Periodic Maintenance
Everything you need to know to maintain a safe and functional aircraft
Before performing any maintenance, ensure that Astro is not connected to any power source, battery or otherwise. Leaving Astro powered while performing any work on it can result in a potentially dangerous situation.
General Cleaning
A clean Astro is a happy Astro!
Clean Astro's exterior with a non-abrasive soft cloth, microfiber towel or similar with a plastic-safe soap or detergent. Graduate the solvent potency when removing contamination, as shown below:
Water
Soap and water
General cleaner (like Simple Green)
Isopropyl Alcohol
Avoid anything that has bleach in it, or aggressive solvents like Acetone. If operating in a salt environment, wipe down Astro after use with a clean rag wet with tap water.
Astro SL8 Battery Maintenance
Follow the best practices outlined in the SuperLight Battery Wiki
Preventative Maintenance Schedule
Always follow the preflight checklist items to ensure that each flight is safe and achieves the mission goals.
It is best practice to perform a visual inspection of the drone, controller, batteries, and payloads before each flight. Look for any missing screws or hardware, any new damage or cracks, or anything that looks out of the ordinary or has changed. Developing this mental model of your drone is key to catching issues before they become a possible in-flight emergency.
Astro is rated to 1500 flight hours! If an item is not specifically listed under any preventative maintenance schedule below, then the item is rated for the lifetime of the aircraft. This does include all aircraft electronics and motors.
Note- it is key to keep both your aircraft and controller firmware up to date. Review the Software Release Notes or review the software updates page in the Auterion Suite to maintain your vehicle firmware.
Every 15 Flights
Astro is designed to be as low-maintenance as possible. Beyond the daily motor checks specified by the checklist, fastener tightness is the next most regular check.
To check fasteners, apply a tightening torque to each fastener on the chassis using the supplied hex drivers. The fasteners should not slip.
If a fastener does slip, tighten it using the methods described in the "Replacing Components - Fastener Specifications" section. Do not apply additional thread locking compound unless the fastener has repeatedly come loose.
Items that need tightness verified (ensure they have not worked loose):
Motor mount bolts (attaches motor mount to boom)
Propeller Mount bolts (attaches props to motor)
Prop Tension (see prop tension)
Top and bottom chassis bolts
Payload Isolation Mount
Compass mounting bolts
GPS antenna tightness
Landing Gear bolts
Any payload fasteners
Every 15 Hours
Inspect the following items. Replace if worn.
Propeller blades. Reject if chips, cracks, or deep scratches at visible
Vibration Isolators: cracks, gel leaks, visible stretching
Propeller blade washers (between blade and hub)
Inspect all fasteners per the 15 flight interval requirements
Inspect Boom Latch Tightness
If latch is no longer tight when closing the over-center mechanism, adjust the set screw per the instructions listed Replacing Components section
Inspect Landing Gear
Look for: Loose hinges, Hinge pin migration, no longer latching, any visible cracks or damage
Every 500 Flight Hours
Perform the following actions:
Replace the propeller mount assembly on each boom
Check the health of your SL8 Batteries per the Battery Wiki
Every 1500 Hours
Congrats! You are an Astro power user! Send Astro in for a Freefly Service Inspection and Overhaul.
What to do if an Inspection Fails?
First step is to evaluate if the problem can be fixed- Things that can be fixed by the user typically are:
Dirty or contaminated hardware
Loose fasteners (Ensure you have the correct type of Loctite Threadlocker)
Missing fasteners (If you have the correct replacement parts)
Any replacement parts that you bought from the store or have specific directions from Freefly Customer Support
If you have a failure and cannot fix using our general guidelines or the spare parts provided in the kit or on the store, please reach out to support@freeflysystems.com or submit a direct ticket for any questions, specific replacement needs or issues! We are here to help you get safely and quickly back into the air!
If you need to purchase spare or replacement parts, please go to store.freeflysystems.com to purchase our standard parts.
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