Floater FPV Clouds

...getting there

Lately I've been doing a lot of FPV flying, almost all of it with the Floater Jet, as I try to fine-tune the system and push the boundaries to determine what's reliably possible.

Although the flying isn't spectacular, one benefit is that there's plenty of pleasant scenery and, on this particular afternoon, lovely clouds in abundance.

While the FPV system doesn't have the capability to go flying in the clouds, it's enough to get a pleasant view and see the cloud footprints dotting the landscape.

So far the mobius and dock have managed to go 1.2km while still maintaining a clear, if graining, picture. As regards height I wouldn't not sure as my estimation is not very accurate.

However we'll be getting a variometer with altimeter soon, so will be able to check how we're doing on altitude...

Dynam DC 3 Dakota 1470mm. With Ventral Mobius Camera

...a novel point of view

I'd never flown the DC-3 with an on board camera, mainly because I didn't want to have an ugly patch of velcro on top of the fuselage, and also being so rounded there's not really a good spot. And then there's the cockpit antenna which would get in the way.

Anyhow, the other day I decided I'd try something a little different; putting the mobius under the fuselage, slap bang in the middle of the wing section. I hadn't done a test run of this beforehand, but gave it a go nevertheless.

The result isn't bad, if a little closed-in, giving a nice view of the props. If I tried it again I'd put the camera a little more forward. The best bit, I thought though, was after landing hearing the motors winding down and seeing the props tick to a standstill...

Raptor Glider D-Box Pro 2000. 5 Star Morning

...gentle flying on a beautiful morning

Winter mornings are often dull and overcast, sometimes with drizzle, mist or rain. However, on occasion, they deliver outstanding sunrises and, on this occasion, a five-star morning with mist, pretty clouds, sun, blue skies and no wind.

I haven't been flying in the mornings lately as sunrise around the solstice comes too late. However, having missed my alarm on this particular morning, I assed the field with sky alight with the sun about to rise.

With the Raptor on board this was like receiving a written invitation, so I headed to the field. The cold winter morning air makes the Raptor extra floaty, so that with flaps down it approaches so slowly as to appear in slow motion.

And, with no turbulence, one is able to make low passes and low turns in absolute confidence, adding to the tranquil mood of the morning...

R2 Hobbies Raptor Glider D-Box Pro. First Flight with Wingtip Camera.

...got there eventually



For some while, after having seen footage of wingtip cameras, I've been meaning to give this a go on one of my planes. The plane I'd choose would be the Raptor glider, given its very large wing area meaning it wouldn't be likely to miss a bit of lift from the spot occupied by the Mobius, and also it being very stable.



There was a catch however, given that I most often fly it in the morning when the grass is saturated with dew and, being a glider, the wingtips drag through the grass, meaning that the Mobius was likely to get a soaking.

However, having dallied about this for some time, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a try regardless. As regards the yaw and roll likely as a result of the bluff form of the Mobius on the wingtip, I decided on two clicks each of right rudder and aileron and, as regards keeping the Mobius dry, the mitigation was to land the Raptor as slowly as possible, with flaps deployed, and then use full right aileron as it was coming to a standstill to keep the left wingtip off the wet grass.



Throwing the Raptor into the air I was amazed that the few clicks of trim were sufficient to keep it flying straight, at least at low speed, so I was soon able to fly it with confidence that nothing untoward was going to happen. It turns out that the angle at which I set the Mobius was a little too forward-pointing so that the tail is lost from the view, which is a pity as it's nice to see the controls at work during the flight.



Nevertheless you get to see the aileron twitching right next to the camera, and the view is great, especially during loops and sharp turns, the latter particularly at low altitude as towards the end of the flight.



And so to the final hurdle; I brought the Raptor is super-slow, touched it down and hit full right aileron to keep the Mobius up as long as possible. The extra mass meant that, eventually, the camera touched the grass.



Running to retrieve it, I picked up the glider to check the Mobius; it was completely covered in dew. I gave it a quick dry-off and then stuck it atop the air vent as I drove to work, and then parked it at the back of my computer to dry out in the warm breeze. Finally, plugging it in, revealed that fortunately the Mobius was no worse for wear...

Sport Cameras

...looking good in HD

I chanced today to look over some of the very first videos I ever uploaded and was rather appalled at the quality. The camera in question was a 720p RD32 Wing Camera, although I think the abject quality also had something to do with how they were processed.

The mornings are also a challenging time for mini cameras, with the relatively low light and sharp contrasts proving a daunting challenge for the mini processors and small lenses. My new camera, a 1080p Mobius Action Camera, delivers very good quality footage, although it hasn't been brilliant in low light conditions. 

However I've lately given it a software update (imagine saying that twenty years ago) which seems to have improved it considerably, with the "large range" setting allowing it to cope with varied light conditions, like the morning flights, much better.

The clarity of the Mobius footage really is excellent, even more so given its tiny size; it literally embarrasses my earliest efforts.

So, here's to mini HD cameras and clever software...

Floater Jet Reconnaissance Mission

...for a bird's eye view

The search and rescue mission for the flown by the Phoenix to try and locate the Stinger EDF unfortunately drew a blank; a few maybe's but nothing definitive, with a subsequent foray through the paddocks on foot found nothing either.

Therefore a second reconnaissance mission was required, this time using the Floater Jet with the Mobius mounted on its nose. The sloping mounting provided look-down capability, something missing from the Phoenix's wing-top placement, and additionally provided an obscured field of view.

The weather was, unfortunately, not conducive to the structured coverage of the field I had hoped for, with the warm and gusty weather making flying the Floater hazardous and doing low passes even more so. As a result the flying was haphazard, battling to keep the Floater flying level while maintaining an even altitude, although desirable, was out of the question. In fact, from the video, it's clearly apparent that the Floater was skimming over fences and brushing the grass tops at stages.

About halfway through it's search, a pale speck showed on the extreme edge of the the video image. Having checked numerous specks already without success I was doubtful this would amount to anything, particularly being out of the search zone. Zooming in on the speck it took some form and appeared to have a vertical black stripe. Looking closer it also seemed to have faint hints of something horizontal on either side.

Zooming again the appearance of a circle in between seemed to cement the realisation that I'd actually managed to locate the Stinger. The next day, after twenty minutes of wandering around the paddock trying to match the video clip orientation, I finally found it...

Mini DV Camera

...low budget video

This morning I tried out the Mini DV 480p video camera while flying the Trainstar. I mounted the camera onto a cap so I could film on-the-go, as I've discovered that manually filming while flying isn't a good idea.

I've used a U1 class 10 SD card in the Mini DV, more than sufficient for the task, so the output reflects its true capabilities. The quality isn't great, however, although it only costs about $7 and the light conditions didn't assist, with the morning being overcast and dull.

Unfortunately, with a big cold front on the way, that's how it's going to be for a few days...