Sport mode concern

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Hi Guys,
New and inexperienced pilot of a P3A.
I have just bought a used Phantom from a good friend, its 6 months old and immaculate condition with very little flight time. I'm over the moon with it, even though i haven't used it yet!
I then start reading stories of body stress cracks around the the motors! This apparently is a common issue with the P3. When i read further, a few Guys said it was due to 'hard flying', or the speed in which is generated from the fast Sport mode.I then find out you can buy small Aluminium plates that fit under the motors to prevent this or help with damaged and cracks already caused.
Are DJI addressing this design issue? Its appalling really for such an expensive hi tech item.
Also, if you cant fly in the exciting Sport Mode because it may crack the body shell then whats the point of this mode at all??...I'm hoping it doesnt come to this???
Obviously i will start in P mode to get used to flying in general first.
Any thought or info much appreciated.
 
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Are DJI addressing this design issue?
DJI has addressed the issue by redesigning the shell many months ago. While it hasn't completely resolved the issue, it seems to have greatly reduced the chances of it occurring (based on the number of posts we see here).

There's really no telling if and/or what will cause your shell to crack. If it cracks through normal use, DJI will most likely fix the issue under warranty.
 
DJI has addressed the issue by redesigning the shell many months ago. While it hasn't completely resolved the issue, it seems to have greatly reduced the chances of it occurring (based on the number of posts we see here).

There's really no telling if and/or what will cause your shell to crack. If it cracks through normal use, DJI will most likely fix the issue under warranty.
Thanks for the quick reply.
But if the warranty is up and it occurs? Any thoughts on the plates i mentioned?
 
But if the warranty is up and it occurs?
Great question. I don't know if they will fix it if it's out of warranty. If your shell cracks and they won't replace it, it's a pretty easy (but lengthy) and inexpensive fix you can do yourself.

Any thoughts on the plates i mentioned?
Many people have installed metal mounts like these (or the plastic versions). Some shells have still cracked even with those installed, so there really is no guarantee they will prevent shell cracks. Design-wise, they seem like they will provide extra support, so I think it's a good thing to try if you're worried about cracks.
 
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I then start reading stories of body stress cracks around the the motors! This apparently is a common issue with the P3.
It's a "common" issue with a tiny percentage of Phantoms. Most never develop any cracking at all.
When i read further, a few Guys said it was due to 'hard flying', or the speed in which is generated from the fast Sport mode.I then find out you can buy small Aluminium plates that fit under the motors to prevent this or help with damaged and cracks already caused.
If you worry about everything a few guys said, you'd go crazy.
There have been lots of guesses as to what caused cracking and all ignore the facts that it:
happens to only a few
happens to Phantoms that have been babied
doesn't happen to the majority, including those flown quite hard.​
The only explanation that makes any sense, is that it's a problem with some batches of plastic resin and/or moulding technique.
If flying in sport mode caused cracking, most would crack up but they don't.

Your Phantom hasn't developed any cracking in 6 months. That's a pretty good sign.
Go out and enjoy it.
Worst case scenario ... you replace the shell if necessary in the future.
It's not expensive and you can do it yourself.
But you probably won't have to.
 
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I found small cracks around two motors on my refurb P3P about 4 months ago, shortly after purchase. I installed the plastic plates and have continued flying since. I often fly very aggressively on my wooded property at least 3 times a week in addition to some very precise flying. I inspect the bird before and after every flight and to date have not seen an increase in the existing cracks. Nor do I see any abnormal flexing or looseness in the motors. I'm keeping a close eye on it.
BTW, the Phantom 3 series does not have a sport mode. P4 and Mavic do.
 
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Guys said it was due to 'hard flying', or the speed in which is generated from the fast Sport mode. Also, if you cant fly in the exciting Sport Mode because it may crack the body shell then whats the point of this mode at all??...
Wait what? I also have a P3A but I cant find Sport Mode. I havent updated firmware since my drone works a dime, so did I miss this new feature?? Maybe DJI is trying to keep some interest in the P3 so they added things? Where do I find Sport Mode and how does it work??
 
Guys said it was due to 'hard flying', or the speed in which is generated from the fast Sport mode. Also, if you cant fly in the exciting Sport Mode because it may crack the body shell then whats the point of this mode at all??..
Wait what? I also have a P3A but I cant find Sport Mode. I havent updated firmware since my drone works a dime, so did I miss this new feature?? Maybe DJI is trying to keep some interest in the P3 so they added things? Where do I find Sport Mode and how does it work??
See the post just above yours. Despite the thread title, your P3A does not have a Sport Mode so it's safe to stop your search for it. ;)
 
Hi Guys,
New and inexperienced pilot of a P3A.
I have just bought a used Phantom from a good friend, its 6 months old and immaculate condition with very little flight time. I'm over the moon with it, even though i haven't used it yet!
I then start reading stories of body stress cracks around the the motors! This apparently is a common issue with the P3. When i read further, a few Guys said it was due to 'hard flying', or the speed in which is generated from the fast Sport mode.I then find out you can buy small Aluminium plates that fit under the motors to prevent this or help with damaged and cracks already caused.
Are DJI addressing this design issue? Its appalling really for such an expensive hi tech item.
Also, if you cant fly in the exciting Sport Mode because it may crack the body shell then whats the point of this mode at all??...I'm hoping it doesnt come to this???
Obviously i will start in P mode to get used to flying in general first.
Any thought or info much appreciated.
I used some uvula resin in all four motor mount Bastian. All of them had fine cracks (on both of my p3p ). 100 hours later, no further cracking or flight problems.
 
If it doesn't have a sport mode, what is the S mode exactly? I just heard its faster than the normal P mode?
The mode switch on your P3 controller has the settings P, A & F for P-GPS, Atti and Feature modes.
The P4 series has P, A & S modes
P-GPS speed is 15 metres/sec (in still air with OA disabled)
Sport mode speed = 20 metres/sec.
 
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