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Minor Crash Question

Joined
Nov 7, 2020
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I had an extremely minor crash yesterday.

I flew too close to an aspen tree (no leaves) and one of the rotors clipped a twig. The drone rolled and fell, but was caught in the branches after falling only about a foot. The motors shut off automatically.

I got a stepladder and brought the drone down from the tree, understandably a bit worried, and set it down after lowering the landing gear.

I set it down and looked it over, and it shockingly seemed to be in almost perfect condition. As far as I could tell, the rotors were the only things that were damaged- the rest of it seemed just slightly scuffed. I easily wiped those marks away, and it looked good as new, save for the rotors.

As far as I could tell, the electronics seemed fine- I didn't turn it off right away, and checked the electronics- the gimbal remained perfectly level, and was able to fully rotate. After checking that all of the motors could turn, I started them without taking off, and all 6 spun without any issues.

As far as I can tell, the drone is fine. However, I have a few questions.
- Is there anything I should double-check or replace, besides the rotors? Are there particularly fragile parts that are more likely to be damaged in a crash?
- What effects could this have on the long-term life of the drone?
- Any comments for me, or things I may not have thought of?

TL;DR: I had an extremely minor crash, drone didn't hit the ground, got stuck in a tree. Everything seems to be in perfect working order. Is there anything I should double-check/do before my next flight?
 
It sounds to me like you are very lucky. I would recommand to replace all rotors. No matter if they look damaged or not. Only to be sure. You can also check the bearings of the motor for damage. If you spin them a damaged bearing will sound very different. Sometimes the almost make a scratching sound.

Other than that you might want to check the if all arms are still locking in place properly and all rivets are undamaged.

All other parts are likely to be fine.
 
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It sounds to me like you are very lucky. I would recommand to replace all rotors. No matter if they look damaged or not. Only to be sure. You can also check the bearings of the motor for damage. If you spin them a damaged bearing will sound very different. Sometimes the almost make a scratching sound.

Other than that you might want to check the if all arms are still locking in place properly and all rivets are undamaged.

All other parts are likely to be fine.
Thanks for the reply!

What would/could happen if the rotors were not replaced? Only 3 of them have any signs of wear, mainly just scuffs like the rest of the aircraft.
 
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To check props I flex each and look for any signs of cracks and also feel the edges.
After a crash it's a good idea to cal the compass and accelerometers.
For testing, remove the camera and go to a hover about 6' above the ground. Look carefully for vibration in the landing gear which would indicate any prop balance or motor issues. Watch each motor arm during a slow yaw. Listen for any unusual noise.
In your case I doubt you will find any problems.
 
Thanks for the reply!

What would/could happen if the rotors were not replaced? Only 3 of them have any signs of wear, mainly just scuffs like the rest of the aircraft.
Sometimes damage can not bee seen from the outside. It is only to be sure that they do not fail midair. Yuneec propellers are expensive but not as expensive as an entire drone. Same reason why you get insurrance. It is likely that everything goes well but if it does not, it will cost you a lot of money.
 
Sometimes damage can not bee seen from the outside. It is only to be sure that they do not fail midair. Yuneec propellers are expensive but not as expensive as an entire drone. Same reason why you get insurrance. It is likely that everything goes well but if it does not, it will cost you a lot of money.
I do have insurance for the drone, thank goodness. Have you ever heard of props failing in midair? How exactly would they fail? I've heard of Yuneec props being designed to shatter on impact, so would they just suddenly/randomly shatter?

I do plan on replacing them, I'm just asking to assess damage/decide what to do in the future.
 
To check props I flex each and look for any signs of cracks and also feel the edges.
After a crash it's a good idea to cal the compass and accelerometers.
For testing, remove the camera and go to a hover about 6' above the ground. Look carefully for vibration in the landing gear which would indicate any prop balance or motor issues. Watch each motor arm during a slow yaw. Listen for any unusual noise.
In your case I doubt you will find any problems.
A few questions:
- I like the idea of flexing the props, that's smart. As for feeling the edges, aren't they supposed to be a bit rough? Can you describe how they should feel?
- I know how to calibrate the compass, but I've never heard about calibrating the accelerometers... Can you point me to instructions for that?
- The hovering idea is smart. Should the gear be up or down?

Thanks for all of the help!
 
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I do have insurance for the drone, thank goodness. Have you ever heard of props failing in midair? How exactly would they fail? I've heard of Yuneec props being designed to shatter on impact, so would they just suddenly/randomly shatter?

