KAVAN Alpha V2 1500mm - Instruction manual

Precautions:

This R/C model is not a toy. Use it with care and strictly following the instructions in this manual.

Assemble this model following stricktly these instructions. DO NOT modify or alter the model. Failure to do so, the warranty will lapse automatically. Follow the instructions in order to obtain a safe and solid model at the end of the assembly.

Children under the age of 14 must operate the model under the supervision of an adult.

Assure that the model is in perfect conditions before every flight, taking care that all the equipment works correctly and that the model is undamaged in its structure.

Fly only in days with light breeze and in a safe place away from any obstacles.

KAV02.8075V2 KAVAN Alpha V2 - green   |   KAV02.8076V2 KAVAN Alpha V2 - red

Introduction

Congratulations on purchasing the Alpha V2 1500mm motor-powered glider. You are about to embark on a magical journey into the fascinating world of electric-powered RC aeroplanes.

The Alpha V2, made of virtually unbreakable EPO foam, packed with the latest 2.4GHz radio technology and powered with a mighty brushless motor and Li-Po batteries, will help to become an experienced pilot in no time.

Alpha V2 1500mm is not just an entry-level plane but actually a high-performance thermal glider that will please any Sunday pilot - a newcomer as well as a seasoned pro.

Features

• 100% factory-made, partially assembled model
• Aileron, elevator, rudder and throttle control
• Easy handling and high stability; durable, virtually unbreakable high performance electric motor powered glider
• Powerful brushless outrunner motor
• Large wing area, low weight

Specifications

• Wingspan: 1492 mm
• Length: 985 mm
• All-up Weight: 780-810 g
• Wing Area: 21.8 dm²
• Wing Loading: 35.8-37.2 g/dm²
• Motor: C2217-1200 outrunner
• ESC: KAVAN R-30B Plus 30 A with BEC 5 V

Safety precautions

General Warnings

An R/C aeroplane is not a toy! If misused, it can cause serious bodily harm and damage to property. Fly only on a safe place following all instructions and recommendations in this manual. Beware of the propeller! Keep loose items that can get entangled in the propeller away from the spinning propeller, including loose clothing, or other objects such as pencils and screwdrivers. Ensure that yours and other people’s hands, and face are kept away from the rotating propeller.

Note on Lithium Polymer Batteries

Lithium Polymer batteries are significantly more vulnerable than alkaline or NiCd/NiMH batteries used in R/C applications. All manufacturer’s instructions and warnings must be followed closely. Mishandling of LiPo batteries can result in fire. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when disposing of Lithium Polymer batteries.

Additional Safety Precautions and Warnings

As the user of this product, you are solely responsible for operating it in a manner that does not endanger yourself and others or result in damage to the product or the property of others. This model is controlled by a radio signal that is subject to interference from many sources outside your control. This interference can cause momentary loss of control so it is advisable to always keep a safe distance in all directions around your model, as this margin will help to avoid collisions or injury.

Never operate your model with low transmitter batteries.

Always operate your model in an open area away from power lines, cars, traffic, or people.

Avoid operating your model in populated areas where injury or damage can occur.

Carefully follow the directions and warnings for this and any optional support equipment (chargers, rechargeable batteries, etc.) which you use.

Keep all chemicals, small parts and anything electrical out of the reach of children.

Moisture causes damage to electronics. Avoid water exposure to all equipment not specifically designed and protected for this purpose.

Never lick or place any portion of your model in your mouth as it could cause serious injury or even death.

Set contents

• 100% factory-made, partially assembled model (4 servos, brushless motor, 30 A ESC, 8.5x6” prop)

You will also need the following accessories and tools (not included in the kit)

At least a 4-channel transmitter and receiver, Li-Po flight pack 11.1 V 11-1300 mAh.

Tools: Small Phillips and flat screwdrivers.

Assembly

Wing

1. Slide both wing halves onto the metal wing joiner.
2. Secure the wing halves using the wing joiner plate.
3. Use the supplied Y-cables to connect the aileron servos and LED light cables:

A. A radio featuring only one aileron channel: Connect both two aileron servos (connector label “AILE”) to one Y-cable and both two LED light cables (labelled “LED”) to another Y-cable. The aileron Y-cable is to be connected to the aileron channel of your receiver (typically CH1 with many radios); the LED light Y-cable could be connected to any unused channel of your receiver (the LEDs are just powered by the receiver; they are not remote controlled by the radio).

B: A radio featuring 2 independent aileron servo channels: Connect one aileron servo and one LED light to each Y-cable; connect the Y-cables to the respective aileron channels of your receiver (typically, CH1 and CH5 or CH6 – it depends on the transmitter and its setting – please refer to the instruction manual of your radio).

4. Secure the wing using two screws to the fuselage.

Tail Feathers

1. Put together the vertical and horizontal tailplane and secure them using two screws to the fuselage.

2. Attach the plastic quick links of the elevator and rudder pushrods to the outer hole in the respective elevator and rudder horns.

RC set installation

Now you have to install/connect your receiver, servos and electronic speed controller (ESC).

