Camship Video Project

Club combat? Dogfighting with buddies? Let's hear about it!

Moderator: hbartel

MLaBoyteaux
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:43 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by MLaBoyteaux »

I've re-configured the Camship as a pusher using a SuperTigre .90 engine which Scott Gilkey was kind enough to donate. I ran the engine today with a 15X6 pusher prop which has been cut down to a 14X6. It's turning right at 10,000 rpm and feels like it should have plenty of thrust.

Image

Image


I don't have the camera (it's in Houston) but I know it's dimensions and weight. I rigged up a servo to pan the camera mount this evening. Although it's working, it has some problems. I'm using a standard Futaba S-148 servo and because of the lengths of the arms and mass of the gimbal, the slop in the output shaft and gear train makes the mount move in a jerky fashion when panning the mount from left to right.

Image

Here's the mount panned to the right.
Image

Here's a closeup of the pan servo.
Image

I found some plans to modify a servo for 360 degree rotation and controlling it's rate. I think I can use a pinion and gear set for electric helicopters and make a geared set-up. I may go ahead and fly it in this configuration this weekend just to test out the rest of the systems, but this set-up will not allow us to smoothly pan the camera from side to side.

The previous configuration was very nose-heavy and I had to add 10 ounces of lead to the tail to balance it. I calculated where this new configuration would balance at, but now it seems that it may come out slightly tail heavy. I may wind up building a new center pod which is a little bit longer to get the balance correct without having to add ballast.
Ben Morrow
Posts: 1396
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2001 6:34 pm

Post by Ben Morrow »

<font size="6">AWESOME!!!</font id="size6"><b></b> Can't wait Mark! Dang cool looking set-up! Just AWESOME! Combat pic. from outside the combat mix!!
User avatar
lightning
Posts: 1444
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2003 10:53 pm
Location: USA

Post by lightning »

Mark, mebbe you need one of these....? http://www.servocity.com/html/robotzone_servos.html
MLaBoyteaux
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:43 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by MLaBoyteaux »

Well, here at the Skunkworks unit of Velcro Video Productions, LLC, we've been elbows and a$$holes getting a flying Combat Camship in the air in time for Paris. I think we have a solution. Dang, this thing is turning out to be as complicated as a Space Shuttle. It was just supposed to be able to carry a camera, not fly to Venus! Here's the latest configuration Version 2.4C Beta 7 with the chase chopper and command module.

Image

We had a minor setback a week and a half ago when we suffered a "hard" landing. You call them crashes, I call them hard landings. The Hindenburg? Just a hard landing. With fire. Anyway, I took the new pusher configuration out for a Sunday hop with 3 cans of CountryTime Lemonade strapped to the nose for ballast. Yeah, they weighed more than the camera assembly, but I had made the first nose too short (hence all the revisions....) Anyway, we fired the trusty SuperTigre .90 up (courtesy of Gilkey Propulsion Solutions), taxied out and took off. When I turned on downwind, the aircraft started to descend and I applied more up elevator. The nose continued to drop. I was out of elevator. Funny how you seem to run out of ideas and elevator at the same time. Something's not quite right here, so I pulled the throttle back and watched it disappear behind the concrete plant next door. I said some profane things at this point which surely would have earned me a LifeBoy mouthwash had my momma been within 100 yards. I'm glad she's down in Nacogdoches.

Alright, I'll get to the point. Turns out the horizontal stabilzer, which is about 7" by 24" wide, was flexing up in flight. So as the airspeed increased, the positive incidence on the stabilizer increased which caused the aircraft to pitch down.

When we found the plane, it was sitting upright in one piece! It landed hard and ripped the landing gear out from under it, but otherwise was intact! When I reduced the throttle, I must've held full up elevator and as it slowed down it leveled out, somewhat. However, the 3 cans of CountryTime Lemonade on the nose took most of the impact and ruptured, showering the plane with lemonade and then coating it with sand. By the time I got it home, it was like trying to clean sandpaper. I'm glad I saved the beer and only sacrificed lemonade!

After repairs where made, I stiffened the stabilizer and lowered it while also addding a little negative incidence. Subsequent flights have revealed a nice flying plane. Very stable and it will maintain altitude at just above an idle. Sweet touch and goes.

So, I fabricated a new center pod which was about 12" longer to balance the camera assembly. Then when I got the assembly finished, it was heavier than the original design weight. I might have said a few expletives at this realization. Well, I have a bandsaw that took care of THAT problem. Hahhahhah. And more epoxy. And some plywood.

