Cheap, tiny camera for RC planes captures video proof when you buy the farm

Radio controlled airplanes aren't quite as exciting as their full-sized counterparts, but they're pretty darned fun just the same. What would be even more fun? Rigging up an RC craft so that you could see as if you were flying inside the thing, and that you can now do for less than you'd spend on a high-end servo. $47 gets you this aptly titled "RC Plane Camera," a VGA quality cam that won't deliver quality high enough to film an RC version of Les Chavaliers Du Ciel, but should be enough to see what your little plane sees. You can rotate the lens in any direction you like (while on the ground) and, since it weighs only 20 grams, it should work just fine even on a kite. What could you do with such a thing? Watch the video after the break and we think you'll get some ideas.

[qaddodi Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:21PM]

Long nails are the selling factor

[NHAnimator Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:24PM]

@qaddodi

Must have run out of paint for the pinky. Killed the sale for me.

[qaddodi Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:26PM]

@NHAnimator gotta admit that is the dealbreaker on this baby! lol

[brr404 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:30PM]

@qaddodi
UAV?

[matic Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:40PM]

@qaddodi This whole article is made to let you believe you can fly an RC plane from a first-person POV, which simply isn't true. This isn't new tech, it's just another small video recorder, you could accomplish this by taping your cell phone to an RC plane, turning on the video camera and hitting record. It doesn't broadcast the video, you have to land your plane, take it out and upload it to a computer to view it.

here's the product:
http://bit.ly/bH0BYQ

[qaddodi Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:49PM]

@matic well that sucks!

[kineticdamage Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:21PM]

@qaddodi

The cam looks like a sextoy, and her nails make her hand look like a prostitute ... Now that is bad taste !

[Ducman69 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 6:19PM]

@kineticdamage Thats what I was thinking.

Put a clear condom over it and go exploring.

[F C Posted Jun 4th 2010 1:22AM]

@kineticdamage
"...her nails make her hand look like a prostitute..."

A dehydrated one at that.

Ugh!! I just imagined it too... not good.

[CZroe Posted Jun 4th 2010 11:39PM]

@matic You can't do it with this product but, as the video of another setup demonstrates, you CAN do it.

Engadget said that the video was for "ideas," but I didn't catch that at first either. What made it clear to me was that the POV was independent of the cockpit, which is something they clearly said wasn't possible with the device in question (adjust it "on the ground").

[rstoplabe14 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:24PM]

Looks like the android logo

[ECH Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:24PM]

I wonder where else that camera could be shoved?

[Drey Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:27PM]

@ECH

That's what she said :)

[Freakin Ijit Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:38PM]

@Drey The idea of looking up at an RC plane that is coming down at ya chasing another plane and firing BBs doesn't settle well...

[the camera is realtime and swivels based off the video]

[Freakin Ijit Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:42PM]

@Freakin Ijit After reading the other sites' blurbs about this camera, I think the video was shot with something else - swiveling and realtime (the "burp" of the BB-gun was TOO coincidental to the crosshairs being on target to be anything but fired DUE to the crosshairs being on target - not possible with simply recorded video).

[Freakin Ijit Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:42PM]

@Freakin Ijit Interesting...the FIRST reply was made to the "dogfighting!" comment below...

[TimStevens Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:56PM]

@Freakin Ijit Embedded video was not shot using the camera covered here, check out the date on it!

[SiXiam Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:25PM]

Wow dog-fighting!

[TEd77 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 5:07PM]

@SiXiam that's not dog-fighting,

THIS is dogfighting (or rather formation flying and follow-the-leader)

Even got a formation takeoff and landing!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ssgtakeo#p/a/u/0/RVBOxG51eJw

We also have one that's a bit smoother and higher:

http://www.youtube.com/user/ssgtakeo#p/u/7/LDm7ERLUbLQ

[F C Posted Jun 4th 2010 1:19AM]

@SiXiam
"Wow dog-fighting!"

Huh?? Where's Mike Vic to straighten all this out??

[spaz4322 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:25PM]

I can imagine the uses now.
*zooms in to brain*
*monkey playing cymbol*
*Zooms out of brain*

[medicmechanic Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:25PM]

Fucking BADASS!

[Javindo Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:25PM]

Would be great also for RC helicopters, you could film stunts etc from above them (bike/skateboard etc)

[atourgates Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:45PM]

@Javindo

I've been doing some daydreaming about this. I've got an Easystar that is nearly the perfect plane for strapping a camera to - since it glides well, survives most crashes and can carry an impressive payload.