1. Remove the canopy; lift the rear part up to disengage the magnetic lock.

2. Following you radio instruction manual connect the servos, ESC and LED light cables to your receiver – the table shows the channel assignment of the Futaba® or RadioLink® radios - refer to your radio manual for the correct assignment:

Connector Label	Function	Receiver Channel
AILE	Ailerons	CH1
ELEV	Elevator	CH2
ESC	Throttle	CH3
RUDD	Rudder	CH4
LED	LED Lights	CH5

3. Put your receiver into the fuselage under the wing seat; you can secure it using a strip of hoop-and-loop tape to the fuselage.

4. The flight battery pack is to be inserted into the nose of your ALPHA 1500 V2 and secured by the hoop-and-loop tape to the plywood battery trail - the exact position of the battery pack will be determined later during the Centre of Gravity position check.

Caution: Always turn on your transmitter first and only then connect the flight pack to the ESC. From now on always handle your model as if the motor might burst into life and the propeller start to spin anytime!

Preflight check

Checking the current set-up

1. Assure that the transmitter is turned on, place all the trims in their neutral positions and set the throttle stick into the lowest position. Connect the flight pack to the ESC - the red LED on the receiver must glow. If it blinks or does not glow at all, the receiver and transmitter require establishing their link by the binding procedure - refer to the page 5 in this manual.

2. Checking the control surface neutrals

Please check all the control surfaces are in the neutral position if the corresponding transmitter sticks and trims are in the centre position. If not, please release the particular quicklink and set the control surface to the neutral position. The elevator and rudder has to be flush with the horizontal stabilizer resp. the fin, both two ailerons have to be flush with the wing trailing edge. Once satisfied, re-attach the quicklink to the control horn.

Caution: If the quick link got loose during flight, your model could become partly or completely uncontrollable. Therefore, you should check the linkage regularly.

3. Testing the Ailerons

A) Move the aileron stick to the left; (looking from the tail to the nose) the left aileron must move up and the right aileron must drop down simultaneously.

B) Move the aileron stick to the right; the left aileron must drop down and the right aileron go up simultaneously.

C) Return the aileron stick to the centre (neutral) - both two ailerons will return to the neutral position.

Note: If the ailerons are moving in the opposite direction, you will have to reverse the direction by flipping the aileron reverse switch (AIL) on your transmitter.

4. Testing the Rudder

A) Move the rudder stick to the left; (looking from the tail to the nose) the rudder must move to the left.

B) Move the rudder stick to the right; the rudder must move to the right.

C) Return the ruder stick to the centre (neutral) - the rudder will return to the neutral position.

Note: If the rudder is moving in the opposite direction, you will have to reverse the direction by flipping the rudder reverse switch (RUD) on your transmitter.

5. Testing the Elevator

A) The elevator stick is located on the left side on the Mode 1 transmitter or on the right side on the Mode 2 transmitter. Pull the elevator stick down; the elevator must move up).

B) Push the elevator stick up; the elevator must move down.

C) Return the elevator stick to the centre (neutral) - the elevator will return to the neutral position.

Note: If the elevator is moving in the opposite direction, you will have to reverse the direction by flipping the elevator reverse switch (ELE) on your transmitter.

6. Control Surface Throws

If you carefully followed the instruction in the previous sections of this manual, the correct default control surface throws has been set automatically. The control throws are set by the ratio between the length of the servo arm and the control surface throw - the actual throws set this way are listed in the column “Normal Rate” in the table below. (The throws are always measured in the widest point of the particular control surface.) It is always better to try to reach the requested throws mechanically, adjusting the arm/horn length ratio - even if you have got a fancy computer radio. If you got such a transmitter you can use the function “Dual Rate” (D/R) to get even more forgiving set-up - please refer to the “Low Rate” column. You can also do it mechanicaly - simply move the push rod Z-bends on the servo arms closer to the centre.

A. A radio featuring only one aileron channel

Control	Low Rate	Normal Rate	Expo*
Aileron	8 mm up and down	12 mm up and down	30%
Rudder	14 mm left and right	20 mm left and right	20%
Elevator	8 mm up and down	12 mm up and down	30%

B. A radio featuring 2 independent aileron servo channels

Control	Low Rate	Normal Rate	Expo*
Aileron	8 mm up/4 mm down	12 mm up/6 mm down	30%
Rudder	14 mm left and right	20 mm left and right	20%
Elevator	8 mm up and down	12 mm up and down	30%

*Expo – set to decrease the sensitivity around the neutral (Futaba, Hitec, Radiolink, Multiplex: -30/-20, Graupner: +30/+20 etc.)

7. Testing the Power system

Perform the throttle range calibration procedure as described in the KAVAN R-30B Plus manual (refer to the attachment) and check the motor brake function has been turned on.

A) Turn on the transmitter, set the throttle stick to the lowest position, connect the flight pack to the ESC in the model (ESC has to be set to the “Brake OFF” mode - if your ESC features this option). If the prop rotated slowly, please check the position of the throttle stick and throttle trim.

