Skycam

Guys these were shot with and all new mount idea called the AirFoilPro1 from www.airfoilhelicams.com

These video's are not post stabilized they are the real video shot.
Both are 11megs.

http://www.airfoilaviation.com/helicam/AFP2.wmv

http://www.airfoilaviation.com/helicam/AirPro3.wmv

Hope you like its a whole new way to shoot video's. Watch the mount do non stop 360's

Quacker

If I had huevos that weighed that much hanging that far below my CG, I'd be stabled too ;o)

Sky High

I wouldn't say that it's new but just scaled down from higher end platforms like on full size news helos and television/film industry nose mounts. It looks very similar if not the same as the stableness in the video below and others that I have seen. All those fast cuts don't really give a true depiction of its stability either. Does the pilot control the camera while flying or is someone else doing it? I noticed alot of pan/tilt overcorrecting, however minimal, in the camera movements. This could be significantly reduced if someone else could concentrate soley on the camera work. I still think it's a great platform though, especially the thermal imaging! That was absolutely bad ass! [sm=thumbup.gif]

www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_3892429/tm.htm

twinturbostang

Looks pretty cool. Similar to this: http://www.helicamsolutions.com/

Sky High: Where did you see thermal videos?

Sky High

The fifth link down (meth arrest), as of this post, at this link shows what appears to be someone lying down on a riverbank while 3 cops are approaching. Can you imagine what that guy thought hearing that thing buzzn' around up there not knowing it could see everything he was doing? Very cool. [sm=thumbup.gif] All that guy had to do was smear cold mud all over himself like Arnold did in Predator and he could have gotten away. You can buy the whole helo/FLIR turnkey system for $24,999.

http://www.airfoilhelicams.com/new-v...-16.php#videos

More Demos
www.airfoilhelicams.com/thermal.php

DebianDog

Interesting but not groundbreaking. Does everything my 360 does and I have stabilization on the tilt axis. I have metal gears. I have continuous 360 degrees. Mine weighs the same.

Also, by the video is is hard to see exactly "how good" of a job it is doing being the cuts are so quick and I would also argue you would get less 'swaying' with the weight up nearer to the helicopter (legs up). I suppose the counter argument is "your components are protected".

So I guess it comes down to preference.

Skyhignhphotos

No it really comes down to someone who knows what their doing! These guys have brought out some of the neatest stuff I have ever seen and they use it. Unlike HSC who has customers like myself do his R&D Airfoil products are ready right out of the box. I got one of the AIRFOILPRO1's on order right now.

Why I hated the retractable gear is simple imagine when you had training gear on there and the balls would shake. The HSC mount does the exact same thing with the gear up and notice they never give a weight or price. To heavy and cost way to much for something made in a garage and they have to use a program just to smooth out the video. IMHO!

I love what I see here and these guys fly and prove it works for hire themselves. To me that says it all.

Skycam

Guys I see them talk about shooting in wind. This was shot at about 150ft and in 20mph winds with NO post stabilization. What you see is what the TV station was taking a live feed off of. So you screw up its on TV live. CHECK OUT THE FLAGS!!!

About 5 megs.
[link=http://www.airfoilaviation.com/helicam/livefeed.WMV]Live Feed[/link]

Sky High

I totally agree with seeing it at work instead of just talking about it. The demos from both platforms look great though. I also prefer turnkey solutions where the whole system has been tested and I don't have to outsource to several different companies to put something together myself.

DebianDog

Pilot included apparently Anyone doing this (video taping using RC helicopters) professionally, is doing there own R&D or paying TOP dollar. Notice John on RR how everyone said "good edit". I know I did.

I also have seen very smooth video for a DV cam zip-tied to a Tiger 50. He was just a good pilot.

You obviously need to look at the other thread for the test HCS footage. It is as good or better than anything I have ever seen.

Turnkey system... and stuck to a vendor. I know people that have dumped that system to get away from the at helicopter (JR GSR260) and I could go into all the things I hear about parts and service from them (or you John) but I won't.

It is amazing all the footage you see from WGEM yet seldom anything else Odd you both are from the same area too [&o] Yes, I know about your poster child http://azchoppercam.com/

I will not argue these points and am out of this thread. C-YA.

Sky High

Yes, I noticed that station mentioning Airfoil in alot of stories. Sometimes it seemed like they did a story on the helo because it was a slow news day but there's no telling how far apart those stories were. I'm guessing it's a tradeout with aerial services for on-airtime exposure and because the station obviously doesn't have their own real helo. The only issue with that is that if everybody trades out services then how does anyone make any money? I think R/C helos may be a reality in the future though at least for smaller markets in remote areas where they don't have real helos. My experience with network affilliates, and I'm in a top 10 market, is that they never have a budget especially for specialty cameras like this. I have a hard enough time getting my rate as a ground shooter from the affilliates or CNN in Atlanta. There's only one affilliate in Atlanta that will pay top dollar and I guess that's why they are number one in this market. They usually start at $300 for typical exclusive footage and much more if it is really hot. The others need to just get out of the business if they're not going to pay because that's what they are there for and I don't work for free!

