Here it is folks, my first phantom 4 stress crack. A real shame as well since, after having cracked a phantom 1, 2 phantom 2 visions, 2 vision pluses and also a couple of phantom 3, in spite of having never crashed a single DJI product, I had real high hopes for my first phantom 4. The motor mounting,in my eyes, is still far superior to any prior phantom. But the plastic might still be too brittle for the job at hand. In spite of all the confidence i had in the phantom 4 shell, I did order a spare so that i can keep flying a bird while the other goes in for repair. Hopefully can find two weeks or more while I'm at one single location in order to wait for the postman. Anyway, now i know where the phantom 4 cracks.

thats strange,   on a good note the p4 unlike the p3 is thru bolted.   i would pop off the plastic cap under the motor.   you need a small flat head to pop off the bottom cap.  then remove the cardboard under it and check the 3 mounting screws under that and check for cracks there.     

did you use prop guards by any chance?

how many flights have you had?

129th flight. No prop guards. After all I am a cp heli pilot with 129 phantom 4 flights, 300+ phantom 3, over 500 phantom 2 and god knows how many phantom 1 flights. All my flights on 3 and 4 are at 400 feet altitude, over 1 kilometer distance and usually over 8 kilometers total travelled. Hence, stress cracks aren't new to me in spite of never having crashed. The crack is coming straight from one of the mounting screw holes.

Just a thought but, the crack appears to be a stress crack, but that section of the arm (upper top) would be mostly in compression during flight.  Could you post a picture showing the crack up to the mounting screw?  I have over 100 flights now on my P4, so if it is a travelling crack, I sure would like to see where it started.
What is a cp heli pilot ?  Collective Pitch?

Collective pitch. Anyway, the crack begins under the motor and goes out from there.

j5255@yahoo.com Posted at 2016-6-2 16:03
Just a thought but, the crack appears to be a stress crack, but that section of the arm (upper top)  ...

Actually the upper arm would be in tension. The arm close to the hub would be in compression. The hub is where the weight is and the outer arm is where the lift is.

On another forum some guy said he has a months old bird, about 150 flights, 110 kilometers flown and no cracks. By comparison I've got 129 flights and about 1080 kilometers flown. Hence, hovering doesn't crack them. Mileage does.

edbighi@gmail.c Posted at 2016-6-4 10:59
On another forum some guy said he has a months old bird, about 150 flights, 110 kilometers flown and ...

A sample size of two doesn't give you enough statistical power to make any deductions.
It could just be that you were unlucky and got one with a flaw in the moulding or the plastic mix and.
Despite some P3s developing cracks, most never did regardless of how they were treated.

don't be surprised about stress cracks on any of the phantom series. I got a p3p
It is inevitable on a plastic airframe. Real aircraft does not use plastic on its main airframe for the obvious reason. It can work on a light drone but it will eventually crack even if you don't fly hard and just film.
Depending on how hard you fly, it can affect the lifespan of the airframe.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 09:15
A sample size of two doesn't give you enough statistical power to make any deductions.
It could jus ...

Robots make these so there are only slight differences.

Cracks on a plastic airframe is inevitable. That is why real aircraft does not use any plastic on the main airframe. Even the best and most advanced materials on real aircraft in long periods of use. If a real aircraft used plastic as main airframe it would probably crash before landing.

Depending on how hard you fly.
conditions and screw tightness can have a slight effect. All of them has a factor but it still is inevitable to crack.

That's why plastic is really good for stationary things like laptop. because there's no force put on stationary objects.

Just think about how much more than its own body weight is required just to lift off and even more when you pitch or throttle up and that's all concentrated on the arms, not even talking about g forces just talking about lift.
For all those reasons I'm out (from the phantom series)

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 12:57
Just think about how much more than its own body weight is required just to lift off and even more w ...

You make it sound like they all crack up but this is quite wrong.
You're completely ignoring the fact that most Phantoms never develop any cracks at all.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 11:29
You make it sound like they all crack up but this is quite wrong.
You're completely ignoring the f ...

There you go again saying the word never. Like I saud they will eventually and inevitably crack. There's no such thing as a stationary aircraft that flies. Your own phantom will crack in future use 100% guaranteed. I am so out if this thread

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 14:00
There you go again saying the word never. Like I saud they will eventually and inevitably crack. T ...

I'm saying never because I'm pretty sure that is the case.
I fly hard and often and haven't seen a crack yet on any of my Phantoms and there are plenty of other flyers the same.
You're the one that's making the mistake.
Enjoy whatever you end up with.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 12:07
I'm saying never because I'm pretty sure that is the case.
I fly hard and often and haven't seen a ...

You are incapable of learning basic things and you're telling me I'm making a mistake but it doesn't change the fact that your phantom will crack in future use and that is 100% guaranteed and that fact will never change.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 17:18
You are incapable of learning basic things and you're telling me I'm making a mistake but it doesn ...

Thanks for that information.
I suspect it's worth about what I paid for it.
It wil be if it's as good as your interpretation of the missing Phantom in Hong Kong.
I'm still waiting for you to point out where the pole you found is:  http://forum.dji.com/forum.php?m ... 18358&fromuid=10818

I'm curious how you can confidently say that every Phantom will crack in time.
What percentage of P3s do you believe are showing cracks now?

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 15:34
Thanks for that information.
I suspect it's worth about what I paid for it.
It wil be if it's as go ...

So your drone failed to return home for whatever reason but you didn't hustle to go get it. Too bad for you.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 18:47
So your drone failed to return home for whatever reason but you didn't hustle to go get it. Too ba ...

