Does anyone know if it will fly with 3 propellers?

rabidhyena · Dec 21, 2016

Someone posted a video the other week of a guy essentially torturing a mavic. the most striking part was when he was clipping away at a propeller. He went as far as down to the last quarter and it still flew totally normally. I wish he had taken it off as it would be amazing if it could still limp with one missing.

Kilrah · Dec 21, 2016

That's not possible.

Well it is, but the aircraft has to be able to spin quickly and needs its flight systems to be specifically designed for that which is highly unlikely the case on the Mavic, especially since it would wreak havoc with the gimbal and folding arms.

rabidhyena · Dec 21, 2016

ok, just interested as this video showed one with only 25% of propeller left! (wish i had the link)

lildevilx · Dec 21, 2016

rabidhyena said:
ok, just interested as this video showed one with only 25% of propeller left! (wish i had the link)

As long as there is still lift on that one side, (even if the prop is unbalanced) the quad can still stay in the air. Itll vibrate quite a bit but should be enough for you to make a quick landing.
Quads are not made to lose any prop and stay in thr air. Where as hexacopter has 1 redundancy so of they lost one prop, they are still able to stay in the air.
Octocopter has 2 giving it's not the same side.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

msinger · Dec 21, 2016

rabidhyena · Dec 21, 2016

Thanks for that.
I guess its my main worry.
At the end of the day, even if you fly perfectly, its probably gonna be the way that all mavics die in the end - a failing motor. And there really isnt much you can do to predict or prevent that.

Pedro · Dec 21, 2016

rabidhyena said:
Thanks for that.
I guess its my main worry.
At the end of the day, even if you fly perfectly, its probably gonna be the way that all mavics die in the end - a failing motor. And there really isnt much you can do to predict or prevent that.

Most times you will get some warning of a motor failing if it's a bearing issue, noise mainly.. If a motor or an ESC just fails, there's nothing you can do about that tho..

lildevilx · Dec 21, 2016

I've never had an ESC go during my years of flying. Usually they only go during a crash. And if and when it does just keep an eye for any thing off or different when you first take off. As long as you do diligence you should be fine.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Kilrah · Dec 21, 2016

lildevilx said:
Where as hexacopter has 1 redundancy so of they lost one prop, they are still able to stay in the air.

In theory.

We recently had a customer lost a hex due to a prop failing in flight, we'll never know exactly why but prop shrapnel could have broken others, vibrations from part of the prop still being there could have either ripped stuff off or confused the FC, or who knows what else.

People are always all about using hex and octo for redundancy but forget that in real life situations a motor jsut stopping or a prop flying off cleanly is nearly never going to happen, when something fails it's most of the time beyond what the thing can cope for anyway.

lildevilx · Dec 21, 2016

Kilrah said:
In theory.

We recently had a customer lost a hex due to a prop failing in flight, we'll never know exactly why but prop shrapnel could have broken others, vibrations from part of the prop still being there could have either ripped stuff off or confused the FC, or who knows what else.

People are always all about using hex and octo for redundancy but forget that in real life situations a motor jsut stopping or a prop flying off cleanly is nearly never going to happen, when something fails it's most of the time beyond what the thing can cope for anyway.

That is correct. It is in theory, but at least the chance of getting your bird back is higher the 0 if you loose a prop

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Pedro · Dec 21, 2016

lildevilx said:
I've never had an ESC go during my years of flying. Usually they only go during a crash. And if and when it does just keep an eye for any thing off or different when you first take off. As long as you do diligence you should be fine.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

I have!! One the fabled DYS SN20A ESCs, skip to 4:00, it was toast:

lildevilx · Dec 21, 2016

Pedro said:
I have!! One the fabled DYS SN20A ESCs, skip to 4:00, it was toast:

Looks like you had some problems right before the bird fell. Did you ever find out what caused the problem? Just a dead ESC? Could it of been a bad connection?

Either way that sucks....

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Pedro · Dec 21, 2016

lildevilx said:
Looks like you had some problems right before the bird fell. Did you ever find out what caused the problem? Just a dead ESC? Could it of been a bad connection?

Either way that sucks....

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

Early versions of the DYS SN20A ESCs were renown for failing (MOSFETs overheating).. Switched them out for a set of Littlebee 20s and all was good. The Anakin however was rubbish, the biggest flop of Sky Hero's otherwise impeccable line up.

lildevilx · Dec 21, 2016

Pedro said:
Early versions of the DYS SN20A ESCs were renown for failing (MOSFETs overheating).. Switched them out for a set of Littlebee 20s and all was good. The Anakin however was rubbish, the biggest flop of Sky Hero's otherwise impeccable line up.

Hmm good to know... Glad I stick to my afro ESC

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3000 using Tapatalk

dewster · Dec 21, 2016

Kilrah said:
That's not possible.

Well it is, but the aircraft has to be able to spin quickly and needs its flight systems to be specifically designed for that which is highly unlikely the case on the Mavic, especially since it would wreak havoc with the gimbal and folding arms.

There is a flight algorithm that compensates for complete loss of one rotor. Some university came up with it. It's not implemented in any commercial quads that I've seen. The Mavic can take a hit and try to maintain stability vs. just shutting down motors after sensing a crash like the Parrot Bebop.

Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots