Blade Test Results- DJI vs CARBON FIBER

[CrashSteve]

Back in 1999, I helped build carbon fiber composite blades for Aeromag Shark wind turbines. Yes, the blades were light, strong, stiff...and BRITTLE. And while aftermarket carbon fiber composite blades for drones look good, they are inherently unforgiving of impacts. As I don’t see any significant performance improvement over stock DJI props, I don’t think they’re worth the extra money. And good job with your study! I’ve never been that much of a fan of Excel. LOL

 

[FoxhallGH]

Yep. I think the MPP motors are higher torque than the MP. They swing a softer, higher pitch prop.

Contacted DJI today and according to them, the actual motors used on the MAvic Pro, and the Mavic Pro Platinum, are exactly the same units. So the only difference with the Plat' is in the ESC 'sinusoidal' management of those motors during flight ...

 

[FoxhallGH]

Aren’t the reported rpm’s one tenth the actual rpm?

There is a x10 under the rpm figure on the RC controller ... I hadn't noticed the significance of that - So yes, e.g. 510 rpm displayed is actually 5,100 rpm.

 

[Former Member]

So the only difference with the Plat' is in the ESC 'sinusoidal' management of those motors during flight ...

Different ESC board and noone knows for sure how the sinusoidal ESC board is setup to handle torque and RPM. Conversely, could MP props be used on an MPP? Probably, but just because they fit does not mean thats what they were designed for. Just like the MP was not designed for MPP props, or aftermarket props unless the pitch and material are exactly the same. If that is the case, why go aftermarket?

 

[FoxhallGH]

Different ESC board and noone knows for sure how the sinusoidal ESC board is setup to handle torque and RPM. Conversely, could MP props be used on an MPP? Probably, but just because they fit does not mean thats what they were designed for. Just like the MP was not designed for MPP props, or aftermarket props unless the pitch and material are exactly the same. If that is the case, why go aftermarket?

I know we are never going to agree on this one Thunderdrones, and I'm not trying to convert you - honestly!! In my case, feedback from non-Drone flying public told me that the CF prop's I use are less intrusive due to a lower pitched sound when they are being flown. In addition, I've noticed that I can fly over cattle, dogs and birds (not at crazy low heights of course), without them being upset by the Drone ... That's my 'why?' reason for using them ... Now if you wanted me to stick eyes and a shark-mouth on my Mavic, or skin it in plastic - that's where I'd draw the line!!
I'm going to do those flight duration checks in the next week, and feed-back to you, as I'm really interested to see if there is a current-draw implication (i.e. motors working harder), and therefore less battery to fly with.

 

[Former Member]

Now if you wanted me to stick eyes and a shark-mouth on my Mavic, or skin it in plastic - that's where I'd draw the line!!

No need for those when you could have this from Decalgirl... lol

 

[SIDEHACK]

The motor, props and esc are engineered as a unit. DJI engineers spend a lot of effort to design their propulsion units to do the job the drone is designed to do. DJI drones are camera drones! Not racing drones or heavy lift drones to deliver large packages. Changing only the prop to a different pitch or length or material will degrade the overall performance of a DJI drone being a great camera drone. This will be apparent over a number of parameters. Especially longevity and stability.
Before I bought my first DJI drone I scratch built drones as a hobby. I learned that you had to decide how you were going to use the drone before you started. From there you estimated what the weight would be and the lift you needed to hover between 45%- 55% throttle. You then picked the motor size and KV rating and a prop length and pitch and material that hit the sweet spot. From there you programmed the ESC to bring it all together along with the proper voltage battery. After all that any future change to only one part affected the performance of the unit as a whole.
My point in all this is if you bought your DJI drone to be a fun, or professional, camera drone then stick with the original part specs for replacements. If you want to set speed or distance or lift records then buy a drone designed for that! Fly Safe!!

 

[FoxhallGH]

No need for those when you could have this from Decalgirl... lol

View attachment 54965

Ahhhh - you know how to twist a guy's arm!!!

 

[RunnerGuy]

In that case the design is quite different for my CV 8331 props. They are actually thicker and overall heavier than the stock props. I'd actually rather be hit by my CF props because the leading edges are rounded ... The stock 'quiet' props are like blades at the tips! Does go to show that there are a lot of variations on the theme out there.

You make a very good point. My assumption was that most CF blades are thin. But in your case, years they have a Sap

These are the prop's I buy ... The 8331 designation must be a design-shape as these prop blades are identical in shape and pitch to the stock 'quiet' DJI 8331's on the MPP.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07848L...colid=X5BS0IJUTCGA&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I like this design. Will try to find a US supplier and buy

 

[RunnerGuy]

You make a very good point. My assumption was that most CF blades are thin. But in your case, years they have a Sap


I like this design. Will try to find a US supplier and buy

 

[FoxhallGH]

View attachment 54994

Ahhh - at last, an advantage to being a member of the European Union!!!

