rsjr

Today I took my first ever aerial pic's ! I mounted my Olympus Camedia D-100 in a balsa box with a standard servo to push the button. The digital cam/ balsa box is held in place with rubber bands, and is placed to look out the left door opening on my TF Stinson Reliant. I'm really surprised at how well the pic's turned out, considering this is my first attempt at aerial photography.

I took about 80 pic's during two separate 25 min. flights and saved the best ones. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get some really high altitude pic's. This is a lot of fun!.

rsjr

And more...

TPierce

Is that a car in the bottom by that building in the last pic? If it is you are pretty high. At least compared to what I can get. Good shots

rsjr

Thanks, ap_is_my_game,

Yep, that's the neighbors car. The orange thing is my old chevy p/u. My flying spot is a rough grass pasture located next to my home. When I get the urge to fly (which is practically everyday) I load my plane and gear into the p/u, drive 300', and then unload it.

Here's some pic's of my "camera plane". It was a lot nicer looking until I dead-sticked it into a tree on final (my fault, I forgot to re-set the idle trim). I repaired the minor damage and repainted the plane to a camo scheme. It's powered by a converted 33cc Homelite chain-saw engine.

Ron

rsjr

OK, let's try it again....

Ron

gernith

What kind of plane is that? What is its full scale name? It looks like an old war plane my father used to take me flying in. It was called a beaver. I'm not sure if that was what its real name was, or just what they called it.

err... nevermind.. I now see you said "TF Stinson Reliant".

BP5589

My Feedback: (4)

rs,
That is so cool!
Bill
[link]http://www.bp55899.com[/link]

rsjr

Thanks guys!

This morning I took some high altitude pic's from the Stinson. That big wing (100.5") makes it easy to track way up in the sky. I got the plane up really high and then throttled the Homelite to an idle. I would then slowly circle the plane at stall speed and snap the pic's.
Here's some pic's.

Ron

rsjr

Three more...

Ron

rsjr

I hope I'm not over-doing this, but here's four more...

Ron

TPierce

Those are nice. I wish I could get pics that good. Im about to revise my mount. Seems like every cam flight something goes wrong. You should consider a Casio Forester watch with altimiter just for the fun. I want one but I cant afford one right now.
Keep em comin,
Trent



P.S.-I dont think it is possible to over-do AP posts, I enjoy every one.

aaron2874

That camera takes really nice pics. Very clear. I like that plane too!

rsjr

Thanks for the compliments.

Beginners luck I guess, as I did'nt put a lot of effort into this project. I literally slapped together a camera box out of scrap balsa and basswood (servo-mount rails), and a 10$ GWS servo. I also made a balsa platform which is screwed to the fuse floor to elevate the camera-box a little bit. A couple of hardwood rails glued to the platform allow me to rubber-band the contraption to the plane. The servo is connected to the Rx's "gear" slot. The unit is easily removable through the door opening on the Stinson allowing me to upload the images between flights.

Here's a couple Pic's of the camera-box, it's not pretty but I figured if it did'nt work I could trash it and try again.

Ron

P.S., I would like to have an altimeter of some sort, I'm curious as to how high the plane got yesterday.

rsjr

I took some more high alt. pic's today.

Looking S. West, I-90 and the Beartooth Mountains. Just beyond the Beartooth's is Yellowstone Nat'l Park.

Ron

rsjr

Looking South, Yellowstone River and the Pryor Mountains.

rsjr

Looking East at Laurel. Mt.

TPierce

Wow, you must have a lot of time to fly. But those pics keep getting higher and better. Makes me wanna go shoot. I gotta do a show at our mall this weekend and im going to show off my camera plane. Im going to show it off with the Aiptek and the Digital Camcorder on the bottom. Ill have to show some pics.

Great Job,
Trent

You can check e-bay for an altimiter. You might find a good deal.

Heres how the last pics I took turned out. Vibration[:@] I have since revised my mount and im waiting to test it.

aaron2874

Here is an aerial shot I took with an Aiptek Pencam SD. It was taken from just a couple hundred feet up. Caution: Viewer discretion is advised!

[link=http://www.rcsites.net/aaron2874/pics/Thetruth.JPG]The Trusth Is Out There[/link]

rsjr

Thanks ap_is_my_game,

I'm fortunate to have a flying field next to my house, it's short and rough but I can't complain. I've flown the Stinson 3-5 25 min. flights every day for the last 7 days alone, burning roughly 4 gallons of gasoline. I fly year-round (weather permitting) off my little grass runway and I still consider myself as having "average" flying skills.

Unfortunately all my free time just evaporated, the weather here has turned nice so back to work I must go. (There's two seasons in Montana; "Winter", and "Construction"). I drive truck for a sand & gravel co......

Good luck at the show, I look forward to seeing your pic's.

aaron2874, I love that aerial shot, LOL.[sm=lol.gif] (And I thought I had too much "free time")

Ron

Tetley

Hey rs really nice pics, the stinson sure looks a sweet plane, with a 33cc on it to [&:] very nice.
Montana sure looks nice, believe me in the UK here i have to drive a fair way to fly, UK is so dam small and built up.
If you need a live in plane cleaner let me know i could get used to all that open space!!! (i bet that engine spews some pretty nasty goo down ya plane!)
Keep the pics coming your providing me with daydreams!!

rsjr

Thanks Tetley, for the offer.

The 33cc Homelite with the current muffler really does'nt dirty up the plane much. I can fly it for hours and have just a little bit of "goop" to clean off.

If you ever get a chance, come and visit the "Big Sky" country. With less than a million people inhabiting the entire state, you will have plenty of room to stretch out. (147,046 sq. mi., 4'th largest in USA)

Here's a couple more...

Ron

Mhale71

Geez man thos pics are so high
its when you should stop worrying about range and start worrying about getting plowed down by a real plane!

Tetley

Awsome views mate, great pics again!!. Pretty dam high thats for sure.
Look out for the big silver birds up there[&:]!!.
'147,046 sq. miles' whoa thats kinda big for only 1 mill population.


I'm real close to an airport, see pic! so i cant fly my 2.5m sail anywhere near here lol



But i do get to fly here in the place below.



Go [link=http://www.imagesofdorset.org.uk/Dorset/009/intro.htm]HERE![/link] for the history of the location, its a truly special place.

Happy flying to ya , Jim.

Mitty

LOl AARON..
Love that truth is out there shot..Will have to talk with my buddy ,he got 69 acres of field...good ideal... ROFLMAO

Skitchen8

Those high altitude pics could easily be mistaken for coming out of a full scale.

Very nice, very good camera too by the looks of it.