So what's the deal wit the
Master Airscrew props - they claim quieter, more efficient, more forgiving, lower RPM, etc. - better in every way than the DJI props. Without knowing more anyway, it's hard to believe their engineering is better than DJI's and I feel like optimum prop design/blade geometry would be something a computer could calculate objectively and mathematically, leaving little room for improvement. Are their props actually better than DJI's or is it just marketing hype?
In my experience, it doesn't seem to be just marketing hype ... when you do a few tests and observations it does seem that
Master Airscrew's claims add up. The only area where it appears you don't get much of a change is in top-speed. I've done a lot of tests comparing DJI quiet 8331 prop's on my Mavic Pro Platinum, with 8331 carbon-fibre prop's - and found that even though their shape and pitch was identical, due to the stiffness of the c-f prop's they had lower rpm in the hover, and the lower rpm also resulted in a lower frequency and lower level of perceived sound. However, the motors were having to work harder to turn the c-f prop's and that showed with shorter flight durations (i.e. the batteries were drained faster).
The
MA prop's are completely different than the 8331 DJI quiet prop's. They are the same 8.3" diameter, but are a courser pitch at 4.4" (so technically, are 8344 spec'). In addition, they have a completely re-designed tip with a small turn-up 'curl' that is like the wing-tip on a commercial jet. They are made from 'Glass Fibre Reinforced Composite' - which makes them very light, but strong with a high degree of stiffness. Not as stiff as c-f however. It is really surprising that despite the courser pitch, and the lower rpm that these prop's have, the Mavic's motors don't seem to be working harder than normal because - in general - I can expect an additional minute or two flight time over the DJI stock quiet prop's [so I'd agree with
MA's claims about them being more efficient]. Again - due to the lower rpm - the noise level is lower and a bit deeper in pitch (than the DJI Platinum 'quiet' prop's).
One thing that's noticeable, is that DJI themselves, seem to have adopted
MA's little upcurl on the tip of the
Mavic 2 Low-Noise props' ...
I think that what you have to balance here, is that DJI make drones - and the drone is a mix of parts that are doing what they need to do, but price of components plays a major part. The Stock DJI prop's would have not only been designed with a function in mind, but a cost also.
Master Airscrew make propellors, so they have a little more focus on prop's than DJI do ... I just think that at the end of the day, the
MA focus shows ... And they make a Mavic look a bit more interesting!!
DJI Mavic Pro stock (top) and Mavic Pro Platinum 'quiet' stock (bottom)
Master Airscrew 'Stealth' for the Pro & Platinum
