SkyEye – Sport Flyer Designed for FPV

SkyEye – Sport Flyer Designed for FPV

Our latest construction article for Electric Flight is a real combo of old and new. The SkyEye is a lightweight, easy to build 3-channel sport flyer pusher design that’s designed for not one but two cameras in its nose! A GoPro Hero video camera or similar, and a FPV camera and transmitter to send images back to the ground station. Designed by contributor Clark Salisbury, the model is very easy to build and fly and will be featured in our upcoming March 2015 issue.

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Be sure to keep an eye open for this one, it’s a great project even for beginner pilots and builders.

Specifications

Model: SkyEye

Wingspan: 69 in.

Length: 53 in.

Weight: 4 lbs., 5oz.

Power req’d: 25-size brushless motor

Radio req’d: 3-channel (rudder, elevator, Throttle)

Clark comments: ” I was inspired to carry a second camera, because my friend Guy, from our local Ham radio club, described his project for recovering model rockets using an RC plane and an FPV camera. The FPV (First Person View) systems, transmits images from the plane, to a monitor on the ground. Wow! I thought this would be a great way to improve my aerial video photography. SkyEye carries both a very small FPV camera, and a GoPro Hero video camera recording at 1080P in high definition. Both cameras are mounted and tilt together. The photo shows my easy to make mechanism which is servo operated. You can custom design a similar setup to suit whatever camera you decide to use.”

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“While shooting FPV video, I have Guy monitor the flight with the small 7-inch screen that comes with the FPV setup. He tells me which direction to turn to get the best shots. This way I am always watching the plane itself.  In general, for the best FPV views, you will want to tilt the camera down on takeoffs, and tilt it up on landings.”

Updated: November 6, 2014 — 8:18 AM

10 Comments

  1. 2 Cameras and no Ailerons ?. Come on fellas this is 2014 not 1903.

    1. Hank, Good point. I have designed quite a few planes with ailerons, but SkyEye is really designed for photography and videography only. It turns very smoothly with only the rudder, thanks to plenty of wing dihedral. My intent was to keep the build as simple as possible, and you can build one in a week, working about 4-5 hours a day. Also, a 4 channel radio will not only control the plane, but leave an extra channel for tilting the camera.

      1. I just got the late issue with this plane in it and love it. I really want to build it but I can’t find the plans anywhere on this sight. Help.

        1. I also can not find the plans, sent Air Age an E-Mail- no response

      2. Hi Clark, where can I find the plans. I love your plane

        1. AirAgeStore.com

  2. This sounds like a fun project! I guess it is a different angle than the quad drones used for the Heros we see so commonly. I look forward to checking it out in the magazine.

  3. Hey gang. there has been some behind the scenes work going on at Airagestore.com so some of the plans did not show up. Here is the link for the SkyEye plans on the store website. Cheers!
    http://www.airagestore.com/the-skyeye.html

  4. Is there anyone cutting a short kit for this?

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