My drone just fell out of the sky

[Oso]

Not sure. But when someone says, "my prop(s) came off while flying", what else would cause a threaded prop to come off, especially since the motors spin in the opposite direction of the threads?

If the threads are indeed plastic, and heat generated from the motor causes the plastic to soften, and with enough resistance from the props cutting through air and torque from the spinning motors....wouldn't that cause threads to strip?

If someone has a bad prop, or one that they're willing to trash, they could tighten it and see how much it would take until it strips or breaks. Keep in mind, I'm also factoring heat from the motors.

In the other threads that discuss props coming off, it seemed to happen when people do not snug up their props. Then when braking, the sudden decrease in motor rpm spins the prop right off. There was an epic thread in November with lots of analysis. If I recall correctly, people have even tested it to confirm it can happen.

 

[DeadGrunt]

I spin, then tighten them about the 1/10th of a turn. Only once during flight when the wind kicked up super high all of a sudden, I noticed a warning on my screen. It said, "Propulsion system encountered excessive wind burst, and speed may be slower than what is read." It was when I came over a hilltop and the wind gusted straight up the edge (I believe). I won't use any props other than what the people at DJI recommend. Spin tight, and then 1/10th is all I give it. Two spins when it starts and arms the motors and then hope to never have a shirt which reads, "Gravity is a *****."

 

[John Locke]

Not sure. But when someone says, "my prop(s) came off while flying", what else would cause a threaded prop to come off, especially since the motors spin in the opposite direction of the threads?

If the threads are indeed plastic, and heat generated from the motor causes the plastic to soften, and with enough resistance from the props cutting through air and torque from the spinning motors....wouldn't that cause threads to strip?

If someone has a bad prop, or one that they're willing to trash, they could tighten it and see how much it would take until it strips or breaks. Keep in mind, I'm also factoring heat from the motors.

The threads are plastic. The motor shafts don't get hot enough to affect the prop plastic. There have been several cases where not tighting the props will spin the prop off when the motor suddenly stops during a brake operation. When the motor brakes the armature, the inertia of the prop will spin it right off the shaft threads, that's a FACT. I've never heard of the plastic threads stripping from anyone in this forum in the 8mos I've been a member. I'm not saying you can't strip the threads if you tried, that's foolish. I'm just saying I've never heard of anyone accidentally stripping the threads of a P3 prop, even using the wrench. I think you would have to be a moron to do that, but I may be wrong. The plastic is pretty tough.

 

[m0j0]

I don't recall seeing any threads where the prop just spins off without some other contributing factor. Which then makes the spinning off of the prop a symptom of the real failure. I do think the prop may spin off and has spun off when the motor seizes or malfunctions but completely spinning off because of slowing down I don't recall that ever being identified. I could be wrong though.

I don't think the motor would ever completely stop would it? Seems like if the motor stops you are going to have a big big problem. That said I have fallen prey to the active braking fear. I have reduced active braking in the app.

 

[RedHotPoker]

The threads are plastic. The motor shafts don't get hot enough to affect the prop plastic. There have been several cases where not tighting the props will spin the prop off when the motor suddenly stops during a brake operation. When the motor brakes the armature, the inertia of the prop will spin it right off the shaft threads, that's a FACT. I've never heard of the plastic threads stripping from anyone in this forum in the 8mos I've been a member. I'm not saying you can't strip the threads if you tried, that's foolish. I'm just saying I've never heard of anyone accidentally stripping the threads of a P3 prop, even using the wrench. I think you would have to be a moron to do that, but I may be wrong. The plastic is pretty tough.

The props/motors never stop, during any changes in direction or slowing the drone down to a stall or stand still. The motors are never going be slower than being in an idle or hover speed. Unlike the motors of my new Voltage 500 3D, which actually do stop and can/do also change direction of rotation too.
When you slam on the brakes of a modern car, do your wheels stop turning? ABS?

RedHotPoker

 

[Ken Hanks]

Not saying you may have failed to ensure the prop was snuggly in place, but DJI has a Pre Flight Checklist to ensure you have a "Safer" flight.

Preflight Checklist

1. Remote controller, Intelligent Flight Battery, and mobile device are fully charged.
2. Propellers are mounted correctly and firmly.
3. Micro-SD card has been inserted, if necessary.
4. Gimbal is functioning normally.
5. Motors can start and are functioning normally.
6. The DJI Pilot app is successfully connected to the aircraft.

 

[RedHotPoker]

And never omit first & last but not least.
7. All New Phantom Pilot/s and 2 Live Crew has RTFM !! ;-)
It's in the Go App right next to the SIM. Hahaha

RedHotPoker

 

[m0j0]

I would think that there might be an underlying reason why the prop came off. I would research it and check into the engine operation. I have seen a post on here were an engine seized and the prop came off.

