Middle stand insights plus pointers on when it's safe to fly with light damages

Learn how to properly insert the middle stand in the WingtraOne in the article Handling of WingtraOne. It is very important for the safety of the flight to ensure that the middle stand is well-attached.

The middle stand is a so-called “consumable,” meaning that it will wear out over time and multiple WingtraOne flights. This is because the middle stand takes the impact during every landing and is designed to be weaker than the body of the drone to protect the wings and the fuselage. When reporting a damaged middle stand, please mention the serial number of the middle stand.

In case you're wondering whether you can fly with a damaged middle stand, below you can find some examples and guidelines.

There are 3 different states of the middle stand:

Damaged but safe to fly
Damaged, safe to fly but you should order a new one
Not safe to fly

1. Damaged but safe to fly
	- If there are holes of up to 2cm in size - If there are missing pieces < the size of a coin - If the middle stand still feels structurally strong OK to fly
	- If the middle stand has a big crack but only on the surface, the shape is pretty much as it was before, and it still feels strong OK to fly
	- If the U-shape section of the middle stand has some cracks but when pressing with the thumb the area feels structurally strong OK to fly
2. Damaged, safe to fly, but you should order a new one
	- If the middle stand has a deep crack and does not feel solid anymore. - As a temporary solution, you can repair it with tape so it will feel strong again and the shape will be pretty much as it was before OK to fly but you should order a new one
	- If the U-shape section shows serious damage, but the middle stand still locks properly when being inserted into the drone OK to fly but you should order a new one
3. Not safe to fly
	- If a big part of the middle stand is broken and the structural integrity is not apparent anymore Don’t fly: order a new middle stand
	- If a big piece of the middle stand is missing Don’t fly: order a new middle stand
	- If the U-shape section shows serious damage - Parts are missing - The middle stand does not lock properly Don’t fly: order a new middle stand
	- If the shape of the locking mechanism is damaged due to wear and tear - The middle stand does not lock properly Don’t fly: order a new middle stand

Middle stand insights plus pointers on when it's safe to fly with light damages

In this article we outline the purpose and properties of the middle stand and look at what levels of damage allow and forbid flight.