Fixed props vs Foldable props

[3rdof5]

Greetings fellow Pilots, I do apologize as I would guess this has been discussed but my searches reveal nothing relevant.
Some history, been a P3P pilot since 2018. Has been my only aircraft until now.
I just received my Mavic 3 Classic and it's the first time I've flown foldable props.
I notice a very significant handling difference between a Phantom and a Mavic. Yes I realize they are completely different air frames but I'm really wondering if it's mostly the prop difference. Those foldable blades surely must bend at the hinges and flex when maneuvering and that has to have an effect on flight.
Are there fixed props available for the Mavic series and has anyone tried them??

 

[Anthony Ivory]

Greetings fellow Pilots, I do apologize as I would guess this has been discussed but my searches reveal nothing relevant.
Some history, been a P3P pilot since 2018. Has been my only aircraft until now.
I just received my Mavic 3 Classic and it's the first time I've flown foldable props.
I notice a very significant handling difference between a Phantom and a Mavic. Yes I realize they are completely different air frames but I'm really wondering if it's mostly the prop difference. Those foldable blades surely must bend at the hinges and flex when maneuvering and that has to have an effect on flight.
Are there fixed props available for the Mavic series and has anyone tried them??

The biggest difference in landing is ground effect the blades are much closer to the ground than the P3P.

I doubt that we will see fixed blades because we would have to remove them to fold the drone.

You may have also noticed how much quieter your M3 is that has a lot to do with the blades tips and design.
When you set your M3 on a flat surface notice the angle of the blades they are not parallel to the ground they are angled.

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

Foldable props might be somewhat less dangerous to flesh ..... since they can fold.

 

[3rdof5]

Great points! Thank you! Yes clearly the Mavic 3 props wirh the rubber tips and foldable hinges is both more convenient and safer to get struck by which I completely agree with. My question is, when sudden motor speed changes occur what happens to blade position (due to the hinges on the prop mounts) under stress? Which can't happen with fixed solid props.

 

[3rdof5]

I would think both would have advantages. Smoother flight with less aircraft stress with folding props, better handling and "feel" with fixed solid props.

 

[shawgod]

I have a P4P and it is much like your P3P in many ways. I also have a lot of Mavic series aircraft as well. I find that Mavic series aircraft are a lot quieter to work with. I also find that that they compact down a lot smaller than the phantom does as well. The Air2S that I have is about equal in size to the Mavic 3 Classic you have. I know the case that I have for the Phantom is huge because I keep the blades on it. The blades on the Phantom in order to keep the noise down I have put Low noise props on it, while I know the Air2s has it on it already. So there is a lot of advantage to the Mavic series over the Phantom line. But I still love my Phantom 4 Pro, I will always fly it.

 

[3rdof5]

I have a P4P and it is much like your P3P in many ways. I also have a lot of Mavic series aircraft as well. I find that Mavic series aircraft are a lot quieter to work with. I also find that that they compact down a lot smaller than the phantom does as well. The Air2S that I have is about equal in size to the Mavic 3 Classic you have. I know the case that I have for the Phantom is huge because I keep the blades on it. The blades on the Phantom in order to keep the noise down I have put Low noise props on it, while I know the Air2s has it on it already. So there is a lot of advantage to the Mavic series over the Phantom line. But I still love my Phantom 4 Pro, I will always fly it.

Great response, my Phantom 3 will stay in my "available to fly" list as long as it can be, my first love and fully trusted aircraft in any temp.
My first Mavic is a learning in progress, which i must say, being an experienced Phantom Pilot, and knowing how to fly, the Mavic is a different bird entirely. I'm going slow....

 

[shawgod]

Great response, my Phantom 3 will stay in my "available to fly" list as long as it can be, my first love and fully trusted aircraft in any temp.
My first Mavic is a learning in progress, which i must say, being an experienced Phantom Pilot, and knowing how to fly, the Mavic is a different bird entirely. I'm going slow....

Awesome, Yeah my Phantom is always my baby. Nothing quite flys like her.

 

[Starz]

One thought would be that the props that came with the Mavic3 are designed and intended for use on that specific aircraft. If there was some significant advantage to non-foldable props for that aircraft, I would think some aftermarket product would be made available. I’ve not hunted for them myself, so if they exist, I’m not aware.
There we’re certainly many non-foldable props available for all my old home built quads that are now collecting some dust on a shelf, but that’s been some time ago.
Foldable arms and foldable props seem to be the norm anymore.
Progress I guess.

 

[Chrislaf]

I don’t think foldable vs fixed will make much of a noticeable difference in terms of flight characteristics. I have none foldable MAS props for my Spark and other than some difference in tone, there is no discernible difference in performance. Plus I would not be using fixed props from questionable suppliers who have not tested their product extensively on such an expensive drone.

Further, the handling differences you may be experiencing could be due to the coordinated turns that the Mavic 3 does. A coordinated turn is when the AC banks to compliment its rate of turn similar to a real airplane. It took me awhile to adjust to this behaviour as well as the abrupt braking which you can adjust a bit.

Chris

 

[Yorkshire_Pud]

My question is, when sudden motor speed changes occur what happens to blade position (due to the hinges on the prop mounts) under stress?

Think about what happens when the drone's motors stop. They are actively braked as far as I can see.
For me the props of the m2p/z stay in or very, very close to, flight position.
If they are folded when the motors are started, they are thrown outwards within 2 or 3 shakes of the drone .... which I take to correspond to 2 or 3 complete motor revolutions.

The mini 1 & 2 are the only drones that I have were the inertia of the blades drives the blades forward on motor stop, the Mini 1 & 2 blade pivots are very nearly frictionless.
In flight I think you would find that the 'centrifugal' force is sufficient to keep the blades thrown out in the flight position.

With regards to stiffness and flight response, I have a set of pattern M2P props which flex more easily than do DJI props, the response of the drone is IMO smoother with the pattern props than the DJI props. I don't use the pattern props because I have greater confidence in the DJI props.

 

[hiflyer201]

I was so over my Phantom 3 by the first five minutes of flight with my Spark that I didn't give it a thought about the props. I can tell you one thing,..if they hit you, you will realize how rigid in flight they are. lol

 

[NightFlightAlright]

I would think that any noticeable difference in flight characteristics probably has a lot more to do with the fact the phantom has a much lower center of mass than the Mavicks, and as I recall higher overall mass as well.

I don’t think foldable versus fixed props would contribute much to handling differences. When it comes to that, handling is much more about the accelerometers, and the fly by wire processing and so forth. The flight characteristics of these drones is largely a function of the computer and sensors.

Just ask some 737Max pilots about how much automated controls contribute to flight characteristics… (ouch, couldn’t resist…)