Taking photos NOT through the canopy
 

OK. I have spent about 30 minutes searching the archives and found lots of suggestions for in-flight photos through the canopy. Sorry, that just does not cut the mustard for me. I've shot photos through the open window of a Cessna for 24 years, but now I fly an RV9..... and the "through the canopy" shots just are not acceptable to me. The optical quality and reflections are not acceptable.

So have any of you folk installed a window in the plexi canopy in an RV.... Mine is a slider, but I still want to know if you have done a window on a tip-up. Yes, I know the structure is compromised. But the plexi comprimises the photo too.

Maybe a camera port on the fuselage is a better idea.... near the pilot's left knee. I could do that too and probably get good results.

All suggestions are welcome. But shooting without an additional optical surface is my goal.

Thanks,
John Severyn
N79LH
RV-9A FP O320 D1A

John,
Check the September 1973 issue of Naval Aviation News, page 2. A short
article about a photo hop in an A-4. The author has several recommendations
to help you get better air-to-air photos, from inside the aircraft.
Seems like yesterday.
Good luck,
Howie

RV-10 baggage door....

I've toyed with the idea of ordering a spare RV-10 door with an access hole cut in it that I could hang on Alex's RV-10 for the very stuff you're talking about. Remove one of the rear seat backs and lay on my stomach shooting down at the 7-8 O'clock positions.

The magazine
 

Naval Aviation News September 1973 issue:

http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/back...1973/sep73.pdf

I don't see why you couldn't mark it off, cut it out carefully (very). Polish the edges. Install a hinge and use some plexi scraps to make a lip with a thin weatherstrip under the lip. A little latch or two and away you go.

Of course, it's like the first man to eat an oyster......brave soul in this case to cut your canopy.

Sliding side window
 

Maybe you could use a sliding plexiglas side window like sailplanes have. They are available for purchase complete with tracks and mounting screws from Wings and Wheels. You can find them on their web site in the Index under Canopies and Windows.

Just thinking out loud here, but would it be possible to secure the canopy at 4-5" open? Even if it took another person outside the aircraft to secure it, this to me seems like something that could be explored. Perhaps limit top speed to 100 kts or so. The only weak link in the canopy system seems to me to be the back slider track. Just a thought...

Bob Kelly

Anyone ever think of replacing one of the inspection plates with a plexi one? - Drill a round hole through the plexi large enough to mount the lens and operate the camera/video from remote?

May be a dumb idea - but just a thought..

I've seen an RV before that was modified to be open cockpit (based in HI IIRC); looked really fun! Of course that might be a bit extreme, but some clever system that would allow you to easily install and remove the canopy might be really interesting.

For shooting behind glass, I've found that a DSLR setup with a fairly narrow DOF (just keep the aperture fairly wide) works surprisingly well.

Here, found a picture of it!


And another open 3B canopy. Seems like something similar could work on other models, but I'm just a wanna-be builder at this point:)
http://picasaweb.google.com/airspeed...53729373495026

I believe this is the excerpt from the article:

The way to eliminate the internal reflections is to tape brown wrapping paper to the inside of the canopy leaving a hole in each side to shoot from. I knew not to rest my camera against any part of the aircraft if I wanted sharp photos...

Was he flying on instruments only? Or VFR thru peep holes?