It had to happen some day. And finally it has. For as long as there have been RC model aircraft, their pilots have always wondered what it would be like to sit in the cockpit; to see what their airplanes are seeing. Various attempts have been made using bulky, and heavy, video cameras that used tapes. Heck, the earliest attempts used 8mm film cameras.

Some of these attempts actually worked. But the cameras were expensive. Especially costly was developing the 8mm film. The heavy cameras with their mechanical tape or film drives could easily suffer damage, or be totally destroyed, in the event of an unplanned airplane-ground interface. (Regular Sport Aviator readers know we do not use four letter words like “cr@sh” here. It’s the thought that makes “four letter words” not the number of letters.)

Even if all went well, the cameras were heavy and usually substantially reduced the airplane’s performance. If the airplane did not have a clear windscreen, the camera had to be mounted out on a wing. Ever try trimming and flying an airplane with two pounds of camera hanging way out there? Don’t, it is not recommended.

Photo 1

Field Tour Video 1

That has all changed now that Hobby Lobby is distributing Acme’s FlyCamOne Version 2 (FCO2) in this country. FlyCamOne has been available in Europe for a little while now, but not here. It has been user tested in Germany and everything learned during the testing has been incorporated into the new FlyCamOne Version 2 model that Hobby Lobby is now offering.

The FlyCamOne Version 2 is light, and stores as much video or as many still photos as its SD Memory card can hold. Hobby Lobby sells a 2 GB SD card that will store about 30 minutes of video. The camera also takes still photos (more on that later) with a 1.3 MB resolution. At that resolution, the 2 GB SD card might hold a lifetime of still pictures.

Photo 1 shows everything that is packed into this versatile camera package. The camera itself is only 3 in. long, 1.5 in. wide and 0.5 in. deep. It weighs just 1 ounce, including the enclosed rechargeable Lithium battery. The SD card weighs an additional 0.5 ounce making the total airborne weight 1.5 ounces.

The separate mount has two purposes. If you want to adjust the camera lens angle from flat to 90 degrees while in flight, use the mount to create a space large enough for the rotating lenses’ throw arm to clear the surface. If you plan to use the camera indoors, the mount makes a convenient stand.

The cushioned hook/loop mount helps to protect the camera from vibration while providing a firm, removable mounting surface. Just remember that the cushioned part mounts to the camera. That way, regular non-cushioned hook/loop tape can be used on a variety of airplanes or cars while still protecting the camera.

The thin cord passes through a plastic loop in the camera’s corner and works as a safety line should the camera separate from the hook/loop mount and try to fall off the airplane. I used thin wire instead (photo 2) as it can be easily wrapped around a couple of servo mounting screws and is probably a little stronger than the provided thin cord.

The small “control horn” mounts (using the pictured small screw) into the rotating lens bottom. This allows the use of a separate servo to rotate the lens during flight.

Before flying, it might be a good idea to take a tour of the camera and see just how versatile it can be. There are three control buttons, all located on the same side. One is a simple on/off slide switch. The push button switch closest to the slide switch is the “shutter” button. After the unit is turned on, push this button to activate the small digital window just under the lens. The second push button scrolls through the available operating modes.

Click on the above figure 1 for a PDF file of the entire instruction sheet. This camera can do a lot and it is all there. But it is all there in five languages and very small print. So here is a brief summary.

When RY appears, the camera is ready to be set to one of the wide variety of tasks this versatile camera can accomplish: