In article
<edbbd381-3f27-45b6-a166-48bc3d8765a8@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
<sttjbw@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
| I'm looking into an application for remote controlled (or more
| preferrably, progammable flight path) aircraft. It needs to be able
| to carry a camera capable of transmitting video (can be b&W or color)
| of ground level objects over long distances (3-5 miles, although I may
| be able to work with shorter distance transmission). I am looking for
| anything from a handheld size up to something that can be trans****ted
| in the back of a jeep.
| I would like to know what type of aircraft would be capable of this
| type of work and what cameras are available and apropriate.
| Any suggestions or useful information would be greatly appreciated.
The R/C crowd usually goes for planes that are controlled in real
time, using visual observation of the plane.
What you're talking about is more in the realm of the UAV crowd. You
might want to find some UAV forums and ask there.
Also be aware that the FAA (I'll assume you're in the US) generally
leaves recreational model airplanes alone, but once the plane is
flying out of your sight, they call it a UAV and all sorts of
regulations go into effect.
As for having a camera on a R/C plane, people do that all the time,
and the cameras and transmitters are small enough that they can be
easily put on almost any plane that's more than a pound or two.
Generally they don't have the sort of range you're looking for, but
some do. But what we usually don't do is go for autonomous flight.
If all you need to do is take aerial pictures of something, you can do
that pretty easily with something like a Slow Stick and a cheap
digital camera (or camera/transmitter, but a still digital camera
tends to take better pictures) on it -- just a few hundred dollars.
But you'll be flying the plane the entire time. But to have it fly on
it's own? You're looking at thousands of dollars and lots of
paperwork with the FAA.
--
Doug McLaren, dougmc@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
thy airspeed, lest the ground rise up and smite thee.
|
