OK I have just noticed on close inspection fine cracks in all 4 legs just where they attach to the bottom of the P4. I will be taking this back to Apple for a replacement which I will examine in store. I have attached a photo showing one of these.

Has anybody else noticed this, just seems like another example of what must be poor quality control ?

I just had a look at mine; I have exactly the same markings but it's an injection moulding seam that I'm seeing. If it were to get some dirt on the seam, it would look rather like a crack. Looking at the landing gear closely, there all sorts of seams in unexpected places!

That was one of four I identified, I checked these under magnification and am convinced they are cracks, as were the 'Techie guys' and floor manager at Apple store after a closer look. I also spotted two cracks on the display model they had. Had it not been for that I would have accepted a replacement. A full refund was given.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-4-15 13:18
That was one of four I identified, I checked these under magnification and am convinced they are cra ...

If they are cracks flexing the part in a certain direction should cause them to open and become more obvious.  If they are injection molding seams then there will be no change in apppearance.

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-15 19:49
If they are cracks flexing the part in a certain direction should cause them to open and become mo ...

Correct, and that is why I was convinced they were cracks. Had they been moulding marks I would have expected them to have been completed to the same smooth finish as the rest of the aircraft.

FWIW, I've got those marks as well.. (I never would have noticed if not for this post )

Mines has them too as well  as a squeaky  noise in the gimbal on start up.

projeffrey11 Posted at 2016-4-15 15:40
Mines has them too as well  as a squeaky  noise in the gimbal on start up.

yeah my 2nd 4 squeaked too and I took that shit back real quick. these 4s are pieces of shit.

kirkd1989 Posted at 2016-4-15 12:50
yeah my 2nd 4 squeaked too and I took that shit back real quick. these 4s are pieces of shit.

I am unsure whether this is a big issue too as its to early to know for sure, but it does put into question whether these machines will last the test of time.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-4-15 14:12
Correct, and that is why I was convinced they were cracks. Had they been moulding marks I would ha ...

When hot plastic is forced into an injection mold there can be areas where two flow paths meet that are not cosmetically perfect or smooth.  This does not necessarily mean there is a functional defect.

Did you or the others actually flex the part to notice if there was a increasing gap under deflection?

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-15 21:06
When hot plastic is forced into an injection mold there can be areas where two flow paths meet tha ...

"Did you or the others actually flex the part to notice if there was a increasing gap under deflection?"

I did under magnification (watchmakers eye piece) and was convinced there was movement. Likewise the techies at the shop examined the aircraft closely outwith my sight, and the manager came back and offered immediate refund based on what he'd seen. Could I be wrong, given the feedback I've seen, then perhaps ?  If so then a genuine mistake. There is also the possibility that I had been spooked by the build quality of the remote in the P3 I had previously owned, it was as bad as the video some OP has posted on the forum.

How many times have you flown before you spotted the crack?

Got it just last week, probably just over half an hours flying time on it, was away for weekend, but weather was against me so not much flying done.

Aardvark    Was you over the 14 days return as I'm not happy with mine

Some one lil bit defects happens in things so no worry  always enjoyed 14 days return policy

lee.lambie Posted at 2016-4-15 22:13
Aardvark    Was you over the 14 days return as I'm not happy with mine

Yes it was within the 14 days, BTW if you're in the UK Maplins do a 30 day return policy, with 365 day replace, refund or credit note policy. They will have them in stock soon.

Other than that I would have expected a refund under 'not fit for purpose' or ' not of satisfactory quality'.

Morph1 Posted at 2016-4-15 13:12
meant to last 1 year, just like the P3 shell, then you need an overhaul lol

Ive been calling the p4 garbage since it was released! :-D

UploadAvatar Posted at 2016-4-15 16:31
Ive been calling the p4 garbage since it was released! :-D

Interesting that you so closely follow garbage.

Those are not cracks. They are casting marks.

Those are not cracks.  I have the same marks, but they are not on every side of the leg - they are only on 1 side, and they are symmetrically distributed on the P4 - they are clearly mold marks.  

parkgt Posted at 2016-4-15 14:53
Interesting that you so closely follow garbage.

I read most things drone related.  Garbage or not.  ;-)

Those are molding marks. I noticed them on the first day. Totally fine. After cracking every phantom 3 I owned, I now have 65 flights on the phantom 4 without a single crack. Much better craft.

Skyrider Posted at 2016-4-16 01:21
The P4 is just fine............I inspected my P4 with no signs of "CRACKS" I used my canon 5D III/10 ...

"Perhaps you guys are  a bit hard on your landing?........  As I always hand catch my P4 ............ The only time my P4 touches the ground is on TAKE OFF........."

As you've asked the question, the answer is no, flown about three times and hand caught each time. If these are casting marks as seems to be the case then does the mould need redesign, or perhaps the finishing process ? Or indeed the materials used.  In real terms this equipment costs $ for £ about 25% more in the UK (presumably VAT @20% etc). The fact that this is a high value item makes me cautious in terms of quality. Would you accept an Apple product with these imperfections, however so slight, I doubt it.


EDIT:- Thank you to all for your feedback.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-4-15 22:05
"Perhaps you guys are  a bit hard on your landing?........  As I always hand catch my P4 .......... ...

If that is your criteria then you probably won't be happy with any of the MRs being sold.

My last couple of new vehicles didn't have perfect paint when I picked them up but I kept them anyway.  Didn't impact performance, knew none on the lot were perfect and knew that a year after purchase it would be further from perfect.

But I agree if I was buying a +$1000 Ipad I wouldn't keep it with a flaw if the rest didn't have it.

