Here we go again.. 2nd P3 Standard CRACKED 4 after gentle flights - 2 weeks old / OPINIONS PLEASE

I agree with cowpen, looks like over tightening to me.

Yes, too much torque will not help, you're right, but I don't think this is the main reason why.

My last 2 p3s have only cracked after the first or in my case, 4th GENTLE flight with mostly hovers.

If the screws were torqued too much, why didn't it show any cracks before first flight?

It cracked AFTER the first or in my case 4th flight, BECAUSE of thrust making the joints weak and then finally cracking (stress crack).

DJI really should be doing something about this instead of ignoring the fact that this IS a BIG problem with phantom range shells. Repairing them is not gonna fix the problem in the long run.

I'll say it again, it's only a matter of time before others see cracks or worse CRASHES due to this.

I know one thing, I'll NEVER buy anything from DJI ever again. I've learned a lot over the last few months...


Thanks to everyone for commenting on this thread - do keep them coming!
 
Somebody mentioned putting snap on guards on it. That's what I'd do. They reinforce that part of the arm, where the screws go in. I put em on mine out of the box 5 months ago. Don't know if I've got any stress cracks, but I cant see how a two hairline cracks like yours would ever effect the drone with gaurds on it.

I may buy some, but if I take the screws out the motor it might release the stress on the cracks and make them worse when I re-tighten, I hate messing with screws on quads because you never know how tight they should be, after all it's a flying machine and needs to be done correctly IMO.

All the motor covers or reinforcements are doing is covering up the cracks and maybe adding a little support for the motor screws... the shell could then stress crack elsewhere.

Who knows?

Thanks for your comment
 
I may buy some, but if I take the screws out the motor it might release the stress on the cracks and make them worse when I re-tighten, I hate messing with screws on quads because you never know how tight they should be, after all it's a flying machine and needs to be done correctly IMO.

All the motor covers or reinforcements are doing is covering up the cracks and maybe adding a little support for the motor screws... the shell could then stress crack elsewhere.

Who knows?

Thanks for your comment
I would think taking the screws out would relieve the stress an take it off the arms. And if you dont have any gaurds yet, the brackets that go under the arms where your cracks are, are made of a much thicker material than the arm. They do take longer screws than a phantom without guards though. So if you're at all apprehensive about taking all 16 motor screws out and replacing them, then maybe gaurds aren't the solution.
 
How cold is it where you fly? Seems to be a lot of cracked shells, just wondering if cold is part of the problem


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Although it's not the X brace motor design
 
How cold is it where you fly? Seems to be a lot of cracked shells, just wondering if cold is part of the problem


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It's winter here, but it's not that cold to cause any problems.

I've seen people fly phantoms when there's been snow on the ground in mountains etc, I think it's in one of the promo videos somewhere also.

I highly doubt cold weather will cause it to crack, not this quick.

Although I hate taking screws out of a new quad - I'm looking for a solution to fix the 2 hairline cracks before I start replacing the shell, which is my very last method really.

If anyone knows a good epoxy that will hold up well enough to cover those 2 hairline cracks from the inside to stop them getting worse. (a UK site or link to some good epoxy or something that will hold up would be good)

If it doesn't work in the long run, I can always replace the shell.

No harm in trying to repair the shell first
 
The screws seem to be too tight which causes the plastic to crack. Is it because the plastic is not as hard as it was on older models? Or maybe too hard and therefore more brittle? Or less dense? Or more dense? Or whatever? It doesn't really matter. Fact is, the plastic is cracking because the screws are too tight.

So what if you remove those screws, and while you do it, get a sense for how tight they are. Next, find some tiny lock washers. Replace the screws with the washers and torque them down a little less.

Another guy posted somewhere a zip tie idea. Release the tension on all the screws just a bit. Then wrap a small zip tie around the neck of each wing as a precaution. Periodically test the screw torque.
 
The screws seem to be too tight which causes the plastic to crack. Is it because the plastic is not as hard as it was on older models? Or maybe too hard and therefore more brittle? Or less dense? Or more dense? Or whatever? It doesn't really matter. Fact is, the plastic is cracking because the screws are too tight.

