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Cracks!!!

Khurrum

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Hi,

Today I've noticed cracks on the shell of aircraft, visible in the corner where battery fits in. Plz see picture.

I would like to mention here that I'm extremely caring in handling gadgets, esp. drones. I've always placed battery in its compartment very smoothly and have always performed slow and smooth movements while flying (as I'm more towards capturing cinematic shots). I've using it since July 2019 and made many flights with no crash landings. Such type of cracks really astonishing..

I bought this drone second hand, but I'm 100% sure that these cracks were not there at that time.

Do you feel that this crack is not a big issue and I continue using it?? or I've to replace the shell??

Plz advise..

Have anyone of you experienced such cracks. If yes, then this would substantiate as a bad build quality, else I must have been done something wrong with my M2Z.

Thanks..
 

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That's been dented there. I just checked mine, the plastic is flat, no contours. You can also see on yours the separation of the two shells at the seam.

Looks like the bottom shell has some damage too.

I don't think the flymore bag has anything to do with it. Folded up, you'd have to hit the arm pretty good to make contact with the body at that point. You'd damage the arm and arm mount in the process.

If it seems solid otherwise including the arm and arm alignment, probably OK but keep an eye on it.

Anything on the other side? If not, use it for firsthand comparison to what I mentioned in my first paragraph.
 
Last edited:
Those cracks might have occured when and if you use the original shouldercase because it’s very tight and narrow and maybe the front legs when folded pressing the legs in that position that these cracks can occure? Just a thought?

I've 4 batteries. Therefore, I maintain two bags instead of packing all accessories tightly into one...

plz see the video. There is a lateral movement of aircraft when packed. You can see a second black bag in which I place car charger, hub, tablet mount etc. Moreover, I used to store the bag horizontally (after flying), instead of vertical position, so that there is no pressure on gimbal clip. In the horizontal placement position, cracked side of drone is facing upwards and hence no pressure on it...

Now, I believe, it must have been damaged by the first owner..

 
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That's been dented there. I just checked mine, the plastic is flat, no contours. You can also see on yours the separation of the two shells at the seam.

Looks like the bottom shell has some damage too.

I don't think the flymore bag has anything to do with it. Folded up, you'd have to hit the arm pretty good to make contact with the body at that point. You'd damage the arm and arm mount in the process.

If it seems solid otherwise including the arm and arm alignment, probably OK but keep an eye on it.

Anything on the other side? If not, use it for firsthand comparison to what I mentioned in my first paragraph.
You are right. I was given a damaged piece by the seller.

Do you feel i should continue with this shell??
 
There's a product called Hot Stuff which is a super glue with less viscosity than water. I believe it is an industrial grade cyanoacrylate because just on drop has an overwhelming odor of fresh apples. It leeches into every portion of a crack, those you can see and those invisible to the naked eye. It will work very well with the "plastic" used on the Mavic bodies. If your cracks have not gone through the body, the stuff will do a repair stronger than the original material. While Hot Stuff is not too expensive ($10), the shipping from Brownells is a flat rate $10.

Amazon sells a similar product called Starbond Super Fast but I have not used it. A fellow gun collector has used it to repair a common butt stock crack on a surplus Mauser and reports good results.

Were it mine, I would repair it and continue flying. I would also put small scratches with a pin at the limits of the current cracks so frequent inspections will show if the cracks get longer.

Good luck. I think you'll be fine.

 
The thing is the shell is not just cracked, it's dented. The bottom shell as it meets with the dent also looks distorted. If you put glue there, you may have issues with future repairs if the glue gets between the seams.

If you go with the glue route to reinforce the cracks, do so with the top shell off so you don't get glue where it should not be.
 
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There's a product called Hot Stuff which is a super glue with less viscosity than water. I believe it is an industrial grade cyanoacrylate because just on drop has an overwhelming odor of fresh apples. It leeches into every portion of a crack, those you can see and those invisible to the naked eye. It will work very well with the "plastic" used on the Mavic bodies. If your cracks have not gone through the body, the stuff will do a repair stronger than the original material. While Hot Stuff is not too expensive ($10), the shipping from Brownells is a flat rate $10.

Amazon sells a similar product called Starbond Super Fast but I have not used it. A fellow gun collector has used it to repair a common butt stock crack on a surplus Mauser and reports good results.

Were it mine, I would repair it and continue flying. I would also put small scratches with a pin at the limits of the current cracks so frequent inspections will show if the cracks get longer.

Good luck. I think you'll be fine.

Bundle of Thanks for your guidance.
I'll get that hot stuff to repair my bird.
Thanks again
 
The thing is the shell is not just cracked, it's dented. The bottom shell as it meets with the dent also looks distorted. If you put glue there, you may have issues with future repairs if the glue gets between the seams.

