Looking for an RC Heli for my HPX

This is one of the best threads in DVXuser history.

I forgot about these things. But, boy, are they fun to watch and imagine playing with.

The best is when you follow the link to the toy store and read the description on the little Chinook. "The Chinook is sturdy and full of features to improve survivability! When you do crash we will have spares to get you back in the air. "

Not "if" but "when" you crash.

I envision magnificent high speed footage slowed down showing a "POV" sequence of my heli-cam speeding toward and then smashing in to some unsuspecting inner-city woman -- being shown on a wide screen television IN A COURTROOM.

The "blimp" idea sounds less hazardous -- but all I can see is some balloon boy scenario in which my ten thousand dollar camera flies off to another state.
 
As someone that got into R/C helis and planes when I was in my teens I can tell you that it take hundreds of hours to learn how to fly one. R/C helicopters are one of, if not the, most difficult things to learn to fly. My instructor at the time told me that flying a R/C copter is harder than flying a real one, he would know, he flew both. I spent many hours learning and still couldn't do much more than a basic hover before I moved over to Motocross. My basic and .45 engined copter was around $800 back in the day and then I spent another $600 or so on the rest of the flight package. This was all used gear as well, new puts it easily doubled. That rig would never have lifted anything more than my training landing gear.

Attaching a camera to a R/C heli isn't just something that a camera guy decides to do. That is something that a well trained and seasoned pilot decides to do. I can pretty much guarantee that if someone with no experience decided to do that on a whim they would destroy the chopper and the camera in under 30 second flat. What goes up must come down. Take it from me, I crashed a trainer plane on it;s first flight in under 45 seconds because I had the elevator servo switched backwards on my radio. Once it is in the air you are committed, it's coming down one way or another.

If you are still very interested in doing that I would suggest if you start today you may be ready in 2 or 3 years to fly a camera with confidence. Oh yeah, and be prepared to crash and burn a few times in the time period!
 
Besides the obvious learning curve to fly such a baby, who would SERIOUSLY consider putting a HPX on such a flight???
Sure, there are specialized companies out there doing the exact same thing, but I guess most of those were started by or with help from R/C heli enthusiasts, with years experience in flying.
So, if you´er not shooting for Discovery, why not just use one of the many small HD cameras out there, many have mentioned the GoProHD, I guess a used HV20 from ebay also would be a lot easier to handle than a HPX...

EDIT: These treads need to be linked: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=209737
 
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We have been flying the HVX/HPX cameras continuously since their releases on large helicams. We also fly the Red One and 35mm film cameras. Learning to fly a hobby model is one thing, learning to fly a helicam carrying these size cameras is an order of magnitude more difficult. After 5 years of R&D, we are only now able to produce footage that needs no stabilization in post. This was using every single tool and trick I have managed to pick up over the last 30 years of flying unmanned helicopters and considerable investment.

Because of the level of difficulty, there is truly only a handful of companies that can consistently produce broadcast quality footage with an unmanned helicopter. Because of the technical challenges, experience and risks involved, to hire this type of work out is not inexpensive. But as with anything, in the end you must be willing to pay a bit more for quality and the close range dynamic shots obtainable can be stunning and spectacular. From ground level to a few hundred feet altitude, and close to objects on the ground, no full-size aircraft can acquire the images that can be obtained by this method.

My best advice is to dream up some creative shots and hire a pro to go out and capture them for you.
 
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