How much payload can you heli handle?

[Dibs-GSXR]

Hey guys,
I've been flying my friends heli for a while now, and I have been thinking about buying my own and maybe trying a bit of aerial photography.
The plan is to have one or two wireless cameras (front and down), and also a quality still camera operated via servo -- wireless cams for positioning, still cam for money-shot . I already have the wireless cams...

Question is, how much weight can you expect each size heli to carry, maybe some of you have already got decent extra weight on yours?

Your experience is greatly appreciated...

Dyllon.

[Aztek1701]

Hi Dibs,

Welcome

To lift this much weight you will be looking at a machine custom designed for the job. Century make such a machine Its a version of the Predator Gasser. Minicopter also make a photography platform (Maxi Joker 2). The trouble is that both of these are going to cost you in excess of $2000 just for the kit.

A rule of thumb that Ive heard is that they can Fly (not lift) up to about 50% of their wieght so if it weighs 4 kg it will be able to fly 2kg They should be able to Lift a bit more and that but they would be impractical to control because of the inertia. Also, you need to be mindful of the weight limits imposed by the Avaition autorities (in the UK anything that flies that wieghs more than about 10kgs needs to comply with regulations)

Hope this helps... Azzy

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

Hi Dyllon,

Unfortunatley there is no definative answer to this question. The reason for that is, If you take a normal 30 size heli as an axample then what you will find is that as a standard model it is usually able to lift and flyy with its own weight. By altering the engine and giving it more power you can gain more lifting power. you can also gain more by fitting out the heli with larger than standard blades. This can only be done up to the point where the mains would touch the the tail blades. So to help avoid this you would lengthen your tail drive shaft/belt and boom. this would then allow a bigger blade, thus giving even more lift.

As you can see the factors that govern how much payload a heli can lift are very varied. The example I have used is for the smallest nitro heli, heli's themselves vary in size and all can be altered to what you want.

You have to basically start with the all up weight you want to lift and then work out which heli would best do the job for you. remember though that you will need things like FMA co pilot to aid a steady heli when you need it. to carry a stills camera you need allso to build a good stable rig that is also going to have its own dedicated gyros.

A lot of money and design is needed it is not normaly just a case of sticking cameras on heli's and off you go. It is expensive to have a good Photo rig, Things need to be safe as well. Its a lot of money that your carrying up there.

[Dibs-GSXR]

I had a feeling that it could be a complicated issue, but would it be unreasonable to expect a 50 or 60 sized heli to carry around 300 grams? I'm not looking at gimbals or anything, just a wireless camera (120g total), and a standard still camera operated via servo.

You see this way, the hobby can become a tax write-off, coz it's all for work see?

[Daz(DJLFlapper)]

A 50 - 60 size can carry and fly with much more than 300 grams, set up to do so. As long as you make sure that the load is ballanced you should have no real problems. By ballanced I mean you observe the need to keep the C of G as ballanced as possible.

[Seaking]

Most Petrol Heli's (gassers) will carry in excess of 10 Pounds in weight
50 - 60 size nitros will carry up to a couple of pound in weight
Gassers will run longer and are cheaper to keep supplied with fuel
Nitros are usually cheaper to repair LOL

[hawkman]

Very true...I broke my gasser Predator some 7 weeks ago..(silly pilot error)..only got the spares this last week or so.

Do you own/fly gassers Seaking? what do you think about them? I am totally blown away by mine.

I used to take off and fly about with my first heli...with the glo plug battery still attached!!!! 'mmm....whats that shiny blue thing under the heli?' 'doh!!!'

the heli was a Nexus 30 with 500mm main blades and an MDS engine....it didnt seem bothered with the extra weight.

I would think that an average 30 size nitro could lift something in the region of a can of coke....thats my estimate....in fact I would use a transmitter type camera...the type that has a reciever plugged into a video camera....that someone else could operate....this way you dont have to record the whole flight if you dont want to.

Rob

[Seaking]

Do you own/fly gassers Seaking? what do you think about them? I am totally blown away by mine.

Yes Rob
I've got two Predators One is glow and one is the gasser
Both are down at the moment for different reasons
the gasser is coming on to 8 months now since i flew it last
But yes I really do get a buzz from it

And God knows how many Hawks from mk111 to sport Pro's

Roger