B) Slowly move the throttle stick up, the prop should start to rotate clockwise (looking from behind).

Note: If the motor does not respond to the throttle stick advance, check the model power cable connection and the state of charge of your battery.

C) The prop must rotate clockwise (looking from behind). If it spins in the opposite direction, pull the throttle stick back, disconnect the flight battery and swap any two of the three cables between the motor and the ESC. The re-check again. Repeat the ESC throttle range calibration. Then re-check again.

Caution: Keep away from the propeller once the battery will be connected to the model. Do not try to stop the propeller with your hands or anything else.

8. The Centre of Gravity

A) The CG has to be located 55-60 mm behind the leading edge of the wing. Balance your ALPHA 1500 V2 supporting the wing with your fingertips 55 mm behind the leading edge for the first flight.

B) You can fine tune the CG position later to suit your requirements. Moving the CG forward the model flight will be more stable, moving backward the controls will be become more sensitive, also the thermaling performance might improve slightly.

Note: Moving back the CG too much could cause your model would be hard to control or even so unstable that you would not able to control it at all.

Now you are ready to fly.

Flying

Choosing the flying field. weather

Flying Field

The flying field should be a flat grassy area. There should be no cars, persons, animals, buildings, power lines, trees or large stones or any other obstacles that ALPHA 1500 V2 might collide with within the range of ca 150 m. We highly recommend you to join a local model flying club – you will get access to their flying field along with advice and help to make your first steps into model flying much easier and safer.

Weather

Calm summer evenings are perfect for the maiden flight. Your ALPHA 1500 V2 is a light thermal glider that is the happiest with wind under 5 m/s. DO NOT fly when it is raining or snowing, on foggy days. Thunderstorms are clearly not the right time to fly either.

Range check

Perform the range check as described in the instruction manual of your radio. Ask a friend to hold the transmitter, and walk away holding the model in a regular flight position in the height of your shoulders. The servos have to respond to control inputs (control stick movements) without any glitching or jitter, with the motor off and at full throttle within the range stated by the radio manufacturer. Only prepare to fly if the range check is 100% successful.

Caution: Never try to fly with your transmitter in the range check (reduced output power) mode!

The first flight

Now the most important advice in this entire manual:

During the first flight we recommend that you have the support of an experienced RC pilot.

There is no shame in asking for help – new full size aircraft are test flown by skilled factory test pilots – and only then are regular pilots allowed to take control. RC model control requires some skills and reflexes people are not born with. It is not complicated to gain these skills – it just takes some time; this will vary with your natural talent. Full size pilots start under the supervision of a skilled instructor; they learn to fly at a safe altitude at first, learn landing and take-off techniques, and only then are they allowed to fly solo. The same principles apply with RC models too. Please do not expect that you will be able to put your model in the air and fly it without any previous RC experience.

Many will have gained skills in controlling their favourite computer game character by hammering the control buttons or sticks. For model flying this skill will have to be unlearnt!

The sticks movements required to control your model are small & gentle. Many models including ALPHA 1500 V2 are happier if you let them “fly by themselves” for most of the time, with small and gentle stick movements to simply guide the model in the required direction. RC flying is not about stick hammering, it is all about small stick movements, and observing the effect of that stick movement. Only later is it possible to anticipate the effect of larger stick movements that can be dangerous to your model in the earlier stages of model flying.

Step 1: Hand launch and initial trimming

The model must be launched into wind every time. Throw grass into the air to observe the wind direction.

Turn on your transmitter.

Connect and put the flight pack into the battery compartment and secure the canopy.

Hold your model with the wings and fuselage level (refer to the drawing) – it is better to ask a friend to launch your model than to do everything by yourself – you can then concentrate on the controls.

Launch the model against the wind,

Give the model full throttle and launch your model with a gentle push straight and level. You will feel the point at which the model is trying to fly naturally. Do not give it too strong a push. Do not throw your model with nose up, or greater than 10 degrees down. The model must have a certain minimum speed from the very start to stay airborne. It is not enough to just “put” your model in the air.

If everything is OK ALPHA 1500 will climb gently. If your ALPHA 1500 loses altitude, pull the elevator stick very slightly towards you (just a little!) to achieve a steady climb.

Step 2: Flying

Keep your ALPHA 1500 V2 climbing until she reaches at least 50 m in height, then throttle back the motor just to maintain the level flight. The real flying fun begins now.

Please note: ALPHA 1500 V2 is not a large model, so do not let her fly too far away. Please remember you can control your model only so long as you are able to see the model’s orientation in the air. The safe range of your radio is much further than the range of your eyes!

How to control your model?

In contrast to cars or boats, aircraft fly in three dimensional space which makes full control more complex. Turning the steering wheel left or right makes a boat or car to turn left or right, applying more throttle the vehicle speeds up – and this is it. Moving the control sticks left or right has more effect than simply turning the model. The aileron and rudder control will be explained later.

Please note: the control is fully proportional – the more you move the stick, the more movement of the control surface. The actual stick movement required is mostly quite small, and almost never from one end stop to the other!