 

[Cookedinlh]

Back in 1999, I helped build carbon fiber composite blades for Aeromag Shark wind turbines. Yes, the blades were light, strong, stiff...and BRITTLE. And while aftermarket carbon fiber composite blades for drones look good, they are inherently unforgiving of impacts. As I don’t see any significant performance improvement over stock DJI props, I don’t think they’re worth the extra money. And good job with your study! I’ve never been that much of a fan of Excel. LOL

Hey I know the Aeromag Shark. Those were great blades for turbines. . . not good for things that move around and can hit things. I used to import Lakota blades to Canada (linear Carbon Fibre) and generally pretty tough ..and very stiff. Given the similar performance of this guy's study Id say he's proven the factory version are perfered just for safety alone. I got smacked on the thumb when hand caputuring a Mavic once (with gloves on) and it hurt for quite a while. I can imagine the gash I might have gotten with bare hands and carbon fibre. How come we never saw the shark?

 

[iowahill]

Hands down favorite for me is Master Air Screw

I run both the Master Airscrew and the DJI Mavic Platinums on my MP1. Both seem quieter and seem to have extended my flight time noticeably, not by a major factor but noticeably. My MA set is the orange color which really helps with visibility and orientation.

 

[knd2000]

Did a few comparison tests. Everything was as equals as possible. Noise TakeOff-Land-Hover 20’, Battery 100–> 50% @ 20’ Hover, Ascending to 393’ Max Stick, Burst Speed @ 5 Sec, Hover RPM’s, Weight per blade.

62F, 12/2/18, Akron OH (1123 ‘ above sea level), slight breeze 5-10mph. Used a freshly charged battery for battery test, allowing drone to cool down between tests.

Not sure which to use. Your opinions?
View attachment 54913

Good test. I'm sticking with OEM blades.

 

[Cookedinlh]

Good test. I'm sticking with OEM blades.

I'll second that . . OEM. . . no real upside for anything else

 

[oldcelt]

Did a few comparison tests. Everything was as equals as possible. Noise TakeOff-Land-Hover 20’, Battery 100–> 50% @ 20’ Hover, Ascending to 393’ Max Stick, Burst Speed @ 5 Sec, Hover RPM’s, Weight per blade.

62F, 12/2/18, Akron OH (1123 ‘ above sea level), slight breeze 5-10mph. Used a freshly charged battery for battery test, allowing drone to cool down between tests.

Not sure which to use. Your opinions?
View attachment 54913

If the figures are accurate that's a dramatic improvement in sound levels.

Remember decibels follow a logarithmic scale and a difference of 3db represents a doubling (or halving) of perceived sound level!

 

[FlyingDetector]

Stay away from those carbon props, screws holding them together comes loose, and what goes up comes straight down, stick with DJI original props, my 2 cents.

 

[old man mavic]

i have purchased many none OEM items to improve my ownership enjoyment of my UAVs gimbal guards ,motor covers, battery connector covers ,landing leg extenders,different battery charger to charge 3 batts at once a bright 24 led light for my phantom to aid orientation at distance and skins to protect them but i have never purchased none DJI batteries or props i want my UAV to have the best chance of staying airborn and i feel that the original batts and props give me that peace of mind as long as they ars looked after properly

 

[SIDEHACK]

i have purchased many none OEM items to improve my ownership enjoyment of my UAVs gimbal guards ,motor covers, battery connector covers ,landing leg extenders,different battery charger to charge 3 batts at once a bright 24 led light for my phantom to aid orientation at distance and skins to protect them but i have never purchased none DJI batteries or props i want my UAV to have the best chance of staying airborn and i feel that the original batts and props give me that peace of mind as long as they ars looked after properly

I second that with my one exception being Master Air Screw like iowahill noted. Excellent quality. Been around a long time.

 

[niki]

Good test. The two things I always use OEM DJI are props and batteries. After market, non-DJI CF props are usually stiffer and more brittle, and upon impact can shatter. OEM MP blades might chip, but might live to fight another day. The performance differences in your test show a negligible difference.

Do they shatter or not depend on the manifacturer and there are some bad and cheap cf props out there.
I use T-motor on Inspire wich are some of the best quality on the market. It was shown by a few inspire forum members that cf props do not shatter at collision they just got clipped and what is left was usually enough for them to land safelly and this actually makes them the best prop if youre going to colide with something. Foldable is even better, it helps to reduce the collision damage. The stock plastic props for inspire are very stiff at the hub and if not maintained well there is big probability to snap at the hub even in mid flight without colliding in anything wich leads to a total damage also shown by a few unlucky pilots.

Edit:
For my MP I use stock props, to me it doesn't make sence such a small drone to be equiped with cf blades.

 

[dannybgoode]

Do they shatter or not depend on the manifacturer and there are some bad and cheap cf props out there.
I use T-motor on Inspire wich are some of the best quality on the market. It was shown by a few inspire forum members that cf props do not shatter at collision they just got clipped and what is left was usually enough for them to land safelly and this actually makes them the best prop if youre going to colide with something. Foldable is even better, it helps to reduce the collision damage. The stock plastic props for inspire are very stiff at the hub and if not maintained well there is big probability to snap at the hub even in mid flight without colliding in anything wich leads to a total damage also shown by a few unlucky pilots.

Edit:
For my MP I use stock props, to me it doesn't make sence such a small drone to be equiped with cf blades.

Except for the chap whose Inspire 2 fell out of the sky is an expensive manner when his T Motor prop failed