..Working up the original shape..
While scanning some images from the NASA Dryden library, the Altus/Predator struck me as a possibility to serve as a electric powered camera plane. Doodled up a side view, pulled an Electra wing from the spare room.. added equipment here and there. A Leisure Extended Shaft 3:1 gearbox with a Leisure can motor..Leisure 11x7 folding prop, ESC, 7x1200 battery. Vee-tailed to keep the tips off the ground. Camera is a Nikon Novus A20 Advantix film type. Auto everything. Actuated by a seperate servo. Flying weight 58 oz. that's about 10 oz of payload over a normal Electra.
........Camera location....
..The camera shutter is tripped by a short 1/8" dia. lever running thru a couple of landing gear clamps, with a standard nosewheel steering arm at the top controlled by a Cirrus CS-50 servo.
...pusher motor installation ...
The pusher motor required a long nose to balance.
After the first day's flying, decided to remount the camera to look
to the left and down, for more interesting pictures.. and move the
camera forward to eliminate some ballast..
...3 view layout... done with RcCAD ...
.Major dimensions as shown.
.. Lots of stuff on aerial photos and links..
