Screw inspection = very bad day

[Bluethundr]

Yea, what we need is more lawyers, insurance companies, and litigation-- "sue em" "make em pay", they will jump right up and fix everything immediately.
Please take a deep breathe and exhale slowly-- send it back and you wont have to worry about the cracks or dropping it on someone's head. Where is all this anger coming from?????

1099.00 spend and in 24 days of very easy flying I have stress cracks. DJI says its not covered under warranty. So you have to buy another and hope the new one does not crack. So you bet, if it falls from the sky and you have covered your basis with documentation why would you not. It kind of sounds like it would be a class action suit, to be honest. To many stating they have cracks, and it WILL make these fall from the sky.

 

[blade strike]

Curious to know if you did have these issues how would you fix them? Oh wait your employed by DJI
So it would get handle, for us we just get screwed.

If you feel that way then no reason for me to respond to your post. It seems you just get screwed...

Sorry that you feel that way..

 

[blade strike]

1099.00 spend and in 24 days of very easy flying I have stress cracks. DJI says its not covered under warranty. So you have to buy another and hope the new one does not crack. So you bet, if it falls from the sky and you have covered your basis with documentation why would you not. It kind of sounds like it would be a class action suit, to be honest. To many stating they have cracks, and it WILL make these fall from the sky.

A few people reporting this is not "too many". In the grand scale of things is a VERY small number. I know this doesn't help if you're one of them..Have you tried contacting support? If not I would try there..

You understand that there are over 100,000 in the air now? If it was a wide spread problem you would be seeing it pop up all over. Yes there are a few cases of it. DJI is looking into, they are actually requesting for the ops craft back directly for study.

 

[Bigdz]

Yea, what we need is more lawyers, insurance companies, and litigation-- "sue em" "make em pay", they will jump right up and fix everything immediately.
Please take a deep breathe and exhale slowly-- send it back and you wont have to worry about the cracks or dropping it on someone's head. Where is all this anger coming from?????

This shouldn't be happening so soon, if not at all. It's the principal. Am I mad...not at all. I will still purchase phantoms because I believe they are the best copter on the market. I just want to be heard, and let it be known that this is an issue, and hopefully the outcome would be a stronger shell for the next phantom series.

If you don't have this issue fantastic, but I would still make it a part of your post flight check.

As a precautionary measure I checked the other torq screws which were pretty tight, to much tension. So, I backed out the screws and made sure the tension wasn't as bad.

I will live with it buy a new shell(when available) and move on!

 

[Bigdz]

If you feel that way then no reason for me to respond to your post. It seems you just get screwed...

Sorry that you feel that way..

No not at all, I understand your position... I just had to get it off my back that's all. My issue is extremely minor just few very very small hair line cracks.

I have bigger issues to worry about. So believe me your word carries weight with me!

 

[gingerbloke]

Because it's such fun to spend 1000+ and then have to lose your toy to slow CS (you'll have it back by the end of the summer, I guess?) and BS about 'shell not covered',etc ,etc.

Please take a deep breathe and exhale slowly-- send it back and you wont have to worry about the cracks or dropping it on someone's head. Where is all this anger coming from?????

 

[kentM]

That's exactly how I felt when I saw them, there's no way that I could have done this. I should have inspected the screws when I first opened the box.

I also find it funny how the seller didn't hesitate to tell me that it would probably be just fine to fly and that there's nothing to worry about. Well, if you compare how securely mounted the motors are, the two with cracks move noticeably more in their mounts than the other two... Not very reassuring if you ask me.

The good news is that I bought it through Amazon and I have a feeling that has some influence on the matter. I have already completed the return process through my Amazon account and received an email saying that they will refund the money as soon as the seller receives the Phantom.

This is another good reason for buying from Amazon. Several weeks ago, my P3Pro flipped upside down during a landing. After cleaning the moisture off with a rag and air compressor, I flew it successfully three more times during that flight and clearly documented in the video, the gimbal went berserk. The camera was still working and the craft flew fine. I returned it to DJI via UPS 2day. A week after being signed for, they acknowledge that it was in the repair cycle. After inquiring again regarding status. I received a "nastygram" telling me further inquiries only delay the process.
With Amazon, I could already be back in the air with a new one.

