I'm still researching and trying to put together a heli package to purchase. Just when I think I have it down....more questions arise which stop me in my tracks before ordering. Can someone help me with payload limits of the Raptor 50? I am thinking seriously of getting into aerial photography down the road and need to know what bird will be the best for this application. I am impressed w/ the Raptor line, but not sure if the 50 is up to task or whether I need to think more along the lines of the Raptor 60 or Gas or something else. Is there a standard for payload rates for 30,50, or 60 size helis. Any help would be much appreciated.

THANKS

I'm not sure exactly how much helis can lift but I don't think it will be a problem. There are quite a few small digital cameras (like the Aiptek Pencam series) that only weigh a couple ounces without batteries. (With some you can draw power from the radio battery)
You can also get very small video cameras and transmitters - small enough to put on an electric parkflyer.

Thanks for the response and the info. I've been researching cameras, camcorders, etc., and the kind of quality video/photos may require me to use a digital camcorder (recording on board) The one's I'm looking at weigh from 1-1.5 lbs. That's not including transmitter, batteries, camera mount, etc. I've seen the wireless camera you are referring to (See current issue of Rotory, "RaptorCam") and have looked at some demo video using this type of equipment and it just doesn't appear to meet the standards I need for commercial-grade video/photos. I guess what I need to know is how big a heli do I need to lug 2-3 pounds? I will check out the model you suggested. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS

The Aiptek pencams are 1.3 megapixels which might not be enough; also, the lens isn't great and can distort the image a bit around the edges. Aiptek also makes a digital video camera, the DV2, but I'm not sure what the quality is like.
Transmitting the video probably won't help the quality much; you could use that to help you point the cameras. http://www.blackwidowav.com/ sells cameras and transmitters. Some of their stuff looks pretty good. Keep in mind though that for a lot of video transmitters (especially higher-power ones) you will need an amateur radio license, which cannot legally be used for anything commercial. I'm not sure what kind of transmitters you can use for commercial stuff.

I have done a lot of research on this too and the biggest problem we see with cameras on a heli so far is the fuel. It sprays on everything including the lense. I am starting to wonder if a gas heli would be better than a nitro heli. Might have to try that.