Hi Waterwings.
I found it really helpful when I started learning how to fly model airplanes to have my R/C Radio connected to the flight sim software with a USB trainer port device.
The hardest part for me was getting used to the model airplane 'orientation'. When the plane is flying away from you control is easy but when the plane is coming towards you you have to map in your brain the correct control response to the left or right wing tip leaning downwards.
When preparing your plane for aerial photography make sure your propellor is balanced or it will induce vibrations into your camera.
The most important thing about carrying cargo on an EasyStar is to have the CG (Center of Gravity) balanced, even if this means adding something as a counterweight on the tail of the plane.
I found the upgrade to a 3S Lipo battery and a brushless motor really adds to the cargo carrying potential on an EasyStar. I went with a
Hobby King 2200kv Brushless Inrunner motor HXT 2835 (380S) because it is a drop in replacement for the typical brushed speed 400 motor. With a standard 2200mAh 3S1P 11.1Volt Lipo batery I get about 20 minutes of flying time.
A
shaft adapter (with a collet made for a 3.175mm motor shaft) is also required to connect a propellor to the brushless motor. I have had good success with APC 6x4 props on my EasyStar. Metal gear servos are also good to have. They are less likely to fail after a hard landing.
Camera MountsDuring my flight experiments I have experimented with all sorts of camera mounts.
My first camera mount was quite hackneyed - I cut a slot in the foam canopy and used electrical tape to hold the camera onto the plane.
Next I tried using plastic cable ties to attach the camera to the wing so I could take vertical format aerial mosaic images.
Then I tried using a 1/4 nylon bolt run through the canopy and screwed into the tripod thread on the camera. I also used a piece of corrugated plastic as a washer to reinforce the bottom part of the foam canopy. I used large rubber bands to hold the canopy on.
Later on I experimented with sticking a large piece of industrial velcro on the front of the camera and using a wide velcro strip to affix the camera to the plane. This works for sideways camera mounts and vertical camera mounts. Just make sure to put the "soft" side of the velcro on your camera for easy handeling!
CHDK SettingsAs far as CHDK camera settings I typically use ND Filter "out" and set the camera to manual exposure mode using as high of a shutter speed override as I can on the day. A speed of 1/1000th of a second is typical on a sunny day. I then bump the ISO up and down a bit to adjust the exposure. I also set the focus mode to infinity and set the review mode to off.
If you want to take lots of photos I typically go with the non-stop CHDK intervalometer route because I find the more photos I take the better odds of capturing something interesting.
Some people like the idea of using an R/C "switch" to enable / disable their intervalometer in CHDK. There are a few manufacturers like
Gentles Limited who make these types of remote switch products.
Good Luck!
P.S. I noticed that the Forum software has removed some of the photos and text from previous messages on this thread.
