2012 Rally of the Tall Pines

Recap and Highlights.

Stories to come...

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoFBSSTGhvY[/video]

How does it feels like to be the winning team on 2WD?

Here is some very cool heli-cam footage,shot from a radio-controlled octo-copter.
Martin & I are at 0:52.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ii8fPTzLR0[/video]

This is what the flying camera rig looks like:

The night footage is very cool!

Looking from above all the oversteer is a lot more spectacular.

Ferd,

I recently saw a commercial for Radio Shack(The Source) whic featured among other things, the Quadra Copter.
I had to go and check it out.

Turns out this thing will only run you about $400 including accessories and tax. It has a built in camera and GPS positioning software.
You can drive this thing with your cell phone and watch the video feedback on the phone!

Even more spectacular is that it has it's own built in take-off and landing control and it will remain absolutely rock steady in the privacy of your basement or out in a bit of a gale!

I would buy one of these machines but I don't have a cellphone capable of doing anything but voice communicating

The Parrot AR.Drone. That does look like an affordable way to get started. And it's just strong enough to lift a GoPro camera too. Except I don't have an iPhone. I use a BlackBerry.

The one used for the rally coverage is a very expensive commercial unit requiring two people to fly it -- one for flight control, the other steering the camera. But all sorts of amazing things are possible for much less money.

Here is a really good video showing a lightweight home-built unit, carrying a GoPro camera for hi-res video recording, while being flown using an FPV system -- the pilot is wearing goggles to fly the copter from the viewpoint of an onboard camera. Very cool video.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkM4XTxFZtc[/video]

WOW!!!

That thing really honks along and it seems to have quite a range too.

I'm betting the Quadra Copter has a range that is a good as the cell it's being driven from. Just think; you can fly these things anywhere your phone has coverage!

Rather than re-post them all here, our Tall Pines stories and videos can be found in the Motorsport Club of Ottawa forum at this link:

http://www.mco.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=14845