Conference vmszoo::rc

    One of the guys in the 495th had taken some S 8mm with an old movie
    camera in his 1/4 scale J-3 - very impressive.  Looked just like
    the real thing.  I'd like to look into this camera a little more.
    
    More details?
    
    Brian

Talking of good video.  I have a copy of a video shot from a camera strapped to 
the front of one of the Byron B25's during the Byron Striking Back show. It 
could easily be mistaken for a gun camera footage in a full size combat 
aircraft.

The model is flown along the Striking Back set, you see the crowds and other 
models quite clearly. You also fly through many bomb bursts all looking quite 
realistic. 

My copy is a rough uncut copy about 10 mins in length. Also on the same tape is
some of the test flights of the Byron 4 x 100cc engined B29. If anybody is
interested I would be happy to bring it along to a DECRCM next time I am in the
US. 

John.

    I've not tried it myself but having seen some results at a recent
    club meeting I think there are a few pointers for anyone
    interested in trying this out.
    
    1) Flying smoothly with wide turns etc is paramount.  Otherwise the 
    	resulting video is like being in the back seat of a light aircraft
    	doing tight aerobatics in a storm.                      
    
    2) Eliminate vibration as far as possible - and then some more .
    	otherwise see 1          
    
    3) Keep it short and cut in other views. 15 mins of circuits with
    	alternate shots of ground and sky does get repetitive -
    	particularly as one or other is likely to be under/over exposed.  
    
    Cover these issues and IMO you'll be pretty near success.
    
    

    What type of equipment is used for the "picture tak'n"?  There's
    no way I'm putting my $1500.00 video camera on a model plane! As
    mentioned earlier, isn't there some kind of small video transmitter
    that can be bought?  The one in the March issure of RC Modeler is
    very vague on exactly what your getting.  I've tried calling, but
    can't get through.
    
    
    Ken

    Yeah - your right.  I'd be hard pressed to put my vcr camcorder
    in am rc plane.  The guy in the 495th used an old 8mm movie projector.
    He even hade some great shots taking off of water.  The bigger the
    planthe better - would you mind sending me a a copy of the article??  
    
    Brian Jorgensen                                              
    WFR1/H2

    HOW ABOUT A VIDEO TRANSMITTER THAT WEIGHS 4 OZ. IT MEASURES 2.25" X 4".
    TRANSMITS IN COLOUR OR B/W,AUDIO SUBCARRIER,TWO POWER LEVELS,UHF 14-20.
    CAN BE TUNED WITH A VOM METER AND TELEVISION RECIEVER. IT RUNS ON 
    12 VDC. 2 WATTS,BUILT FOR UNDER $120. COMPLETE PLANS PLUS MICRO-CAM
    AND KIT INFO COSTS $9.95 PLUS $3. FOR SHIPPING/HANDLING.
    
    WRITE OR CALL--    SUPERCIRCUITS,1403-A BAYVIEW DRIVE
                       HERMOSA BEACH ,CALIFORNIA 90254
                       PHONE (213) 372-9166
    
    I GOT THIS FROM THIS MONTHS RC MAG, I AGREE THIS WOULD BE FUN.
    
    I'D CALL IT THE ULTIMAT VIDEO GAME ,BUT YOU ONLY GET ONE PLAYER !
    
    I DON'T KNOW IF THIS INCLUDES A SMALL CAMERA, I DOUBT IT. 

    This was the unit I was talking about.  I keep getting a busy signal
    when I call, so I still don't know exactly what you get, or what
    else you will need to take videos from the plane.
    
    Ken

    I just found a camera setup in a railroad modelers magazine (1988
    issue).  It consists of two pc boards with a lense attached to one,
    and points out the front of the engine.  It transmits the signal
    along the track to a tv or monitor.  It's in black and white though.
    
    I'm going to try and get some info on the "minicam" lense that is
    attached to the pc board.
    
    More later.
    Ken

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                        War Correspondent with Wings
    
    The scenario: War breaks out in the Persian Gulf. Tanks surge across
    enemy lines. Marines slog ashore on Kuwait beaches. But frustrated
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    correspondent, Caro thinks there is a future in aerial high-tech
    journalism. His Herndom Va. company, Aerobureau Corp, has a 29 year
    old Lockheed Electra plane outfitted with the latest in radar and
    communications technology to get to the news quickly and safely.
    When things get sticky, Aerobureau can deploy a small fleet of
    remotely piloted vehicles, or RPVs, that carry TV cameras.
    Controlled from a safe distance by the mother plane or ground crew,
    a midget RPV-TV could fly over the battlefield, relaying pictures up
    to a satellite link. Sure, says de Caro, "they could shoot down my
    $25,000 RPV with a $75,000 missile. But we'd come back with a $1
    million videotape." He proved his robot plane idea works at a mid
    November test. Now, he is waiting for the networks to sign up.
    {Business Week Dec 10, 1990}
    
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    I saw a 5 minute spot on CNN about this guy.  The Electra's got a few
    million dollars worth of electronics on board.  He's got the only
    airborne TV studio in the world, and he's hoping for some network
    contracts.  The spot also showed his fleet of RPVs, and demo-ed someone
    flying one of them.  They are live-telemetered out-the-nose video
    systems for the pilot.  I don't know if they uplink to a Sat. and then
    downlink to the pilot, or send direct.  I guess the implication is that
    they do that uplink/downlink thing.

re Note 1179.10 by Jim Reith     on War Correspondent with Wings

>>    old Lockheed Electra plane outfitted with the latest in radar and
>>    communications technology to get to the news quickly and safely.

    The war has come and gone.  Did this facility take part in the coverage?

    I haven't noticed anything about the news corrospondents using them but
    one of the recent model magazines had a nice article about RPVs in the
    Gulf war.