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Not so long ago I put up a post that I wanted to make a remote-controlled spy plane. Well, I have been busy. Unfortunately I have not finished this project yet, but I thought I would do something a little different and give project updates as I continue working on it.
Normally I don't like to post projects that aren't completed, but since I'm not the first person to build this project, I know it is possible. In case you missed my post, the idea is to make a remote control plane with a video camera on it. The operator wears a head-mounted display that moves the camera in response to head movement. In doing this, you are able to get a first person point of view of flying the remote-control plane.
There are many different parts needed for building a spy plane. For the most part I have been  looking around and purchasing the parts that I need while also building some myself. The main parts needed for this project are the camera, camera mount, plane, motor, battery, remote, head-mounted display, head-tracking gyroscope, video transmitter, and video receiver. Other optional parts include a video-recording device and an on screen gps.
 There are some critical decisions to make when deciding which parts to buy. The motor of a spy plane has to spin at the correct speed and have enough power to lift the plane. Additionally, the motor must have the correct physical dimensions to fit in the plane. The battery must have enough power to operate the plane. Since the plane is carrying the camera system, the battery should be light so that it doesn't add much additional weight or take up too much space. When selecting a camera for your spy plane, it is important to choose a camera that works well  in sunlight and isn't too heavy. The video transmitter must be small and light but have enough power to let you fly a decent distance. The plane's remote must be capable of taking commands from the head-tracking unit while still having the rest of the controls on the remote. It's important to choose a gyroscope that will not drift too much, and be stable enough for head-tracking. The display must have enough resolution to be able to fly the plane.
Deciding upon all these variables is not easy, and has consumed most of the project so far. The one part of the project that I have done some work on is the camera mount. I decided to mount my camera in the front of the plane for a better view. However, this has the disadvantage of possibly being damaged in the event of a nose-dive.
So that's the summary of this project so far, I will try and provide an update later in the project. Once I am done I will have a few posts about how it turned out and, weather providing, some video-footage of my flights.
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Re: DIY Spy plane project update.