No more direct orders from DJI for me...

 

[DrewFlies]

I don't understand how a bunch of you people have cracks in and around your motors. You must be coming in way too hot when landing and touching ground or your tightening the screws in paranoia that they will come loose. Unless of course your Phantom 3 has tipped over once or more.

 

[Bigdz]

A

I don't understand how a bunch of you people have cracks in and around your motors. You must be coming in way too hot when landing and touching ground or your tightening the screws in paranoia that they will come loose. Unless of course your Phantom 3 has tipped over once or more.

All hand catches, brother! Never crash once... Read the thread, your theory is incorrect, next...

 

[silverstoned83]

I don't understand how a bunch of you people have cracks in and around your motors. You must be coming in way too hot when landing and touching ground or your tightening the screws in paranoia that they will come loose. Unless of course your Phantom 3 has tipped over once or more.

Not all of us have zero experience with flying quads. Some of us have already been doing it for hundreds and hundreds of flights with quads we built/tuned ourselves. Accusing any pilot with this issue of having a tip over or over tightening an already overly-tightened screw is quite bold of you. How else should one post this issue in order for you to believe it?? You can rest assured that the seller and DJI have already made me jump through all of these hoops in order to prove that I'm not at fault, this is why I'm getting a refund..... I'm definitely not going to waste any more energy trying to convince people such as yourself.

 

[BenDronePilot]

I've had cracks on every single phantom I've owned and I have never had a crash or rough landing. I always hand catch. And my two week old P3A is no different. I've got them already. Does it piss me off? Big time. It amazes me that very few here complain about this. DJI goes and designs an updated shell with every opportunity to address a problem they KNEW was there because they even added clips to the shells but still paper thin plastic on the most highly stressed part. I don't ever n stare at the motor mounting area for too long because that can start cracks. Joking aside I'm getting **** tired of fixing stress cracks. And now with the new shells it is a much more difficult process opening them. Maybe that's what the clips are for now. They know its going to crack so the clips keep it together for lack of paint to do the job. I love DJI's products but the shells are pieces of dog poop. They were dog crap on the P2 and are still dog poop on the 3. Just a hair thicker would have done wonders to keep $1300 product from cracking within a week but nah. I would be willing to pay 30 or 40% more for better structural integrity. Anyway, the p2 cracked from usually one of outer motor screw holes outwards to the meeting point to the upper shell. The P3 likes to crack inside one of the two upper lower shell retaining screw holes. Send it in? First DJI isn't going to offer warranty on what they know will happen to at least 40% of phantoms. Again, I had 2 visions, two vision pluses. They all cracked without one crash or rough landing. So forget warranty. If I paid for them to replace the shell I would literally have one at their repair center every month of the year. Not right. And while I became an expert at repairing phantom cracks, like silverstoned, I'm at a loss at how to repair complete missing plastic at the screening hole. Plastic, it seems, barely thicker in that area than a piece of paper. ******** for lack of a better word. I own two P3s now so I like their stuff. But this cracking is unacceptable. Check yours out folks and do chime in when you see the cracks.

I've got two Phantom 2 Vision and have had no such cracking problems with mine and that includes flying aggressively. I would look into your storage situation as maybe environmental factors such as heat cold or humidity may be partly to blame for your problem.

 

[silverstoned83]

I'm afraid that nothing else besides a defective shell is to blame.. You guys can keep trying to point the finger at anyone besides DJI, but you're wrong in this situation. No environmental or human factors came into play, after purchase, in order for this to happen.. There's not a single scratch anywhere on the shell.... Why is it so hard for some to believe that this is nothing more than a defect??

 

[BenDronePilot]

I'm afraid that nothing else besides a defective shell is to blame.. You guys can keep trying to point the finger at anyone besides DJI, but you're wrong in this situation. No environmental or human factors came into play, after purchase, in order for this to happen.. There's not a single scratch anywhere on the shell.... Why is it so hard for some to believe that this is nothing more than a defect??

