Rates

‘Rates’ is the term people use when they describe the stick input sensitivity when flying a quadcopter. ‘Rates’ is used because it describes the ‘rate’ of rotation at which the quad moves with a given input.

We recommend taking the settings below and then playing with this to find what suits you – it can make a considerable difference on your flight style. A more gentle curve often aids a smoother style, and higher rates can provoke more aggressive flying style. Fly whatever you are comfortable with – but note that high rates does not mean you are a better pilot so don’t feel pressured to crank up the levels…set the full stick rate to roll/flip at the speed you feel comfortable with then set the curve that feels manageable for you to fly smoothly.

Using thumbs or ‘hybrid pinch’ (where your fingers rest on and guide the sticks as well as thumbs) are the two most popular techniques. Thumbers tend to use more expo to help smooth out stick movements, because thumbs alone are not the most precise of digits…The combination of thumb and finger with the hybrid pinch method helps with accuracy and thus pilots often use less expo using this method. The advantage of thumbs is that the movement is freer, making ‘juicy flick’ type moves a bit easier.

The rates below are a mix of mine, and some famous freestyle pilots. They are all in the ballpark of typical usage and can be seen as a useful starting point…