diff --git a/Tools/autotest/arducopter.py b/Tools/autotest/arducopter.py
index ce3436e628..020e93a0ea 100644
--- a/Tools/autotest/arducopter.py
+++ b/Tools/autotest/arducopter.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ AVCHOME=mavutil.location(40.072842,-105.230575,1586,0)
 
 homeloc = None
 num_wp = 0
+speedup_default = 5
 
 def hover(mavproxy, mav, hover_throttle=1450):
     mavproxy.send('rc 3 %u\n' % hover_throttle)
@@ -912,7 +913,7 @@ def fly_ArduCopter(viewerip=None, map=False):
         util.build_SIL('ArduCopter', target=TARGET)
 
     home = "%f,%f,%u,%u" % (HOME.lat, HOME.lng, HOME.alt, HOME.heading)
-    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', wipe=True, model='+', home=home, speedup=5)
+    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', wipe=True, model='+', home=home, speedup=speedup_default)
     mavproxy = util.start_MAVProxy_SIL('ArduCopter', options='--sitl=127.0.0.1:5501 --out=127.0.0.1:19550 --quadcopter')
     mavproxy.expect('Received [0-9]+ parameters')
 
@@ -924,7 +925,7 @@ def fly_ArduCopter(viewerip=None, map=False):
     util.pexpect_close(mavproxy)
     util.pexpect_close(sil)
 
-    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', model='+', home=home, speedup=5)
+    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', model='+', home=home, speedup=speedup_default)
     options = '--sitl=127.0.0.1:5501 --out=127.0.0.1:19550 --quadcopter --streamrate=5'
     if viewerip:
         options += ' --out=%s:14550' % viewerip
@@ -1259,7 +1260,7 @@ def fly_CopterAVC(viewerip=None, map=False):
         util.build_SIL('ArduCopter', target=TARGET)
 
     home = "%f,%f,%u,%u" % (AVCHOME.lat, AVCHOME.lng, AVCHOME.alt, AVCHOME.heading)
-    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', wipe=True, model='+', home=home, speedup=5)
+    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', wipe=True, model='+', home=home, speedup=speedup_default)
     mavproxy = util.start_MAVProxy_SIL('ArduCopter', options='--sitl=127.0.0.1:5501 --out=127.0.0.1:19550 --quadcopter')
     mavproxy.expect('Received [0-9]+ parameters')
 
@@ -1271,7 +1272,7 @@ def fly_CopterAVC(viewerip=None, map=False):
     util.pexpect_close(mavproxy)
     util.pexpect_close(sil)
 
-    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', model='+', home=home, speedup=5)
+    sil = util.start_SIL('ArduCopter', model='+', home=home, speedup=speedup_default)
     options = '--sitl=127.0.0.1:5501 --out=127.0.0.1:19550 --quadcopter --streamrate=5'
     if viewerip:
         options += ' --out=%s:14550' % viewerip