I saw an advertisement for "Retractable Landing Gear" for the Phantom 3 series.
I just do not see the advantage of this after market add on?
The camera will only tilt (no 360), I only see possible malfuntion and disaster for the camera and gimble!
Just curious

If the legs retract, great, but if they stay up, you will be landing on the camera and gimbal.

Hopefully you have a soft spot to touch down...

The DJI Inspire has landing gear that retract, as do other higher end models.

RedHotPoker

Dirty Bird Posted at 2018-2-9 10:57
They are a waste.  Just something to break.

...and probably add some weight huh?

Retractable landing gears may be useful on 360º rotating gimbals. Though I hardly think we'll see it on P4 or P5s.
Perhaps sooner a parachute...

Yeah I'd love to see a 360 gimbal, but if we don't have that then we don't need retractable landing gear either.

15matjan Posted at 2018-2-9 13:43
Retractable landing gears may be useful on 360º rotating gimbals. Though I hardly think we'll see it on P4 or P5s.
Perhaps sooner a parachute...

LOL I would much rather have the parachute....especially being inexperienced to all this!!

I know it would add weight, but at least if it deployed I would save my AC.

GoldenSun Posted at 2018-2-9 13:45
Yeah I'd love to see a 360 gimbal, but if we don't have that then we don't need retractable landing gear either.

I would love to have the 360 gimbal  and retracts for videos too.
But first I have to be confident in flying it.

Jeff Millard Posted at 2018-2-9 13:09
...and probably add some weight huh?

It adds weight and looks like a battery drain each time you use it.
The one thing that gave me a hint it was not for me (outside of no present need) is that the instructions talk about a brace (to keep it from collapsing) between the legs when not flying?!
If it requires q brace, then why would I trust it for any landing?

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-9 14:00
LOL I would much rather have the parachute....especially being inexperienced to all this!!

I know it would add weight, but at least if it deployed I would save my AC.

Parachutes fall into the same 'useless' category. There is nowhere on the aircraft to conveniently install one. How is it triggered? By the time you realise it needs to be deployed it is too late. There is no radio channel to trigger it. Automatic deployment is dodgy. When it opens, if the props are still turning, they will tangle the shroud lines and collapse the chute.

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-9 14:03
I would love to have the 360 gimbal  and retracts for videos too.
But first I have to be confident in flying it.

Well for a 360 gimbal use you need a two man setup to get the full potential, that's why we don't have it and don't need it really...

I would guess mounted on top, and using some sort of impact trigger (like an airbag) that would only deploy on impact and prop stoppage?

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-9 15:21
I would guess mounted on top, and using some sort of impact trigger (like an airbag) that would only deploy on impact and prop stoppage?

The top of the aircraft is a bad place to mount anything because the GPS receiver is directrly underneath it. Not sure about the 'impact trigger'? Do you want to pop the chute when the aircraft is a broken mess on the ground. And there is no way to tell when the props are stopped.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-9 15:56
The top of the aircraft is a bad place to mount anything because the GPS receiver is directrly underneath it. Not sure about the 'impact trigger'? Do you want to pop the chute when the aircraft is a broken mess on the ground. And there is no way to tell when the props are stopped.

Maybe (on a much more advanced phantom) there can be a parachute on the top that will deploy automatically by special sensors that will sense fast/free falling, then stop the propellers and deploy the chute.  

Droner500 Posted at 2018-2-9 17:23
Maybe (on a much more advanced phantom) there can be a parachute on the top that will deploy automatically by special sensors that will sense fast/free falling, then stop the propellers and deploy the chute.

The phantom is about as advanced as these machines get, yet there is no mechanism for stopping the props. Frankly, it is all a bit pointless otherwise every second eBay seller would be selling them. They are the drone equivalent of a chocolate coffee pot.

If you desire 360* camera, just learn to rotate the drone. It's easy.


Yes, retractable landing skids are useless on a current Phantom.

But certainly doable...


RedHotPoker

Also another downside of retractable landing gear is that if your drone crashes during flight with the legs up the your camera is not protected and is very likely to get much more damaged than if you didn't have the landing gear up.

I meant then.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-9 18:09
The phantom is about as advanced as these machines get, yet there is no mechanism for stopping the props. Frankly, it is all a bit pointless otherwise every second eBay seller would be selling them. They are the drone equivalent of a chocolate coffee pot.

It is not impossible to stop the props. If the "crash deploying mechanism" intentionally fowls them with a lightweight net material or something similar. Or something that pops out of the landing struts (since they are right below the props). Of course we are just talking about what is possible, not what is practical.     

If you want landing gear that retract safely, buy an Inspire.

Or build a drone. Ha


RedHotPoker

Texas-Mark Posted at 2018-2-12 19:13
It is not impossible to stop the props. If the "crash deploying mechanism" intentionally fowls them with a lightweight net material or something similar. Or something that pops out of the landing struts (since they are right below the props). Of course we are just talking about what is possible, not what is practical.

You don't want to stop the props while the motors are running, or you wi8ll smoke the motors. What I was saying is that there is no electrical mechanism to shut off the motors that you have access to, nor any trigger for the deployment of the parachute.

If these things were practical, you would be heaqring about them all the time, but the truth is, they are not practical and almost no-one uses them.

