Have any drones ever been struck by lightning?

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Was just wondering if anyone has ever had a drone, or even heard of a drone being hit by lightning. I love watching thunderstorms roll in when they're miles out during the summer months and now that I have a drone I'd love to get some aerial shots this summer. So what are my chances of sending up my drone and having it fall out of the sky a 3lb steaming hunk of melted plastic?
 
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I doubt if you would be any burning effect on the phantom due to a lightening strike. It will be flying in Air and the charge will not pass through it. There could be disturbance to gps and compass but momentarily.

I doubt if the plastic would ever melt.


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Actually, if struck by lightning, the current would pass through the electronics circuits in the bird just like in a real aircraft. I used to work in the Air Force Atmospherice Electricity Hazard (I.e. Lighting) lab at WP where we deliberately flew into thunder storms in order to get struck. Even in the middle of a storm, it wasn't that easy. Out in clear air the odds are really negligible. Our research showed that contrary to popular belief, planes didn't initiate lightning strikes, rather they flew into the channel and became part of it with the return stroke, the part with all the current, then traveling to an in some cases through the aircraft. Modern metal aircraft are pretty well protected. Our phantoms would have no protection and if the same thing happened, the path of least resistance would be through the wires such as from the motor to the esc and out another motor. Not going to do the aircraft any good. And yes it could melt the plastic, the currents in a lightning strike can exceed 100000 amps! But again, the chances are so slim as to be ignored. The pilot on the ground is in more danger if there is a storm nearby. Standing out in an open field in a thunderstorm is definitely unhealthy.
 
Just not the only tall tree in the field! currents flowing in and around a tree struck by lightning can be deadly, not to mention all the potential shrapnel for exploding tree!
 
Actually, if struck by lightning, the current would pass through the electronics circuits in the bird just like in a real aircraft. I used to work in the Air Force Atmospherice Electricity Hazard (I.e. Lighting) lab at WP where we deliberately flew into thunder storms in order to get struck. Even in the middle of a storm, it wasn't that easy. Out in clear air the odds are really negligible. Our research showed that contrary to popular belief, planes didn't initiate lightning strikes, rather they flew into the channel and became part of it with the return stroke, the part with all the current, then traveling to an in some cases through the aircraft. Modern metal aircraft are pretty well protected. Our phantoms would have no protection and if the same thing happened, the path of least resistance would be through the wires such as from the motor to the esc and out another motor. Not going to do the aircraft any good. And yes it could melt the plastic, the currents in a lightning strike can exceed 100000 amps! But again, the chances are so slim as to be ignored. The pilot on the ground is in more danger if there is a storm nearby. Standing out in an open field in a thunderstorm is definitely unhealthy.


Yes, Dr. Emmett Brown proved that lightning can produce up to 1.21 gigawatts as well! :D
 
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yes, 100k amps, millions of volts and multiple Joules of charge transferred! Lightning is some mean stuff!:eek:
 
I'm just thinking about getting aerial shots from my backyard of approaching storms. Not a big open field or anything. I know lightning can strike something a few miles away from the actual storm so I would have to be careful. Seems like the chances are slim, however I may take the risk for a few cool shots. Now... gotta wait for summer. Freaking winter snow/ sleet and rain is getting real old. :mad:
 
I'm just thinking about getting aerial shots from my backyard of approaching storms. Not a big open field or anything. I know lightning can strike something a few miles away from the actual storm so I would have to be careful. Seems like the chances are slim, however I may take the risk for a few cool shots. Now... gotta wait for summer. Freaking winter snow/ sleet and rain is getting real old. :mad:

You just need thunder snow... :D
 
Been in One years ago. Heavy snow blowing sideways. The lightning strikes lit the sky up 360 degrees. It was cool, but I needed to be somewhere but was afraid to go outsize.


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I doubt if you would be any burning effect on the phantom due to a lightening strike. It will be flying in Air and the charge will not pass through it. There could be disturbance to gps and compass but momentarily.

I doubt if the plastic would ever melt.


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Wow I see your Sig. w/your work background but find this hard to believe as their is no shielding not to mention the Arc being hotter than the surface of the Sun.

I understand the need for a path to ground for current to flow 'through' it but it just seems counter-intuitive given the electrical charges present.
 
If my understanding is correct then air with high moisture content will break and get ionized first under huge potential difference to offer least resistive path compared to a synthetic piece of plastic material flying in the air.

I see very low probability of lightening discharges occurring through plastic shell of a flying drone in such conditions.


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If my understanding is correct then air with high moisture content will break and get ionized first under huge potential difference to offer least resistive path compared to a synthetic piece of plastic material flying in the air.

I see very low probability of lightening discharges occurring through shell of a flying drone in such conditions.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

I suspect if the strike comes "close" even without passing through the drone is toast and the shell will melt.
 
If my understanding is correct then air with high moisture content will break and get ionized first under huge potential difference to offer least resistive path compared to a synthetic piece of plastic material flying in the air.

I see very low probability of lightening discharges occurring through shell of a flying drone in such conditions.


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots
The likely path would be from one motor, through the wiring and out another motor. Again, the bird wouldn't trigger a strike, but would have to intercept a channel and the wiring would offer a lower resistance than the ionize channel.
 
Was just wondering if anyone has ever had a drone, or even heard of a drone being hit by lightning. I love watching thunderstorms roll in when they're miles out during the summer months and now that I have a drone I'd love to get some aerial shots this summer. So what are my chances of sending up my drone and having it fall out of the sky a 3lb steaming hunk of melted plastic?
This was from this weekend. Was about 5 minutes too late for close shots!!
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I was thinking yesterday, I wonder if nearby lighting would have adverse reaction to the radio signal being transmitted between the remote and the craft or even scramble the compass mid flight? I suppose anything is possible.
 

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