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Pre-Maiden Checklist

The gate between built and flown. Work top to bottom — the order is deliberate (everything electrical happens props off, legal happens before you drive). The 5″ build page explains the why behind most lines; this page is the terse version to keep at the bench.

Mechanical — props still off​

  • Every frame and motor screw checked; threadlocker on metal-into-metal near motors, none on nylon (Module 10)
  • Motor screws not bottoming into windings (compare screw length vs standoff + arm thickness)
  • Stack soft-mounted; no wire bundle or zip-tie bridging the grommets
  • Nothing enters the prop arc: wires, antennas, camera cables — spin a prop by hand along its full circle to check
  • Battery strap + pad hold the pack over the CG; pack can't slide forward in a crash (Module 10)
  • AUW weighed and within 5 % of your budget (reference: 650 g)

Electrical — props still off​

  • Every joint tug-tested and inspected under magnification (~40 series joints, Module 10 does the math)
  • No solder bridges: continuity check between pack + and − reads open, not beeping
  • Capacitor across the ESC pack pads, correct polarity, short legs
  • First power-up through a smoke stopper — done, no drama
  • After a minute powered: nothing warm that shouldn't be (FC, ESC, VTX baseline warmth is normal; hot is not)

Configurator — props still off (Betaflight basics)​

  • diff all backup saved, named, dated
  • Model moves correctly in the Setup tab; accelerometer calibrated flat
  • Motor order and direction verified in the Motors tab; fixed in ESC firmware if wrong
  • Arm switch on its own switch; beeper and flip-over assigned (Radio Transmitter)
  • Failsafe = Drop, bench-tested: armed props-off, radio off → motors stop (Receiver)
  • OSD shows voltage, timer, link quality; land-now warning at 3.5 V/cell (Battery)
  • Blackbox logging on
  • PIDs, filters, rates at defaults (tune later, with logs — Module 9)

RF & video​

  • ELRS bound, link solid across the room, correct model loaded (ELRS binding)
  • Packet rate set (250 Hz freestyle default) and the matching RC-link preset applied
  • VTX on a legal channel and power for your location (Module 13); pit mode understood
  • VTX antenna attached — before any VTX power-up, every time
  • Goggles DVR recording confirmed working (Goggles)

Legal & site — before you drive (Module 13)​

  • Operator registration number on the airframe
  • Zone checked in the current app/map; flight reported where required
  • Insurance valid; spotter arranged (650 g self-built = A3 + VLOS via spotter in the EU)
  • Site: 150 m from built-up areas, no uninvolved people, wind within your skill

The maiden itself — First flights​

  • Props on now, correct rotation, nuts tight
  • Fresh pack; announce, arm at your feet, listen for one second
  • Ten-second head-height hover: listen, watch OSD, land
  • Touch the motors — too hot to hold = stop and diagnose (Module 9)
  • One gentle pack, land at 3.5 V/cell, then read the blackbox log at home
If any line fails, the maiden waits

Every item on this list is cheaper to fix at the bench than at the field, and cheaper at the field than in the air. There is no schedule pressure a first flight should ever be under — the quad doesn't know it's Sunday.