Your Dream AP Money Machine?

[furyphoto]

Hey everyone, If you wanted to go after some big fish clients. Oil and Gas exploration, Developers, aerial inspections etc. Or maybe film and TV clients too. What would you spend your heli dollars on if you had lots to spend?

If you had the money, what would be your dream AP money making machine. I'm not talking about something that is fun to fly, I mean a tool the gets the job done efficiently so that you can get the shoot over with, send and invoice, and head to the field to fly your regular heli's for fun!

Would you want GPS, Alt hold, Autonomous take off and landing, programmable missions for recurring inspection jobs? Would you go with a Carvec, Neural Robotics, Rotomotion, Micropilot,or something else I don't know about? What about mounts for cameras, and video

What would you get if you had $30k to spend?
What would you get if money was not an object?

Come on all you dreamers, what would you buy?

[furyphoto]

Here are some links for reference, if you haven't seen them before, make sure you have lots of time to waste before you look!

http://www.carvecsystem.co.uk/index.htm

http://www.micropilot.com/prod_mp2128heli.htm

http://www.rotomotion.com/index.html

http://www.neural-robotics.com/

http://www.rcwhirlybird.com

Please feel free to post more!

[Tonystott]

http://www.uavvision.com/index.htm
but $30k might be enough for deposit!!

[SeismicCWave]

What if money is no problem? The dream AP machine will actually be a complete fleet of AP machines consist of everything you have mentioned and more.

The reason I said that is because there is no such thing as a dream machine. Every job has a requirement. You simply find the proper equipment (in other words the correct compromise) to do the job safely, professionally and with the highest quality.

Every aircraft flying in this world had a design goal. There is no such thing as a dream aircraft. A dream machine for you may not be a dream machine for me.

So start collecting.;-)

[Wbird]

What if money is no problem? The dream AP machine will actually be a complete fleet of AP machines consist of everything you have mentioned and more.

The reason I said that is because there is no such thing as a dream machine. Every job has a requirement. You simply find the proper equipment (in other words the correct compromise) to do the job safely, professionally and with the highest quality.

Every aircraft flying in this world had a design goal. There is no such thing as a dream aircraft. A dream machine for you may not be a dream machine for me.

So start collecting.;-)

I totally agree. Easier to get past my wife if I can somehow get her to believe that I really need another heli for work.

[furyphoto]

OK, I'm all about a fleet! I've already started collecting. But what would you get first?

[SeismicCWave]

>>But what would you get first?<<

What is the requirement of your first job? How high do you have to fly? How much do you have to spend? What is the required quality of your picture? Who is your client? Do you have take off and/or landing space? What is your building skills? What is your flying skills? How good are your eyes?

A turbine powered Bergen is a fairly reasonable machine to get started. (No I am not paid by Bergen). If you are looking for the high end RC helicopter. Then there is the Yamaha industrial helicopter which is the high high end machine and availability is pretty rare. Hard to find parts when you crash.

There are only three types of aircrafts. Ones that have crashed. Ones that will crash and Ones that will never fly. So number one rule for any dream machine is replacement parts. Otherwise you will be buying new equipment more often than you want.

I still have an XCel 60 that I can trace all the way back 20 years. I don't know which part is original but it started life as the first XCel 60 and evolved with different parts. For a while it evolved into a Bergen gasser and back into a glow fuel XCel graphite 60. Not too many RC helicopter companies have been around that long to support you with parts.

So to build your fleet you have to narrow down your requirements and start compromising.

[furyphoto]

AHEM,, I know my tone of voice doesn't come over will on the screen, but I think some of you might have not understoond the fun responses I was looking for with this question. When I am seriously looking for the next platform I will definitely ask everyone for their advise, and I am sure the will be plenty good advise to be had, I am a newborn in the world of helis compared to the experience on this forum.

I was just hoping for a bit of boys with toys talk, like kids talking about bikes, or teenagers talking about cars. I know you have all been out shooting something and said "I wish I had a "BLANK" to do this with!" come on guys, fill in the blank.

Or I guess you could tell me I'm to childish, my girlfriend used to do that all the time. She doesn't live here anymore!! ;)

[SeismicCWave]

>> I know you have all been out shooting something and said "I wish I had a "BLANK" to do this with!" come on guys, fill in the blank.<<

You may not notice but I heard you loud and clear.

Did you notice I recommended the turbine and the Yamaha. Those two are pretty much pie in the sky setup that is really nice but most won't have the budget to do it.

When you have the budget to buy the turbine setup you probably have too much money and want to do a scale ship instead of taking orders from customers telling you what to do.

I have to keep a certain amount of factual information here because I don't want any one to misconstrue my information.

[DebianDog]

Lets not forget our affordable turbine friends at Bergen!!!
http://bergenrc.com/images/ObserverTurbine.jpg

A mere $11,000

[MarkWebber]

Yep, that's what I was talking about, Dan!!:thumbup:

[Tabbytabb]

My dream machine would be when I convince Gerd to build me an industrial version of the joker that would run 15 to 20s and support up to 950 blades. Payload would be 10 to 20lbs.

This would be the ultimate aerial film rig IMO

Tabb

[MarkWebber]

Wow, that almost sounds like the new E-Observer. Except for the "Joker" part, of course.

[trackhead]

Wow, that almost sounds like the new E-Observer. Except for the "Joker" part, of course.

Is that in production yet?

[SeismicCWave]

>> an industrial version of the joker that would run 15 to 20s and support up to 950 blades.<<

Can you imagine the spark when you plug the battery into the speed controller!

[Tabbytabb]

I am running 14S now so I can imaging it would be killer. 14S gives me a jump from time to time :D

on 14S it is pretty much unboggable at 22lbs AUW and 800 blades. Really shouldnt be too much of a problem to do 30lbs on 850 or 900's. I know the power is there for sure!

Tabb

[SeismicCWave]

That's some serious voltage you are running.

[MarkWebber]

Is that in production yet?

I'm not sure. I haven't talked to Chris in a while. I saw it at IRCHA and I know they were completing the test flying after that. I thought Chris had posted that he was up to 15min or so. I guess it'd be worth a call if you're interested.

[MasterCrash]

What if money is no problem? The dream AP machine will actually be a complete fleet of AP machines consist of everything you have mentioned and more.

The reason I said that is because there is no such thing as a dream machine. Every job has a requirement. You simply find the proper equipment (in other words the correct compromise) to do the job safely, professionally and with the highest quality.

Every aircraft flying in this world had a design goal. There is no such thing as a dream aircraft. A dream machine for you may not be a dream machine for me.

So start collecting.;-)
Just my opinion,
There is only one dream machine,
That is the one you get in and fly yourself:)

[catfight]

Heli sized for this motor and battery setup :0)

Several battery combinations available. Checkout the specs.

http://www.electraflyer.com/tech.html

[SeismicCWave]

>>That is the one you get in and fly yourself<<

I think there is more to it than that. It will depend on your pocket book and what you can afford also. It could be a Rotorway Exec, Robinson 22, Robinson 44, EC135, McDonald Douglass 500, August 109 and a whole host of different new and old models.

Heck if money is no object I will take a fully restored full scale Huey Cobra.;-)