Just bought a small RC helicopter to start getting the feel of these machines. This things take shots that are impossible with helicopters and ultralights. Imagine following a bear with one of these things.
SEE THIS VIDEO: Imagine 3D shots flying through the branches of trees. The guy is using LCD screen goggles connected to a wireless receiver to see the flight path of the hexacopter.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-pz39a6_q0

That's brilliant, thanks for posting! Are you confident you can manage the same kind of navigation/steering?!

This must be like learning how to ride a motorcycle. You start with a Vespa scooter and work your way up until you can ride a Hardley. I see a lot of income potential here. Some of these hexacopters have autopilots connected to a GPS and some of the new ones are weatherproof meaning that they can fly under the rain. They even come with gyroscope mounts for a camera and can handle cameras as heavy as the Canon 5D MkII.

Hexacopter with GoPro Hero


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL_62mo65TA

Where to buy:
http://www.quadrocopter.us/

The use of a RC helicopter has great stock potential but also tremendous commercial photo / video applications. Best of luck.

I've been looking into one of these for a while but so far have held off mostly because of cost. The pilot in the Cameroon vid has some serious skills.

It will definitely take a bit of practice! What would a good quality, already assembled, model cost? I saw a price of 400 euros at the maker's website but that was only for the parts.

I'de buy one in a heart beat for 400 EU. Almost all of the multi motor ones start at $7000 for a small basic model and one that will carry a Canon 7D is more in the $12,000 and up range.

And you will crash several of them before you have the guts to install a real 7D or 5DII on them. Trust me.

I have several hundred hours flying RC aircraft and gliders, never got into helicopters. Indeed don't do it unless you are willing to crash and destroy it on the first flight.

Unlike RC Helicopters, From what I have read and seen, I think that the GPS hexacopter models are so sophisticated that if you get into trouble by pressing a button they will just hover at the altitude and location you specified and then you can pick them up with your hands. I am more concerned about how they handle wind. But it seem that they are pretty stable in fairly high winds.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCHSxDw02dQ

I have had more request of aerial shots from small hotels than 360 all-around photography. Helicopters are too expensive and cannot fly close to the hotels without creating havoc with all the wind.

I think the main problem in hotels is that you picture naturalists in their balconies and they are not going to love it.

BTW, some of the more expensive copters ($16K) send you back a live stream of video, so you can shoot exactly what you need. Very useful during news event, volcanoes etc.

Do you want to buy one with me?

No $$ at this time...still learning how to fly my hobby RC helicopter; but I am sure that at least these P5 friends will eventually very soon buy one.
Phantomewo - to film coyotes around his farm
Dapoopta - as mechanical engineer and ultralight pilot this is a must for him
VaderVideo - he loves experimenting


Control Details:


3


These guys think they are selling a full size helicopter at $23,000+

http://mikrokopter.co/

I have to wait for the "Made in China" models!

I'll ask around next time I go there ;)

But yes, the prices that were mentioned are a little out of my price range too. With everything, I hope at least, these will come down at some point that they might become affordable.

this is fun stuff, getting mine this week :) smaller version then the hexa but modified to lift canon hv cameras without problem

These choppers are on my wish list for a while now. But still pretty expensive and i don't have enough experience flying one.

Someday i will buy one thats for sure.

@Niar. please let us know when you post your clips.

Been learning to fly and how to mount a camera. Starting out small and basic with a small heli and gopro. Video is jerky as it is a small heli and no camera mount, just strapped on, still images look good

a bigger 700 size with a commercial mount has smooth video from 5d mk2

here is the video
http://youtu.be/0h_7q802aV4

A less expensive solution:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eS4-ya9woA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b20ki17sgbU

Stores:
http://xaircraftusa.com/
http://www.cnchelicopter.com/servlet/the-New-Xaircraft--X650/Categories

will do, when i get cam in it ill post some footage

We have seen German and Japanese technology. Now Made in USA:
This one is designed to be carried anywhere without disassembly. It folds on itself.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozf3ROypdrc



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vu32f2FvE

Yup Draganflyer X8 pricing speculative at over $28,000! We need someone to develop one that will carry a Canon 7D and cost less than $1500.

Some interesting projects going on at this site including an open source software program to pilot your copter:

http://diydrones.com/

Looking at video from most of these small copters though it would seem it is very hard to get stable video.

Here comes a first preview of flying my quad indoor
still loads of learning on it and loads of repairing on it *lol*

http://youtu.be/z29VgK-gPWc

Nice looking heli
You came pretty close to that table, I was waiting for the pieces to start flying :)

lol been flying stuff from it now for a while, right now waiting for some more spare parts , also in progress building my own version :)

New development in JAPAN. We might see this thing carrying cameras soon.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF0uLnMoQZA

that one looks really cool.
right now building my own heavy lifting hexacopter, will be lifting up to 5kg :)
just waiting for some parts so will be flying soon

Keep us informed, sounds like a great project Niar.

will do everything shoulde be open and running in a few weeks or so

My project is now almost finished, right now builiding landing gear and a camera mount on it.
Its a heavy lifting quad at the moment, lifting 3,6kg ,the body weights only 880grams :)
it can be modified fast to a hexa and then lifting roughly 5.6kg.

here is a couple of videos, the on from the air is low quaility bad camera lol

evening flight in heavy wind, contour camera

first flight

http://www.youtube.com/user/hardwicks76?feature=mhee

Danne

Danne is that the modified quad you built in the first flight? Are you using the same motors or are they replacements?

the first flight is the quad i built for video and photo
motors running 4 low kv rctimers

Do you have a GPS in your flying copter and 'GO HOME' button - to return home when he will be lost?

right now have no Gps on the coptercontrol board im using,
also want to see the quad when flying, maybe gps later on when flying fpv.
also keeping the cost down on the build :)

Check this: GAUI 330X S Quad Flyer Futaba 2.4Ghz Ready To Fly Helicopter

got one 330x and 500x as well
the 330x is pretty small 33cm between motors
the 500x 50cm
mine is 66cm between motors total cost less then 500$

http://dagphoto.de/cameras.html

anyone have a good sugestion for small and good videocam tapless?

Been reducing vibrations in the quad so starts looking good :)
Som RC fun from today

http://youtu.be/jm_LNeZCtXs

Still see a big issue on vibration and cmos jello die movement and vibration especially on the Gaui 330x. Hope a good stable platform can be built and shared (sold). Keep us informed on your project.

guai 330x was horrible this one have now is alot better and hopefully will be almsot all removed when new camera mount is done

Finally up in the air making footage,still some stuff need to be done, waiting for 3ccd camera for the yellow effect then the video platform is perfect
small sample of what im making at the moment with my hexacopter

Gotland August 2012

So is your flying machine totally homemade or is it a commercial version with modifications? Would be interested in see a web page about it. Great video and very stable.
Don

Most is commercial except vibration dampers and some other
Parts to remove vibrations.
Also flying homemade version,depending on what location i have to fly in.
On à Calm day without wind you can put the hexa up in the air and it stays on the spot
And you can put the control on the ground and drink some coffee while its hovering up in
The air
Check out mikrokopter website

I have one of these. A quad from Mikrokopter.de, they are not easy to fly even with a GPS board and the new software updates that supposedly make them easy to fly. I'm still working on my flying skills before putting my video gear on it.

Takes some practice to fly them,
Can recommend to do some fly trainng in a simulator helps the flying skills a a lot.
alos avoid hard wind when flying,
i never flying the hexacopter wind goes over 8ms

MUST SEE:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShGl5rQK3ew