Elevator controls the model in the vertical axis; apply up elevator and your model’s nose will raise (and the model will climb if it has sufficient power), apply down elevator and your model will descend. Please note that your model can only climb if it has sufficient power applied. Your model will not necessarily climb simply because you have applied up elevator, and will normally need full power applied for a safe gentle climb. If the climb angle is too great, or the power applied insufficient, your model will lose flying speed until the minimum (stall) speed. At the stalling speed (when the airflow starts to break away from the upper surface of the wing), your model will start to feel as though it is not responding as normal to control inputs, and then drop with little warning – apply down elevator to regain flying speed and full normal control.

Ailerons control the angle of bank. If you gently move the aileron stick to the left, your model will start bank to the left as long as you are holding the stick. Now if you return the aileron stick to the centre position (neutral), your model will maintain the bank. If you want to resume straight flight you have to move the aileron stick to the opposite direction.

Rudder of a model without ailerons (you might be already familiar with) controls the angle of bank, which then controls the rate of turn. Natural stability of your model keeps the wings level in normal straight flight. Since your ALPHA 1500 V2 features a “full house” controls including ailerons that are the main means how to control the angle of bank, the use of the rudder is slightly different. You can even start to control your model without use of the rudder - but you will learn lately the correct coordinated turn actually requires both aileron and rudder inputs.

Any turn requires an appropriate bank angle – ALPHA 1500 V2 will fly nice big and safe flat turns with only a small angle of bank. During initial flights never use a bank angle of greater than 45 degrees. By planning the direction that the model will take, normal turns will be made with less than 30 degrees of bank.

Move the rudder to the left a little way, and your model will bank into a gentle turn. Increase the rudder input a little more, and your model will continue turning to the left, but it will also start to descend (this is a good time to move the control stick to the centre to allow your model to recover from the dive!).

Why does your model descend when only rudder is applied? Once the rudder leaves its exactly vertical position it also starts to work as an elevator turned down telling your model to dive. When in a banked turn to maintain level flight it is necessary to apply a little up elevator to counter the effect of the down turned rudder. (Actually, the reason why your model descends in the bank is much more complex - the wing gives less lift in the bank as the vertical projection of the wing is the area that counts and you also have to beat the inertia that tries to keep your model in the straight flight...) The elevator applied when your model is in a banked turn also works like a rudder - fortunately it helps to maintain the turn!

In practise, the ailerons are used to put your model to the desired angle of bank, the rudder is used to maintain it, and the elevator input helps to control height whilst also increasing the rate of turn.

Alternatively, you can use only the ailerons to bank your model, then turn your model using just the elevator and finally resume the straight and level flight with the opposite deflection of ailerons.

We have got through about 3/4 of the turn and it is the time to think about returning to straight and level flight in the desired direction. Return the controls to the middle position (you may need to correct the turn with a little right ailerons and/or rudder). If necessary give slight elevator input to settle your model into a straight and level flight.

If you take a look at our drawing on the right you will notice that it takes some time until the model actually starts to turn. And, when leaving the turn, you have to start to apply the opposite ailerons and rudder sooner than the nose of your model is pointing to the desired final direction. The elevator and rudder deflections are marked with dotted lines – this is because you cannot tell exactly the track that the model will take during a gentle banked turn, or entry to straight and level flight.

Congratulations! You have learnt how to achieve a coordinated turn using rudder and elevator. Remember that model aircraft control is about guiding your model in the desired direction rather than precise steering. Another complication is the rudder control. It is easy and natural while the model is flying away from you, but when your model is flying toward you the direction of control commands has to be reversed. A simple trick when the model is flying towards you is to move the control stick towards the wing that you want to lift, imagine supporting the wing by moving the stick under that wing – it works!

Final setup

Now is the time for the final setup. Fly your ALPHA 1500 V2 straight into wind, leave the controls in the neutral position. If the model turns in one direction apply the rudder trim in the opposite direction until ALPHA 1500 V2 flies straight. Without power your model must settle into a gentle glide, not too fast so that it plummets to the ground, and not so slow that the controls feel “soggy” and the model is on the edge of the stall. Apply the elevator trim in the way described in the initial trimming section.

If your model banks to a side, apply a little of the aileron trim in the opposite direction.

Powered and unpowered flight

The model has been already fine tuned for the unpowered phase of flight. When you turn on the motor your model might tend to pitch nose up when full throttle is applied. You cannot completely trim out this tendency with any motor powered glider – just be aware of this characteristic when flying your model. In practise you might have to make slight elevator corrections to maintain a gentle, but positive climb. In some cases there might be a strong trim change, and the only cure for this is to modify the thrust line of the motor. In order to reduce the nose up pitching you have to increase the down thrust of the motor (by using card or scrap ply packing pieces). The opposite problem is quite rare, but it is possible that a model correctly set up for the glide requires a lot of up elevator to maintain a climb when power is applied. The cure: decrease the down thrust of the motor.

Landing

When the power available starts to reduce check that you landing field is clear of people and other obstructions. Position your model about 10 to 20m off the ground at the down wind end of your field. Make the final approach into wind, keeping the wings level all the time as your model descends slowly, and finally settles gently onto the ground. With more practice you will be able to use a little up elevator to “round out” (slow down the model) at less than 1m off the ground.