Reading and understanding isn't your strong suit is it?
I live thousands of kilometres from where the Phantom was lost.
It wasn't my Phantom.
5 seconds reading would have shown you that.
So ... where's the pole you found?
How many Phantoms have cracks?

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 16:50
Hey Turkey ... it doesn't take much in the way of reading skills to work out that my drone wasn't  ...

Plastic in a lot of motion always cracks overtime and much quicker than other composites like metal. That's why plastic as the frame are no good and are not used in real cars or airplanes as the frame.
It will last long enough as you paid for and there's many factors on how quick or slow it will.
The only way your drone won't get cracked in future use it to have it stationary meaning it's gonna be for display.

Think of an airplane that uses the most advanced composites on its frame, it still has to retire eventually.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 18:59
Plastic in a lot of motion always cracks overtime and much quicker than other composites like meta ...

You really have no idea.
You've got no facts, no science, no evidence ..... just a feeling and misplaced confidence.
If there was any truth to your theory, thousands of Phantoms would be cracking up.
There are folks happily flying their uncracked P1s and P2s with no worries about cracking.
Enjoy your fantasy.

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 17:04
You really have no idea.
You've got no facts, no science, no evidence ..... just a feeling and misp ...

It's a fact, also scientific.
Plastics in motion do crack.
Actually any composite do.
Everyone with basic knowledge knows these.

But you already showed everyone here that you haven't finished highschool or you just need to increase your vocab to understand more. Too bad for you

And also for your drone, too bad you didn't hustle to go get it.

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-4 19:14
It's a fact, also scientific.
Plastics in motion do crack.
Actually any composite do.

I don't think anyone could be as stupid as you are pretending to be.
You're just trolling.
Nothing you've said makes any sense.
Sorry I took you seriously.
Goodbye

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 17:31
I don't think anyone could be as stupid as you are pretending to be.
You're just trolling.
Goodbye ...

Hi it's physics that makes you the real troll here

Mine has the same crack on the front right after this weekend. Did you send your in or is this just aesthetics and you kept flying it?

Mine had the same crack. I discovered it back in January. I sent it in and it was covered under warranty by DJI. The total time from the time I sent it to the time it was received back was three full weeks.   That's from Ohio to California and then California to Ohio ground UPS .

P5 should be a carbon fiber body maybe?  Might minimize the stress cracks and look better both.   

fansa84fe8a4 Posted at 2017-4-13 18:57
P5 should be a carbon fiber body maybe?  Might minimize the stress cracks and look better both.

Yeah but they would want $3000 for it then!

Just a suggestion,  we can limit the use of sport mode if not needed, i think this can cause the cracks more often

labroides@yahoo Posted at 2016-6-4 01:31
I don't think anyone could be as stupid as you are pretending to be.
You're just trolling.
Nothing you've said makes any sense.

labroides, I was wondering. If you knew what type of plastic DJI uses for the shell?

Ben95 Posted at 2017-7-19 09:31
labroides, I was wondering. If you knew what type of plastic DJI uses for the shell?

It appears to be ABS

Three legs on my landing gear of my P4P have stress fractures, along with a hairline crack on the upper airframe at the end of an arm near a motor. I seldom fly in Sport Mode, land manually, softly on a fold-up landing pad, always over grass. My flights are for video and still purposes, only and I don't fly aggressively. Having read a number of other accounts of cracks on most, if not all previous Phantom models I can only assume that this is a materials/design failure on the part of DJI, OR that it is to be expected on all plastic airframes. I also read on Phantom Pilots that DJI is now using a more substantial size and length for the landing gear on the P4P and P4A models...

I had a stress crack in exactly the same place. It was near mounting hole too. Never crashed but did have a lot of flights. Some in reasonable wind. Maybe high wind and flying are what caused mine I will never know.

Hi. Plastic in motion Wil crack..someone says here. Right. But...not all is the same "lastic".  The question is first: what kind of plastic is used for the drone, second: why not better one.
It looks like a quite cheap polysterol is used. And BTW .. u can glue this easy with acetone. But this polysterol is aging. It is drying and it likes to crack and split after short periods. Remember the batteries and the cracks caused by the spring inside. I found some cracks in my bird where screws are set. This is another typical stress area where aging and newtonmeter meets. In fact the birds are "cheap as can" produced. This is to understand.every company would do the same. What we can do? Nothing. You can buy cheap enough P4 body kits in Tàobao. Get it and change. I make a bet, this will be the best and fastest solution. If u need a link , let me know.
The most common saying in China is: "cheap is good" .  Quality is not requested.
Edit: unfortunately Mercedes is not doing drones..

fansa84fe8a4 Posted at 2017-4-13 18:57
P5 should be a carbon fiber body maybe?  Might minimize the stress cracks and look better both.

Carbon is not polysterol. It is more heavy. And a perfect insulation for any kind of transmitted signals as GPS or radio wave.  U will have a stabil body.. But not a lot control. Not with inbuilt antennas.

Labroides Posted at 2017-7-19 15:15
It appears to be ABS

It's not ABS. ABS u can't glue with acetone. Correction:u can, but it needs 10h Cure by 20degree centergrade.

PES  or PC would be much better. But the this birds may last too long. Not good for business.

i just got a small stress crack on my phantom 4 pro. i really love the drone and dont want another one. does the warranty cover this? because i dont see a reason to send all the way back to china.  i could just take some photos from the damage and you can send my the spare part...

leanlinao Posted at 2016-6-3 18:57
Just think about how much more than its own body weight is required just to lift off and even more when you pitch or throttle up and that's all concentrated on the arms, not even talking about g forces just talking about lift.
For all those reasons I'm out (from the phantom series)

That's the reason I went with the Mavic. I got tired of swapping out cracked shells on my P4.