Yuneec Q500 Flipping on Takeoff (Reasons and How to Fix It)

Yuneec drones have become quite a popular model for pilots worldwide, and for good reason. Particularly popular is the Yuneec Q500 drone that packs a lot of features and offers a smooth and stable flight for grabbing amazing photos and videos from the air. If you are reading this, you probably own one such drone. Perhaps you have powered up your drone, and as you increase the throttle, your drone lifts off but then suddenly flips over. You’re wondering what the cause is and how you can fix it.

**You can fix the problem of your Yuneec Q500 flipping over by adjusting the following: **

• **Turn off Turtle mode **
• Check that propellers and motors are spinning in the right direction
• **Firmly tighten propeller nuts **
• **Properly calibrate ESC **
• Check that motor screws aren’t touching the motor windings

Let’s look more in-depth at each of these steps to take to resolve the issue with your Yuneec Q500. With a little luck, we’ll get to the bottom of why it’s flipping, and make sure it doesn’t keep happening.

Several reasons may be responsible for your Yuneec Q500 drone flipping over after takeoff. The first step in fixing the problem is troubleshooting which will help you identify the cause and fix it immediately. The good news is that it’s usually easy to fix, and we have highlighted some of the top reasons your drone may be behaving this way. 

Let’s take a closer look.

1. Turtle mode is enabled by accident #

This is one of the most overlooked reasons why your Yuneec Q500 drone may be flipping after takeoff. Just as the name suggests, turtle mode means the drone’s motors are set to operate at a slower rotation. However, if this slower speed is accidentally activated during takeoff, it won’t be able to generate the speed necessary to take off. 

If you accidentally turn on turtle mode on your Yuneec Q500 drone during takeoff, it can cause the drone to flip over. The easy fix to this is to make sure your speed slider is set to a mid to high rate of speed during take-off.

2. Propellers are spinning in the wrong direction #

For a drone to move properly, there is a particular spinning order of the propellers that pushes the drone forward, sideways, and so on. Any propellers that are spinning in the wrong direction can cause your Yuneec Q500 drone to flip over during takeoff. 

Usually, for your quadcopter to fly properly, the left diagonal propellers must spin in a clockwise direction, while the right diagonal propellers should be spinning in the anticlockwise direction. Anything different from this will cause your drone to flip over during takeoff.

To fix this, make sure you have the correct propeller installed on each corner. If you’ve had to replace a propeller recently, make sure you put the correct replacement on. Check your owner’s manual to make sure you’ve got all the right propellers in the right places. 

3. Motors are spinning in the wrong direction #

The motors of your quadcopter should be spinning in the right direction (see above section). Some Yuneec Q500 drones may have faulty motors that spin in the wrong direction, and this may cause the drone to flip during takeoff. Just one motor spinning in the wrong direction is enough to flip your whole drone over.

If you think that one motor is spinning in the wrong direction due to a faulty motor, this should be covered by your warranty. Contact the manufacturer for a repair or replacement. 

4. Loose propeller nuts #

For your drone to take off properly, it requires tight propeller nuts for thrust and lift generation. Loose propeller nuts will mean the propellers aren’t tightly connecting to the motors, and won’t be able to generate any lift. If it’s only happening on one or two corners, this can cause your Yuneec Q500 drone to flip over during takeoff. 

This is why it’s imperative that the propeller nuts are fixed in place, and they don’t move during takeoff or mid-flight, or your drone might end up flipping over. Check that all the propeller nuts are securely tightened, but be careful not to overtighten and end up stripping the threads.

5. Motor screws touching motor windings #

Some Yuneec Q500 drones will have long motor screws, and in some cases, these long screws can end up coming in contact with the motor windings. If this is the case with your Yuneec drone, then the chances are that it’s responsible for your drone flipping over during takeoff.

If your drone’s motor screws touch the motor windings, it can cause an electrical short in the motor, which causes overheating in the motor. This may cause it to fry itself or the ESC. The thing is that it’s hard to take note of this malfunction, so a keen inspection of the drone is required to identify this problem.

If you suspect that long screws may have caused such a problem, consult a technician on how the size can be reduced or get new ones for your Yuneec Q500 drone. This should also hopefully be covered under your warranty.

6. Improper ESC calibration #

If your drone flips over during takeoff, then your Yuneec Q500’s ESC may be the culprit. The ESC connects your drone’s flight controller to the motor. It takes the signal from the flight controller and power from the battery to make the motor spin. 

The Yuneec Q500 drone has four motors that spin, and this means that four different ESCs have to be working in sync. If all the ESCs are not properly synchronized, then your drone will likely flip over during takeoff. 

The way to deal with this cause is to calibrate your drone’s ESCs before flying. You can check the user manual for tips on how to do this.

In conclusion, follow the above tips, and your Yuneec Q500 drone should stop flipping every time you try taking off. If the problem persists, contact the manufacturer or a technician to help you out.