Balancing the Propellers

Balancing the Propellers

Although it is not necessary to balance the propellers that come with the ELEV-8 v3 Quadcopter, taking the time to balance them will improve the flight performance and flight time, reduce vibration, and increase the lifespan of your ELEV-8 v3.

Horizon Hobby has published a YouTube video that demonstrates the process of balancing propellers for hobby aircraft here: How To – Prop Balancing

To balance the propellers, you will need:

• A propeller balancing stand/tool from a hobby store or third-party re-seller
• Fine-grit (300 or higher) sandpaper
• Heavy cyanoacrylic glue (Super Glue gel)
• (Optional) CA (Super Glue) accelerator spray

To balance each propeller:

• Use the instructions provided with the propeller balancing stand/tool to place the shaft through the propeller’s center hub and set on or in the balancing tool.  
• Make sure the stand is on a solid, level surface.  

The propeller’s center of mass should be in the very center of the propeller’s hub.  You can imagine it as a small dot.  When you place the propeller in the propeller balancing tool, how it turns and settles helps you determine if the center of mass is not centered on the propeller, and if it is only slightly or very off-center.

• Start with the propeller balanced horizontally and carefully observe how the propeller settles to determine if one blade is heavier than the other.  

If one of the propeller’s blades is heavier than the other:

• Remove a small amount of material from the top or bottom of the blade using the fine-grit sandpaper.  It doesn’t take much, so sand lightly and in small amounts.  
• Check the balance again and repeat if necessary.

• Next, start with the propeller vertically and observe it when you let it go.  

If the propeller consistently falls and settles with the same side up every time, one side of the hub is heavier than the other.  To balance the hub:

• You can either add super glue gel (and help set it quickly with accelerator spray) to the opposite side and/or remove material equally from the opposing edges of both blades.  
• Check the balance again and repeat as necessary until the propeller appears to be fully balanced.