I do plan on replacing them, I'm just asking to assess damage/decide what to do in the future.
Happened to me twice but with brandnew aftermarket props. The first time I was lucky and landed safely in five rotor mode. The motor was extremely hot and failed a few months later entirely (went up in smoke). The second time one propeller exploded and hit the one next to it, which got destroyed as well. The Typhoon H descended very fast and and destroyed the camera.

On a RC plane I would not have a problem to use a propeller which touched the ground or an obstacle. Even if it fails it is not a big deal to land safily. But any helicopter or multirotor is only staying in the air due to their rotors. If they fail the gliding ability is very limited. I would just not feel safe to fly with propellers which were involved in any incident.
 
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A few questions:
- I like the idea of flexing the props, that's smart. As for feeling the edges, aren't they supposed to be a bit rough? Can you describe how they should feel?
- I know how to calibrate the compass, but I've never heard about calibrating the accelerometers... Can you point me to instructions for that?
- The hovering idea is smart. Should the gear be up or down?

Thanks for all of the help!
The edges should be like the rest of the surface. The leading edge will be a little thicker than the trailing edge (airfoil shape). You don’t want nicks or gouges as they create turbulent airflow and therefore vibration.

Hovering can be done both ways, but if the gear is left down you can land faster if need be.

The accelerometer calibration is performed according to the instructions in the addendums at the end of this user enhanced manual.
 

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The edges should be like the rest of the surface. The leading edge will be a little thicker than the trailing edge (airfoil shape). You don’t want nicks or gouges as they create turbulent airflow and therefore vibration.

Hovering can be done both ways, but if the gear is left down you can land faster if need be.

The accelerometer calibration is performed according to the instructions in the addendums at the end of this user enhanced manual.
Is accel. calibration absolutely necessary/worth the risk? Is this software specifically compatible with the Typhoon H+? It just seems a bit sketchy, I wouldn't want to break anything.
 
Happened to me twice but with brandnew aftermarket props. The first time I was lucky and landed safely in five rotor mode. The motor was extremely hot and failed a few months later entirely (went up in smoke). The second time one propeller exploded and hit the one next to it, which got destroyed as well. The Typhoon H descended very fast and and destroyed the camera.
That is extremely concerning... If I understand correctly, motors can be replaced, correct?

Do you have any suggestions about where to get new props? Randomly shattering props are scary.

Can the aircraft not tell when it lost a rotor and shut down that motor?
 
@CamTheHelpDesk , my bad. I didn't notice you are flying the Plus, so can skip the accelerometer cal. It's more critical on the H480.

@jannislh was referring to aftermarket props breaking. This rarely happens with OEM props but is common with aftermarket props. If you turn the motors by hand and they feel smooth, they are probably just fine. As an experience crash tester, I can tell you that the motors are robust and it takes a very hard hit to damage them. Sand or metallic debris inside the motors is different matter. I had to replace 2 motors on an H480 that "landed" in iron ore at a mine. The magnets are very strong inside the motors.

And yes, the flight controller will sense a motor problem and shut down that motor. It will then feather the opposite motor to maintain level flight. The opposite motor is continuously reversed in rotation in order to do this.

Look for props that have Yuneec embedded in the plastic and/or come in Yuneec packaging. They are usually for sale on eBay or from Yuneec Skins. Best Buy has a deal on them on eBay as well.
 
Thanks for all the help- hopefully I can go out and do all these tests later today! I'll post if I have any further issues.

I'll buy new props ASAP, and maybe I can get some free ones from the company I bought it from- the drone arrived with one slightly damaged battery (only about 8 mins of flight time) and two (visually) damaged props, so I am going to try and get those replaced.
 
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Thanks for all the help- hopefully I can go out and do all these tests later today! I'll post if I have any further issues.

I'll buy new props ASAP, and maybe I can get some free ones from the company I bought it from- the drone arrived with one slightly damaged battery (only about 8 mins of flight time) and two (visually) damaged props, so I am going to try and get those replaced.
Hello,
I have read very interesting comments from other pilots, in my experience I would add that I would connect the H to the computer to perform the engine tests, do several tests. If the result is correct and visually they are not damaged or anomalies are detected, I would fly with them. However, I would doubt the propellers, as they say when in doubt, new set of propellers.

Greetings
 
Hello,
I have read very interesting comments from other pilots, in my experience I would add that I would connect the H to the computer to perform the engine tests, do several tests. If the result is correct and visually they are not damaged or anomalies are detected, I would fly with them. However, I would doubt the propellers, as they say when in doubt, new set of propellers.

Greetings
What software do you use to perform these tests?
 
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