Freefall of a Mavic Pro

[netfolks2000]

I've seen two excellent videos of Mavics in a freefall from a high altitude, motors successfully restarted, drone landing unharmed. I've seen how the motors are stopped in mid air by pulling the sticks down and in. But, in searching thru the threads here I have not found answers to the questions below. I would not try it myself but for general knowledge and reading here, half the pleasure of owning a drone, I hope some of you will share input to these questions.
Here are two videos of freefall:

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Note: Before I composed these questions I tried to start the motors of my Mavic when it was held sideways and upside down. They would not start.
Now here are the questions:
1. When motors are turned off mid air, does the Mavic stay upright or does it flip upside down as it twists and turns in circles coming down? In other words, is it aerodynamically designed to remain upright when falling?
2. Is it not true that when the Mavic is not upright, motors won't start? Note when you grab a Mavic and turn it on its side when landing, hand catching, the motors instantly shut down. Is there a way motors can be started if upside down or even sideways? What about when shaking, vibrating, flopping in the windy when falling?
3. Assuming #2 is true, would it not have been pure luck that those who freefalled their drone were able to restart in a moment the drone was momentarily face up?

 

[lolo780]

It will not always stay upright so you have to set the motor start stop check parameter to 1 using Assistant in debug mode.
Note that on the Mavic 2, this will allow the motors to run inverted if the aircraft flips over, but at this time you cannot start the motors past 90 deg. Do not try CSC free fall with an M2.

 

[Porky]

I’m no expert on this thread but I would definitely say the drone won’t free fall belly 1st to the ground. Take a sky diver, he/she trains to stay in the right position while descending so on those basis there’s the answer. This is something I would never do/try and would definitely not recommend it. Look at the first video, law breaker straight way, the second video... why would you risk seeing if it does work.

The only time I might kill the motors is if low flying aircraft were approaching below 400ft but that’s going to be very unlikely where I live.

 

[netfolks2000]

I’m no expert on this thread but I would definitely say the drone won’t free fall belly 1st to the ground. Take a sky diver, he/she trains to stay in the right position while descending so on those basis there’s the answer. This is something I would never do/try and would definitely not recommend it. Look at the first video, law breaker straight way, the second video... why would you risk seeing if it does work.

The only time I might kill the motors is if low flying aircraft were approaching below 400ft but that’s going to be very unlikely where I live.

Oh, I would never try it, not at all. But there are other circumstances. What if it were in the top of a tree, sideways. Could the motors be started to get it to dislodge, even with some prop damage? I just want to know if all the stories of freefall are real or if it is virtually impossible to restart a Mavic in freefall, unless it happens to be belly down. Perhaps if the sticks are held long enough in the start position the drone eventually gets in the belly down position before it gets to the ground? Thank you for commenting. Those videos of freefall are pretty convincing. So it seems it can be done. But is it just a fluke, a chance taking?

 

[Porky]

I just can’t see the point in testing it to see if you can restart the motors in “free fall” crazy and why.... ( those vids especially the 2nd one)

Your question, the only way you could answer your own question is try it out for yourself, take the props off, get someone to hold your drone, start it up as if you were out flying then kill the motors, angle the drone at 45deg or belly up then see if it would restart. This would be a similar scenario caught in a tree.

 

[netfolks2000]

I just can’t see the point in testing it to see if you can restart the motors in “free fall” crazy and why.... ( those vids especially the 2nd one)

Your question, the only way you could answer your own question is try it out for yourself, take the props off, get someone to hold your drone, start it up as if you were out flying then kill the motors, angle the drone at 45deg or belly up then see if it would restart. This would be a similar scenario caught in a tree.

As mentioned above, Porky, I really did try that with my props on. I held the Mavic sideways and also upside down and tried to start the motors. They would not move at all. So I am wondering how those guys did what they claim they did in both of those videos. The scenes don't really look fabricated to me. They did not mention changing some option to allow motors to start.

 

[Porky]

Apologies, sorry for asking you to do something that you’ve already done. My bad

I can’t give you an explanation to your question.

 

[netfolks2000]

Apologies, sorry for asking you to do something that you’ve already done. My bad

I can’t give you an explanation to your question.

