Kite Aerial Photography

Taking some inspiration from MakeZine:01 and other sources, I decided to make a cheap aerial photography rig. This first flight was really just a feasibility test, so I did not want to buy servos quite yet. I am happy to say that everything worked wonderfully. For more information on the Picavet suspension rig that I used, go to KAPer E-magazine, Scott Haefner’s KAP site, and Charles Benton’s site. The kite that I used is a Sutton Freeform 16 that proved to be very capable of carrying the load and easy to launch. Follow the link to “Coastal Kites” of California. Excellent support and shipping!

Click the images for large versions.




Simple two-part Picavet suspension rig made out of scrap sheet metal. There’s about 30 feet of rope in the rig. Most of the nuts nylon locking.

 

The corners on the cross brace are brazed in place. Also note that during flight I zip tie the camera to the top frame.

 

My Canon A710IS uses the CHDK firmware hack and an intervalometer script.

 

Walking out the kite.

 

I bought a 15 foot tail for the kite and sliced it in two. The tails attach easily to two hooks on the rear of the kite. It is recommended to use tails on very windy days for stability.

 

Reeling in the kite. It took very little wind to launch.

 

The camera probably traveled up to about 300 feet or so on my 500 foot line.

 

My father is walking by in this shot.




One of the better shots with the horizon in view.