Skyhignhphotos

These guys don't work for free! I drove down to a show they were in last year to pick up my system and have never looked back. Service hasbeen more than I could ask and the GSR heli is the best heli I have seen for aerial footage. I talked with two people from the station who were at the show and they told me the company Airfoil is on retainer and paid flying or not. I also wanted to find out some number so I found they are paid $80,000 a year to be on call 24-7 then $150.00 and hour for every hour they are out. Get this I also found out this covers any footage shot from a heli or the ground.

Why do I back these guys they started things a new way and its working. I'm told they are in a show I think march 11-12th and will be the highlight in a 911 show on the 20th. I'm going to the show on the 20th mainly because most senators will be there and I want to see first hand what they do.

I will post some pics. By the way most I see on RR that support Jody that can't even fly are his buds. The guys that support Airfoil are customers! Big difference.

Sky High

When I said I don't work for free, that was mostly referring to the Atlanta area and these news stations but it does cover other production as well wherever I am. I didn't mean that they work for free all the time assuming they were trading services. I was just guessing that Airfoil might have been trading out services. That is truly unheard of that they can get that kind of money out of a small station like that and then get paid an hourly rate on top of that!! I bet that's more than any one of those anchors or two combined make in a year working there. Knowing that they get paid that well for performing a service makes the fact that they are featured on the news so prevalently even more odd. What makes it odd is that the anchors always say AirFoil Aviation instead of the station's WGEN SkyCam when they introduce a story using the helo. I just think it is a bit excessive using their name like that and paying them that kind of money. It should be one or the other, if we trade we mention your name, if we pay you that's it, we use WGEN SkyCam. From what I understand, news stations lease real helos and pay the pilot seperately and that is probably an easy 3/4 million if not a million a year with insurance and all. Our stations don't ever mention the leasing company's name when mentioning their helo while covering a story. It's always whatever their custom name is for it. Even though Airfoil's rate is less than 1/10 of what I estimated a real helo to be, that's still a lot of money for a small station like that to pay out for a novelty shot. If they can pull it off, more power to them.

Sky High

I noticed that these AP helos are apparently gas powered. If that's the case, why isn't there exhaust spewing out like I have seen with other helos? I'm glad there's not any because it would get in the shot but where does the exhaust go?

A10FLYR

My Feedback: (1)

Perhaps because it is powered by a G-23 gasoline engine instead of a glow engine? Just a guess.

Skyhignhphotos

Actually the motors are G26cc gas engines like a weedeater but with JR's exhaust their quiet and make big power and no smoke. The anchor comment is kind of funny. You are correct they had one quit because Airfoil made twice what he did. You would have to get to know John he's a take it or leave it guy. This is the price and that's it. I personally got to go out on three jobs in the last couple of years and you would see things another way. The TV station likes he's up front and no BS as do I. You have to understand this guy and I'm not pumping him here taught himself to fly full size heli's. Stupid maybe but I don't know anyone else that could build a full size from scratch then teach themselves to fly it.

To give you an idea I just found out today Illinois stories WQEC is doing a 1 hour two part show on Airfoil. Where they started and what they are doing now. Its this Friday so I'm coming down to cover a little of what is going on.

Sky High

I'm certainly not knocking on him or his service. I am impressed with what I have seen, especially with the thermal camera! Knowing what I know and have experienced with stations with a lot more money to spend though, I still think it's a miracle that he got them to pay anything much less that flat rate and then the hourly on top of it, bottom line guy or not. I'm a bottom line person too. If an interested buyer doesn't meet my bottom line, which is a bit lower than my typical day rate as a shooter, then they ain't gettn' the video. If I don't sell it, it hasn't cost me anything but a little time and I'll eat it before I give it away to trillionaire companies! His video is still skakier, however minimal, than a full size helo with a nose mount but it's great for what it is and I'm sure technology right around the corner will fix that.

Skyhignhphotos

Its a new year and these guys just got a 1/2 hour TV show done about them and what they do. It looks like the public is starting to come around to what these platforms can do.

The show was on WSEC here.

They posted a behind the scenes video
[link=http://www.airfoilaviation.com/helicam/ILstories.wmv]IL Stories[/link]

The show was great tons of info. Great job guys.