 

[Fatcat1]

Ok people propeller were tight and sat there for five minutes in Hover about 3 feet above the ground while I was going left and right and down testing and then after about six or seven minutes I felt good I sent it up and away about 40 yards turn around and come back that's when It went into a spin and crashed


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots mobile app

 

[Steven XXIII]

Use blue locktite.

 

[RedHotPoker]

Use blue locktite.

That's very bad advice friend. Do you use threadlock with your props?
'Most' bright Phantom 3 pilots remove them OEM @dji props after each flight to inspect them. I also have a case that needs the props removed, to close the lid. & Unless you use the proper product, safe for joining plastic to metal, it may destroy the threaded hub, bubb. ;-)

RedHotPoker

 

[dsd317]

The threads are plastic. The motor shafts don't get hot enough to affect the prop plastic. There have been several cases where not tighting the props will spin the prop off when the motor suddenly stops during a brake operation. When the motor brakes the armature, the inertia of the prop will spin it right off the shaft threads, that's a FACT. I've never heard of the plastic threads stripping from anyone in this forum in the 8mos I've been a member. I'm not saying you can't strip the threads if you tried, that's foolish. I'm just saying I've never heard of anyone accidentally stripping the threads of a P3 prop, even using the wrench. I think you would have to be a moron to do that, but I may be wrong. The plastic is pretty tough.

Here ya go: DJI Forum|Prop ripped off mid flight,apparently my fault + Terrible customer support ...
DJI Forum|Hot motors problem: ESC's and motors,or something else?
Anyone else having problems with Phantom 3 propellers getting stripped during flight and failing? • /r/djiphantom
Stripped Prop Threads? - HELP!!!!!!!
2 motors run VERY HOT

 

[Phantom751874]

The threads are plastic. The motor shafts don't get hot enough to affect the prop plastic. There have been several cases where not tighting the props will spin the prop off when the motor suddenly stops during a brake operation. When the motor brakes the armature, the inertia of the prop will spin it right off the shaft threads, that's a FACT. I've never heard of the plastic threads stripping from anyone in this forum in the 8mos I've been a member. I'm not saying you can't strip the threads if you tried, that's foolish. I'm just saying I've never heard of anyone accidentally stripping the threads of a P3 prop, even using the wrench. I think you would have to be a moron to do that, but I may be wrong. The plastic is pretty tough.

They do get hot enough. Tighten your props before flight. Spin them on and use your fingers to snug them up. I snug them as tight as I can stand the pain of the motor cut outs. I'm not real strong so there's no chance I'll strip them. Anyway, go fly for a battery and come back and land. Immediately tighten the props with the same force you used when first putting them on. They will turn more as they were heated up by the motor. I don't do this but one day I decided to check again after my first flight. I wouldn't say I was surprised but my immediate thought was that I won't do that again. I don't want to loosen them up by tightening them when they are hot.

 

[With The Birds]

They do get hot enough. Tighten your props before flight. Spin them on and use your fingers to snug them up. I snug them as tight as I can stand the pain of the motor cut outs. I'm not real strong so there's no chance I'll strip them. Anyway, go fly for a battery and come back and land. Immediately tighten the props with the same force you used when first putting them on. They will turn more as they were heated up by the motor. I don't do this but one day I decided to check again after my first flight. I wouldn't say I was surprised but my immediate thought was that I won't do that again. I don't want to loosen them up by tightening them when they are hot.

Seems we have varied experiences so there must be some inconsistencies here in props, motor threads or something else.

I spin on and gently snug down with two fingers. Definately not tight. After i fly out three or four batteries often have a difficult time holding the motors still to remove them. In my case they tighten significantly while flying.

 

[DeeX]

Yes, it is in my books. You see the gray bars at the top and to the right on each page ... this is where you do advertisement and infomercials. If you hijack a post with your mildly related self-serving commercial ad ... it's a form of spam.

I personally think it is appropriate and here is why...
As yes I can only imagine that after getting a $1000 piece of equipment destroyed its the last thing someone wants to hear but at the end of the day its not a person or a death.
On top of that perhaps he did not know there was even a such thing as drone insurance for things like crashes.
Or perhaps someone is on here shopping (researching) for a Phantom or just got one and is super afraid of a fly away or a crash as we all are when we first fired up our Phantoms.
It is common knowledge that DJI has bad support, its common knowledge that SquareTrade has stopped replacing Drones.
So this could very well inform the crash victim and others that this protection even exists so the next time either the OP or someone else is in this situation perhaps they will be covered.

Again I feel you that this would be the last thing I would want to hear after a crash but really if I didn't know about it and was planning on replacing my drone I would then want to know about it.

Final thought: Has anyone used this company? If their customer service or coverage sucks then that would matter. If its a shady scammer company then that would make it wildly inappropriate.
If they are awesome then he did the OP and everyone thinking about crashes or flyaways a big favor.

