jd7792
Senior Member
I've always had a bit of a problem with the whole “putting the cart before the horse” thing! As a kid I always wanted to run before I could walk and I guess the trait doesn't get any better with age! I still tend to do it!
Anyone that has read any of my threads will know that I fly the Skysurfer, from Banana Hobby, which we now all know is basically the exact same plane as the famous Bixler, with a couple of minor differences, such as wing securing screws, a military styled pilot figure under a clear canopy and obviously different decals.
Now this leads me to the point of this article, the cockpit! I have had the pleasure of having to purchase 2 Skysurfers, due to the first one having a violent disagreement with the ground during one of my famous high speed parking attempts!
The up side to this is that I have now got some spare pieces including a cockpit to play with. After reshaping the original cockpit (to what it should be prior to the parking issue) and removing the pilot and the canopy I discovered that it made a great base for mounting a camera. Now you can see how I put the cart in front of my horse! I have only had a total of a couple of minutes in the air, but yes I have cameras and mounts and memory cards etc etc etc! No point waiting I say!!!
One aspect of this hobby that has really intrigued me is the videos that are being made by everyone. The entire flying experience is improved and now enjoyed by others as well.
At this point it is worth pointing out that I purchased all the camera equipment on Ebay. I am a fanatic Ebay customer and have no problems recommending it to others. I love buying from here, even if the bank manager isn't too happy.
I came across small “spy cameras” while searching one day and couldn't believe the low prices. Of cause there are sellers that are asking stupid excessive prices for the same item, so I recommend shopping around before purchasing. I started with one of the key ring cameras which I have seen used many times with great success, then I came across the camera that you will see below. The camera came complete with 2 x mounting brackets, cable, program disc and a rubber moulded camera cover.
Now for the best bit:- The stick camera cost me less than $11 complete with postage to Australia and handling.
I have tried the camera out and the picture quality is very good, especially for the price. I just had to add a memory card and it was good to go.
That's the first mount that I got in the pack, I'll post pics of the second in a second post as they won't fit in this one.
Then finally there is the Keyring camera, which I think most people will have seen before, I have seen footage from one of these and was very impressed with the quality.
At this stage I think the way to mount these will be the stick camera in the cockpit area and then the keyring camera on either one of the wings or if I want rear footage, I can mount it on the top of the fuselage as the circumstances dictates.
I hope this information is of some use to others, I'm very happy with everything as it is and the best thing is that my budget was definitely not blown!
Anyone that has read any of my threads will know that I fly the Skysurfer, from Banana Hobby, which we now all know is basically the exact same plane as the famous Bixler, with a couple of minor differences, such as wing securing screws, a military styled pilot figure under a clear canopy and obviously different decals.
Now this leads me to the point of this article, the cockpit! I have had the pleasure of having to purchase 2 Skysurfers, due to the first one having a violent disagreement with the ground during one of my famous high speed parking attempts!
The up side to this is that I have now got some spare pieces including a cockpit to play with. After reshaping the original cockpit (to what it should be prior to the parking issue) and removing the pilot and the canopy I discovered that it made a great base for mounting a camera. Now you can see how I put the cart in front of my horse! I have only had a total of a couple of minutes in the air, but yes I have cameras and mounts and memory cards etc etc etc! No point waiting I say!!!
One aspect of this hobby that has really intrigued me is the videos that are being made by everyone. The entire flying experience is improved and now enjoyed by others as well.
At this point it is worth pointing out that I purchased all the camera equipment on Ebay. I am a fanatic Ebay customer and have no problems recommending it to others. I love buying from here, even if the bank manager isn't too happy.
I came across small “spy cameras” while searching one day and couldn't believe the low prices. Of cause there are sellers that are asking stupid excessive prices for the same item, so I recommend shopping around before purchasing. I started with one of the key ring cameras which I have seen used many times with great success, then I came across the camera that you will see below. The camera came complete with 2 x mounting brackets, cable, program disc and a rubber moulded camera cover.
Now for the best bit:- The stick camera cost me less than $11 complete with postage to Australia and handling.
I have tried the camera out and the picture quality is very good, especially for the price. I just had to add a memory card and it was good to go.
That's the first mount that I got in the pack, I'll post pics of the second in a second post as they won't fit in this one.
Then finally there is the Keyring camera, which I think most people will have seen before, I have seen footage from one of these and was very impressed with the quality.
At this stage I think the way to mount these will be the stick camera in the cockpit area and then the keyring camera on either one of the wings or if I want rear footage, I can mount it on the top of the fuselage as the circumstances dictates.
I hope this information is of some use to others, I'm very happy with everything as it is and the best thing is that my budget was definitely not blown!
