Flips on Takeoff & Drifting
Two symptoms that terrify beginners and have boring causes. The instant flip is almost always one of three assembly mistakes; drift is either a calibration issue or — in acro — not a problem at all.
It flips over the instant I try to take off
The trio — order, direction, props — covers nearly every instant flip ever posted to a forum. Module 2's motor-layout diagram is the reference ("always verify in your configurator, never assume"), and the pre-maiden checklist has all three as line items precisely because of this page.
It drifts
In acro mode: drift is physics, not a bug. Acro holds rotation rate, not position — centered sticks mean "keep the current attitude", and any tilt plus wind becomes translation (Module 0 opens with exactly this). Every beginner files this bug report once. The fix is simulator hours, not settings.
In angle mode, on a calm day, hands off — and it still slides hard:
| Check | Why | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerometer calibrated, on a level surface? | Angle mode levels to what the accel calls level | Betaflight basics |
| FC mounted flat, orientation configured? | A rotated board needs the rotation set in firmware | Betaflight basics |
| Radio sticks centered — subtrim/trims zero? | RC trim masquerades as drift | Radio Transmitter |
| Battery centered over the CG? | Off-CG mass makes it lean-and-slide | Module 10 |
Toilet-bowling while position-holding (GPS builds): that circular wander is the compass, not the GPS — calibrate it away from metal, and mount it away from power wiring (GPS module, the 7″ build order does both by design).
Whatever branch you land on: change one thing and hover again (Module 9's golden rule). Fixing motor direction and recalibrating and adding trim in one session means never knowing which one it was.