Swimming noodle in case of water crash? Would this work?

[salt]

I have insurance on my drones, but its only valid if I can retrieve them. A crash in a lake or the sea would mean the craft is pretty much lost. I saw this on the internet where someone had attached portions of a swimming noodle to the landing skids Customizable Floating Extentions for DJI Phantom by Horstage . Would this work? It seems like it might throw off the balance or create a lot of drag. Anyone know any better ways to make a phantom float?

 

[msinger]

You could install a GetterBack for easy retrieval. It would be lighter and will not negatively affect the flight performance.

 

[Mark The Droner]

I experimented with the noodle thing back when I was a n00B and it doesn't work like you would hope. It flies like a brick and it's too likely to flip over upside down.

Most experienced pilots don't worry about the water too much because they have great confidence in the aircraft.

I agree with msinger - the best option is the getterback. I have one. You might consider getting two - one for each landing gear.

 

[syotr]

Anyone know any better ways to make a phantom float?

Put the guts in a waterproof shell.

 

[salt]

You could install a GetterBack for easy retrieval. It would be lighter and will not negatively affect the flight performance.

Thanks! I bought two units from the link you provided.

 

[salt]

Put the guts in a waterproof shell.

That would be cool, Id actually like to do some rain shots. Do you know where I could get a waterproof shell? The drone in the pic doesnt look like a phantom.

 

[Hojo70]

You could install a GetterBack for easy retrieval. It would be lighter and will not negatively affect the flight performance.

TTT tried a similar product, it didn't work.

 

[msinger]

TTT tried a similar product, it didn't work.

The GetterBack is a little different. Here's an example showing how it works:

 

[syotr]

That would be cool, Id actually like to do some rain shots. Do you know where I could get a waterproof shell? The drone in the pic doesnt look like a phantom.

The picture is of a Dex shell (dexmodels.com) with Phantom parts installed. It uses the main board, flight controller, and receiver from a Phantom P1.1.1 The ESC's, motors and props are part of DJI E300 kit. It uses up to 5200 mAh 3s batteries. This transplant requires serious DIY skills. Cooling the ESC's and venting the barometer are two of the challenges.
Later model Phantoms would be difficult to fit in this shell because of the "smart" proprietary batteries. There are other waterproof shells available.
This one has survived one flyaway/crash in water with no damage.

 

[WetDog]

If all you want are rain shots, you can tape over the vents and fly around for a few minutes. You will then get water on your lens, find that further photography is futile and land.....

 

[Mark The Droner]

Another way with scattered showers or with a rain front that is going by but will miss you is to check the radar and fly up to 400' and aim the dry camera at the wet rain a few miles away...

 

[WetDog]

Light hail is perfect - doesn't get on the lens so much and looks neat. Of course, the difference between very light hail and the P3 tumbling to the ground is rather slight....

 

[Mark The Droner]

With carbon fiber props and a mic, it might make for an entertaining vid...