Towed free flight video platform

[Eifion Herbert]

Right, here's one for you. During periods of insomnia my mind wanders, often considerring some modelling quandry or other. I've recently acquired a Contour Roam 2 action camera. Although I haven't had the weather to test it yet I'm going to fix it to some models and take some aerial video of where I fly. Already done so with a key fob camera and thought hey this is cool, hence getting the better camera for some better footage.

And whilst unable to sleep last night I was thinking about the aerotow day coming up at our club field, and thinking of going up to film some of the goings on. I've got a nice video capable DSLR which I've never investigated the video functions so thought it might be fun. While thinking about the shots I'd like and how to achieve them, I thought, hey I wonder if any of the pilots would let me put a camera on a towplane looking back at the glider, or on a glider looking towards the tow. Then I thought they probably wouldn't, this being an invitation only event with 25 fliers, there's likely to be thousands of pounds worth of kit there, which they are not going to risk loosing due to the detatcing of a £150 camera fixed by some unknown film maker with a pocket full of cable ties.

So, I get to thinking, I've got a Wot 4 foam-e, could I construct some kind of free-flight glider platform specifically for carrying the camera that I could tow behind the Wot4, that wouldn't need someone at the controls? Thinking it would follow the Wot4 around the sky but a little distance back thus giving a different and interesting perspective to the usual in flight videos. I'm guessing somehting with a fair bit of dihedral and a few degrees positive incidence between wing and stab would stay fairly stable while following a towplane? How would landing work? could it land still on the tow, or would I have to release the free flight component at a suitable height and direction and let it land itself. Am I overcomplicating things by towing a free flight? Would putting the camera on a towline with a simple drouge chute achieve the same result?

Like I said, these are my 3am insomniatic musings, so I wonder if anyone knows if it's been done before, or even if it's feasable to do at all?

Eifion

[Frank Skilbeck]

Well I launched my Easy Glider on the bungy without switching it on, it climbed to height and then circled around and landed in the next field.

But with a tow plane you must have some sort of release otherwise if the glider goes out of control it will bring it and the tow plane down. Releasing from the towplane would leave the tow line on the glider which might then get snagged as it comes down and causes the glider to crash.

If you can't find glider pilot and add controls to the glider, you could add a 2nd Rx to the glider and operate the tow release from the tug Tx.

Sounds an interesting project though.

[mark heffer]

Have a look at this it will make you laugh if nothing else .I have a mark two ready to go wish me luck

http://youtu.be/dgDYrheZ2yY