It is, then, a "stumper'. Wasn't really detailed in the previous thread. Again, not something I'd try. Someone will probably but not describe how they lost their drone, in embarrassment. ha I just would like to know the specifics of the mechanics, firmware and electronics involved in such a scenario. I think it's a mystery how those two videos exemplified it.

 

[msinger]

I don't see anything in the Mavic Pro release notes, but I'm not sure the motors would always auto shut off when the Mavic Pro was tilted at an angle. If that's the case, those pilots could have been running really old firmware. Or the Mavic could have been upright when the motors were turned on.

 

[netfolks2000]

I don't see anything in the Mavic Pro release notes, but I'm not sure the motors would always auto shut off when the Mavic Pro was tilted at an angle. If that's the case, those pilots could have been running really old firmware. Or the Mavic could have been upright when the motors were turned on.

A few times I have hand landed in a hurry to leave and quickly tilted it. The motors always immediately stop. They will not start at 90 or 180 degrees. I don't want to consider those videos as fabricated but really wonder if what they described is impossible. Or are they the two successful ones that showed the rarity of a success while some others were too shy to say their drone was smashed to bits. (There ARE people that try these things.) I was hoping someone would really know how to explain this definitively, as possible or impossible. There have been several discussions about it before, but nothing declarative or factual. Thank you for commenting. Is there anyone else I should invite to speculate or who would definitely know?

 

[msinger]

I don't want to consider those videos as fabricated but really wonder if what they described is impossible

The second video is not fake. So, I can only assume the first is real too.

Is there anyone else I should invite to speculate or who would definitely know?

Yes. Ask the people who created those videos.

 

[lolo780]

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[Hayabusa]

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And

 

[lolo780]

And

Parameter mod allows motors to run in any AC orientation.

 

[Hayabusa]

Parameter mod allows motors to run in any AC orientation.

My bad- I didn’t realize Mavic was upside down. I thought it was upright hence my uncalled for smart *** “ And”
Dont mind me, I cracked my head today and a little out of it.
Tempted to try the free fall but not with my drone.

 

[chazz]

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lolo surprised you didn't swap some motor wires and try flying the mav upside down. If I ever get the urge to take the p3 motors of mine i may try that.

 

[JDawg]

A few times I have hand landed in a hurry to leave and quickly tilted it. The motors always immediately stop. They will not start at 90 or 180 degrees. I don't want to consider those videos as fabricated but really wonder if what they described is impossible. Or are they the two successful ones that showed the rarity of a success while some others were too shy to say their drone was smashed to bits. (There ARE people that try these things.) I was hoping someone would really know how to explain this definitively, as possible or impossible. There have been several discussions about it before, but nothing declarative or factual. Thank you for commenting. Is there anyone else I should invite to speculate or who would definitely know?

For out of the norm questions I would definitley listen to the guys from the Distance Leaderboards like Lolo. If you lurk there you will see they tend to like to tear things apart to see how they work.

 

[lolo780]

lolo surprised you didn't swap some motor wires and try flying the mav upside down. If I ever get the urge to take the p3 motors of mine i may try that.

Pusher should improve efficiency a little although the landings could be tricky.

I always wanted to try this on a DJI: Why Reverse Motor/Prop Rotation in a Quadcopter? - Oscar Liang

 

[stonecherub]

I’m no expert on this thread but I would definitely say the drone won’t free fall belly 1st to the ground. Take a sky diver, he/she trains to stay in the right position while descending so on those basis there’s the answer. This is something I would never do/try and would definitely not recommend it. Look at the first video, law breaker straight way, the second video... why would you risk seeing if it does work.

The only time I might kill the motors is if low flying aircraft were approaching below 400ft but that’s going to be very unlikely where I live.

Well, as someone with real experience, I can tell you that my Mavic fell from over 100 m altitude (where it was when the battery died) and hit the desert surface flat. That surface was volcanic cinder and dust from the Colorado River delta so it sort of cushioned the landing. I replaced the battery and it flew just fine but the camera had been wrecked.

 

[netfolks2000]

Parameter mod allows motors to run in any AC orientation.

What is a parameter mod ? And whatever it is, those two guys that did the freefall drops did not mention doing anything unusual to their drones before their stunts. By the way I invited both of them here to elaborate a bit but have not heard from them yet.