Estarter Canard with Digital Camera mount

ToddF · Sep 18, 2005, 09:37 PM

After I lost my CVS video camera, as reported here, I redid the fuselage on my canard plane. I beefed it up and added a solid mount for mounting my good digital camera. In addition, I made a shutter trip servo. This required programming a custom mix into my Optic 6 so the servo, which was plugged into the rudder channel of a 4-channel GWS receiver, would be triggered by the landing gear switch of the radio. Since then I've done three AP sorties. The first was at dawn at my local field. On this flight I learned two things: 1) low light slows the shutter speed on the camera down so the pictures are blurry; 2) landing in dew wet grass gets your expensive camera all wet.

After fixing a quirk in the flight performance of the plane, I did another couple sorties today. The first was in the morning, after the grass had dried out and the sun was brighter. The second was later in the afternoon at the Yorktown Battlefield. The battlefield pictures I'll post in another thread. The local pictures are fairly boring (except to me and my neighbors). I'll put up a nice sunrise picture and the obligatory self portrait...
Todd F.

John O'Sullivan · Sep 18, 2005, 09:46 PM

What a daring Canard!
Well done, it shows that it is only by pushing the boundaries a little bit that we achieve!
John O'Sullivan

mrbisset · Sep 18, 2005, 10:31 PM

Hey todd! I like the plane! Where was your CG on that plane? I am thinking of making a canard too! What is the elevator wing area compared to the main wing area? Thanks for any help! The pics are cool! I used to live on the Chesapeake bay across from Pax. River near Cambridge, MD beautiful area!

Caleb

ToddF · Sep 18, 2005, 11:04 PM

Caleb,
Photos and a blow by blow description of the evolution of the plane are in the build thread.

That information and more is available on my personal RC planes webpage. Included on the estarter canard page is a link to the spreadsheet I used to calculate the theoretical CG of the plane. The spreadsheet also has the wing areas.

I arrived at an actual CG location by starting with the theoretical CG and test flying right side up and inverted. Currently, the actual CG is about 1/4" in front of the theoretical CG. I adjust the location of the actual CG by moving the battery on a strip of velcro.
Todd F.

mrbisset · Sep 18, 2005, 11:42 PM

Todd,
thanks man...cool website! I like your excell spreadsheet for canards! Very handy!
I have been doing some ap too! Its so much fun! So where do I find info about the CVS camera? Is there any schematics for the reqiring? Thanks again man,
Caleb

ToddF · Sep 19, 2005, 07:42 AM

The CVS camera thread is here.
The only wiring required is to add a connector to hook up to your computer's USB port.
Todd F.

Sep 18, 2005, 09:37 PM	#1
ToddF Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 69	Estarter Canard with Digital Camera mount After I lost my CVS video camera, as reported here, I redid the fuselage on my canard plane. I beefed it up and added a solid mount for mounting my good digital camera. In addition, I made a shutter trip servo. This required programming a custom mix into my Optic 6 so the servo, which was plugged into the rudder channel of a 4-channel GWS receiver, would be triggered by the landing gear switch of the radio. Since then I've done three AP sorties. The first was at dawn at my local field. On this flight I learned two things: 1) low light slows the shutter speed on the camera down so the pictures are blurry; 2) landing in dew wet grass gets your expensive camera all wet. After fixing a quirk in the flight performance of the plane, I did another couple sorties today. The first was in the morning, after the grass had dried out and the sun was brighter. The second was later in the afternoon at the Yorktown Battlefield. The battlefield pictures I'll post in another thread. The local pictures are fairly boring (except to me and my neighbors). I'll put up a nice sunrise picture and the obligatory self portrait... Todd F. Attached Thumbnails Digital camera mounted on the plane. 40.1 KB · Views: 180 Shutter trip servo bracket 45.2 KB · Views: 138 Sunrise over the Chesepeake Bay. The river coming in from the right is the Poquoson River. 27.9 KB · Views: 127 The field where I normally fly, with me in the center. 95.1 KB · Views: 181

Sep 18, 2005, 11:04 PM	#4
ToddF Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 69	Caleb, Photos and a blow by blow description of the evolution of the plane are in the build thread. That information and more is available on my personal RC planes webpage. Included on the estarter canard page is a link to the spreadsheet I used to calculate the theoretical CG of the plane. The spreadsheet also has the wing areas. I arrived at an actual CG location by starting with the theoretical CG and test flying right side up and inverted. Currently, the actual CG is about 1/4" in front of the theoretical CG. I adjust the location of the actual CG by moving the battery on a strip of velcro. Todd F. Last edited by ToddF; Sep 19, 2005 at 07:39 AM.

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Sep 18, 2005, 09:46 PM	#2
John O'Sullivan Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Posts: 834	What a daring Canard! Well done, it shows that it is only by pushing the boundaries a little bit that we achieve! John O'Sullivan

Sep 18, 2005, 10:31 PM	#3
mrbisset Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 320	Hey todd! I like the plane! Where was your CG on that plane? I am thinking of making a canard too! What is the elevator wing area compared to the main wing area? Thanks for any help! The pics are cool! I used to live on the Chesapeake bay across from Pax. River near Cambridge, MD beautiful area! Caleb

Sep 18, 2005, 11:42 PM	#5
mrbisset Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 320	Todd, thanks man...cool website! I like your excell spreadsheet for canards! Very handy! I have been doing some ap too! Its so much fun! So where do I find info about the CVS camera? Is there any schematics for the reqiring? Thanks again man, Caleb

Sep 19, 2005, 07:42 AM	#6
ToddF Registered User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 69	The CVS camera thread is here. The only wiring required is to add a connector to hook up to your computer's USB port. Todd F.