3 blade carbon fiber disaster never again!!

[Zzyzx]

Oh i see what your saying could be

Yeah, I've never had it happen with my Phantom, but with my racing quads I've managed to get props mixed up and that fast flip behavior is exactly what I see when I have props reversed. I wouldn't assume the manufacturing got the props correctly threaded and/or color-coded, but you could visually check that the pitch is going the right way.

*** EDIT *** When I look at your picture, the pitch seems to be going the correct way at the four corners...

 

[DonaldictTrumperbatch]

I used the parrot bebop a lot, and found that 3-bladed props are very convenient as they are just more balanced out of the box (but also impossible to balance by hand...). Whether they are more efficient seems to be a neverending discussion on rc-groups.
But for the Bebop 2 the main marketing argument was the longer flight time and speed, they tested it extensively in wind canals:

If 2-bladed props are automatically better, then why would they have kept the 3-bladed version.

 

[Flintstone]

I thought it would be fun to goof around with 3 bladed props carbon fiber.Ordered them from China they came today.As soon as i hit the throttle the two front props appeared to have more pitch and it just flipped over and crashed.making this horrible sound like gears stripping out.Should i be concerned about this sound i heard?Any help would be great and yes i have learned my lesson...yes i'm stupid but they do look cool or did lolView attachment 59052

As previously stated take off props and rotate motor adding to that hold the motor up to your ear while you turn in back and forth with your fingers. If you hear any grinding or scratchy sound the motor is toast. Don't run the engine again you can burn out the ESC board. All of these are fairly easy to replace just take your time and be careful with the solder gun. The motors approx $20 and the ESC $20 on a P2V+ not sure on other models. Carbon fiber props are to stiff (no give)....you want a little flex in the props. I hope they had some designation which one turned clockwise Black Post and counterclockwise Silver Post or you will flip it for sure.

 

[wsalopek]

Popping on some random props because they look badass isn't going to improve the performance at all.
If it was that simple, DJI would have done it already.

These 3-blades should have worked fine... not as the stock props, but they should have worked.

It sounds to me (pardon me op) that the props were not on the correct motors?

Like a lot of us, Ihave built a couple other multirotors, where trying different props is common.

Flight controllers are fine with whatever prop, of course within some reason.

All the flight controller knows is that X amount of movement of the airframe is happening, and the flight controller adjusts accordingly. It doesn't know if the unexpected tilt/movement of the airframe is from wind or additional weight or whatever.

Those props should have worked. At least to the extent that the frame should not have flipped over.

 

[Snapring]

i am pebble creek area

Me too. I PM'd you.

 

[WetDog]

These 3-blades should have worked fine... not as the stock props, but they should have worked.

It sounds to me (pardon me op) that the props were not on the correct motors?

Like a lot of us, Ihave built a couple other multirotors, where trying different props is common.

Flight controllers are fine with whatever prop, of course within some reason.

All the flight controller knows is that X amount of movement of the airframe is happening, and the flight controller adjusts accordingly. It doesn't know if the unexpected tilt/movement of the airframe is from wind or additional weight or whatever.

Those props should have worked. At least to the extent that the frame should not have flipped over.

Except, as has been previously noted, there must be 100 threads on this subject with the same outcome - typically a crash or at best poor performance. While it may well be possible to design a three blade prop for the Phantom, it isn't at all clear that the Chinese guy with an injection molding machine did any sort of analysis other than copying a design that looked cool.

Do not taunt happy fun ball!

 

[dynamo]

All looks as it should in your pic, correct prop placement and they look similar enough.
If some props are producing more lift than the others, it shouldn't be too much for the on-board flight stabilizing systems (detecting unwanted roll) to compensate for. It seems it has failed to do its job in this case.

 

[p fandango]

well my 3-blade props turned up yesterday, had a few batteries charged & good weather today so went & gave them a try. My first major crash, the Phantom couldn't seem to stop it climbing & couldn't stop it shooting into a tree. Props are knackered (no loss) & flew over 8miles with the DJI carbons on afterwards

 

[impilot51]

I love these threads...over and over that " it should work just fine", yet the evidence suggests otherwise.

If you think they look cool, put them on for static display, but when it's time to fly, I would stick with OEM props only.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

I can imagine the DJI engineers shaking their heads.

During development:
Phase 1: test with 2-blade prop, adjust designs appropriately.
Phase 2: test with 2-blade prop, adjust designs appropriately.
Phase 3: test with 2-blade prop, adjust designs appropriately.
...
Phase n: test with 2-blade prop, adjust designs appropriately.
Release Product

User flight:
Put on 3-blade prop, promptly loses control and crashes into trees.

 

[SteveN76]

Sorry for hijacking this thread but I've been wanting to get carbon fiber props ever since buying my phantom. I've heard people saying that they are not good they don't flex they are brittle. I don't plan on hitting anything and whether you have CF or regular the blade is gonna stop spinning and it will fall regardless. DJI makes them so my question is why are they considered bad?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Meta4]

DJI makes them so my question is why are they considered bad?

There is confusion between hard, black carbon fibre props that some users are convinced look so cool that they are a must-have item and DJI's CF reinforced props that look almost the same as the original props but cost more.
DJI CF reinforced props are made for the Phantom and work well (although no-one has been able to measure any improvement)
Badass hard, black CF props might or might not be properly balanced, will shatter if they hit a hard object, can cut your skin like a knife if they hit you and have not been shown to improve performance in any way.

 

[SteveN76]

So the DJI ones are not fully CF?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

No, they are and always have been a composite. They are still pliable.

Chris

 

[RedHotPoker]

There are true carbon fiber props available for DJI Phantom 3 but they are very expensive.
Carbon Fiber Self-Tightening Propellers for the DJI Phantom 3 Models

Yes, they do look awesome... Ha

RedHotPoker

 

[Meta4]

Yes, they do look awesome... Ha

Awesome ... but if you fly further than 10 metres away, they all look the same.

 

[beamerbuilder1]

Sorry for hijacking this thread but I've been wanting to get carbon fiber props ever since buying my phantom. I've heard people saying that they are not good they don't flex they are brittle. I don't plan on hitting anything and whether you have CF or regular the blade is gonna stop spinning and it will fall regardless. DJI makes them so my question is why are they considered bad?


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

I've used DJI OEM Carbon Fiber Props for three flights now with no issues, knock on wood. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app