Styrofoam flotation shell for Phantom

[dannytroy]

If I can save one Phantom from a watery grave, it would have been worth the effort of posting this video!

Note: This isn't intended to keep the Phantom dry, or for deliberate landing on the water. It's main use is to prevent it sinking should it land on the water. It's usually upside down when I retrieve it.

This has saved my Phantom several times, and always keeps it at the surface after a crash. Not sinking in deep water increases it's chances of surviving after the usual 3 (or more) day dry-out.

Here's a YouTube video link: http://youtu.be/dCaMGqvsh-8

 

[witold]

Do the black arms do anything? Do they help with stability in the water?

 

[sidebox]

I'm glad this works for you... but the aerodynamics of this thing cannot be pretty. You might consider this device: http://www.getterback.com/store/getter- ... b-001.html

It is widely used here, and successfully recovered several Phantoms.

 

[SanCap]

That looks like it will do exactly what you want it to do. I like the quick removal pin! I would remove the target on it to prevent the anti drone people from having a better target to aim at

 

[syotr]

If you add some flotation under each motor, there is a chance it would remain upright in the water, assuming it descended upright.

 

[slothead]

Unless I misunderstood your purpose, it's a death sentence for your Phantom. As soon as it hits the water the CG will flip it over and submerse all your electronics (for the same reason that you wear your life preserver on your torso rather than your abdomen). If you really want to use styrofoam, you will nee a much wider/broader plate of the stuff to keep the CG from tipping the whole thing.

 

[MapMaker53]

Like this example. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OleU6XNA-0s

 

[kirbinster]

Do you have a schematic with the dimensions? How does this impact the aerodynamics? I would think this would catch a lot of air and really mess up flying.

 

[dannytroy]

I guess I should have made it more clear, and I updated my original post. This is for keeping the Phantom from sinking, not for water landings. I'm hearing about too many Phatoms lost to rivers, lakes and oceans!

As far as designing a float system for landing, or another device for water landings, I already tried that, with two different types of pontoons, and the bottle under each rotor method. They all killed the flight performance, and I settled on this, with a slight hit in performance. If you intend on using this as a flying camera it works. If you intend on doing aerobatics, that may be another story.

Get-r-back works, but it will still sink, causing great pressure to the electronics. Think about how your ears feel at just a few feet underwater!

 

[thumpinhard]

looks like you did a pretty good job on this.
good idea. i think keeping it as close to the surface is likely i good idea to minimize water intrusion..too bad the wind would be such a problem with pontoons. i have seen ones with pontoons but they are cheaper slower copters and doing photography with wind it would not be very stable with pontoons anyway i am guessing.

 

[MapMaker53]

Do you have a schematic with the dimensions? How does this impact the aerodynamics? I would think this would catch a lot of air and really mess up flying.

If you are referring to the YouTube video that I posted as an example, I did not create it. I'm sure any lightweight, non-aerodynamic addition would impact flying performance - but the those Styrofoam pontoons looked like a good temporary addition if, say, moving slowly over a pond or lake. I doubt if it would perform well at higher speeds.

 

[dannytroy]

Yes, I made two different pontoon systems, using a solid pool noodle. They looked great..... until you fly with it. Bad news. If you could get the pontoons far enough outward from the prop wash it might work, but then you would have a pontoon system that would be too heavy. I gave up on the whole idea. This photo shows one of the two I made.