, in moving flight the lower rotor will usual tilt sideways due to aerodynamic and gyroscopic forces and is necessary to maintain stability.
Repairing the rotor blades.
Repairing the rotor blades is possible. Buy Firefly or Micro Mosquito Rotor Blades.
| If the ring broken |
Replace with new rotor - spare parts kit available separately |
| If the blades are broken or cracked |
Use clear tape to fix. Hold the broken or cracked blades in the correct position and using as little tape as possible, secure the rotor together. Trim or fold over any extra tape. If too much tape is used it will throw out the balance and hinder your stable flight |
| If the centre (head) is broken |
Replace with new rotor - spare part kit available separately |
| Bent or deformed center (head) |
Use some force to permanently bend it back again NOTE: Be careful to not destroy the hinges, the rotor must be able to tilt absolutely freely (when you tap on it, it should tilt up and down for at least 2 seconds before it comes to rest again - if this is not the case the helicopter will be unstable and start to oscillate) |
Replacing the rotor blades
Rotor Replacement kits are available for the Firefly or Micro Mosquito and have detailed instruction to replace the rotors.
The top rotor will not side on the rotor shaft.
The upper rotor has been keyed to match the D shape of the drive shaft. When replacing the upper rotor you must ensure to orient it properly so that the D shape of the rotor’s central opening matches the D shaped drive shaft.
The Firefly or Micro Mosquito tips over during take off.
Launch the Firefly or Micro Mosquito from hard flat surfaces only. When taking off briskly move the throttle stick forward to get the Firefly or Micro Mosquito airborne quickly. Letting the helicopter sit on the ground with the rotors spinning will almost always result in the helicopter tipping over.
How long will the Firefly or Micro Mosquito Fly?
This is very dependent on the condition of the battery and how you are flying the Firefly or Micro Mosquito. Typical flight times are between 8 and 10 minutes. Should you be able to fly over 10 minutes you should land and let your motors cool down to ensure you do not burn them out, this will ensure many more fun flights.
How long does it take to charge the Firefly or Micro Mosquito?
This depends on the condition of the charger batteries (the six C sized alkaline cells) and the condition of the helicopter battery. After a long flight of 10 minutes or more it can take 30 to 45 minutes to fully recharge the battery. If the charge batteries are old, performed multiple charges, or been used in other product then the charge time can be longer. If the charge time becomes excessive or you are having short flights from a charge replace your charger’s batteries with new alkaline batteries. You can purchase an AC adapter so you don’t need the 6 C batteries in the charger/base station. This will ensure you always get a full charge.
What if I disconnect the Firefly or Micro Mosquito before the charge is complete?
Stopping a charge cycle before it is finished will not effect the helicopter battery or the charger, it is just like not completely filling a car’s gas tank. Just like the car will not drive a far before running out of gas if the tank is not full, the Firefly or Micro Mosquito will not fly as long if the charge is stopped early.
Why does my controller (transmitter) light flash when I turn the ON/OFF switch to ON?
The helicopter is programmed with a safety feature that helps prevent damage to the helicopter. When the controller is turned on the helicopter will not respond to it until the helicopter control is initialized. To do this you must cycle the throttle from 0% to 100% to 0%, at which point the LED will stop flashing and be steady. The flashing is to remind you that the speed control is not initialized.
Firefly or Micro Mosquito has a lost or broken leg
Buy a replacement body or use clear tape or Crazy glue to reattach the broken leg (under adult supervision). If the leg is lost then try to use a piece of the plastic tube from a Q-tip to replace the broken part of the leg (plus a little glue). If you lost the leg use a piece of the plastic tube from a Q-tip to replace the broken part of the leg and glue in place.
Micro Mosquito has a broken tail rotor
Buy a new Micro Mosquito tail rotor. Simply pull off the broken propeller and press on the new one.
Micro Mosquito tail motor quit working
Buy a replacement body or remove the propeller and add a little weight to the front e.g. a metal paper clip attached to the motors (hold by the motor magnet) to get a slow constant forward speed.
Loose / Broken Firefly or Micro Mosquito tail boom
Buy a replacement body. The tail boom will normally not break under normal operations, it requires excessive force or misuse to break the tail boom. If the tail boom has a loose connection with the body glue the boom to the body without pulling it out first. NOTE: be careful as there are two very thin wires for the tail motor going inside the boom, the thin wires can be damaged.
Firefly or Micro Mosquito motor gears / pinions not meshing
The upper motor pinion should mesh with the upper large gear, and the lower motor pinion should mesh with the lower large gear. If either of these does not, carefully guide the large gear over the lip on the small gear, until the gears mesh properly. If your gears are broken purchase our rotor shaft and drive gears combo. If you lost your motor pinions purchase new ones.
Firefly / Micro Mosquito Troubleshooting Table
| Issue |
Cause |
Corrective Action |
| Helicopter will not start, LED on helicopter is off |
- Helicopter is not turned ON
|
- Turn helicopter’s on/off switch to the ON position
|
| Helicopter will not start, LED on helicopter is ON |
- Transmitter is not turned ON
- Speed control is not initialized
|
- Turn Transmitter on and initialize the speed control by cycling the throttle 0%-100%-0%
- Initialize the speed control by cycling the throttle 0%-100%-0%
|
| Helicopter is flying too high |
- You need to reduce the throttle
|
- Move the Throttle control (left stick) down
|
| Helicopter is flying too low |
- Need more power/throttle
- The battery in the helicopter is low
- The batteries in the charger are low
|
- Move the Throttle control (left stick) up
- Land the helicopter, ensure it is turned off, and re-charge the battery
- Remove the batteries from the charger and replace with new Alkaline batteries
|
| The Helicopter does not hover |
- The helicopter drifts
- The helicopter drifts forward
- The helicopter drifts backward
|
- Ensure that there is no moving air in the flight area, turn off fans, close all vents and windows
- Compensate with back on the right stick to hold the helicopter in position
- Compensate with forward on the right stick to hold the helicopter in position
|
| Helicopter does not move fast enough |
- The battery charge is getting low
- The tail rotor is damaged
- The center of gravity is no longer correct
|
- Land the helicopter, ensure it is turned off, and re-charge the battery
- Replace tail rotor with new unit. Buy a new tail rotor.
- Adjust center of gravity forward by taping a paper clip or other light weight item to the bottom of the helicopter nose.
|
| The Helicopter always spins in hover |
- The trim control is not set correctly
- The Rotor Blades have sustained damage or worn from use
- Helicopter spins counter clock wise
- Helicopter spins clockwise
|
- Adjust the trim control
- Gently bend more curvature into the blades
- Adjust the lower rotor blades
- Adjust the upper rotor blades
|
Need Replacement Parts?
Draganfly Innovations Inc. sells replacement parts for your Firefly or Micro Mosquito. We have a complete line of replacement parts available through our Web site or by calling 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907.
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© Draganfly Innovations Inc.
Phone: 1-800-979-9794 / 306-955-9907
Email: info@rctoys.com
Web: www.rctoys.com
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