Congratulations.

Repairs and maintenance

• Please perform the range check in the beginning of each flying session.
• Before every take off please check the correct control surface movement.
• After every landing check the plane for any damage, loose clevises or push rods, bent undercarriage, damaged propeller etc. Do not fly again until the damage is repaired.

Although the ALPHA 1500 is manufactured of the extra tough and virtually unbreakable extruded polyolefine (EPO) foam, damage or broken parts may occur. A minor damage can be repaired simply gluing the parts together with a cyanoacrylate (CA) glue or with a clear sticky tape. In a case of a major damage it is always better to purchase a brand new spare part. A wide range of genuine spare parts and accessories is available through the KAVAN Europe s.r.o. dealers.

In the unfortunate event of a crash or heavy landing, no matter how minor or major, you must lower the throttle stick to its lowest positions as quickly as possible to prevent damage to the electronic speed controller in the control unit.

Failure to lower the throttle stick and trim to the lowest possible positions in the event of a crash could result in damage to the ESC, which may require replacement of the ESC.

Note: Crash damage is not covered under warranty.

KAVAN Plus R-15B...R-100SB

Programmable Electronic Controllers for Brushless Motors

Congratulation on your purchase of a KAVAN PLUS line electronic controller for brushless motors. The state-of-the-art KAVAN PLUS line covers almost the entire range of electric powered planes flown by a Sunday flyer. All the ESCs can be quickly programmed using your transmitter and even easier with the optional KAVAN PRO Card.

1. Warnings

• Read through the manuals of all power devices and aircraft and ensure the power configuration is rational before using this unit.
• Ensure all wires and connections are well insulated before connecting the ESC to related devices, as short circuit will damage your ESC. Ensure all devices are well connected, in order to prevent poor connections that may cause your aircraft to lose control or other unpredictable issues like damage to the device. If necessary, please use a soldering iron with enough power to solder all input/output wires and connectors.
• Never get the motor locked up during high-speed rotation, otherwise the ESC may get destroyed and may also get your motor damaged. (Note: move the throttle stick to the bottom position or disconnect the battery immediately if the motor really gets locked up.)
• Never use this unit in the extremely hot weather or continue to use it when it gets really hot. Because high temperature will activate the ESC thermal protection or even damage your ESC.
• Always disconnect and remove batteries after use, as the ESC will continue to consume current as long as it`s still connected to batteries. Long-time contact will cause batteries to completely discharge and result in damage to batteries and/or ESC. This will not be covered under warranty.

2. Features

• The ESC features a high performance 32-bit micro processor (with a running frequency of up to 96MHz); it is compatible with various brushless motors.
• DEO (Driving Efficiency Optimization) Technology greatly improves throttle response & driving efficiency and reduces ESC temperature.
• Separate programming cable for connecting ESC to a LED program card and allows users to program the ESC anytime, anywhere. (For detailed info, please refer to the user manual of KAVAN PRO LED programming card.)
• Normal/Reverse/Linear Reverse brake modes (esp. reverse brake mode) can ef fectively shorten the landing distance for the air craft.
• Search mode can help users finding the aircraft by the alarm beeps after the aircraft lands in unclear terrain.
• Multiple protection features like start-up, ESC thermal, capacitor thermal, over -current, over-load, abnormal input voltage and throttle signal loss effectively prolong the service life of the ESC.

3. Specifications

	Cont. Current	Peak Current	Input Voltage	BEC Output	Weight	Dimension
KAVAN Plus R-15B	15 A	30 A	2-3S LiPo	5 V/2 A linear	10 g	38x17x5 mm
KAVAN Plus R-20B	20 A	40 A	2-3S LiPo	5 V/3 A linear	19 g	45x23x8 mm
KAVAN Plus R-30SB	30 A	50 A	3-4S LiPo	5 V/5 A switched	33 g	60x25x8 mm
KAVAN Plus R-40SB	40 A	60 A	3-4S LiPo	5 V/5 A switched	36 g	60x25x8 mm
KAVAN Plus R-50SB	50 A	70 A	3-4S LiPo	5 V/5 A switched	36 g	60x25x8 mm
KAVAN Plus R-60SB	60 A	80 A	3-6S LiPo	5 V/7 A switched	68 g	73x30x12 mm
KAVAN Plus R-80SB	80 A	100 A	3-6S LiPo	5 V/7 A switched	79 g	85x36x98 mm
KAVAN Plus R-100SB	100 A	120 A	3-6S LiPo	5 V/7 A switched	92 g	85x36x98 mm

4. Connecting the ESC for the first time

1) ESC Wiring Diagram

Attention! The default throttle range of this ESC is from 1100μs to 1940μs (Futaba® standard); users need to calibrate the throttle range when they start to use a new KAVAN PLUS brushless ESC or another transmitter.

