Path: src.honeywell.com!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!world!jlw
   From: jlw@world.std.com (James L Walker)
   Keywords: astrocam
   Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
   References: <BszLnn.MC3@andy.bgsu.edu> <vz7m=7l.tstark@netcom.com> <Btq7Bx.5GG@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>
   Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 13:38:21 GMT
   Lines: 51

   >
   >Any large high-wing trainer type (eg. Sig Kadet Sr.) sould be able to 
   >handle the weight. So too would a standard class glider with, say, a 
   >.15 or .19 on the nose. 

   A couple of weeks ago a guy brought one of these cheap autowind
   cameras out to our field.  He had mounted the camera on a piece of
   plexiglass and then mounted a Futaba S-148 servo so that it would push
   the button manually.  We mounted it on the bottom of his Sturdy Birdy
   powered by a .40 FP right under the wing pointing down.  He popped the
   flash up so that we would know when the camera was taking pictures.

   The pictures were a blast to look at.  It was cool to see the field
   that we've been flying on all this time but have never seen from the
   air.  A couple of the pictures showed the pit from high altitutude.
   It was pretty neat.  I wish we had it around when we lost planes in
   the woods before.  Next time we'll use it to try to locate them.

I did a similar thing with a Goldberg Eagle and one of those el-cheapo
Fuji cardboard develop-the-camera things. An extra servo inside pulling
a bent coat-hangar arrangement to push the shutter button on the camera.
The camera was rubber-banded to the bottom of the airplane and I had glued
a couple of small balsa wood wedges in place to keep it from sliding around.
Worked very well until my brother pulled the wings off the airplane in flight...

   Some advice to anyone trying to do this:

   1.  Get a camera with a slow autowinder.  There is no way to get
   feedback to the servo so that you make sure that just one picture
   goes.  With a slow servo you end up taking 2-3 pictures at a time.

My method means you have to land and wind the d^#$ thing every time, but
you know you only take one picture with each servo toggle.

   2.  Use fast film.  Obviously the plane is moving right along up
   there.

   3.  Ed Baker (ed@kronos.com) did the flying and he may have something
   to say about this.  Blurring was a real problem with alot of the
   pictures.  The camera was just strapped on with rubber bands.  My
   suggestions for improvement would be:  a) isolate the camera from the
   fuselage using foam rubber, b) take pictures at high altitude so that
   ground speed is not as much of a factor, c) take pictures in a slow
   glide with the engine at medium throttle to reduce both high and low
   frequency vibration.

I had the same problem and eventually figured out all you have to do is get
up where you want and pull the throttle back to idle. Let the airplane glide
a bit (which most of the trainer types will do quite well) while you pop the
shutter. Even with the cheapie cardboard camera we got some really crisp
pictures this way.

This arrangement with the Goldberg was really nice for several reasons:

1. If built properly the Eagle is really easy to fly and very stable. Makes
a good platform for a camera, and it had no trouble lifting it even though
it was strapped on the outside of the airplane. (With a .45 Magnum Pro)

2. In our case it was an old airplane and with the cheapie camera even if you
trash the whole thing you're not out much.

3. The Fuji or Kodak cardboard cameras weigh almost nothing. They make a very
good candidate for this sort of thing, and require no extra power other than
to drive the additional servo.

4. Even having to land every time to wind the next shot was not too bad. It
was very easy to slip the rubber bands off and wind or change the camera even
with the engine running.

Just some thoughts since everybody seemed interested in this topic...
--
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* Eric Jacobsen        Honeywell Inc.                           *
|     1-602-436-3941   Commercial Flight Systems, Air Transport |
* HVN       436-3941   US Mail: P.O. Box 21111, MS 2Q34C1       *
| FAX 1-602-436-1310   Phoenix AZ 85036-1111                    |
* INet: ericj@hwcae.honeywell.com                               *
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* The opinions expressed are my own and therefore better        *
| thought out than my employer's.                               |
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