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Recessed camera mounts

Palamedes

Well Known Member
Has anyone seen or know of any modifications to the -10 for adding recessed camera mounts?

I want to have some cameras on the plane but do it in such a way as to not disrubt the air flow or how it flies.

Thoughts?
 
I would think you'd have to roll your own, much like adding a landing light to the leading edge of your wing. You could also possibly mount a camera dome underneath the fuse somewhere. Could make for some very cool video if the camera had pan, tilt, zoom features although I would recommend you leave that up to one of your passengers.

Jason
 
The 777 I fly has three cameras; one in each leading edge of the horizontal stab, and one protruding from the belly.
It might be too hard to get at now, but the HS location might yield some good footage, and it would be recessed.;)
 
....not sure how many cameras you want to mount...

One Garmin Virb on the wing tip has no appreciable effects on flight in an RV-6.
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One Garmin Virb on the wing tip has no appreciable effects on flight in an RV-6.
I should really take a photo of my installation. One Drift Stealth mounted on the side of the vertical stab, near the tip, has no noticeable effect on flight in my RV-6. I mounted about like the Garmin above, but used the screws holding the fibreglass tip on my vertical stab.
 
I built in 2 cameras in my Rocket , one in the cowl and the other in the VS cap. I permanently mounted bullet cams and wired to a display/recorder in the cockpit. The picture quality is dismal and the display quit working so I took it out.

I would like to find a small enough HD quality camera I could put in place of the bullet cams. Needs:
- to be powered from ships power
- controlled remotely
- ability to transfer the images through Bluetooth
- ideally show the results live on a device mounted in the cockpit.

A tall order but as technology advances I expect it will eventually be available.

Cowl%20Camera%20(600x800).jpg
 
Mark, size and form-factor will be the killer for you here. Many of the current crop of sports cams are controllable from a smartphone. I'm fairly sure that some of them allow saving the images to the phone as well, so that should allow download/upload to a website, maybe even live if you're flying within range of a cell tower with a large enough data plan...

Getting one that fits behind that tiny hole (and probably in a small space) will be difficult.
 
I don't know where he got that mount. Planearound.com sells a mount that looks very similar. Plus Sean is a fellow RV'er.
 
Arlen, where did you get that mount for your Virb?

Yes, from http://planearound.com/main.sc the base uses the screws of the wingtip...

I had a GoPro on this originally, so now I use the GoPro adapter/connector that came with the Virb to hook right in...it keeps it a little higher off the wing.

It works very well, and I can start and stop the video from the Virb app on my iPad. I took these shots from that camera: https://youtu.be/862Xrobe6J4
 
Good video but it seems a bit "jumpy" like there is a vibration the image stabilization can't handle. Is that due to being at the wingtip maybe?
 
Good video but it seems a bit "jumpy" like there is a vibration the image stabilization can't handle. Is that due to being at the wingtip maybe?
The camera mount isn't rigid enough. I've found that you'll need much stronger support to prevent the jello effect (caused by camera vibration). I use RAM hardware and suction cups. Mount the camera anywhere you like, where it'll stick. Only effect noticed with my arrgt is 1/2 ball of yaw when attached to wingtips. Zero perceptible control effect when mounted to fuselage. You will loose 5-10 kts though.

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Alternative solution

Another option would be fabricate an enclosure/mount that screws onto one of the wing underside access panels or immediately adjacent to one. It would cost you maybe a knot of speed (if that) but would greatly simply the install and removal process. With a little thought to the design you could also make so it that you could access the camera without having to remove the mount or panel each time.
 
Yes, from http://planearound.com/main.sc the base uses the screws of the wingtip...

I had a GoPro on this originally, so now I use the GoPro adapter/connector that came with the Virb to hook right in...it keeps it a little higher off the wing.

It works very well, and I can start and stop the video from the Virb app on my iPad. I took these shots from that camera: https://youtu.be/862Xrobe6J4


Which do you like more, the GoPro or the Virb?
 
Which do you like more, the GoPro or the Virb?

They're both great; take nice HD video.

I prefer the Virb:
-- battery lasts longer
-- I can control the start/stop from my iPad (although I think that GoPro now has an app for that too)
-- Virb looks more like a tube; GoPro is more like a box
 
They're both great; take nice HD video.

I prefer the Virb:
-- battery lasts longer
-- I can control the start/stop from my iPad (although I think that GoPro now has an app for that too)
-- Virb looks more like a tube; GoPro is more like a box

Question on a recess mount - if we put a camera in a landing light location, then how are the reflections of an additional lense neutralized? Coated glass? Does it need to be flat for distortion issues?
 
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I have been using the JVC Adixxion cameras.. they are pretty good.. I prefer the form factor to the gopro.. I haven't used the virb's yet.
 
Contour

There's also the Contour cameras...I had one on my motorcycle for a while...worked well has a program that records altitude, speed, and maps your route. Worked on the bike well might be different in the air! Its tubular as well.
 
- to be powered from ships power
- controlled remotely
- ability to transfer the images through Bluetooth
- ideally show the results live on a device mounted in the cockpit.

Mark -

Check out the ReplayXD Prime X. Many accessories to hardwire it, and you can view/control it over wifi on an Android or iOS app.

No connection to the company; I just saw it at NAB and was definitely impressed. They mentioned also that they're coming out with an integrated line of ND filters in June which might help with your through-the-prop shot.
 
Mark -

Check out the ReplayXD Prime X. Many accessories to hardwire it, and you can view/control it over wifi on an Android or iOS app.

No connection to the company; I just saw it at NAB and was definitely impressed. They mentioned also that they're coming out with an integrated line of ND filters in June which might help with your through-the-prop shot.

Hey hey those look nice! Good price point too. You can hardwire but I wonder if you can remotely download the video or if you have to run a usb extension to get stuff off it.
 
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Looks nice. Do you know if it has image stabilization? Couldn't find anything about it on the website...

No optical image stabilization. As for digital image stabilization, I think you'd be better off doing that in post anyway.

Jason - You can supposedly download files from it over wifi.
 
I have also recently been giving some thought to adding a recessed camera. In particular I am curious about doing it with a wing LE cut-out similar to the duckworks one. My main concern is if the acrylic will distort the image and make it not worth the trouble.

Anyone with both a duckworks lens and a gopro/garmin want to give it a shot and let us know?
 
I mount a GoPro under the left wing using a screw through a normal GoPro mount.

Mounted-M.jpg


I have the WiFi adapter backpack on the GoPro - its and early GoPro, maybe a 2. It works really well and I can control the camera with GoPro software from my Android tablet in the cockpit. I rigged up a 10 A-hr LiPo mount and can power the camera up for a full day if necessary. It has almost no effect on aircraft trim in flight; maybe 1/4 ball out. Much less noticeable than having a fuel mismatch in the tanks (but yaw instead or bank of course).

My one complaint is I wish the GoPro was telephoto instead of wide angle. I am trying to shoot pictures of things on the ground and at pattern altitude the objects are smaller in the pictures than I want. Does anyone know of a camera with WiFi and telephoto that could mount on the wingtip?

Here is a link to where I described the LiPo mount. It was easy and cheap to make.
showthread.php
 
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