I will only procure any parts either direct from DJI or from UK-based authorised distributors. It's part of my Ops Manual and based in standard aerospace maintenance traceability requirements. Over the top? Maybe. Safer? Certainly.
Mid-flight propeller failure - mystery solved....
- Thread starter Harleydude
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I know some people might disagree but I certainly agree with you 100%! Considering the issues that they had recently with iPhone updates and aftermarket displays where the iPhone update bricked the phones, one can understand why it is so important to use only manufacture parts when doing any kind of repair.
Oso
Premium Pilot
Greatly appreciate the video, learned a lot, well articulated points, thanks!
Other than my P4P's premature failure, I have never "worn out" a prop. I've been flying RC since the early '80s, which this includes large gasser helicopters. I put countless hours on my Phantom 1's and have about 50 hours on my Inspire. Unless the prop suffers a strike of some kind, I don't replace it.
Worth noting, the second failure gave zero signs of failure. After the first failure, I was very diligent about prop inspection. I even had my business partner look at them, too (two sets of eyes). Neither one of us saw anything to show any kind of sign of failure. The prop just self-destructed mid-flight both times. NO prop should do that. No prop is *designed* to do that - regardless of price point.
Exactly. This is why I was taken aback by the P4P prop failures. I paid $1.50/prop on my Phantom 1's. I flew the bejesus out of those things and never saw a single mid-flight prop failure regardless of manufacturer and/or price point.
I've been flying RC since the early '80s and I share your experience, which is why I was caught off guard on this ridiculous mid-flight propeller failure issue.
The general consensus among the RC community has always been that, unless the prop is damaged, there's no need to change it. My personal experience aligns with this consensus. Even full scale aviation props can have a service life of up to 10,000 hours (depending on materials used). And are derated based pressure change. I doubt any of our drones will ever see that much air time or any measurable "pressure change."
Even full scale aviation props can have a service life of up to 10,000 hours. And I think it's safe to say that they not only see more stress than drone propellers, but they have a lot more skin in the game, as well. That said...I fly more than most and probably have a combined flight time of 300 hours. Who has 700 hours on their drone? Honestly, I would probably replace the entire drone by that point.
Yep.
I think you mean "service life," and yes, they do...probably in the 1,000+ hour range. Who knows. I don't know a single prop company who publishes that information. Do you? I'd love to see it.
Define X.
I think the bottom line here is that the general consensus among experienced drone pilots is that drone propellers have a service life that probably exceed the drone's service life. Other than the P4P prop failures - which are CLEARLY due to a manufacturing defect - I've never seen a mid-flight prop failure. Even when I was buying and using $1.50 props on my Phantom 1, I never saw random, mid-flight failures. And I put a LOT of hours on those birds.
D
Very good advise and information! I am very leary of any Non OEM parts! For the very slight savings it isn't worth taking the chance with your dronE
One big difference I have noticed in OEM propellers versus third-party is where the horizontal section of the propeller comes in contact with the propellers center hub. This area, known as the fillet, is the rounded area where the propeller will meet the center hub. If the fillet is nonexistent or very shallow, I can see where a blade could tear off in midflight. I have taken a good hard look at my DJI drone with the OEM manufactured props as compared to a set of carbon fiber props that I have yet to use. The fillet on the carbon fiber propeller is much more pronounced. I have also looked at my son’s toy drone, and the fillet on that propeller is almost nonexistent. So I am thinking that is probably the reason that the blade self-destructed in midflight.
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Hey sometimes it happens ...i had some zeal blades let go on my goblin 380! Now that scared the sh$t out of me....doing an inverred punchout.... watched a thousand-dollar machine fall to my horror...
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This is the exact reasons why blade 350 qx's were falling out of the sky back in 2014, 15.... I had one and would barely fly it until horizon fixed it.... their fix a month later was the same exact blades called "B" blades.... and looking at these B blades The Hub area especially where the blade attaches was much more thicker... still didn't trust those went to some aftermarket APC props
I did not know of any of that, but WOW! You would think that something so simple and inexpensive would be a no-brainer to include as a quality control check. I guess it is my days as a machinist that makes me check on things like this. The first crankshaft I ever milled down (back in the late 70’s) came back to me with one angry customer. I inadvertently cut the fillets to shallow, and the crank snapped in the first 100 miles. Lesson learned, and never forgotten!
Check out this photo. It doesn't look like the fillet failed. It looks like the hub itself failed.
The first prop was never found, suggesting, again, that the hub failed.
Thoughts?
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Yes, Please make a rig video. I'd like to see how control is managed. Curious, what part does the banana play?
Yes, Please make a rig video. I'd like to see how control is managed. Curious, what part does the banana play?
I'll make a video. But I'm afraid the banana is a trade secret....<:^0
Thanks for the Tip on the marking of the Props. I have a PP3 Professional. but haven't found time to fly it for about 3 months because of the Winter Weather, Rain and Winds. I may only have 50 hours of flying time gosports1
Kinda hard to tell what happened without both pieces, but that break point on the right side looks like the kind of break that occurs when plastic becomes brittle. Likely causes could be heating the plastic to high temperatures and cooling multiple times or the plastic becoming brittle due to age or UV. While tempering steel uses this exact process to make it stronger, plastic undergoing heating and cooling makes it brittle. It could have been a defect in the plastic too, but without an inspection of both pieces, anything would be a guess.
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