RANGER FAQ

LiteHawk RANGER:

• Who has not ever wanted an R/C hovercraft - land to sea and back! Really, it's the perfect blend between a car that can go in water and a boat that can scoot onto shore!

  LiteHawk is proud to present RANGER hovercraft! Propelled by two fan motors it easily glides across smooth surfaces! Unique controller can expand to hold your smartphone - now you have a Captains Chair View with RANGERS built in camera! Yes, first person view is live streamed to your phone or tablet so you can go on the same adventure that RANGER is on!

  RANGER has a centrally mounted motor that starts up the instant you turn on the hovercraft, raising RANGER off the ground and into a "floating" position - it's now ready for action! Push forward on the controller stick to start the twin rear mounted fans and you are off! RANGER is a brand new R/C experience - offering you the chance to skim across smooth surfaces like water, ground and even ice!

  LiteHawk RANGER is ready for action - Fully Factory Assembled including accordion style controller (that you can place your phone into), NIMH battery and charger, along with re-usable packaging....LiteHawk RANGER is ready for adventure!

How to Locate and Install Your Battery For the RANGER:

         You will find your NimH battery in a compartment under the Cabin/control room on the top front of the Hovercraft. Unlatch the  two locks that secure the cabin in place.

 Gently squeeze the sides of the cabin in a bit until the locating tabs are free and you can gently lift the cabin from the RANGER.

Carefully remove the Battery from the compartment for charging.  Reinstall in the same position, once charging is complete. If you are going to run the Craft, plug the battery in, if you are storing it, don't plug the battery in. 

  TIP: Attach a piece of Duct tape to the battery, as a lift tool, so that you aren't pulling on the wires to extract it from the battery compartment. This is what I did.

 NimH Battery and Charger Instructions:  Your LiteHawk RANGER comes with a NimH Battery and a USB Charger.

 Battery: The rechargable 9.6V NimH battery provides the power to propel your model. You should expect 7-10 Min. run time. Extra batteries are available at www.litehawk.ca.

-The Hovercraft is suspended by a cushion of air, because of this, if the battery is run down too low, it will stop creating lift. To warn you, there is an audible low battery warning. If you hear an alarm notification, drive your RANGER over to a safe place . Walk over, turn it off, and unplug the battery from the Hovercraft. Let the battery cool down 10 minutes before recharging, so no damage will be done to it. Also let the motors in the Hovercraft cool off for 5 minutes before installing the next battery.

 To Charge: Plug the USB Charger into a USB wall plug adaptor ( not included ). The LED light will not come on when connected to power. 

-Plug the 9.6V NimH battery into the USB Charger. The Red LED light will now Blink, indicating charging. 

-The battery can take up to 4.5 hrs. to charge. When finished charging the Red LED light will stop flashing and remain Solid Red.

-Never dead short a NimH battery.

-You must FULLY charge the battery, before using your new model. 

-Do not leave the battery plugged into the model, when not in use.

-Fully charge the battery if you are storing for more than 24 hrs.

-Battery maintenance charges every other month if not in use is advisable.

-Keep the battery dry.

 During Charging: 

-It is normal for the battery to get warm during the charging process. Do not charge the battery on a surface that is flammable by heat. 

-Do not leave the battery and charger unattended while charging.

-Do not store the battery plugged into the charger or the model.

 FPV Installation:

 You do not need to install the FPV app. to use the LiteHawk RANGER, it is optional. To experience the thrill of FPV ( First Person View ) and get a view from the inside of the Cockpit/Cabin of your LiteHawk RANGER. The live stream connection is through your devices WIFI and does not use cellular data. The range or distance of the live stream view will vary, but expect a maximum of 75ft. You will still have control over the toy, just the video stream connection may be broken up.  

-Android users download the App. through

( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zs.dv_yalian_02_litehawk )

-Apple or Itunes users download the App. through Your App Store, or Google Play.  Search :     Lite hawk v0.1h

Turn on the Hovercraft 

Connect WIFI SSID: FPV_WIFI_xxxxxx. ( No password required )

Click the LiteHawk to enter the APP.

 The Controller will accordion open to accommodate your Device.

 First Run !

With the Controller turned on, then the RANGER turned on, the Ranger will fill with air and be bound to the Controller. The left stick will act as a throttle and give both forward and backward movement  through the two large rear fans.  The Right stick will generate left and right movement by turning down or off one or the other fans to cause the hovercraft to turn. Learning to control this craft, will take some time. It isn't easy at all in small places.  A large area.. skating rink, auditorium floor, large puddle, a pool. would be good places to practice in.  It is really easy to over steer, over throttle and go zipping past where you intended. Try little inputs and going slow, until you get some control.  The Wind will also play a big part in your movements, it also moves the Craft around and has to be accounted for. Don't start in water where the wind may carry it out beyond control. When you hear the Audible low battery warning, you want to be able to get to your RANGER and retrieve it.

