Voyager E front mount finished

[AZ ChopperCam]

spent all day working on my Voyager E front mount. I just love these Voyagers. great little machines that have about twice the lifting power of a Trex and can fly for just as long.

The front mount shares many similarities with my proven RaptorCam design. 4 neoprene vibration mounts hold the mount to the airframe. It uses the swing arm design with small spring/oil dampers. Since this one is going to be used primarily for photo work I made sure that it can swing in pitch and roll axis for self leveling. I have not added oil dampers in those axis. Will fly first to see if I even need to.

Tilt control is via direct drive off of a standard servo. I've placed my heavy Nikon CoolPix 4500 as well as my smaller Nikon L1 on the mount and the servo had more than enough grunt to hold it in any position. No linkages this way. Lighter and less prone to slop over time. Tilt goes from about 5° up though 95° of travel to 90° straight down.

This Voyager is stretched with an Eco 8 boom/belt and 470mm carbon blades. I havent flown it yet. Need to get a Futaba 401 for it tomorrow and then I'll put her up.

next.... Joker front mount :D :D :D

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/7.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/1.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/4.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/4.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/6.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/3.jpg

http://azchoppercam.com/forums/front_mount/voyager/2.jpg

[AZ ChopperCam]

Test flew today. Carries the weight no problem. Need to make a servo trigger for my camera next and then I'll start taking some shots

:D

[WillJames]

That is really cool looking!! Thanks for sharing!! :glasses2:

[AZ ChopperCam]

couple shots from this morning.

[Art-Tistic]

DJ,
Nice Pics, but if your gonna do a pool shot you've got to get it full of hot naked hunnies first :lol: :lol:

Now stop F-in around with the little toys and get on that Joker mount....there's work to be done. :glasses:

Later,
Ant

[GGoodrum]

The shots look quite clear. Looks like you have very little vibrations with this rig.

I don't see a trigger servo, how are you taking the pics?

-- Gary

[AZ ChopperCam]

Now stop F-in around with the little toys and get on that Joker mount....there's work to be done. :D yes... yes... I know :roll: Hopefully I'll start on that this weekend.

Looks like you have very little vibrations with this rig. It's pretty close.... still a little shake. I can't seem to get the blades to track consistently. need to work on that

I don't see a trigger servo, how are you taking the pics
there is now a servo on it. for now I double taped it to the top but eventually I'd like to try that removable plate idea that was posted up here recently. :D

[GGoodrum]

I saw another clever idea for a trigger servo. A young guy in the UK made a z-shaped mount from sheet aluminum for his Logo 10 rig that bolts to the camera mount, right next to the camera. Up to this point, I've just been gluing the damn things to the camera. :D

-- Gary

[R Hudson]

Man, DJ

You don't sit still for a second, do you?

VERY cool mount.

Rod

[LoopBaCK]

DJ... for the weight (what is the AUW on this heli w/cam?) how does it fly? Specifically does it feel lugged down or fairly easy? Your cam looks like it's only a few ounces and the mount itself looks light also. Just curious about how it handles in the air fully loaded. Also what flight times are you getting?

All these questions... I'm wanting to get an electric specifically for stills and am researching.

Thanks for the info,

[AZ ChopperCam]

total weight is 68oz. RTF with camera.

It flies fine. It is stretched with 470mm blades. Stock blades are 430mm. It consumes about 400mah/min. so with a 3s 3750 you can fly safely for 7 minutes. With a 3s 5000 you can fly for 10 minutes.

Max camera weight would be around 8-10oz. so no DSLR's but 6-9mp point and shoots will do nicely.

The only probelm with it over a larger platform like the Raptor is stability. Like any smaller heli it likes to wander around a bit. an AP2000i would help tremendously and I plan to install one as soon as I get another 3 or 4 real estate jobs completed with it.

[R Hudson]

DJ,

Now you need to get a Logo 10 so you can build a mount for that too :wink: :wink: :wink:

Rod

[GGoodrum]

Yes, I agree, the Logo 10 is a very smooth platform, compared to the Swift, and just as inexpensive (a Logo 10 Basic kit is $219). Plus, AeroModel-Hacker, which as you already know DJ is very close to you, is also the Mikado distributor for the US, so parts availability won't be an issue. :)

-- Gary

[AZ ChopperCam]

ahhhh! ok. screw the Swift idea. For some reason I thought parts were hard ot get and expensive.

cool... so next is Joker mount and then Logo. sounds like fun.

*edit... just talked to Spencer at Hacker. man... it sure sounds like a Logo10 and 24 are in my future.

I might just unload this Voyager sooner than I thought and go with a Logo.... actually no might about it. I AM going to. Headed over to Hacker tomorrow.

[WillJames]

I might just unload this Voyager sooner than I thought and go with a Logo.... actually no might about it. I AM going to. Headed over to Hacker tomorrow.


Congratulations!! That is awesome!! Can't wait to see!!

[dreslism]

Having gone through a swift for AP already and sold it, I would go for the logo also. Especially since the price drop.

About a week or so after I bought my swift, they dropped the prices on the logo's, otherwise I would have got the logo from the start and still might be with it.

I never thought the raptor was that big, but now that I think about it, and hear you guys mention a neighborhood heli, the raptor titan does seem a bit big.

The first time I thought it was big was this past week when I was trying to take photos of mine and my neighbors cottages.

Lots are only 40 feet wide and trees at the waters edge.

A smaller heli would work out good here.

Gary, do you have any plans to sell the quick @ tppacks?

[R Hudson]

I'd skip the 24 if I were you, DJ

If you want better bang for the buck, go with the Logo 14.

Better deal than the 24 and only one batt pack!

Otherwise, there are some who use the Logo 20 with great results.

Start with the 10 though!!!!!!!

I really want to see a mount for that.

Sorry. I'm going overboard. After all it's your money. Not mine :)

Rod

[AZ ChopperCam]

the 24 would be for video work like the Raptors are and the 10 for my "neighborhood" heli.

[GGoodrum]

Gary, do you have any plans to sell the quick @ tppacks?

For now, I'm basically just selling the SE frameset and the stretch kit. I do, however, have a few full ep-8 v2 kits, so I can supply a complete SE package, if somebody wants it. Just PM me.

-- Gary