We received this Inspire 1 for repair and thought it would be cool to show a few images of the repair process. The crash damage was extensive and is a perfect opportunity to get an inside look at the Inspire 1. Once we received the aircraft, a detailed estimate outlining all the repair costs is emailed to the customer for approval. We sourced the internet for replacement parts and received them in 3 days. This repair took aproximately 90 minutes to complete and the customer was back in the air in less than a week!
The crash damaged the retractable landing gear lead screw. Unfortunately this component cannot be repaired and must be replaced. This part routinely sells for nearly $400 dollars. We were able to locate a brand new one for our client for $160.
Also damaged in the crash is the forward battery compartment upright. This component is located directly below the copper tabs that engage the battery pack. The pins displayed here align with holes in the Inspire 1’s white canopy and keep it aligned. Since these are bent, the Inspire canopy appeared to be twisted.
The electronics distribution PCB board was transferred from the plate with the bent pins. Due to the location of this component, all electrical connections in the Inspire 1 must be carefully reconnected. The cables going to the GPS and the vision positioning system are especially fragile due to their length being “just long enough.” The GPS cable on this aircraft was damaged and was repaired in house to brand new condition since a replacement was unavailable.
The N1 flight controller includes four antennas. These must be carefully removed before setting the N1 aside to replace the retractable landing gear mechanism. Any sharp bends or kinks in these cables will result in decreased range.
Here we can see the Inspire 1 with the N1 flight controller removed.
After completing the repair, a full system check is performed. Firmware updates are installed, followed by an IMU, GPS and camera calibration. A test flight is then performed. This Inspire 1 is ready for action once again. Total repair time including shipping of parts was 4 days and we saved the client $250 off the parts.