If you go with the glue route to reinforce the cracks, do so with the top shell off so you don't get glue where it should not be.
Yes, you are right, without taking off the upper shell, glue will get into the seam.
 
If you mount your battery with the drone sitting on its four legs on a hard surface, like a table, there is a whole lot of stress induced to the body of the AC especially near corners.
I like to hold my AC in one hand, and mount the battery with the other, that way there is no torque induced to the center of the AC.
 
Hi,

Today I've noticed cracks on the shell of aircraft, visible in the corner where battery fits in. Plz see picture.

I would like to mention here that I'm extremely caring in handling gadgets, esp. drones. I've always placed battery in its compartment very smoothly and have always performed slow and smooth movements while flying (as I'm more towards capturing cinematic shots). I've using it since July 2019 and made many flights with no crash landings. Such type of cracks really astonishing..

I bought this drone second hand, but I'm 100% sure that these cracks were not there at that time.

Do you feel that this crack is not a big issue and I continue using it?? or I've to replace the shell??

Plz advise..

Have anyone of you experienced such cracks. If yes, then this would substantiate as a bad build quality, else I must have been done something wrong with my M2Z.

Thanks..
You can use a UV Glue to fill the cracks.
 
I wouldn't be concerned about gluing the two sections together. If it becomes an issue, you would easily be able to cut through the adhesion to separate the sections, which you would be replacing anyway.
 
Cyanoacrylate glue, no matter the brand or consistency, can be cured faster with an accelerator (before it runs into places you don't want). I was in the defense electronics business for decades and have used these products with great success. And they are Mil-Approved.

 
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I've 4 batteries. Therefore, I maintain two bags instead of packing all accessories tightly into one...

plz see the video. There is a lateral movement of aircraft when packed. You can see a second black bag in which I place car charger, hub, tablet mount etc. Moreover, I used to store the bag horizontally (after flying), instead of vertical position, so that there is no pressure on gimbal clip. In the horizontal placement position, cracked side of drone is facing upwards and hence no pressure on it...

Now, I believe, it must have been damaged by the first owner..

Very possibly from a hard landing or 2 ...jmo
 
Look past the actual cracks and forward of the front thruster boom attachment point, that wrinkle would indicate a significant impact to deform the shell in that manner. And although the main shell and boom are slightly different texture and composition, the colors on mine do not have such a variance. I would conjecture an incident involving an extended thruster boom with the initial impact on or about the lower leg causing a rapid forceful upward movement creasing the body shell and most likely resulting in a detachment of the thruster boom at the mounting/pivot point. This would also lend itself to a strong rotation force transmitted through body resulting in the cracks present in the photo. Just a thought and me flapping my gums.
 
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There's a product called Hot Stuff which is a super glue with less viscosity than water. I believe it is an industrial grade cyanoacrylate because just on drop has an overwhelming odor of fresh apples. It leeches into every portion of a crack, those you can see and those invisible to the naked eye. It will work very well with the "plastic" used on the Mavic bodies. If your cracks have not gone through the body, the stuff will do a repair stronger than the original material. While Hot Stuff is not too expensive ($10), the shipping from Brownells is a flat rate $10.

Amazon sells a similar product called Starbond Super Fast but I have not used it. A fellow gun collector has used it to repair a common butt stock crack on a surplus Mauser and reports good results.

Were it mine, I would repair it and continue flying. I would also put small scratches with a pin at the limits of the current cracks so frequent inspections will show if the cracks get longer.

Good luck. I think you'll be fine.

You can get thick cyano from pretty much any model shop. It comes in grades from water thin to treacle which is for uneven surface joints and gap filling
 
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If you mount your battery with the drone sitting on its four legs on a hard surface, like a table, there is a whole lot of stress induced to the body of the AC especially near corners.
I like to hold my AC in one hand, and mount the battery with the other, that way there is no torque induced to the center of the AC.
Thanks.
Yes, I'll also do the same practice of holding aircraft in one hand and then inserting battery with the another.
 
Look past the actual cracks and forward of the front thruster boom attachment point, that wrinkle would indicate a significant impact to deform the shell in that manner. And although the main shell and boom are slightly different texture and composition, the colors on mine do not have such a variance. I would conjecture an incident involving an extended thruster boom with the initial impact on or about the lower leg causing a rapid forceful upward movement creasing the body shell and most likely resulting in a detachment of the thruster boom at the mounting/pivot point. This would also lend itself to a strong rotation force transmitted through body resulting in the cracks present in the photo. Just a thought and me flapping my gums.
Thanks
 
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