 

[Neary Aerial]

I personally think it is appropriate and here is why...
As yes I can only imagine that after getting a $1000 piece of equipment destroyed its the last thing someone wants to hear but at the end of the day its not a person or a death.
On top of that perhaps he did not know there was even a such thing as drone insurance for things like crashes.
Or perhaps someone is on here shopping (researching) for a Phantom or just got one and is super afraid of a fly away or a crash as we all are when we first fired up our Phantoms.
It is common knowledge that DJI has bad support, its common knowledge that SquareTrade has stopped replacing Drones.
So this could very well inform the crash victim and others that this protection even exists so the next time either the OP or someone else is in this situation perhaps they will be covered.

Again I feel you that this would be the last thing I would want to hear after a crash but really if I didn't know about it and was planning on replacing my drone I would then want to know about it.

Final thought: Has anyone used this company? If their customer service or coverage sucks then that would matter. If its a shady scammer company then that would make it wildly inappropriate.
If they are awesome then he did the OP and everyone thinking about crashes or flyaways a big favor.

Thank you for that. You said it even better than I could. I can't tell you who my customers are for their own privacy. But, there are dozens on this forum. They may or may not see this thread and chime in. But, you can find them mixed in here and there in many other threads here on PhantomPilots and on InspirePilots. You can find them on our Facebook page. You can find them in lots of different Facebook groups. You can find some of their reviews on our website and Amazon. They all say basically the same thing. If they've had to use our service, they say it's exactly what we say it is, "simple and fast." If they haven't had to use the service, and I hope they don't, they say it gives them peace of mind to fly without fearing a crash. I don't post in these threads with bad intentions. Yes, it helps my business to do so. Yes, to some it may be annoying. Yes, it sometimes sends a stinger down the spine of someone who just had a crash and didn't have the coverage. My hope is that it saves at least one person from having to add another "just had a crash" thread. My customers don't have to add those threads, although they might just to demonstrate. My customers send me an email and get it fixed in a shorter time period than most people even get a reply from DJI. I love DJI as a manufacturer. But, as the majority of people who have attempted to get an answer out of them on the customer service side will tell you, they are as slow as molasses in January. And, at the end of the day, most times you still have to pay someone for the repair. With our coverage, you don't pay anything once you've made the purchase. I'll put my customer service up against almost any company in the world. Why? Because I'm it. I own the company. If you have a question or a problem, I answer it, fix it, solve it, etc. This drives my wife crazy to no end. I answer emails in the middle of dinner. I answer emails laying in bed. I answer emails whenever I possibly can to keep my customers happy and informed. If it seems spammy to a few people when I put a plug in a thread, well, that's just how it goes. I'll take the good with the bad. As long as we can keep on helping people get their drones back in the air, then that's what I'll do.

Thanks again.

 

[kirk2579]

It's my understanding that a P3 does not have self tightening props. That's a phrase left over from the P2 era.

DJI 9450 Self-Tightening Propeller Set for Phantom 3 (Part 9) B&H # DJP3P9 MFR # CP.PT.000195


Authorized Dealer

• 9" Self-Tightening Design
• One Counter-Clockwise (CCW) Prop
• One Clockwise (CW) Prop
• Built-In Threads Allow Self-Tightening

 

[With The Birds]

DJI 9450 Self-Tightening Propeller Set for Phantom 3 (Part 9) B&H # DJP3P9 MFR # CP.PT.000195


Authorized Dealer

• 9" Self-Tightening Design
• One Counter-Clockwise (CCW) Prop
• One Clockwise (CW) Prop
• Built-In Threads Allow Self-Tightening

Think about it for a sec..... the motors apply torque to the props to spin them in the same direction as the thread is handed. This must tighten them.

 

[Oso]

Think about it for a sec..... the motors apply torque to the props to spin them in the same direction as the thread is handed. This must tighten them.

What has been discussed and even tested is when people see "self tightening" and assume they don't need to spin them down. They just put on the props a thread or two, and then start the motors thinking, hey they said self tightening right? Sadly the props then get loose or fly off during braking. That's the scenario that was tested anyway.

Some people have even called for DJI to stop using the term "self tightening." DJI did one better by completely eliminating the problem with the P4.

Of course, the people who spin their props down, hold the motors and snug the props a bit more before starting the motors have a hard time seeing how a prop can come off on its own. For those people, hopefully a huge majority of pilots, their props are very tight at the end of a flight.

 

[With The Birds]

What has been discussed and even tested is when people see "self tightening" and assume they don't need to spin them down. They just put on the props a thread or two, and then start the motors thinking, hey they said self tightening right? Sadly the props then get loose or fly off during braking. That's the scenario that was tested anyway.

Some people have even called for DJI to stop using the term "self tightening." DJI did one better by completely eliminating the problem with the P4.

Of course, the people who spin their props down, hold the motors and snug the props a bit more before starting the motors have a hard time seeing how a prop can come off on its own. For those people, hopefully a huge majority of pilots, their props are very tight at the end of a flight.

Agreed 100%... they need a gentle snug. Watching then spin on does give some confidence the threads are in serviceable condition.

I hadnt considered anyone may think they were "self tightening".

I meant to say "self installing".....