Did you unfold the blades before fly? See why you should.

[dirkclod]

Guys don’t get me wrong I do check my props for the obvious after
every outing when I start recharaging my batterys and always give them a little twist holding both ends to see if any cracks are there and have found some you couldn’t see without the twist. . I just change out the whole set as I feel kinda like
if I didn’t it would be like fixing my brakes. Do 1 I do all 4. Unnecessary most likely but is what I do. I also keep my battery contacts clean
with a shot of electronics spray then a little Deoixtgold.
Lots of these videos are great and do help some that have no idea
i just have been at it so long I’m set in my ways.
If that sucker spins up and I see nothing wrong in a short hover I’m gone.
The only videos I really pay attention to is those on the Go App.
That is were I have had the most issues and those have been leaning the modes.
Some say you can teach a old dog tricks but afraid this ole dog is just
stuck in his ways.
Sorry guys just had one of my moments.?

 

[Heindrich1988]

On this issue, I'll just say that when I bought my Air 2 at the Shenzhen flagship store, a DJI employee set it up, registered it with CAAC (China's FAA) and test-flew it inside the store (inside a specially designed cage) before I took my drone home. I distinctly remember that he told me to unfold the props and check them before each flight.

That's probably why it seems common sense to me. I guess it's a question of wear and tear. Obviously people have flown Mavics for years without unfolding props, but it probably does increase the risk of motor failure, among other things. That said, as with all complex mechanical/electronic things, there's always a minuscule risk of defect/failure with every component. You can take all the care in the world and just be unlucky, or take lots of risks and get away with it.

For me, this issue is just a question of minimizing risk. It takes seconds to do and minimal effort, so why not?

 

[Camino Ken]

Like someone already mentioned I unfold the props and then check them carefully for any damage or deformation. Harder to do if folded.

 

[hammbone]

I only check my blades if the Zoom is shaking like a dog trying to poop a peach pit! Just kidding, unfold and check them every flight ?

 

[John S]

I’ve been in rc long before drones came on the scene and fly one of these, so not unfolding blades isn’t an option.

 

[LA 2020]

I found this video interesting and informative. I personally always unfold my blades before fly in my MA2 and M2P. Never in the mini.

Mini Test.

Very good information and it all makes physics sense!

 

[In The Zone]

The video may be clickbait however, it's a good reminder and demonstration on what could possibly happen if you don't do it besides, you should already be doing it if you read the manual. Common sense goes a long way in this Hobby and if you don't have any common sense you shouldn't be flying. Take care of your drone and your drone will take care of you for many years.

 

[baddog]

I found this video interesting and informative. I personally always unfold my blades before fly in my MA2 and M2P. Never in the mini.

Mini Test.

I have never open my props on my Mavic Pro 1st edition since 2016. Still going strong, cracks or issues. But his video do show that is does create some additional movement in the drone.

 

[Kyle76]

Unfold the props? Half the time I don’t even unfold the aircraft.

 

[DanMan32]

I get unfolding the props since the props could bind and take longer than expected to self-unfold, but you don't have to have them perfectly straight.

Going by his slow motion, the blades seem to have unfolded after only 6 turns of the motor. I doubt the motors are spinning fast enough before the blades unfold to put any significant strain on the motors or arms, especially if you are using CSC to start the motors on the ground. Flying normally for 20 minutes probably produces more stress on the motors/arms than the brief moment the blades unfold could ever do.

I do unfold my M2 props, but not the Mini.

 

[MA2 317]

I too unfold and inspect the props before flight.

I have the Spark and when the motors start, they rev up/down twice before idling. I have read that this was DJI's way of making sure the props were spun open and ready for flight.

The MA2 only revs once.

 

[Jake 61]

Always.
It's part of your pre flight check, is it not...?

 

[anotherlab]

You want to open up the props to verify that they are undamaged and securely mounted. I'm not convinced that starting them up folded would put enough stress on the motor to cause damage, but you do want to check the props before flight.

 

[MavicMiniNick]

Very smart. I will have to start doing that from now on.

 

[Kyle76]

Frankly, I didn’t find the slo-mos all that compelling. Seems like the props straighten themselves almost instantly, but what the heck, I guess I’ll start doing it myself.

 

[Macinfo]

I've generally unfolded my MA2 props before setting it down to take off, but the extra step of insuring they are straight seems largely un-needed.

If the manual also advises that, its probably worth the effort, though I do not think that the 'stress" he notes would cause any damage, and there is probably more stress on the motors on a windy day then any they take unfolding the props if you did not do it....

 

[vindibona1]

I always separate props on my M2 without really thinking about it. It just seems like the natural thing to do. The slow-mo showed the m2 had almost 7 revolutions before separating. The follow up with the Mini didn't even have a single rotation before opening. It's always good to have confirmation when we are doing things right when there is a possibility of having been doing them wrong.