Propeller longevity, Phantom 3 Standard.

[bsartist]

Wednesday evening my front left prob (black) come of at 217 feet just almost 2 minutes into my flight. I just started a long curved turn towards my friends house up the road when it fell. I've searched for the prop with out any luck,really wanted to see the threads to try to find out if it was a mistake on my part or part failure. Last night after going to two different stores each only having one pair, I set down to try to compare new threads to old then grabbed my P3s to check my threads and the light hit it just right I noticed small trace of plastic all the way down the threaded shaft. To me that says it stripped off in flight. Haven't flown it since except for when I retrieved it to see if it would still fly wanted to today but 30+mph wind gust all day. Waiting for calmer wind for a true test flight.

The drone fell 217 feet and didn't get busted up? Wow

 

[Dpemberton415]

The drone fell 217 feet and didn't get busted up? Wow

It didn't come out unharmed it as a small crack on the top shell between the arms on the side about an inch up from the seam and bent my yaw arm. It landed on its top on grass that would probably be 3 feet tall but is wind blown on its side think that's where I got lucky here is a picture of the area in the field where it landed

 

[jwmcgrath]

Anyone see the "Phantom versus lightning" thread? In the second simulation, see the way the propellers shoot off at the moment the lightning strikes the bird? That's exactly the way my propellers shot off!

They call it science. Even if it is simulated, lightning is an awesome spectacle regardless:

View attachment 80288

 

[Dpemberton415]

Wow

Anyone see the "Phantom versus lightning" thread? In the second simulation, see the way the propellers shoot off at the moment the lightning strikes the bird? That's exactly the way my propellers shot off!

just watched that that's nuts but sure you didn't have a lightning strike yours did you? The more I think about my prop loss the more I think it's error on my part due to being in a hurry to get it in the air not paying attention because I would put two on spin turn power up tab put last two spin mount tab put drone down power up takeoff never checked them. Wanted to fly the other day to catch video of incoming storm and lightning after seeing that glad I didn't lol

 

[jwmcgrath]

Wow

just watched that that's nuts but sure you didn't have a lightning strike yours did you? The more I think about my prop loss the more I think it's error on my part due to being in a hurry to get it in the air not paying attention because I would put two on spin turn power up tab put last two spin mount tab put drone down power up takeoff never checked them. Wanted to fly the other day to catch video of incoming storm and lightning after seeing that glad I didn't lol

No, it wasn't struck by lightning, I was in my living room! But it does go to show that there are certain circumstances where an instant shut down will cause the propellers to unscrew and launch.

The obvious possibility with the lightning strike model is that the motors seized and the momentum of the propellers kept them spinning so I'm not going to pretend I know all the variables on that one though... although they didn't mention that happened.

The way those two propellers shot off is EXACTLY the way my two propellers shot off.

 

[Dpemberton415]

Yes I could see that if the props were lightly spun on the sudden stop of the motors that the props would just keep going. After my crash do to one coming off in flight I snug mine down about an 1/8th of a turn or more kinda go by feel, don't want it to strip in flight by over tightening ether. Post crash I'm scared to fly to high or far don't think I can get that lucky to crash a second time on such a soft place.

 

[Ben Walford]

I never experienced anything like that. Glad you are ok.

 

[Dpemberton415]

My P3s took some damage but still flys. Need to replace my shell, shock absorber board and gimbal yaw arm board is glued for now managed to get my yaw arm fairly straight. Shell is cracked about an inch long in a spot I don't think will hurt it for now at least till I get my money together for my parts. It was a bad sinking feeling when I was watching on my tablet because it was out of site when it happened just lost sight due to trees here is the footage and a picture of the spot it landed. Ok just where it landed can't get the video to upload