Well, you play with fire, you’re going to get burned sooner or later. First flight over the lava all good; got a bit crater-hungry and went lower next time. Things started looking bad when everything was getting blurred; sure enough, entire underside melted; battery (PLUS!!!) fused into the main body, and even the lens and gimbal distorted.
Was able to retrieve the micro sd card and even recharged the battery via the drone’s USB, but everything is too blurred to make good use of it.
So, lesson learned. Stay at least 50 - 100 metres high when flying over molten lava.
DJI Reykjavik had the full Mini 3 RC in stock (not the drone-only - but hey, I get to assign the old remote to my Air 2S now) but leaving aside that I don’t have Refresh on any drone, I doubt DJI would have covered flying over volcanoes… so full price paid, but here for a few more days and got more flying tomorrow
I know of one Icelandic photographer that lost 3 of his 4 drones on the very first night of the eruption, and the 4th has bits that melted - and there wasn’t a huge amount of lava accumulated on the surface adding to the heat radiating/convecting then.
@speatuk Yes… was typing this on the go… Mavic 3. Altho in saying that, maybe there will be an Air2S update in the future to allow you to use the RC on it…
@ximi Yep; spot on… we were 400 metres from the craters on the hill (as that’s what the screen said when I flew over the craters) and the radiant heat is amazing on your face…
@Pterodactyl I think the smaller size of these craters lulls you into thinking you’re still high above them. Last year’s crater was huge; you flew to let it fill your screen and you were still 50 - 100 metres above; this time if you fly to where it fills your screen, you’re around 20 metres above it. And that’s just way too close!
@TassyWass The issue is the take off point is way higher than the lava, so you descend. I think I would have got down to 30 - 50 metres, but it could have been less…
@ianinlondon i was watching your video before the melt down and think that’s got to be hot, as you found out it’s very hot poor drone RIP. At least DJI have made a very good choice on shop location how many drones do you think they sell with the amount the heat is taking out.
Could this be why the mini 3 was low stock when it came out Iceland had them all🤔
I have seen marshmallows over a campfire that were less toasted than that drone was. @ianinlondon I enjoyed your volcano videos immensely, as well as all the others. Maybe there is a GADC award heading your way for that stunt
Hi Ian
This may help in the future
When I flew RC jets I used to get heat resistant paint for the area around where the turbine exhausted into the tail pipe
it was good for 650 degrees before melting.
Got it from Al’s Hobbies Milton Keynes.
May give you a bit more time
over the lava
Brian
Have a look at Ian from London on you tube ,saddest video of the final flight of his mini 3 pro that previously flew to near the new volcanic eruption in Iceland and melted slightly.
Watch the video and try not to cry
