jkkissick

with video cameras attached to the plane you could probably fly your plane without having to see the plane right. well im sure somebody has done it but has anybody with a video camera on there plane flown it by the camera alone. cause with that you could literally get miles away couldnt you. I dont know how far you can get with the reciever but i just want to know if anybodys done it.

jchuston

check out [link=http://www.cyber-flyer.com]www.cyber-flyer.com[/link], this guy has done some really cool stuff...there are plenty of videos...

it has been password protected...maybe try giving an email...he uses sony glasstrons to fly in first person...

-John

kd7ost

If you fly straight up overhead you can get several miles. I don't know how far. If you fly out at 1000' agl where you have flat ground and clear line of site with a stock RC FM or PCM system, you can get just about a mile reliably. I've been out to 1 1/4 miles but it's not reliable all the time. I haven't tried with AM. Quite a few guys are doing it. I have an altitude lock unit, a co-pilot stabilizer for roll and a PDC-10 GPS unit with a garmin geko set to "goto" where I am flying from. That way if orientation is lost, or you get too far for Radio range, the plane comes back to you. I also use a GPS overlay board showing me the planes Lat/Lon, altitude, bearing, and ground speed. It's probably not very advisable to fly anything big and fast without a few autonomous parts like that. Ivspark has some great video's where he's using a small electric without any autonomous systems. He also doesn't fly the plane till it is out of visual range though. You got to be pretty careful and resist the urge to see how far you can go if it's by Video only. There's only one way to tell where your RC system drops out. You have to be able to handle that event if your flying by video link. Check with Black Widow AV for good systems.

Here's a pic of the underside of my plane showing the Video Camera in a rotating pod with a 900 MHz antenna sticking out just beside it. The fixed Camera is behind it.

Dan
AMA 276090

Tall Paul

The problem with BVR flight is the return!
You have to know where home is.
Some of these adventures end sadly, with the plane who knows where!!!!

kd7ost

But, most of us have never lost a plane. You can learn from us. Go for the gusto.

rcrick00

I have a setup that I fly entirely via video all the time. It is a two meter glider with twin elcectic motors. It flys real slow. I fly at the local airport so I use the runway as a reference as to where I am. I don't fly beyond visual site as that is about the same range as my video tx. It a lot of fun. Been doing it for years.
I don't use a saftey pilot or buddy box as I am usually alone.

IA-Flyer

Sure you can, but eventually you’ll ask your self the question, “What ya going to do when you get there?”.
It’s not like a flight breakfast where there’s free food at the end of the flight!

It’s more fun and less worry to fly something slow at closer ranges, unless you have a need to do long range AP or something.
There’s a lot of scenery in a ½ mile diameter circle, and your still have visual with great radio reception.
I’ve been thinking about making an “almost invisible” 6oz slow flyer for next year, just to fly around at close range without anyone, including myself seeing it.