I think if you set things up correctly with a Flip HD or the like - you could get some pretty epic arial videography of the type that typically requires helicopters. All for a total cost in the neighborhood of $300.

Course if you set up a nice head tracking system, your video quality would probably be much better. Check out http://fpvpilot.com/default.aspx to get started on that fantastic project.

[matic Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:26PM]

This isn't really that "new", there have been video recorders for RC for years, that's all this does, record video. It doesn't broadcast it to a screen or anything, you have to land your plane and upload the video to a PC to view it.

[Loonie Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:38PM]

@matic : Indeed. Wireless real-time flying is where it's at, camera-wise.

[crunc Posted Jun 4th 2010 9:42AM]

@Loonie sure - but doesn't that cost a lot more? For somebody on a budget, this is a good choice. I'm thinking about putting one of these into a model rocket and I'm not inclined to spend a lot of money on one given the chance of a rocket coming down and landing at the top of a tree.... In fact, even this price gives me pause... but it would be cool.

[g00dni9ht Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:28PM]

Cut those nails! - There aren't going to be any sales with those kind of nails.

[THJ Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:29PM]

All it needs is a SIM card slot and a remote cargo release and you have a DIY Predator Drone.

[matic Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:38PM]

@THJ um, not it couldn't because it's a video recorder, it doesn't broadcast anything to a screen. http://bit.ly/bH0BYQ

[THJ Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:45PM]

@matic Yeah, that's why it needs a SIM card slot.

Disclaimer: I don't really believe that taping a SIM card reader to this video recorder will instamagically make it able to stream video, but I can dream :)

[Why should I have all the fun Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:29PM]

Now I can harass my neighbors with my personal UAV.

[Jase Posted Jun 3rd 2010 3:37PM]

@Why should I have all the fun

until you hear "AC130 ABOVE!!". then you run like hell.

[shmootz Posted Jun 4th 2010 12:35AM]

@Why should I have all the fun

The problem is there is no wireless control... I believe it only records with playback on the computer after landing.

[Zylam Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:32PM]

thats funny LOL, how did they move it right and left?

[SlapBass Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:34PM]

I've done a bit of aerial photography and video on one of my planes. Its quite fun, and its nice to see another decently priced camera on the market. Hopefully someone will review it on RC Groups so we can see how it stands up to other cameras commonly used for aerial video.

[R94N Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:38PM]

That's cool. I prefer RC cars though, preferably one of the petrol ones. They are mega fast! That would be great to put one of them on one of them close to the ground.

[MGDdrinker Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:46PM]

Video needs Highway to the Danger Zone soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8rZWw9HE7o

[Thai69 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:52PM]

I use a $15 Lighter Spycam I bought from eBay (smaller than the one in this article and cheaper with same if not better quality):
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=lighter+spy+cam&_sacat=0&_odkw=spy+cam&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313

for my RC Car:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXFznZOBav0

and for my RC Plane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phQmoLfz8Vk

I've also got videos of it on my heli (but no footage uploaded yet).

[crunc Posted Jun 4th 2010 9:46AM]

@Thai69 thanks for the heads up on that camera. That looks like a better choice for what I want to use it for - a model rocket. With the risk of it landing in a tree, I don't want to spend much money.

[MrH Posted Jun 3rd 2010 1:54PM]

I know everyone seems hell bent on stating that it's not streaming the footage.. But.. Why did they use it to look for the other plane then?

[bLoodz0R Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:01PM]

freaking loud

[LordSauron Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:03PM]

It needs to swiffel more then 2D then i can use this in a chopper. go left and right en up and down.

[electrobrains Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:08PM]

This looks like a perfect form factor for integrating into a a set of glow poi... hmmmmmmmmmmm...

[weirdo557 Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:50PM]

@electrobrains
?

[camerafan Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:41PM]

Looks like a big suppository to me! Ouch!!

[DrScope Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:43PM]

WOW how lame..

MY RC has:
1. built in live GPS
2. The pane can fly itself based on the GPS
3. two live feed cams running on 3G towers
4 Emergency backup system to return the plane home if the on board computer dies.

[DrScope Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:46PM]

@DrScope
Its like a UAV it has a servo and GPS

http://www.chrisgood.com/uav/

[Hazman Posted Jun 3rd 2010 4:25PM]

@DrScope
Did it cost less than $47?

[backpackingn3rd Posted Jun 3rd 2010 2:53PM]

To echo the comments of others, this is nothing new. You can search for "keychain spycam" on eBay and find cameras for around $10 that offer the same quality video that weigh around 14g. (even less if you take the plastic cover off) There are lots of other options and certainly cheaper ones than this cam.