Stress Cracks WTF

[bkushner]

Well I keep getting worse and worse luck with DJI. Now my 5 week old P4P has nearly identical stress cracks under the two rear motors. Not sure how this is possible. I hand land every flight, have for years and never had stress cracks before. I noticed the one motor seemed slightly loose so I check the next one same looseness so I figure normal...Then tonight I notice the crack underneath. As mentioned both cracks are almost identical.

Questions.
1. How does this occur hand landing. Always smooth no issues?
2. Is this covered under warranty
3. I assume if I send in for repair I get a refurb in place of a 5 week old unit.

Thoughts?

 

[go fast]

Wow that's a bad one , should be covered under warranty. I recently found a crack in mine but it's really small...

 

[Bakersfield Quad]

Ouch! That will be covered, but as another new P4P owner, it is worrying.

 

[John Locke]

1. How does this occur hand landing. Always smooth no issues?
2. Is this covered under warranty
3. I assume if I send in for repair I get a refurb in place of a 5 week old unit.

1. I think you may have got a lemon, but the shells are somewhat fragile. Make sure to check all props for balance. I constant vibration will cause stress cracks. If you're experienced you tell from simply feeling the craft then you hand launch. You'll feel an abnormal vibration if anything serious is going on, however if you haven't felt a craft with balanced props, you wouldn't know until you confirmed all props are truly within tolerance.
2. YES.
3. Bad assumption, I got a brand new craft back, stickers and all, pristine. And my P4 was 362 days old, barely in warranty. It's too much work to replace the shell, they simply send you a new craft if your craft looks pristine, other than the cracks.

I never talk to DJI Cerritos on the phone. I submit warranty claims through their website. Send them photos (you need to take better photos, your photo is out of focus), serial number, copy of receipt, etc. Ask them for a prepaid shipping label, you should have the label within a couple days. Tell them how much you love the craft, and you'll miss it while under repair, blah blah blah. They seem to like that kind of emotion BS.

 

[bkushner]

1. I think you may have got a lemon, but the shells are somewhat fragile. Make sure to check all props for balance. I constant vibration will cause stress cracks. If you're experienced you tell from simply feeling the craft then you hand launch. You'll feel an abnormal vibration if anything serious is going on, however if you haven't felt a craft with balanced props, you wouldn't know until you confirmed all props are truly within tolerance.
2. YES.
3. Bad assumption, I got a brand new craft back, stickers and all, pristine. And my P4 was 362 days old, barely in warranty. It's too much work to replace the shell, they simply send you a new craft if your craft looks pristine, other than the cracks.

I never talk to DJI Cerritos on the phone. I submit warranty claims through their website. Send them photos (you need to take better photos, your photo is out of focus), serial number, copy of receipt, etc. Ask them for a prepaid shipping label, you should have the label within a couple days. Tell them how much you love the craft, and you'll miss it while under repair, blah blah blah. They seem to like that kind of emotion BS.

I returned a 6 month old for a dead fan and they sent me bad a huge pile of crap surely not new.

 

[John Locke]

I returned a 6 month old for a dead fan and they sent me bad a huge pile of crap surely not new.

Yeah, I read that story. That's unacceptable, a situation that should be elevated to management level. Send it back.

 

[bkushner]

Yeah, I read that story. That's unacceptable, a situation that should be elevated to management level. Send it back.

I actually got it functioning and gave it away..

 

[bkushner]

Is this crack bad enough I shouldn't fly? Wanted to use before I send back on Monday?

 

[Bakersfield Quad]

Your call, but I would think no.

 

[KingDad1985]

****, sorry to hear.

 

[alokbhargava]

Is this crack bad enough I shouldn't fly? Wanted to use before I send back on Monday?

Yes you should not fly with this kind of cracks, exchange it ASAP.

 

[lickitysplit11111]

A question regarding storage ,do you store it/transport it via the original grey foam box they included , or did you buy a different case, I always thought the stress cracks that I seen on the forum were on the landing gear

 

[BarryW]

Just discovered stress cracks on mine today aswell. It's a month old I have never crashed or landed hard. 90% I catch it. 50 flights 11houres 340km

 

[KingDad1985]

I just sent mine in for stress cracks in the same area. Mine were like that out of the box though alot smaller, still there. My new aircraft doesn't have them. YET. I hope it doesn't get them. I hate dealing with DJI Repair. It's a nightmare

 

[bkushner]

A question regarding storage ,do you store it/transport it via the original grey foam box they included , or did you buy a different case, I always thought the stress cracks that I seen on the forum were on the landing gear

I use a case club case. Same one been using for a year. I've had many drones and never had stress crack..

 

[bkushner]

Yes you should not fly with this kind of cracks, exchange it ASAP.

Yes I agree...already boxed and waiting for Monday pick up.

 

[Bakersfield Quad]

I wonder if hard braking could be part of the problem?

 

[KingDad1985]

I wonder if hard braking could be part of the problem?

I've also wondered this.

 

[Bakersfield Quad]

I can not help but notice that at 35mph, if you let go of the stick, the motors roar as they brake. This has to flex the arms at their weakest point, the vents.
Torque must be but high, as that happens, g-forces could be as high as a couple of g`s or more. Repetitive braking and high speed maneuvers, will all cause stress on these areas, eventually possibly creating stress crack like we are seeing.

 

[ryanmanchester]

quick fix and works.