MikeFairbanks
100 kW
Keep in mind that rc planes and helicopters fly upside-down and the rotors turn the opposite direction in Australia. Everything is backward and upside-down in Australia, right?
On a serious note I would say that of all my rc plane flights and kite flights that about 25% were successful, but that would have easily climbed to 75% if I had any kind of patience and was less impulsive. I used to fly the plane or kite on days in which I totally knew better, and I would rush things.
I will say this: If you are out to shoot photos, you must have shutter priority so that you can get your shutter speed up to a thousand or more to avoid motion blur.
And video is really problematic when metal spins (propellers, rotors, etc.). You can get strange wavy lines.
Finally, the Draganfly copters are about ten thousand American dollars. But they are a turnkey operation.
For the real geeks, they do it all themselves for a fraction of the price. Some of these guys can actually program the multi-rotor helicopter to fly off a mile, drop to 200 feet altitude, take a few pictures, and then come back. While the helicopter is on its way to the job the "pilot" can go in and get a beer, make a quick phone call, and come back to find it hovering a couple meters off the ground in his front yard, just like an obedient dog.
The Draganfly is receiving a continuous feed from over a dozen active satellites and can generally stay within a meter of where you tell it to be in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude. It's amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vu32f2FvE
But check this out. Now that's some crazy stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2Ym7ehb8k&NR=1&feature=endscreen
One more tidbit: This will cost you the same (or less) than the Draganfly, and you'll have a great time AND get good photos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2Ym7ehb8k&NR=1&feature=endscreen
In fact, I saw a guy fly something like that in Australia trying to help Mad Max get a truck of fuel away from the refinery.
On a serious note I would say that of all my rc plane flights and kite flights that about 25% were successful, but that would have easily climbed to 75% if I had any kind of patience and was less impulsive. I used to fly the plane or kite on days in which I totally knew better, and I would rush things.
I will say this: If you are out to shoot photos, you must have shutter priority so that you can get your shutter speed up to a thousand or more to avoid motion blur.
And video is really problematic when metal spins (propellers, rotors, etc.). You can get strange wavy lines.
Finally, the Draganfly copters are about ten thousand American dollars. But they are a turnkey operation.
For the real geeks, they do it all themselves for a fraction of the price. Some of these guys can actually program the multi-rotor helicopter to fly off a mile, drop to 200 feet altitude, take a few pictures, and then come back. While the helicopter is on its way to the job the "pilot" can go in and get a beer, make a quick phone call, and come back to find it hovering a couple meters off the ground in his front yard, just like an obedient dog.
The Draganfly is receiving a continuous feed from over a dozen active satellites and can generally stay within a meter of where you tell it to be in terms of latitude, longitude and altitude. It's amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vu32f2FvE
But check this out. Now that's some crazy stuff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2Ym7ehb8k&NR=1&feature=endscreen
One more tidbit: This will cost you the same (or less) than the Draganfly, and you'll have a great time AND get good photos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2Ym7ehb8k&NR=1&feature=endscreen
In fact, I saw a guy fly something like that in Australia trying to help Mad Max get a truck of fuel away from the refinery.
