flyingdutchie

What a coincidence..my EZ* will be here monday!I will use a 5 oz lumix in it though.
Whats with the bitter part SAVS?

SAVS

I also mounted my Pentax S6 in the cowl and it fit very nicely. The SAVS investment is @ $4000 and I still am not a competent pilot. Now' I have only had it for about (3) months and (4) weeks of that it was up in CA for repair but I have a lot of time invested and nothing to show for it. I guess it will work eventually but I need photos and video NOW! not in a few months from now so I read up on the EZ and saw video of it staying in flight in the infield of a baseball field and was impressed for less than $200. Slow flight, carries all I need with the stock RTF, crash it and dunk it in hot water to fix it. I need something that will fly even if it is a bit windy, I can't drive 1000 miles to take pictures and wait a couple of days because there is a 5 mph wind. I am almost afraid to fly the damn thing, when ever I do something happens. So here comes the EZ until I can get better with the SAVS...Denny

flyingdutchie

Well,exactly my thoughts.My DF has been in the "garage" most of the time..since I live in europe,I try to do all the repairs myself,which kinda works out but I still havent flown it with a decent cam ,because,indeed of the wind,the TI not working,motors failing,motormounts snapping and remaining unrepairable [:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]etc. etc.I will keep it though for the blue-skied-sunny-without-wind-day that happens once every year over here [8D].Anyway,I would like to know how and where you mounted your cam and such,and share some more knowledge,but since that will be very offtopic,maybe via PM ?

techrtr

Unless you're flying a big nitro heli, no matter what you're flying, wind is always going to be an issue, esp if you're trying to hold the thing steady to do photography. Don't expect miracles with the DF. I fly in mine in pretty high winds and it can handle a lot. Take a look at the video that ScottSLC has taken. He does some pretty phenomenal work.

navy_chopper

Hello All, I am new to the forum and considering a DF for some video work as well; it looks as if Blackdragan has the corner on the market for quality and design. Perhaps he is waiting on a patent.

Someone mentioned earlier their DF seems to be more controllable with added weight. As a former Navy helo pilot that bears out in the full scale, too. In general, if the blades are slightly off track making for a vibrating ride, adding fuel or cargo usually smoothed things out, but as fuel burned off and weight decreased the vibration would creep back in. My suggestion for a smoother ride would be to fly at the max gross wt. I realize that shortens battery life, but it may help smooth the ride and video somewhat.

Anyone know who much weight the SAVS can carry?

vi360

I find that 4 ounces approx. does seem to stabilize the DF. A good camera with optical stabilization and a reasonable basket to hold the camera should result in photos like blackdragan. I ran out of funds to prove it. Hopefully I can do this soon and post the photos as well as how I did it.

navy_chopper

Thanks 360. So 4oz. stabilizes, have you checked to see what it will lift and still fly? Do you think it will accommodate A good camera with optical stabilization and a reasonable basket to hold the camera? I am sort of techno-inefficient, how does he activate the camera?

SAVS

NO-No-no...I have a 4.5 oz setup for the SAVS and it is not workable. I have the new HD motors and it will only go up or down but not hover at all. Once you try to hover it comes down with little chance of recovery. Again it could be the pilot but I think it is a bunch of both. For video the SAVS is fine, for stills find something else i.e. EZ...Denny

Fesfly

I think 4.5 oz plus the extra weight of the HD motors is too much. If you have the 2100 lipos you get more power but again suffer considerably from being able to compensate for situations where you need a responsive DF - it just doesn't have enough power. I am able to fly an S7 and get stable, vibration free pictures, hover still, and fly with a lot of control. I had to shave every bit of extra weight I could to achieve this and still have a reasonable flight time of 10 minutes. So I firmly think you can get nice photos with a DF = you can't load it down. I agree that it will vibrate a lot more when it is very light, i.e nothing but a battery velcro'd to the bottom, there is a sweet spot for weight as can be tested with the video cameras. The DF extreme video works well (less vibration) when I use a 2100 lipo vs a 1320 ( I think the heavier lipos reduce vibration).

SAV,

How you going to hover with your EZ?

navy_chopper

SAVS--yes the old HIGE and HOGE. I bet You probably can pull into a low hover(6") and maintain altitude but when you leave the comfort of the cushion of air the rotors produce you then flutter and lose altitude unless you have forward airspeed. Blackdragan's stuff is awesome. He should at least respond to peoples pleas for the secret such as, "I am working on a patent right now, I am sorry but I just cannot share the secret yet." Dude is smart.........

navy_chopper

Forgot, I am sure you guys know Hover In Ground Effect and Hover Out of Ground Effect............

vi360

I am money challanged so I made a basket under my very basic DF and loaded it with my 4 oz. plus cell phone. I found the DF easier to hover and control than without. Balancing was critical though or its crash time.
I think in a short time there will be more people with successful, beautiful photos and videos with our DFs.