1. Throttle Signal Cable (White/Red/Black Tri-color Cable): Plug it into the throttle channel on the receiver. The White wire is for transmitting throttle signals, the Red & Black wires are BEC output wires.
2. Reverse Brake Signal Wire/ Programming Cable (Yellow Wire):

• It must be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver (when using the Reverse Brake mode) to control the ON/OFF of the Reverse Brake function.
• Connect it to the KAVAN PRO LED programming card if you want to program the ESC.

Caution: Please bear in mind improper polarity or short circuit will damage the ESC therefore it is your responsibility to double check all plugs for proper polarity, and proper connection BEFORE connecting the battery pack for the first time.

2) ESC/Radio Calibration

1. Turn on the transmitter and move the throttle stick to the top position.
2. Connect a battery to the ESC; the motor will sound “123” to indicate the ESC is normally powered on.
3. Then the motor will beep two short beeps to indicate the maximum throttle endpoint is accepted.
4. Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 5 seconds after the two short beeps, the minimum throttle position will be accepted 1 second later.
5. The motor will beep “Number” beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in.
6. The motor will beep a long beep to indicate the calibration is complete.

3) Normal ESC Start-up Procedure

1. Turn on the transmitter, and then move the throttle stick to the bottom position.
2. After connected the ESC to a battery, the motor will emit “123” to indicate the ESC is normally powered on.
3. The motor will emit several beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells.
4. The motor emits a long beep to indicate the ESC is ready to go.

5. Programmable functions

*) Factory default setting.

No.	Value	1	2	3	4	5
1	Brake Type	*Disabled	Normal	Reverse	Linear Reverse
2	Brake Force	*Disabled	Low	Medium	High
3	Voltage Cutoff Type	*Soft	Hard
4	LiPo Cells	Auto Calc.	2S	3S
			3S	4S	5S	6S
5	Cutoff Voltage	Disabled	Low	*Medium	High
6	Start-up Mode	*Normal	Soft	Very Soft
7	Timing	Low	*Medium	High
8	Active Freewheeling	*Enabled	Disabled
9	Search Mode	*Off	5 min	10 min	15 min

1. Brake Type

Normal Brake: After selected this option, the brake function will be activated when you move the throttle stick to the bottom position. In this mode, the brake amount equals to the brake force you’ve preset.

Reverse Brake: After selected this option, the Reverse Brake signal wire (its signal range must be the same as the throttle range) must to be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver, and you can control the motor direction via that channel. The channel range of 0-50% is the default motor direction, the channel range of 50% to 100% will cause the motor to spin counterclockwise.

The channel stick should be within the channel range of 0-50% (0 would be better) when the first time you power on the ESC. After the Reverse function is activated, the motor will stop first and then spin in the reversed direction and then increase to the speed corresponding to the throttle input. Either signal loss, no matter reverse brake signal loss or throttle signal loss during the flight, can cause the throttle signal loss protection to be activated.

Linear Reverse Brake: After selected this option, the Reverse Brake signal wire must to be plugged into any vacant channel on the receiver, and you can control the motor direction via that channel. This channel should be set to a proportional control (usually a knob or slider on the transmitter).Turn the proportional control to activate the reverse function. The speed of the motor is controlled by the proportional control. When reversed, the initial throttle value is started at 10%, and the throttle stroke of the linear switch is cured to 1.34ms-1.79ms. The channel stick should be at 0% throttle position when the first time you power on the ESC. Either signal loss, no matter reverse brake signal loss or throttle signal loss during the flight, can cause the throttle signal loss protection to be activated.

2. Brake Force

This item is only effect in the “Normal brake” mode ,The higher the level, the stronger the braking effect , where the low/medium/high corresponds to the braking force: 60%/90%/100%

3. Voltage Cutoff Type

Soft Cutoff: After selected this option, the ESC will gradually reduce the output to 60% of the full power in 3 seconds after the low-voltage cutoff protection is activated.

Hard Cutoff: After selected this option, the ESC will immediately cut off the output when the low-voltage cutoff protection is activated.

4. LiPo Cells

The ESC will automatically calculate the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in as per the “3.7V/Cell” rule if “Auto Calc.” is selected, or you can set this item manually.

5. Cutoff Voltage

If set off, the low-voltage protection function is disabled. In addition, the protection voltage value of the low-voltage protection function corresponding to the low/medium/three modes is about 2.8V/ section, 3.0V/ section and 3.4V/ section. This value is the voltage of a single battery, multiplied by the number of lithium batteries automatically identified by the electronic governor or the number of lithium batteries manually set, which is the protection voltage value of the battery. (For example, if the low voltage protection threshold of 3 lithium batteries is medium, the protection voltage of the batteries is 3x3.0=9.0V)

6. Start-up Mode

This is used to adjust the throttle response time of ESC acceleration from 0% to 100%. Normal/Soft/Very Soft correspond to approximately 200ms/500ms/800ms respectively.

7. Timing

Can adjust the drive motor timing value. The low / Medium and high are respectively: 5°/15°/25°.

8. Active Freewheeling (DEO)

This item is adjustable between “Enabled” and “Disabled”, and it is enabled by default. With it enabled, you can have better throttle linearity or smoother throttle response.

