Stick down = Engine Cut Off?

[RodPad]

hahaha! Brilliant!! lol

I am reading this forum post at the mo, which seems to confirm what you guys are saying (Killing motors in mid-flight ??). And i know how curious i get about stupid little things like this, so i will be trying it! :/

Thanks again guys, really appreciate your help, and how quick it was

Yes, this is how I hand catch it. If I am landing brush, dust or sand.
I bring it down just above my head in GPS mode, that way it will hover, walk up to it, grab landing gear, don't try to move the drone it will fight back. Then hold the left stick down, motors will shut off in about 2 seconds. This also helps to blow the sweat off your brow into your eyes. Feels good on a hot day.

 

[Dragonfyr]

i'm just going to add the technical portion here.
IMU inside the phantom has a gyroscope in it which "knows"
how the bird is moving (left, right, forward, back, up, down).
if you are in the air and it is changing the altitude the computer inside
won't allow for motors to stop.
the ONLY way you will be able to shot down the motors while in the air
is perform a CSC while flying and those are the stories you read about
birds just shutting down and falling from the sky. people do the CSC by accident
while flying.

Gathered that.

Thanks

 

[Dragonfyr]

Yes, this is how I hand catch it. If I am landing brush, dust or sand.
I bring it down just above my head in GPS mode, that way it will hover, walk up to it, grab landing gear, don't try to move the drone it will fight back. Then hold the left stick down, motors will shut off in about 2 seconds. This also helps to blow the sweat off your brow into your eyes. Feels good on a hot day.

haha! I've always just performed a CSC, and most of the time i get my gf to hold it. As that's mainly when i get to fly the little bugger.

Although i might give the 'left stick down' a go.

Over 1 year of flying and today i learn this! lol

 

[msinger]

Although i might give the 'left stick down' a go.

Doing a CSC after landing sometimes causes the Phantom to tip over. Holding the left stick down after landing is best.

 

[RodPad]

CSC, yes, I am very good at tipping it over.

 

[RodPad]

haha! I've always just performed a CSC, and most of the time i get my gf to hold it. As that's mainly when i get to fly the little bugger.

Although i might give the 'left stick down' a go.

Over 1 year of flying and today i learn this! lol

Yes, GF (Brave or Stupid)?
LOL

 

[Wolfiesden]

I can tell you I have done full power descents. Its not advisable due to the possibility of a vortex ring state occurring.

But with the left stick full down, the motors did not and will not shut off while in flight. They WILL shut off when the aircraft no longer senses its descending. This happens when its actually landed or it is obstructed (ie by your GF holding it) and can no longer descend.

CSC can and does occur in flight.

 

[Meta4]

I can tell you I have done full power descents. Its not advisable due to the possibility of a vortex ring state occurring.

Back in the old days with a P2 - yes.
But VRS isn't a problem with the P3 ... with the possible exception of a P3 with Prop guards on.

 

[RodPad]

Yes, I use prop guards. Defiantly sounds like mad bird coming down out of control.

 

[Zuzua]

Once in flight, i pull the left stick down, then about 3 ish seconds it cuts the motors

EDIT: I had my girlfriend holding it when i tried it. Before anyone wonders how

That is absolutely normal, if your girl friend it's holding it I the air and you pull the throttle stick down, it will shut motors off as it does not sense it is descending and therefore thinks it has landed and therefore will shut off motors. Nothing abnormal here

 

[RodPad]

That is absolutely normal, if your girl friend it's holding it I the air and you pull the throttle stick down, it will shut motors off as it does not sense it is descending and therefore thinks it has landed and therefore will shut off motors. Nothing abnormal here

GF (Brave or Stupid)?

 

[Zuzua]

I hand catch ask the time, but I wouldn't hand catch for some one else controlling the RC!!! Unless I trust their abilities! So GF probably had absolute trust in him!

 

[RodPad]

So trust is between brave and stupid?
or
Stupid, Trust, Brave?
or
Stupid, Brave, Trust?

I will have to test this.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Back in the old days with a P2 - yes.
But VRS isn't a problem with the P3 ... with the possible exception of a P3 with Prop guards on.

Better safe than sorry I knew about VRS form my single rotor RC days. Ate grass once. So I figured any horizontal based rotor craft could enter VRS if allowed/forced to descend fast enough.

 

[Meta4]

Better safe than sorry I knew about VRS form my single rotor RC days. Ate grass once. So I figured any horizontal based rotor craft could enter VRS if allowed/forced to descend fast enough.

By canting the motors rather than leaving them vertical as in the P2 series, they were able to increase the descent speed 50%.
Plenty of testing from high up in still air has failed to induce any VRS and the only (1) report of possible VRS with a P3 ithat I've seen nvolved propguards.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Hmm.. I hadn't realized the motors were canted until you said that and I took a closer look at my P3A sitting here. They are canted by golly! A few degrees inward in pairs. That would tend to push the vortexes out and disburse them wouldn't it.

Learned something new. Thanks

 

[Richard-NH]

About Vortex Ring State, I don't want to be the pilot to test this on a P3. I note how fast the machine descends when doing Return to Base and when auto-landing. If I want to come down faster than that, I make the aircraft move laterally (forward or back) on the way down.

Off topic: I enjoy flying the lightweight $50-$100 quads as well. Those will definitely go into VRS, wobbling wildly all the way down, no matter how much you push up the power. I don't want to see an expensive aircraft do that.

 

[Mimoid]

When I need to descend from altitude, I usually do what full-scale helicopters do, come in laterally (horisontally) while descending (full bottom left stick).

If I am in a cramped space, like inbetween trees or buildings and I need to do a vertical descent, I do it very slowly (max 1 or 2 m/s).

Some time ago I foolishly did a vertical column climb to 500 meters (don't tell the authorities) and it took me like six or seven minutes to get down again. BTW, I also completely lost the signal a few times because of the stupid angle, so it's not something I will do again in a hurry.

//Tom

 

[Meta4]

If I am in a cramped space, like inbetween trees or buildings and I need to do a vertical descent, I do it very slowly (max 1 or 2 m/s)

There's no need to descend slowly.
The max descent speed for the P3 is quite safe.
This has been tested and confirmed by many owners.

 

[Mimoid]

There's no need to descend slowly.
The max descent speed for the P3 is quite safe.
This has been tested and confirmed by many owners.

I know, but it just feels so wrong giving the same command in flight that I use to shut down the motors (left stick fully down)...

Also I am trying to avoid descending rapidly through my own rotor vortices - I have seen that cause really bad wobbling with other drones (never with the Phantom though).

//Tom