TheHindmost

Navy Chopper, we were even talking about translational lift a few threads ago. Nice to have a real chopper pilot on board! LaceyCopter's dad is also a chopper pilot, but I don't think he posts here directly. I'm an out-of-currency civilian fixed-wing pilot (out-of-currency due to some eyes issues which may be resolved!), not many hours, but picked up a little aerodynamics along the way.

Will

SAVS

I figure if I put a motor on the end of each wing...

SAVS

You are probable right, when I take off it goes up fast and with little trouble but back off on the throttle and your not going to hover, your coming down. I know with a bunch more flight time I can make it work. I have my camera mount and camera down to 4.5 oz and close to the center where trim can balance it out. What I need now is some flight time with out having to take pictures but I have a big show in 3 weeks and fun flying is not going to happen right now so I will have to do it the EZ way. I guess I'm not selling it yet, but I am going to look for an experienced pilot to work with after the weather clears and I am not in a hurry...Denny

navy_chopper

Hindmost, good luck with the "up chit." Its always nice to get into the air. I flew 53E's in the Navy--the minesweeper, then T34's as an instructor, King Air and various others at the airlines. I on the Airbus now. Enough about me!! I am probably going to order the SAVS tomorrow and I hope we all can keep open lines of communication to perpetuate the desire to get video and pics as good as Blackdragan's. I am open to PM-ing if any of you want to share concepts--I will be open with mine.

SAVS

You'll have my attention for sure!

TheHindmost

Thanks, Navy Chopper! So is that Airbus actually letting you fly it, or are you just making suggestions? (Sorry, couldn't resist...A buddy has an Airbus captain as a neighbor and we were joking around with him the other day about all the fun things the FMS apparently won't let you do...)

Great to hear you're getting a SAVS, and this forum is definitely the active place to come to for ideas, and of course, with ideas!

Will

mistermo

Hi navy chopper, et al,

I've been lurking here (and on other forums), for some time now. I have enjoyed following everyone's progress (especially yours Clement7 and SAVS's), and really appreciate your openness with your designs (well almost all ...). I have been researching the various types of contraptions for capturing pics from on high from poles, helis, planes and "4 prop-ers". No, I haven't "paid my dues" yet (no purchase or sim ....yet), but I am getting close to also purchasing a SAVS. I thought it was time to "come out of the closet" since navy chopper was being into "this" also (another source to learn from).

Having narrowing my initial leap to the Draganfly, I have done some due diligence but the $$$ difference between the V ti, SAVS, V ti Pro and X-Pro is somewhat of a mystery. I have studied the comparison PDF and I see both similarities and differences between the types (camera specs, TI, props, etc.). Some of the components (cameras, motors, etc.) don't really have "model #'s" so research is tough, but this forum does give insight to the novice. Does anyone know of a thread that's may specifically detail the differences? I have figured out that threads older than mid 2006 don't include the newer SAVS (I think that's about when it came out).

I too will want to mount a good 6-8 mp "point & shoot" off of "whatever" (SAVS, V ti Pro, ???). Clement7 and SAVS's, you guys are doing very well, I far as this DA novice can tell.

I just wanted to say "Howdy", and tell you that I appreciate your efforts. Like Arnold, "I'll be back". Y'all (yeah I'm from VA), keep talkin' amongst yourselves.
Thanks, Mo

flyingdutchie

Welcome mrmo,
If you're planning on using a digicam on board,you probably don't want to buy the savs.For the money you'll save you can buy a nice digicam i would think.
The differences between models ,as far as i know are V TI vs V TI PRO :frame bracing,and V TI PRO and SAVS :mini wireless video camera+transmitter and "stabilized" camera mount.
I am still trying to figure out the major price difference between the normal V TI and the SAVS [&:]

navy_chopper

SAVS--do you really use that EZ? I didnt even know what it was until I went back through the thread.....Hind, the airbus does fly like a normal plane- but probably better. I think some people get themselves in trouble by not understanding what tney are telling the computers to do, another discussion for another thread though. Chopper

SAVS

Yep' today may get some flight time on the EZ. I am just not catching on with the SAVS. I can not believe the time it is taking me to learn to pilot this thing AND it has issues, i.e. unexpected power loss during flight... I am afraid to fly the damn thing. When I send it into the shop it's weeks before I see it again so I bought every part I could but when it's a board well. I use it for work so I need something a bit more usable so I picked up the EZ. Hell' I would fly a trash can if it was easy and carried a camera

Blackdragan

New pictures posted in the downtown section. http://draganflyer.smugmug.com/gallery/2240132

SAVS

The new pictures don't look as good as the first ones. Is the lens getting dirty?

Blackdragan

Savs,

I agree, the pictures are not as clear as they should be. I crashed since the latest pictures where taken and the camera was ejected from the mount. Possible the lens was effected by the impact and snow. I am planning on buying a back up camera, so we will see if the new camera makes a difference. I will also try cleaning the lens again. One other area that makes a difference is the shutter speed, which is effected by the sun light. Based on the light, it is possible the shutter speed was not as fast which would effect the sharpness of the pictures. P.S. I posted a couple new pictures today. Thanks.