9. Search Mode

After selected this option, ESC will drive the motor chirping prompt when the throttle is keep 0% and continues to do during the set time.

6. Programming the KAVAN Plus ESC

1) Using the KAVAN PRO Programming Card (Optional)

Attention! You need to power your ESC off and then on after adjusting parameters. Otherwise, new parameters won’t take effect.

Note:The flight pack is to be plugged in only after the LED programming card has been connected to the ESC. If your battery is already connected to your ESC, after connecting the FLED Programming card to the ESC, you need to disconnect the battery first and then reconnect it to the ESC to enter the programming mode to check and set parameters.

The portable KAVAN PRO LED Programming card is an optional accessory applicable for field use. Its friendly interface makes the ESC programming easy and quick. Connect a battery to your ESC after connecting the KAVAN PRO LED Programming card to the ESC, all programmable items will show up a few seconds later. You can select the item you want to program and the setting you want to choose via “ITEM” & “VALUE” buttons on the programming card, and then press the “OK” button to save all new settings to your ESC.

2) Programming the KAVAN PLUS ESC With Your Transmitter

It consists of 4 steps: Enter the programming -> Select parameter items -> Select parameter values -> Exit the programming

I. Enter the program mode

Turn on the transmitter, move the throttle stick to the top position, and connect a battery to the ESC, 2 seconds later, the motor will beep ”B-B-” first, then emit “56712” 5 seconds later to indicate that you are in the ESC programming mode.

II. Select programmable items

After entering the programming, you’ll hear the following 11 kinds of beeps circularly. Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 3 seconds after you hear some kind of beeps, you’ll enter the corresponding parameter item.

1	“B-”	Brake Type (1 Short B)
2	“B-B-”	Brake Force (2 Short Bs)
3	“B-B-B-”	Voltage Cutoff Type (3 Short Bs)
4	“B-B-B-B-”	LiPo Cells (4 Short Bs)
5	“B——”	Cutoff Voltage (1 Long B)
6	“B——B-”	Start-up Mode (1 Long B & 1 Short B)
7	“B——B-B-”	Timing (1 Long B & 2 Short Bs)
8	“B——B-B-B-”	Freewheeling (1 Long B & 3 Short Bs)
9	“B——B-B-B-B-”	Search Mode (1 Long B & 4 Short Bs)
10	“B——B——”	Factory Reset (2 Long Bs)
11	“B——B——B-”	Exit (2 Long Bs & 1 Short B)

Note:A long “B——” equals to 5 short “B-”, so a long “B——” and a short “B-” represents the 6th item in “Select Parameter Items”.

III. Set item value (Programmable value)

The motor will beep different kinds of beeps circularly, move the throttle stick to the top position after you hear some kind of beeps will get you to the corresponding parameter value, then you’ll hear the motor emit “1515 ” to indicate the value is saved, then get back to “Select Parameter Items” and continue to select other parameter items that you want to adjust.

No.	Value	1	2	3	4	5
	Sound Signal	B-	B-B-	B-B-B-	B- B- B- B-	B----
1	Brake Type	Disabled	Normal	Reverse	Linear Reverse
2	Brake Force	Disabled	Low	Medium	High
3	Voltage Cutoff Type	Soft	Hard
4	LiPo Cells	Auto Calc.	2S	3S
			3S	4S	5S	6S
5	Cutoff Voltage	Disabled	Low	Medium	High
6	Start-up Mode	Normal	Soft	Very Soft
7	Timing	Low	Medium	High
8	Active Freewheeling	Enabled	Disabled
9	Search Mode	Off	5 min	10 min	15 min

IV. Exit program mode

Move the throttle stick to the bottom position within 3 seconds after you hear two long beeps and one short beep (emitting from the motor) can get you exit the programming mode. The motor beeps “Number” beeps to indicate the number of LiPo cells you have plugged in, and then a long beep to indicate the power system is ready to go.

7. Troubleshooting and protection functions

Troubles	Warning Tones	Causes	Solutions
The ESC didn’t work after it was powered on while the motor kept beeping.	“BB, BB, BB……”	The input voltage was beyond the operating voltage range of the ESC.	Adjust the power-on voltage and ensure it’s in the operating voltage range of the ESC.
The ESC didn’t work after it was powered on while the motor kept beeping.	“B-, B-, B-, B-……”	The ESC didn’t receive any throttle signal from the receiver.	Check if the transmitter and receiver are well paired, if any poor connection exists between the ESC and receiver.
The ESC didn’t work after it was powered on while the motor kept beeping.	“B, B, B, B……”	The throttle stick has not been moved to the bottom position.	Move the throttle stick to the bottom position and calibrate the throttle range.
The ESC didn’t work after the throttle calibration while the motor kept beeping.	“B, B, B, B……”	The throttle range you set was too narrow.	Re-calibrate the throttle range.
The ESC output suddenly reduced to 60% during the flight, the motor kept beeping after the flight completed but the battery was still connected to the ESC.	“BB, BB, BB……”	The ESC thermal protection has been activated.	Improve the heat dissipating condition (i.e. add a cooling fan) or reduce the ESC load.
The ESC output suddenly reduced to 60% during the flight, the motor kept beeping after the flight completed but the battery was still connected to the ESC.	“BBB, BBB, BBB……”	The low-voltage cutoff protection has been activated.	Change another pack; lower down the cutoff voltage or disable the LVC protection (we do not recommend this).

