Hello!

I just got the gopro HD camera and I am looking to get an RC Plane to attach it too. I have no idea about them at all and have never flown so any advice would be awesome.

I would love to get one that it would be able to be mounted and you can't see the plane in the shot at all. So it souls have to support the extra weight.

The smaller the better too. If I can get it to work, I will hopefully bring it to Haiti to fly over some of the destroyed citys for this non profit organization I am starting.

Thanks so much in advance!

~Max
http://maxroper.com

Have a look in the Aerial Photography forum the 'Sticky' threads at the top of the forum are particularly helpful.

BUT, learn to fly first. It may look easy if you have seen someone with some experience doing it, but be prepared for some possible crashes while learning. SO learn first, film second.

Aerial photography can be interesting, I have quite a few stills and some video of the same places I fly, (over and over again). But as Google Earth has already done most of it........

Weight is the main problem, the heavier the camera the bigger the plane required.

Have a read and a think, have a go by all means, eventually

Yes, absolutely learn to fly first! The last thing you want to do is smash your new plane AND the camera. The plane you can repair, but camera not so much.

I'm going to suggest a Multiplex Easy Star RTF. It's n excellent training platform, and should be able to handle the cameras weight no problem once you're comfortable flying.

Or better yet, train on thatthen move up to something like a Multiplex Mentor, which is a big and stable platform

For sure I need to learn how to fly. Haha.

The trick I think is just finding a plane that I can put the camera more to the front of, or underneath. The Mentor looks like it might work well underneath between the wheels or something. What do you think?

The camera is basically indestructible so I think it should be alright. From GoPro's website it looks like the camera is about 5.9 ounces with the battery in it.

So if you think the Easy Star would work than sweet. Or if the Mentor is better than I could go with that.

Let me know!

Thanks so much for the advice.

~Max

I use my GoPro HD with my EZ* star and it flys no problem. I made the camera mount from the packaging the camera comes mounted on and it simply slides in place of the cockpit and is held on by 2 magnets and a rubber band for a little extra insurance. My EZ* is not one of the ones that is way overpowered either so if you are running even a mild in runner you will have no problems.

As for CG, with the camera mounted a 2200 3S Lipo ALL the way in the back of the radio compartment make it balance perfect or a 1300 3S in the nose works also.

I will get some pics of the mount both off of an on the plane tomorrow as it is at work.

Here's a video:

Fallbrook R/C Flyers new field (3 min 1 sec)

don't forget to watch in HD!

To have none of the plane in the shot you will probably need a dedicated/designed for AV plane and then you wouldn't really want to use the GoPro as you could get a much higher quality camera for it. But for what you have now and the learning to fly that is in front of you I think a EZ* is your best bet.

^I see you guys got a new field. Where is it?

That high rise building you can see in the video is Harrah's Rincon Casino, at the bottom of Palomar Mountain.

Sweet!

If I get this....http://www.rchobbyexplosion.com/Prod...Code=MPUM13203

Do I need to buy anything else or does that come with everything like the remote control and everything?

Thanks so much!

~Max

I just went ahead and ordered it from there. If that was wrong let me know, but I am super stoked.

Thanks so much!

~Max

Originally Posted by 1320fastback

That high rise building you can see in the video is Harrah's Rincon Casino, at the bottom of Palomar Mountain.

Holy cow you guys got moved FAR!

I'll be up at my aunts house on vacation this weekend, which is in valley center.
I'll try to stop by if I can

So it looks like the Easy Star RTF is sold out till the end of July pretty much everywhere. Do you guys have any other recommendations for planes? Hopefully one that I can have the camera mounted without seeing the plane or the prop?

Thanks!

~Max