# How to Set Up Turtle Mode (Flip Over After Crash) in Betaflight
Turtle mode — officially called “Flip Over After Crash” — is the feature that lets you flip your quad back onto its feet using reversed motor rotation instead of walking 200 meters through tall grass. It’s saved more quads from swampy deaths than any other Betaflight feature. Here’s how to set it up correctly and use it without destroying your motors.
## How Turtle Mode Works
When activated, turtle mode reverses the direction of two motors (diagonally opposed) while the other two motors are disabled. The reversed motors spin in the opposite direction, pushing the quad upward and flipping it over. You control which motors activate using your roll and pitch sticks.
**Important physics**: The props are spinning backward, generating thrust in the wrong direction. A prop spinning backward is about 40-60% as efficient as forward — you need more throttle than you’d expect.
## Prerequisites
Turtle mode requires:
1. **BLHeli_32, Bluejay, or AM32 ESC firmware**: The ESC must support bidirectional rotation. BLHeli_S (without Bluejay flash) does NOT support turtle mode.
2. **Betaflight 4.1 or later**: Turtle mode was introduced in BF 4.1.
3. **DSHOT protocol**: Must be running DSHOT300, DSHOT600, or DSHOT1200. Oneshot and Multishot do not support turtle mode.
### Checking Your ESC Compatibility
1. In Betaflight Motors tab, note your ESC protocol (should be DSHOT).
2. Connect to BLHeli Suite (BLHeli_32) or ESC Configurator (Bluejay).
3. Look at the firmware version. Any BLHeli_32 or Bluejay version supports bidirectional DShot and turtle mode.
4. If you see “BLHeli_S” and version 16.x, you need to flash Bluejay firmware. This is a 5-minute process that dramatically improves ESC performance even beyond turtle mode.
## Step-by-Step Setup
### Step 1: Enable Bidirectional DShot
This is mandatory — turtle mode uses DShot commands to reverse individual motors.
1. Betaflight Configurator → **Motors** tab.
2. Set `ESC/Motor Protocol` to `DSHOT600` (or 300/1200 — DSHOT600 is the safe default).
3. Enable `Bidirectional DShot` switch. This allows the FC to read motor RPM and send directional commands.
4. Click `Save and Reboot`.
### Step 2: Assign a Switch to Turtle Mode
1. Go to the **Modes** tab.
2. Find `Flip Over After Crash` in the mode list.
3. Click `Add Range` and assign it to a switch on your radio.
4. Set the active range for the position where you want turtle mode engaged.
**Critical**: Place turtle mode on a switch that is:
– **NOT your arm switch** — never share a switch
– **Hard to accidentally bump** — a 3-position switch with turtle on the third position
– **A momentary switch is ideal** — it’s impossible to leave turtle mode on by accident
### Step 3: Configure Turtle Mode Behavior
In the CLI tab, enter these commands:
“`
set crash_recovery = ON
set crashflip_motor_percent = 60
set crashflip_expo = 35
save
“`
| Setting | Default | Recommended | Effect |
|———|———|————|——–|
| crashflip_motor_percent | 0 | 60 | Maximum motor power during turtle mode (0 = 100% — dangerous) |
| crashflip_expo | 0 | 35 | Softens the throttle curve in turtle mode for finer control |
**Why limit motor power to 60%?** A motor spinning backward into grass or mud experiences massive resistance. At 100% power, the ESC pulls huge currents trying to overcome this, which can burn MOSFETs or demagnetize the motor in seconds. 60% is enough to flip the quad while protecting your electronics.
### Step 4: Test on the Bench
1. **Remove all props**. This is non-negotiable for bench testing.
2. Arm the quad as normal.
3. Activate your turtle mode switch.
4. In the Motors tab (or just by feel), verify that:
– Pushing roll right reverses the right-side motors.
– Pushing pitch forward reverses the rear motors.
5. Disarm and verify turtle mode disengages.
## How to Use Turtle Mode in the Field
You’ve crashed upside down. The quad is sitting in grass 100 meters away. Here’s the procedure:
1. **Disarm immediately** after the crash. Do NOT leave the quad armed — a stalled motor pulls 10-20× normal current.
2. Assess the situation through your goggles. Can you see the sky or the ground? If you see ground, the quad is upside down.
3. Activate your turtle mode switch.
4. **Arm**. The quad arms in turtle mode — props will NOT spin at idle (this is normal).
5. Gently push the roll or pitch stick in the direction you want to flip. Add throttle slowly — 30-40% is usually enough.
6. The quad should rock and then flip over. The moment it flips:
7. **Disarm immediately**. Do not keep it armed while upright in turtle mode.
8. Deactivate the turtle mode switch.
9. Arm normally and take off.
### Turtle Mode Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|———|——-|—–|
| Motors don’t spin in turtle mode | Crashflip not activated on switch | Check Modes tab — switch range must be active |
| Quad rocks but doesn’t flip | Crashflip motor power too low | Increase crashflip_motor_percent by 10 |
| Props hit grass/ground and stop | Obstruction under the quad | Short disarm-rearm burst to clear debris; try different direction |
| ESC burns during turtle mode | Motor power set to 100% | Set crashflip_motor_percent = 60; never run turtle mode above 5 seconds |
| Motor direction wrong | Motor direction not configured in ESC firmware | Use BLHeli/Bluejay to set correct direction; DShot commands override this |
## Turtle Mode Do’s and Don’ts
| Do | Don’t |
|—-|——-|
| Disarm before activating turtle mode | Activate turtle mode while the quad is still armed |
| Limit to 3-second bursts | Hold turtle mode for more than 5 seconds |
| Disarm the instant the quad flips | Let the quad sit armed upside down |
| Use 60% max motor power | Run 100% — you’ll burn ESCs |
| Remove props before bench-testing turtle mode | Test with props on indoors |
## When NOT to Use Turtle Mode
1. **Quad is in water**: Turtle mode in water = instant ESC short circuit. Walk to retrieve it.
2. **Props are visibly broken**: A broken prop can’t generate useful thrust backward. You’ll just make noise.
3. **Quad is stuck in a tree**: Turtle mode won’t help and risks burning motors while tangled in branches.
4. **Battery is ejected or disconnected**: Turtle mode requires power — obviously. But if the battery partially disconnected in a crash, arming could cause a short.
## Alternative: Knockoff Recovery
Some pilots use a quick arm-disarm-arm sequence to “bump” the quad. This uses normal motor direction (not reversed) and is slightly safer for the ESCs but less effective for flipping. It works on short grass and hard surfaces but fails on soft terrain where the props just dig in.
—
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