Flying over water

[HarryT]

Water or land it's all the same.
It's not like landlubber pilots only crash into bubblewrap.
You crash, you stand a good chance of losing the Phantom or doing serious damage anywhere.

Well, no, it's not all the same at all. If you crash on land (which I have, through pilot error) you may indeed do damage, but you're almost certain to get your Phantom back to be repaired, particularly if you take elementary precautions such as putting your contact details on a label on the Phantom, or (even better) using a GPS tracker. Crash into deep water, and your chances of getting it back again are practically zero.

When I crashed my Phantom I did lose it - it ended up in someone's garden. The owner of the house phoned me (my phone number was prominently displayed on the top of the P2) and I got it back. If it had crashed in the middle of the 200'-deep lake alongside which I was flying at the time, it would have been gone for good.

 

[Happyflyer]

Water or land it's all the same.
It's not like landlubber pilots only crash into bubble wrap.
You crash, you stand a good chance of losing the Phantom or doing serious damage anywhere.

Well, not really. If it crashes on land at least I have all the parts. Maybe fix it. In the lake, all you can do is stop by now and then and say, "My quad is down there, somewhere"
.
Edit: Kind of a dup of Harry T. Did not see yours Harry.

 

[HarryT]

Edit: Kind of a dup of Harry T. Did not see yours Harry.

No problem at all . Most of the lakes in my part of the world were carved out by glaciers in the last ice age, and are very deep. If my Phantom ends up in one of those, there's no chance of getting it back.

 

[CapnBob]

I find this works great. You can install these in minutes, everything weighs less than 8 grams, they are out of the camera's view, and you can throw them away after each water flight. She'll get wet, but you'll get her back. Security for pennies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUvzrPq ... In-F9QWTyQ

 

[QYV]

I find this works great. You can install these in minutes, everything weighs less than 8 grams, they are out of the camera's view, and you can throw them away after each water flight. She'll get wet, but you'll get her back. Security for pennies.

I like it! kind of like the plastic bottles one from a few pages back.
If you're flying over DEEP water you def want a flotation device rather than a getterback which is only like 100ft

 

[CapnBob]

With Getterback, there is a delay, and the object will sink to quite a depth before it deploys.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Q "How long does the GetterBack take for the float to surface?"

(A"It typically takes one to two minutes, but it can take longer depending on sink rate, depth and water temperature. A fast sink rate in warm water to ten feet will result in the shortest time and a slow sink rate in very cold water to one hundred feet may take up to ten minutes."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't know about you, but the thought of my $1,300 bird marinating on the bottom gives me the willies. Also, Getterback is a single-use device, @ $20 a pop, and there is a 100' depth limitation.


These fully inflated bags will float over 4 lbs.; nearly 25% over the bird's weight.
With this method, depending on the speed of the descent, the bird might go under a bit,
then immediately pop right back up. As far as depth, it will work over the Challenger Deep. ;-)

Unbeatable for the price of less than $0.10. (No I don't own a freezer-bag manufacturing plant.)

Having said all that, I have done testing with equivalent weights, but have never tested the real thing. I hope I never get the chance.

 

[Jebus]

These fully inflated bags will float over 4 lbs.; nearly 25% more than the bird weighs.
With this method, depending on the speed of the descent, the bird might go under a bit,
then immediately pop right back up. As far as depth, it will work over the Challenger Deep. ;-)

Unbeatable for the price of less than $0.10. (No I don't own a freezer-bag manufacturing plant.)

Having said all that, I have done testing with equivalent weights, but have never tested the real thing. I hope I never get the chance.

As I mentioned in your other thread, I like your idea, but I'm pretty sure any sort of impact would rip those off.

 

[syotr]

I find this works great. You can install these in minutes, everything weighs less than 8 grams, they are out of the camera's view, and you can throw them away after each water flight. She'll get wet, but you'll get her back. Security for pennies.

Seems like the bags have a lot of surface area which would make the Phantom get pushed around by the slightest breeze. Also I think they would make for jittery video flapping around in the prop wash.

 

[CapnBob]

Again, I have tested it, and I was amazed. I am a retired engineer, so it was not entirely unexpected given the materials.

(1) Have you ever tried to rip open a heavy polyethylene bag? Give it a try. Amazingly tenacious stuff. Polyethylene is a better material than Kevlar for making bulletproof vests. Google it.

(2) I thought that the zippers would let go, too. I jumped on a bag, and it popped. Zippers held fast.

(3) How about breaking a Zip-Tie? Try that.

This is amazingly simple, strong, and cheap.

Again though, It has been only tested with weights, never a P2v+.

 

[CapnBob]

Well, it has worked for me. Video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9nRP7f ... In-F9QWTyQ

I have never had to rely on it in an actual emergency but It works on paper, is cheaper than anything else, and I have at least a semblance of peace of mind from my testing.

Try it yourself. All you have to lose is some time and a dime. ;-)

 

[syotr]

Well, it has worked for me. Video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9nRP7f ... In-F9QWTyQ

I have never had to rely on it in an actual emergency but It works on paper, is cheaper than anything else, and I have at least a semblance of peace of mind from my testing.

Try it yourself. All you have to lose is some time and a dime. ;-)

Video looks great. As a soon-to-be-retired engineer, I applaud your ingenuity. With all of the floats I have tried, anything with enough buoyancy created too much effect from wind and propwash.
My solution was to build a waterproof quad that floats. If it falls in the water, even saltwater, It should should survive intact.

 

[ProfessorStein]

(1) Have you ever tried to rip open a heavy polyethylene bag? Give it a try. Amazingly tenacious stuff.

Except... one problem... your average kitchen ziplock bag (as suggested in this design) is NOT what I would call a "heavy polyethylene bag". They puncture all the time just rattling around in my lunchbox.
Now if you were able to get your hands on an actual heavy-weight polyethylene bag that would be an entirely different matter. But, then, you've just increased the cost as well as the flying weight.

And, as syotr stated above, those bags have an awful lot of surface area. With the right wind, you'd at least get some buffeting, if not drift.

 

[CapnBob]

Well, I'm looking at 6 mils here. A chimp would have a rough time ripping it,

Do not over-engineer, or over-analyze it, TRY it.
You can bark all day about your theories or feelings.

Why don't you just do it? Talk is cheap.

As I said, it works.

 

[CapnBob]

This is not a "lunchbox" bag. A good sneeze would pop those piggys. Think "Freezer Storage Bag" As I said in the video, Double zipper, Heavy plastic.

 

[CapnBob]

And, since they are only secured at the top, they can wave about, dispersing energy.
Think bed sheet on a clothesline vs.Barn Door.

****, man, think outside of your comfort box.

 

[sifaka]

How were the bottles attached and how did it affect flying, or was this a staged shot?

 

[syotr]

How were the bottles attached and how did it affect flying, or was this a staged shot?

Are you referring to this one?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUHiDu_8IM
The bottles were attached by two screws through each of the caps to the motors. I used the longer screws from the prop guards.
It flew OK but the bottles did show up in the camera's view.
The intent was not to land and take off from water but just to keep it from sinking in case of an accidental fall into water.

 

[syotr]

My waterproof quad, first float test. This was with GoPro in it's housing mounted underneath and a 2800 Mah battery inside.
Also tested the vents and seal on the lid by pouring lots of water on it from every direction. No leaks.
It floats high enough that it should handle the additional weight of a second battery and the gimbal.