So what if you remove those screws, and while you do it, get a sense for how tight they are. Next, find some tiny lock washers. Replace the screws with the washers and torque them down a little less.

Another guy posted somewhere a zip tie idea. Release the tension on all the screws just a bit. Then wrap a small zip tie around the neck of each wing as a precaution. Periodically test the screw torque.

Adding washers to plastic? that does not sound good..

I'd rather not follow that advice.

The plastic is just too thin in the screw area, I'd rather add motor reinforcements from eBay if I'm gonna start loosening screws and torquing things down.
 
The fact is, this cracking issue is a big problem with the shells... Not because of the screws torqued down too much. The screws feel tight due to the threadlock on the screws from factory. Once you start loosening or taking screws out - that threadlock then becomes loose and starts to flake off which can then get inside the motors.

That could then lead to loose screws in flight etc etc...

It's a tough game...
 
Phantom shells have been cracking since the first model P1. Both my P1 & P2 developed cracks- in my case at the end of one arm on each craft coming from the small Philips screw hole. Neither craft have crashed and only hand caught. The P2 had these cracks after less than 10 flights. I would imagine the breaking system on the P3's can only increase any cracks. In my case I just left the crack alone and so far after loads more flights they have not got any worse. But certainly DJI should have sorted this issue out ages ago perhaps with better quality plastic. Though I am always amazed at just how well the body overall survives crashes on posts I have seen here & elsewhere!
 
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The fact is, this cracking issue is a big problem with the shells... Not because of the screws torqued down too much. The screws feel tight due to the threadlock on the screws from factory. Once you start loosening or taking screws out - that threadlock then becomes loose and starts to flake off which can then get inside the motors.

That could then lead to loose screws in flight etc etc...

It's a tough game...
I believe it IS because the screws are torqued too tight, why else would the cracks start at the screws and radiate out?
 
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Phantom shells have been cracking since the first model P1. Both my P1 & P2 developed cracks- in my case at the end of one arm on each craft coming from the small Philips screw hole. Neither craft have crashed and only hand caught. The P2 had these cracks after less than 10 flights. I would imagine the breaking system on the P3's can only increase any cracks. In my case I just left the crack alone and so far after loads more flights they have not got any worse. But certainly DJI should have sorted this issue out ages ago perhaps with better quality plastic. Though I am always amazed at just how well the body overall survives crashes on posts I have seen here & elsewhere!

Thanks for your comment.

I'll leave it and continue to fly and see how it goes.

Hopefully it does not get any worse...

To be continued...
 
I believe these are not cracks but "knit lines" or "weld lines". These occur in injection molded parts where two different flows of melted plastic meet. They look just like hairline cracks and often radiate outward from a hole (as in this case). Knit lines can be areas of weakness but not as much as a true crack. Mold gating (where the plastic enters) is designed to avoid this type of flaw, but sometimes they are very hard to avoid. I wouldn't worry about them.
 
I believe these are not cracks but "knit lines" or "weld lines". These occur in injection molded parts where two different flows of melted plastic meet. They look just like hairline cracks and often radiate outward from a hole (as in this case). Knit lines can be areas of weakness but not as much as a true crack. Mold gating (where the plastic enters) is designed to avoid this type of flaw, but sometimes they are very hard to avoid. I wouldn't worry about them.

They are def hairline cracks.

I am gonna leave the quad untouched and continue to fly it.

I'll just keep an eye on it after every flight.
 
..................Please post a reply on this thread if your phantom 3 standard develops cracks..... Make others aware....... Thanks
 
Phantom shells have been cracking since the first model P1. Both my P1 & P2 developed cracks- in my case at the end of one arm on each craft coming from the small Philips screw hole. Neither craft have crashed and only hand caught. The P2 had these cracks after less than 10 flights. I would imagine the breaking system on the P3's can only increase any cracks.....
You just motivated to go over my P2V with a magnifying glass. I am happy to report there is no sign of a crack of any kind.
 

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