1. Start-up Protection: The ESC will monitor the motor speed during the start-up process. When the speed stops increasing or the speed increase is not stable, the ESC will take it as a start-up failure. At that time, if the throttle amount is less than 15%, the ESC will try to restart automatically; if it is larger than 20%, you need to move the throttle stick back to the bottom position first and then restart the ESC. (Possible causes of this problem: poor connection/disconnection between the ESC and motor wires, propellers are blocked, etc.)

2. ESC Thermal Protection: The ESC will gradually reduce the output but won’t cut it off when the ESC temperature goes above 120°C. For ensuring the motor can still get some power and won’t cause crashes, so the maximum reduction is about 60% of the full power. (Here we are describing the ESC’s reaction in soft cutoff mode, while if in hard cutoff mode; it will immediately cut off the power.)

3. Throttle Signal Loss Protection: When the ESC detects loss of signal for over 0.25 second, it will cut off the output immediately to avoid an even greater loss which may be caused by the continuous high-speed rotation of propellers or rotor blades. The ESC will resume the corresponding output after normal signals are received.

4. Overload Protection: The ESC will cut off the power/output or automatically restart itself when the load suddenly increases to a very high value. (Possible cause to sudden load increase is that propellers are blocked.)

5. Low Voltage protection: When the battery voltage is lower than the cutoff voltage set by the ESC, the ESC will trigger the low-voltage protection. If the battery voltage is set to soft cutoff, the battery voltage will be reduced to a maximum of 60% of the full power. When set to hard cutoff, the output is cutoff immediately. After the throttle returns to 0%, the ESC will drive the motor to sound the alarm.

6. Abnormal voltage input protection: When the battery voltage is not within the input voltage range supported by the ESC, the ESC will trigger the Abnormal input voltage protection, ESC will drive the motor to sound the alarm.

Safety precautions

• Do not install the propeller on the motor when you test the ESC and motor for the first time to verify the correct settings on your radio. Only install your propeller after you have confirmed that the settings on your radio is correct.
• Never use ruptured or punctured battery cells.
• Never use battery packs that are known to overheat.
• Never short circuit battery or motor terminals.
• Always use proper insulation material for cable insulation.
• Always use proper cable connectors.
• Do not exceed the number of cells or servos specified for the ESC.
• Wrong battery polarity will damage the ESC and void the warranty.
• Install the ESC in a suitable location with adequate ventilation for cooling.
• Use only batteries that are supported by the ESC and ensure the correct polarity before connecting.
• Switch your transmitter ON first and ensure the throttle stick is in the minimum position before connecting the battery pack.
• Never switch your transmitter OFF while the battery is connected to your ESC.
• Only connect your battery pack just before flying and do not leave your battery pack connected after flying.
• Handle your model with extreme care once the battery pack is connected and keep away from the propeller at all times. Never stand in-line or directly in front of any rotating parts.
• Do not immerse the ESC under water, do not allow it to get wet while powered up.
• Always fly at a designated flying site and follow the rules and guidelines set by your modeller’s club.

Recycling and Waste Disposal Note (European Union)

Electrical equipment marked with the crossed-out waste bin symbol must not be discarded in the domestic waste; it should be disposed of via the appropriate specialised disposal system. In the countries of the EU (European Union) electrical devices must not be discarded via the normal domestic waste system (WEEE - Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment, Directive 2012/19/EU). You can take your unwanted equipment to your nearest public collection point or recycling centre, where it will be disposed of in the proper manner at no charge to you. By disposing of your old equipment in a responsible manner you make an important contribution to the safeguarding of the environment!

EU Declaration of Conformity (European Union)

Hereby, KAVAN Europe s.r.o. declares that this ALPHA 1500 V2 model and the included electronic and electric devices are in compliance with the requirements of relevant European directives and harmonized norms.

The full text of the Declaration of Conformity is available at www.kavanrc.com/doc/.

Guarantee

The KAVAN Europe s.r.o. products are covered by a guarantee which fulfils the currently valid legal requirements in your country. If you wish to make a claim under guarantee, please contact the retailer from whom you first purchased the equipment. The guarantee does not cover faults which were caused in the following ways: crashes, improper use, incorrect connection, reversed polarity, maintenance work carried out late, incorrectly or not at all, or by unauthorised personnel, use of other than genuine KAVAN Europe s.r.o. accessories, modifications or repairs which were not carried out by KAVAN Europe s.r.o. or an authorised KAVAN Europe s.r.o., accidental or deliberate damage, defects caused by normal wear and tear, operation outside the Specification, or in conjunction with equipment made by other manufacturers.

Please be sure to read the appropriate information sheets in the product documentation!