Mavic Air Pontoons

[spamgnome]

Now that I've experienced an unplanned auto-landing due to a bad battery, I'm suddenly afraid to fly over water. The issue is that THAT'S WHERE THE FUN IS! Flying over water can be quite dramatic and it's typically wide open so one doesn't have to worry about hitting anything...maybe a seagull
Anyway, bought a handful of Styrofoam balls at Wally World, and by pressing in the landing gear extensions into the ball, I was very easily able to create pontoons for the Air. To make sure they stay in, I put a bead of hot glue at the intersection of the plastic legs and the Styrofoam balls. Seems to work well. In a "sink (kitchen) test" the drone floated quite nicely. I'm not planning on doing any planned water landings, but I'm hoping that if it happens accidentally, I'll have a fighting chance at drone recovery. Here are a couple of pics of what she looks like. In flight, it's about a 3-5 MPH reduction in speed, but no errors of any kind on the screen.

 

[TTP]

Very sensible, but remember, if Murphy’s is at work, you have to have means to pick up your drone. Boat or do you intent to swim out to pick it up?

I have the same solution and the same pick up problem.

 

[spamgnome]

For sure that's a concern, but that's an easier issue to solve for than trying to find the closest dive shop

 

[Mavic Mac]

Have you done any distance flights - where the balls are on the antennas I was wondering if it cut down on the signal.

 

[spamgnome]

Have you done any distance flights - where the balls are on the antennas I was wondering if it cut down on the signal.

Yeah, I went out about 3,200 ft. No signal degradation at all that I could tell.

 

[DanMan32]

One possible problem is that in freefall, it's not likely to hit the water right side up. On impact with the water, the pontoons could pop off.

Perhaps buy leg extensions and glue the styrofoam to them.

 

[spamgnome]

One possible problem is that in freefall, it's not likely to hit the water right side up. On impact with the water, the pontoons could pop off.

Perhaps buy leg extensions and glue the styrofoam to them.

That's exactly what I did--it's in my original post. TBH, though, the main thing I worry about is the unplanned landing...drone falling out of the sky is probably the least likely thing to happen.

 

[TTP]

 

[DanMan32]

That's exactly what I did--it's in my original post. TBH, though, the main thing I worry about is the unplanned landing...drone falling out of the sky is probably the least likely thing to happen.

Yes I realized you said that so I tried to delete my post. I guess I wasn't successful.

 

[Mavic Mac]

View attachment 83570

Homemade or a commercial product ?

 

[TTP]

Commercial

 

[unionglzr]

I don’t understand why guys will pay thousand or more dollars and take a chance on something homemade rather than buying a proven product designed for the drone just to save a few bucks. Penny wise dollar foolish?

 

[spamgnome]

I don’t understand why guys will pay thousand or more dollars and take a chance on something homemade rather than buying a proven product designed for the drone just to save a few bucks. Penny wise dollar foolish?

A) I like building things
B) The landing gear extensions ARE part of the commercialized solution
C) I've never seen floatation devices for sale for the MA
D) Many of the "for sale" products out there (and not just for drones) are built by some dude in a garage whose skills may be less worthy than mine. Just because it's home made, doesn't mean it's inferior. DJI makes batteries for these things, and they stink!
E) Drone is insured

 

[unionglzr]

A) I like building things
B) The landing gear extensions ARE part of the commercialized solution
C) I've never seen floatation devices for sale for the MA
D) Many of the "for sale" products out there (and not just for drones) are built by some dude in a garage whose skills may be less worthy than mine. Just because it's home made, doesn't mean it's inferior. DJI makes batteries for these things, and they stink!
E) Drone is insured

Gotcha

 

[MaviAir1975]

Of course you have to consider that the drone might not fall on the foam feet or
even if it will most likely is gonna jump on the water and land maybe upside down. I'll try some test with a fake battery with the same weight for CG correct positioning, propeller off, wrapping paper on all open parts (open to the electronic inside) and on sweet water for sure.

 

[offtheback]

Now that I've experienced an unplanned auto-landing due to a bad battery, I'm suddenly afraid to fly over water. The issue is that THAT'S WHERE THE FUN IS! Flying over water can be quite dramatic and it's typically wide open so one doesn't have to worry about hitting anything...maybe a seagull
Anyway, bought a handful of Styrofoam balls at Wally World, and by pressing in the landing gear extensions into the ball, I was very easily able to create pontoons for the Air. To make sure they stay in, I put a bead of hot glue at the intersection of the plastic legs and the Styrofoam balls. Seems to work well. In a "sink (kitchen) test" the drone floated quite nicely. I'm not planning on doing any planned water landings, but I'm hoping that if it happens accidentally, I'll have a fighting chance at drone recovery. Here are a couple of pics of what she looks like. In flight, it's about a 3-5 MPH reduction in speed, but no errors of any kind on the screen.

And it's easier to see!

 

[TTP]

My pontoons are very sturdy secured to the body of the drone, no fall will make them came loose, that’s the disadvance, you have to unscrew them when changing battery.

actionking.com, where I bought them, the deliver only to Scandinavian country, but probably for sales in other country.

 

[TTP]

I just fund the box.

 

[artemk]

And it's easier to see!

I was just going to suggest to put strobes or at least LEDs inside

 

[DanMan32]

Sure the quad will likely end up upside down, but it would be on the surface of the water retrieveable by boat alone rather that possibility 100' under the surface requiring diving skills as well as a boat.