So here is the final version, ready to rock and roll. Here you can see the SuperTigre in the pusher configuration.
Image

Here you can see how the camera is panned to the right and tilted down slightly.
Image

Image

Image

And the "Command Module". A second radio is used to pan and tilt the camera. It includes the video receiver and monitor so the camera operator can see where the camera is pointed in real time. I'm going to see if I can also control the zoom feature as well.

Image

I'm planning on getting it back out for all up test flying this week if the weather will co-operate.
David E.
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:19 pm
Location: USA

Post by David E. »

Looks good. When you rotate the camera on that plate do you experience any trouble with wind deflection. The flat plate might do that at higher speeds. Have you thought about a canopy for around the camera? I may be totaly off base but it might help with handling.
Video looks great and can't wait to see combat footage.
David E.
MLaBoyteaux
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:43 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by MLaBoyteaux »

Got the plane up yesterday for 2 flights with all the video equipment operating. Downlink works good, camera control is working. The display gets washed out in the sunlight and is very difficult to see. We may have to try using a 13" color TV for a monitor. We got 30 minutes of video out of 2 flights. I put some of it together for a 3 minute clip. It's much more stable than the first one, but since I edited it, it's not as well polished as the first one that Mike edited.

High Quality version 10MB
http://www.laboyteaux.com/Camship/Camsh ... _02_HI.wmv

Low Quality version 3MB
http://www.laboyteaux.com/Camship/Camsh ... _02_LO.wmv

At high speeds, the gimbal causes a lot of turbulence and rocks the plane around. At low speed, it doesn't seem too bad. Most of the time I couldn't tell any difference in the direction or attitude of the camera. But on one touch and go, I was about to flare when the plane suddenly began to yaw to the left. I throttled up and went around wondering what had happened, and then I realized the camera operator must've rotated the camera and it did act like a rudder only it's on the front of the plane. Ha. I bought a 6" diameter foam ball from Micheals with the intent on making aerodynamic spheres for the camera, but I haven't had time to fabricate them yet.
David E.
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:19 pm
Location: USA

Post by David E. »

Looks great. You have a nice field. Can't wait to see the next video.
great job
Web-Pilot
Posts: 846
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2001 11:16 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by Web-Pilot »

Mark,

D#@n that is NICE!!!!! Great Job! I can't wait to experience the Paris Video, especially since I will not be able to be there in person.

Were these video's at GWS?

George
User avatar
Ed Kettler
Posts: 3437
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2001 6:05 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by Ed Kettler »

Mark, Mike and Bob, that is OUTSTANDING!!!! The gimbal limits are impressive, and the video quality is excellent! Well done!

Ed
User avatar
Dane McGee
Posts: 885
Joined: Fri Feb 21, 2003 1:57 pm
Location: Greenville, Texas

Post by Dane McGee »

Awesome guys!!

Hey Mark, can I borrow that thing to scout out a few huntin spots[:D]
Wingman
Posts: 285
Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2003 3:27 pm
Location: USA

Post by Wingman »

Mark, that is truly some of the coolest stuff I have ever seen in R/C. Leave it up to you to figure it all out, and hands down, you are a "video magician".

Looking forward to seeing you in Paris. And by the way, you can follow me anytime. [:)]

Eric Wenger
TEAMseaholm
User avatar
boiler
Posts: 3336
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2003 8:16 pm
Location: Ohio
Contact:

Post by boiler »

As I've said before. "You do nice work Mark![:D]
sgilkey
Posts: 2351
Joined: Mon Mar 19, 2001 8:26 am

Post by sgilkey »

I cannot believe how cool that is, great job!!! I can't wait to see some aerial shots of combat!
Jimbo
Posts: 1082
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2001 11:28 pm
Location: USA

Post by Jimbo »

MLaBoyteaux
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:43 pm
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by MLaBoyteaux »

We've been doing some final testing with the camship this weekend. We shot about an hours worth of video pointing the camera at several different types of targets. Here's a few of the shots. Knife had a new top secret 2548 ship out for test flights and we gave chase. I think it's ready for Paris. Now I've got to get my SSC and B fleets ready!

9MB file.
http://www.laboyteaux.com/Camship/Camsh ... ge_HiQ.wmv
Post Reply

Return to “Sport Combat Issues”