I've flown my P4 on 40 flights so far, and notice the same markings.  They seem pretty clearly to be molding join marks as some have mentioned.  They are the same on all four legs of the aircraft - and the fact that they are present on in-store unused aircraft as well as used aircraft would seem to confirm this.  

Unlike the previous P3 shell cracking issue (I have a P2 and P3P and saw these cracks develop in both airframes), which occur near the motors and in response to significant twisting forces generated, these molding marks occur on the inside of of each leg in a place where there would be no obvious twisting or stressing force in play.  I can hardly imagine that the force of landing the P4 would generate any significant stress on the aircraft.  

I don't think there is an issue here.  The P4 is a joy to use, at this stage it seems they have tightened and strengthened the airframe in a way that overcomes the issues in the previously used  P1/P2/P3 airframe.  

I checked my 4 today after a fly around the yard/ block and it's just fine.
I do land my drone pretty easy. 1st 2 flights I used auto take off and land but I can land the drone just as good as hitting the land icon on my iPad.
10 or 12 flights so far so good.

Besides the drop in altitude every now and then my phantom 4 has been flawless.

Aardvark Posted at 2016-4-15 23:05
"Perhaps you guys are  a bit hard on your landing?........  As I always hand catch my P4 .......... ...

This is NOT an apple product. This is a sophisticated, intelligent piece of machinery in a field that Apple has not touched for a reason. The Quality of a $1400 drone and Apple products can't be compared, as they are completely different companies making completely different products for completely different consumers. It would be more effective to compare it to the build quality of other drones from other companies, that would make sense.

I have these same moulding marks. Very strong and stable under pressure applied from me. I'm very confident and happy with my P4. Great bit of kit!!

No a crack issue. But if you look all the way up on your legs inside the craft each leg has a little 1" access plate and one fell off of mine. Luckily I found it later that day after I saw that it was missing. I put clear tape one all of them!

Maybe you don't know how to land properly... Stop blaming others and take responsibility for how you fly dude. I've had mine for a long time and it's mint.

Wpgubaru Posted at 2017-8-18 15:35
Maybe you don't know how to land properly... Stop blaming others and take responsibility for how you fly dude. I've had mine for a long time and it's mint.

You're too generous. In this particular case I was blaming DJI quality control. This post was 16 months ago, and as it turns out they were moulding marks from production process. I've always taken responsibility for how I fly, which had absolutely nothing to do with this incident. And mine too is still 'Mint'.

Aardvark Posted at 2017-8-18 15:50
You're too generous. In this particular case I was blaming DJI quality control. This post was 16 months ago, and as it turns out they were moulding marks from production process. I've always taken responsibility for how I fly, which had absolutely nothing to do with this incident. And mine too is still 'Mint'.

Aardvark,
Sorry I'm a little thick headed and slow on the uptake...
So, let me clarify your remarks and make sure I understand.
So, these marks, cracks, mold impressions are not cracks at all...they were simply mistakenly identified as cracks, correct?
For you specifically, do you now own a P4, any version, and if so it is and still remains in mint condition, correct?  If the answer is yes, how long have you had it, what version is it, and how many hours of flight time have you got on it?  I ask that last question because you indicated early on in this thread that you returned yours for a full refund, and I did not see anywhere that you now have one (may have missed it).


Thanks, I'm just looking for some clear data on this issue about this aircraft.

Genghis9 Posted at 2017-8-18 20:37
Aardvark,
Sorry I'm a little thick headed and slow on the uptake...
So, let me clarify your remarks and make sure I understand.

"So, these marks, cracks, mold impressions are not cracks at all...they were simply mistakenly identified as cracks, correct?"

Correct, and there was sufficient doubt by the Tech's at the store who scrutinised it that they offered a refund. It would have been covered under the returns policy anyway.

"For you specifically, do you now own a P4, any version, and if so it is and still remains in mint condition, correct?"

Correct, I own the P4 (not the P4 Pro or P4 Advanced), you can see items that I have activated against my account under my Avatar. And it is still in very good condition.

"how long have you had it, what version is it, and how many hours of flight time have you got on it?"

I have owned it since start of April 2016. The number of flight hours is impossible to quantify, but it must be about 100 hours now, I would estimate about 1.5 hours per week. And, although not recommended, I hand catch every flight.

If you're thinking of buying one there are some good prices as the P4's no longer available from DJI Store. But there seems to still be a good quantity at some of the retailers.
I'm in the process of buying a Mavic, purely on portability (much easier to carry), and to me now would be a good first choice. Given that the cameras of the Mavic and P4 are near identical (I believe the P4 4k camera had a lens upgrade as compared to the Mavic/P3P (which I no longer own)).

Aardvark Posted at 2017-8-19 00:29
"So, these marks, cracks, mold impressions are not cracks at all...they were simply mistakenly identified as cracks, correct?"

Correct, and there was sufficient doubt by the Tech's at the store who scrutinised it that they offered a refund. It would have been covered under the returns policy anyway.

Aardvark,

Much appreciated!  You are always very helpful...

Actually, I have a P4P that is now set to arrive Tuesday.  I was hooked flying a P3P about a year ago, owned by a relative of mine.  Admittedly, I was focused on the flying aspect to this hobby.  Meaning, I have much to learn about the camera aspect to this craft, which I am looking forward too.  I tend to be the troop photographer for a Boy Scout troop I work with.  This should make for a nice addition to that effort, as well as much more I believe.

I was asking all those questions because I have read so much about substandard plastic and resulting cracks on these birds.  Seems it occurs mostly on the Phantom 3s though.  Also, yes, I read that a hand recovery is not the best idea for a few reasons, but I’m not trying to say anything about that to you, just noted.