Best way to clean Drone and what to clean at what frequency

[EricE]

I have been flying a Mavic Air for close to 6 months and am wondering what needs to be cleaned and does anyone adhere to a strict schedule for cleaning and what that might look like.

 

[old man mavic]

i use an air puffer to blow dust etc off the drone, or you can use canned air ,i make it part of my pre flight routine at home before i go out, at the same time you can check for damage, when you check the props you will often find insect splatter on them, just get a wet wipe or some damp kitchen roll and remove it and check for any damage, the same if there is splatter on the body of the drone

 

[offtheback]

i use an air puffer to blow dust etc off the drone, or you can use canned air ,i make it part of my pre flight routine at home before i go out, at the same time you can check for damage, when you check the props you will often find insect splatter on them, just get a wet wipe or some damp kitchen roll and remove it and check for any damage, the same if there is splatter on the body of the drone

One of the cautions against using canned air is that the powerful force might drive particles into crevices or vents and be difficult to remove if they cause a problem.Air puffer is less powerful and less likely to do that but it might.

 

[Lewis101]

I’ve wondered this since owning my MPP, i fly a lot over the sea and coast and I’ve always wondered if the salty sea air will have a negative effect on any of the motors or internals.

I work in aviation and when our aircraft fly below 500ft over seawater the engines require fresh water washes.

I know a drone is a lot different but I guess the principles are very similar but on a much smaller scale. Would salt crystals form in places I can’t see/reach over time?

Would my drone be getting salty air through any of the vents of in the motors? I try my best to clean the drone after each flight which is over the sea, but it’s always something that played in the back of my mind.

 

[freightshaker]

Never gave much thought to the seawater part. I live on Long Island & at the moment my car is parked 10' above sea level & just 50' away from in inlet. I remember a product we used for computers, an electronics wash, obviously not water based but basically spayed it on & blew it off with canned air.

 

[Lewis101]

Never gave much thought to the seawater part. I live on Long Island & at the moment my car is parked 10' above sea level & just 50' away from in inlet. I remember a product we used for computers, an electronics wash, obviously not water based but basically spayed it on & blew it off with canned air.

I suppose that could be a good idea if there was a protective coating of some sort that could be sprayed or applied to the drone, that would protect against any corrosion. I too leave my car close to the water and over time the build up of salt can be quite a lot so I can only imagine what it could potentially do to my drone over time.

 

[Unknown Pilot]

One of the cautions against using canned air is that the powerful force might drive particles into crevices or vents and be difficult to remove if they cause a problem.Air puffer is less powerful and less likely to do that but it might.

From a photographers point of view the real damage from canned air is the liquid propellant that can escape and splatter sensors and other internal bits and bobs.

 

[offtheback]

From a photographers point of view the real damage from canned air is the liquid propellant that can escape and splatter sensors and other internal bits and bobs.

The best use for canned air is to shake the can,turn it upside down and spray a fly in midair.Fly will freeze and fall and shatter on impact?

 

[zenfly2]

I use the vacuum to suck the dust and sometimes sand from the beach away from the drone and not blow it into openings with compressed air that doesn't seem right to me. I use the attachment with the soft bristles to loosen the particles and suck them away.

 

[old man mavic]

i think the important thing to take from this, is keeping your drone clean is only going to help prevent issues no matter how you go about it

 

[gvsukids]

Is there any way around getting dirty?

i think the important thing to take from this, is keeping your drone clean is only going to help prevent issues no matter how you go about it

 

[Timmo73]

Is there any way around getting dirty?

Yep never take it out of the box lol.

 

[gvsukids]

So it will always get dirty? Even with hand catching and launching?

Yep never take it out of the box lol.

 

[Timmo73]

So it will always get dirty? Even with hand catching and launching?

The air is full of dust and bugs. Here in AUS anyway. Just and and do maintence and enjoy flying

 

[PoonDog]

Garden hose not a good idea . It seems that dust likes to settle in the gimble. I use a Q tip to gouge most of it out then long range canned air.

 

[MavicFlyer]

I’ve wondered this since owning my MPP, i fly a lot over the sea and coast and I’ve always wondered if the salty sea air will have a negative effect on any of the motors or internals.

I work in aviation and when our aircraft fly below 500ft over seawater the engines require fresh water washes.

I know a drone is a lot different but I guess the principles are very similar but on a much smaller scale. Would salt crystals form in places I can’t see/reach over time?

Would my drone be getting salty air through any of the vents of in the motors? I try my best to clean the drone after each flight which is over the sea, but it’s always something that played in the back of my mind.

Your post reminds me of my USAF days, where there was a similar rule on fresh water wash for aircraft flying below a certain altitude above ocean water - I think there was also an exposure duration there too...don't think a wash was required every time you flew an over water approach.

In the case of our drones, I don't worry about it, because the drone is probably going to fail for other reasons long before some exposure to salty air does it in. Of course, if it falls in the salty water, it's an entirely different story...bad story. Also, the overwhelming majority of my flying time is over land, far from the ocean.

As to cleaning the outside, I just use a damp paper towel every once in a while, unless I see something on the it, like the time my drone flew into some branches...had to add a little spray cleaner on the paper towel to get the sap off. As far as leaves or the like go, I've just lightly blown them out of the gimbal area, assisted by some precision tweezers.

 

[Thomas B]

So it will always get dirty? Even with hand catching and launching?

The air is full of dust and bugs. Here in AUS anyway. Just and and do maintence and enjoy flying

Same in Arizona... one reason sunsets and “afterglow” is so beautiful here is the incredible amount of suspended particulate (dust) in the air... almost as bad is when all the citrus trees bloom and the pollen blows into the air... every thing literally turns yellow.

So safely clean by your preferred method and enjoy flying your bird.

 

[PURSUER01]

Is there any coatings that can be applied to our drones to protect it from getting dirty. Something like car wax or coatings used on automotive finishes or plastic interior parts?? A nice smooth finish would look good for the drones appearance.

 

[Ds67888]

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