 The Ranger needs a Smooth surface to work well. Water.. on a fairly calm day is smooth, where the water rolls up onto the beech, it is smooth. Past the waters tight sand, the rubber skirt will catch and it will stop. Dry Teflon spray may help improve the travel a bit, on less than smooth surfaces.  Poured concrete with a smooth finish is good.. a rough surface, not so much. Road surfaces are too rough.  Any indoor smooth surface is great. Wood, linoleum, smooth concrete. Not carpet.

 Rear Fan Blade Replacement:

 You need a small flat screw driver to remove the rear of the shroud cover, to get to the Fan Blade.  The Rear Shroud Cover is held in four places to the Main Shroud.

Fit the edge of the screw driver in the space provided on the edge of the Shroud, and give it an careful outward twist. That will get the two catches past where they hold on at the back edge of the Main Shroud, and it will pop forward.

  Now place the screw drivers edge in the crack between the Main Shroud and the Rear Cover at the top securing pin, and give it a twist outward, so the pin pops out of its securing hole.

  Now you can grasp the loosened Rear Shroud Cover and lift the bottom pin out as well, and the whole cover will be free. 

  Now you can remove the one screw holding the Fan Blade to the motor. Take note.. that the blade is marked with a letter and an arrow for direction of movement. You must replace it with the exact same Blade as the one coming off. The other blade has the exact opposite pitch on it, so the the RANGER is stable and not just spinning in a circle.  Looking at the RANGER from the rear,  Blade "A" is on the Right, and Blade "B" is on the Left.

  If you wish to replace the Main Shroud, you can now do so by removing the two screws holding it in place, Then lifting the Shroud away from the motor shaft. 

     Carefully reverse this procedure to reinstall.

 Rubber Skirt Replacement: 

  To remove and replace the rubber skirt on the RANGER, start with removing the five screws that hold the Lower Case Skirt Plate to the RANGER's Upper Hull.

  With the plate free, the rubber skirt still holds it to the RANGER. The bottom of the Rubber Skirt has a special thick edge that is made to be held by the 13 little clamps around the Lower Case Skirt Plate that holds it in place. They just slip out with a careful gentle tug. 

 The Skirt is still held to the RANGER's Upper Hull, by the Upper Inner Skirt Bracket, that seals the Skirt to the Rangers Upper Hull with a band of heaver rubber that is formed around outer edge of the upper skirt, that is designed for this with a seal in mind. If you move the Skirt aside a little you will see the ring of 9 screws that hold this Inner Bracket in place. Remove all 9 , and set the Bracket and the Skirt aside.

 Reverse this process carefully to reinstall. 

  Access to The ESC/Receiver, The  Video Sponson, The Rear Fan Motor Sponson's. The Internal Turbine Fan, and the Turbine Fan Motor: 

  Take note of the positions of the Foam Flotation Devices. The two strips of foam nearest the rear fans, are secured in place with double sided tape, and are used to keep the Motor wires secured behind and below the Skirts support posts.

  If you remove this piece of foam carefully, you will be able to get to the Rear Fan Motor Sponson. If you are removing the Sponson to get to the Motor, you will have to carefully remove the glue, that seals the wires, that pass through the hull deck, to protect them from moisture. When reinstalling don't forget to reseal them in, with a nice silicone sealant, or glue. 

   The last three Foam Flotation Devices are only friction fit. The one on the right hand side looking from the bottom, covers an holds in place the two power wires from the Battery compartment to the ESC. Again, glue seals the two wires where they come through the battery compartment wall, protecting the battery from moisture.

  The Foam on the left covers an secures in place, the Video Cable from the ESC/Receiver to the Camera Sponson.

  The last Square Foam piece covers the Camera Sponson. There are four screws securing it to the RANGER'S upper deck.  If removing, you will have to carefully remove the glue that secures and seals the passage hole for the video camera cable to the camera sponson. When reinstalling, don't forget to reseal the hole for water proofing, with a silicone sealant or glue.

  To Remove the Turbine Lift Fan,  first remove the three screws that secure the ESC/Receiver Housing to the RANGERS Deck. Lift out and turn over.

  Now you can remove the the single screw from the turbines motor shaft, then place a small flat screw driver between the motor housing and the bottom of the Turbine, and carefully lever upward a little bit until it comes free. Then pull off the rest of the way.

  To gain access to the ESC/Receiver, you must now remove the three screws that secures the two halves of the ESC/Receiver Housing together, then carefully lift off.

  If you are removing the ESC/Receiver, then you must remove the four screws that secure it to the housing half.

You will have to carefully remove all of the glue that seals and secures the wires as they come through the passages in the housing.  Take note that the Motor is Soldered to the ESC board, and you will have to carefully remove all of the sealant around the motor and housing to be able to lift it off of the housing. Also take note of how the manual start switch is set to activate the start switch on the ESC board.  With the screws removed, you can turn over and desolder the Battery power wires and both Rear Fan motor's Wire sets from the ESC board. Unplug the video camera, and you can lift out the old ESC.  Take notes or pictures before you desolder, so that you know exactly where which wire belongs on the New ESC board that you are installing.

  Carefully reverse the procedure to reinstall. Make sure that you reseal all of the passages that the wires and motor come through with a silicone sealant or glue.