Yeah it's likely a design flaw but just one that I have not seen personally from regular use and even when taking the craft apart several times. So I don't personally think this to be a wide spread problem. Yes of course they could make the plastic thicker in those sections to completely eliminate the possibility of any cracks forming.

 

[silverstoned83]

All hand catches, brother! Never crash once... Read the thread, your theory is incorrect, next...

I wish people would read the thread before posting their initial reactions and abrasive opinions.

 

[silverstoned83]

Yeah it's likely a design flaw but just one that I have not seen personally from regular use and even when taking the craft apart several times. So I don't personally think this to be a wide spread problem. Yes of course they could make the plastic thicker in those sections to completely eliminate the possibility of any cracks forming.

It doesn't need to be widespread in order for it to be more significant than an 'isolated incident.' If this fact does not concern you and others, then don't be surprised when the day comes that you're put into the same position.

 

[Dirby]

Anyone else see or have cracks in these locations? I'm going to check my P3 when I get home later.

i just checked my Phanton Vision and no cracks.

 

[mtnmaddman]

i just checked my Phanton Vision and no cracks.

The vision cracks around the motor screws, not the shell screws, look close again, black hub props especially.

 

[bighi]

Does it fly? I wouldn't sweat it unless your a neat freak. I understand your frustrations but this is something that is not visible and won't cause issues. It's really actually pretty minor. If the body was cracked I would be pissed but these are a couple very minor screw holes. That's nothing.

The difference between when just one screw isn't holding is quite substantial. Very visible. And something that visible will propagate to issues somewhere else in that shell. On mine, once I visibly saw how much twisting there was with just one screw hole failure on each arm, I figured that shell is pretty much done. After all these things are out there flying. Hence it's either re shell or glue. In my case the seams on each arm from screw region to screw region in the other side. Remember, a cracked shell is a cracked shell and what's the cost of an shell if a main board needs to be replaced? After gluing the flex at that arm was reduced dramatically. Day and night difference. So yes, it will fly. But shouldn't be done until something is rectified at the region of the crack. Especially if it's a screw hole which provides at least 25% of the structural integrity of that arm against twisting forces.

 

[bighi]

Well, my P3A has them. Last night no cracks on inspection. Today after 2 flights 3 of the 8 have cracks. I also noticed a never before "wobble" in the craft. Mine is 24 days old with less then 4 hours or so in the air. Its going to be replaced by Nexgen drones or DJI. I never had this issue with my other P2's. As far as i can see it will happen to all of them. Their is not alot of holding power in that thin of plastic where the cracks are occurring. If this is not fixed by DJI these crafts will wobble out of the sky. Its a matter of time before it happens.

I had that same wobble. It was very noticeable on mine once the cracks developed. After gluing the seams to restore the integrity the wobble is gone. These cracks aren't Micckey Mouse. This has to be solved. The patience we had, I had, during the P2 era is gone now with the P3 since they had every opportunity to fix this once and for all with the shell redesign. Besides, all of us here have craft that aren't even three months old. My cracks were there at about 4 hours total flight time. But then again, I had a P2 get a motor hole to seam crack at 30 minutes of flight time back in February. It was a new in box spare that I started flying due to the fact that my other P2 had too many cracks.

 

[bighi]

Just an added thought-- for those who use the snap on and off prop guards, the cracking is not an issue since each arm has the mount for the prop guard which actually reinforces the motor mount. I use the prop guards some time and sometimes I don't- but the mounts remain on the arm and act as reinforcement, I don't believe this is an issue for those with these prop guard mounts. Pretty cheap fix, considering and I can still get under the hood if necessary. View attachment 23063 View attachment 23064

Sorry pal but do you see those two side by side screws that are completely away from your prop guard mounts? That's where the cracking is happening. Not, I repeat, not by the four motor mount screws. Once you have no holding power by those two screws, its only the tiny mini torx holding the arm together along with the other one at the arm base. Hence, a lot less resistance against the twisting on that arm. And while the guard mounts provide some strength to the four motor screw holes, those are completely independent of any top shell and bottom shell retention. So, no, those guard mounts are not the solution.