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-12 21:27
You don't want to stop the props while the motors are running, or you wi8ll smoke the motors. What I was saying is that there is no electrical mechanism to shut off the motors that you have access to, nor any trigger for the deployment of the parachute.

If these things were practical, you would be heaqring about them all the time, but the truth is, they are not practical and almost no-one uses them.

As I said the -  "crash deploying mechanism". At this point the drone has already cut off the motors.  As someone else has mentioned, if the drone detects it is in a free-fall or otherwise out of control it would cut the motors and deploy whatever. If it was not for the weight issue, it would not really be that difficult to create such a system. My main point was that a spinning prop is not really an issue as there are plenty of ways to stop them.

Actually the more I think about this, the easier it would be. The parachute (if that is what would be used) could be deployed from under the drone. As soon as it caught air, it would flip the drone over and the drone could land on it's back (probably doing less damage then landing on the gimbal). I can think of several ways to keep the props from getting tangled, but as I noted, whatever triggered the deployment would automatically just cut power to the motors.

Texas-Mark Posted at 2018-2-13 09:11
As I said the -  "crash deploying mechanism". At this point the drone has already cut off the motors.  As someone else has mentioned, if the drone detects it is in a free-fall or otherwise out of control it would cut the motors and deploy whatever. If it was not for the weight issue, it would not really be that difficult to create such a system. My main point was that a spinning prop is not really an issue as there are plenty of ways to stop them.

Actually the more I think about this, the easier it would be. The parachute (if that is what would be used) could be deployed from under the drone. As soon as it caught air, it would flip the drone over and the drone could land on it's back (probably doing less damage then landing on the gimbal). I can think of several ways to keep the props from getting tangled, but as I noted, whatever triggered the deployment would automatically just cut power to the motors.

'As I said the -  "crash deploying mechanism". At this point the drone has already cut off the motors.'

All very well, but what is the mechanism to do this? It is analogous to referring to an entire piece of space technology by specifying the 'saturn landing mechanism', and then leaving it up to someone else to devise such a thing. How does this mechanism work? How does it act upon the aircraft to stop the motors?  People have made these claims before, and then silently vanished from the scene. If it was practical to do this, it would have been done by now.


'Actually the more I think about this, the easier it would be.''


I would like a buck for every time I have heard that.

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-9 14:03
I would love to have the 360 gimbal  and retracts for videos too.
But first I have to be confident in flying it.

get an inspire

mixchief Posted at 2018-2-15 10:57
get an inspire

I have to get use to flying this P3S first, maybe in the future....it is on my wish list

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-15 11:22
I have to get use to flying this P3S first, maybe in the future....it is on my wish list

I agree as the I1 can be a bit intimidating at first, I cannot even imagine what a jump there is from the I1 to the I2, having started on a Yuneec Q500 I didn't know what hit me first time I pushed the left joystick up.
The P3 is a great starter drone, it is more aggressive than the Yuneec which is purposely made to be docile and cinematic in nature, it takes time to get the I1 to settle and be gentle and smooth and I've noticed the P3 to b a bit more aggressive too,

Geebax Posted at 2018-2-13 18:45
All very well, but what is the mechanism to do this?

You are missing the point. I never said any of this would be an aftermarket add-on. What I said is it is feasible to build it into a drone like the P3 if weight was not such an issue.

I do a lot of robotic software/mechanical design. This is not that difficult to accomplish.

Why would DJI (or other companies) build it into any drone when they can charge you for repairs?

And I would like a buck for every time I heard someone say something could not be done.

Amateur Droner Posted at 2018-2-15 11:22
I have to get use to flying this P3S first, maybe in the future....it is on my wish list

Nah....skip the inspire.

Go from the P3S to a Spark or Mavic

I have a P3S.   Flown it for 2 years now.   Never really missed any of the features of the more advanced drones.   As Im not a pro photographer the video and photos are all the quality I need.   The only real item I ever wished for was a little more range.

Recently, I bought a Spark.  Not because it was more advanced,  but because it's smaller and easier to whip out and fly on a moments notice.   The camera resolution is the same between the 2 ac.   Im going to keep the P3S and continue to fly and enjoy both.

So, skip the inspire,  go for a more practical and fun craft such as the Spark or ?Mavic.  Unless of course you need the professional capabilities of the inspire.

Sid

P.S -- The Spark is a hoot to fly.  

Texas-Mark Posted at 2018-2-15 18:20
You are missing the point. I never said any of this would be an aftermarket add-on. What I said is it is feasible to build it into a drone like the P3 if weight was not such an issue.

I do a lot of robotic software/mechanical design. This is not that difficult to accomplish.

I agree Mark,
If Intel can manage to produce the "shooting star" drones, DJI should be able to make P5  (high end model Pro or Adv)  with retracts and a parachute system!

sidtx Posted at 2018-2-16 11:51
Nah....skip the inspire.

Go from the P3S to a Spark or Mavic

Oh I plan to keep the P3S ...as long as I don't completely destroy it.
I have looked at the Spark and Mavic both, just not convinced the folding arms would not be cause for more repairs...another thing to go wrong.
The same thing could be said about retracts I guess.

For now I am going to KISS (keep it simple stupid) until I have more air time.