Good day everyone

After working for about 3 to 4 months my Inspire 1 has opened up new opportunities for me.
I now require an aircraft that can take an interchangeable payload.
The need is for still pictures, videos and thermal imaging for various assignments in the electrical engineering field.

Where do I start?
What components do I have to purchase (perhaps even as as seperate items) to get to a complete system that only requires the imaging components?
In other words... I need everything except the camera like on my Inspire 1, but just bigger...
My radio control experience is limited to my time with the Inspire 1, therefore I require something "fully functional and ready to fly right out of the box".
I do not mind to assemble some of the components as I am a qualified electrical technician and practically minded.

If someone can please suggest how to go about it, for example:
Aircraft: 1x S900 airframe, E1200 Pro Tuned Propulsion System (in place of the standard off the shelf system), 4x LiPo 6S 20000mAh batteries, WooKong-M or A2 flight controller, 8J, 10J, 14SG or 18SZ Futaba receiver, VDU or iPAD, etc. etc.
Flight planning and control: ability for dual controllers 1 for camera and 1 for aircraft, Lightbridge, ground station, iPAD GCS etc. (waypoint flight path planning is a must have, to fly grids for Solar Farm surveys for instance), full flight telemetry logging etc.
Imaging control: Zenmuse gimbal for specific camera like Panasonic GH4 (the ability to zoom in to my subject will be a big advantage, as at times I will not be able to fly in close proximity to my subject, but still require close up images)
Imaging payload: GH4, FLIR camera etc.
I do not particularly wish to order an aircraft from the DJI website and then only to find out that I still need 101 things before I can start working/flying.  Or worse... I purchased duplicated functions in products with different names (A2 and WKM for instance)...
Or would the following be a good complete system?

S900 + WooKong-M + Lightbridge 2 + iPAD / iPAD Mini + DJI GO + gimbal + camera?
Will Ground Station work with this combo?

Therefore any advice will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.
HB

Hi

Just a quick heads up regarding the GH4....The only lens they recommend you having on the camera (The only lens you're allowed to have insurance wise) is the 12mm olympus prime lens which isn't a zoom lens, it's a wide angle prime lens.

A2 is the better flight system so 100% would buy that over the WooKong.
Apart from that looks like you have the knowledge of everything else, can't see anything you're missing.

P.S would love to see some thermal imaging done with a drone in the air, cool stuff!

I would buy the A2 flight controller and you also need batteries, a battery charger, and a case for the drone.  If you will be flying in remote locations, I would consider the size and weight of the drone in the case.  There is a company that makes a gimbal for the Inspire that hold a sony camera with zoom capabilities.  

I use the s900 with the Quark2 flir installed on a gimbal that has a sonny ccd camera side by side with the FLir that way I can get video feed of both thermal and regular image.   For battery, I use tattu 16000 mAh which lasts me about 21mins in which I have 8 of so there is no battery problem there.   My suggestion is make sure you have plenty of batteries specially if you are going out in the field and have no way to charge.

Thanks for all the feedback so far guys...

Adamastor Posted at 2015-12-16 08:21
Thanks for all the feedback so far guys...

You likely know already and the inspire is not a S900 but they are releasing a Flir for the Inspire and a x5 and x5R

jack1144 Posted at 2015-12-21 04:44
You likely know already and the inspire is not a S900 but they are releasing a Flir for the Inspir ...

Hey Jack1144

Yep... I have seen the XT announcement.
To tell you the truth I think the Inspire will now be my tool of choice for my requirements.
All you need is 1x aircraft and one Osmo handle, paired with the two cameras... the X5 and the XT - perfect and simple!

Now for the price... and down here in South Africa it will be a shocker I'm sure, with our currency taking a huge knock against the major world currencies at the moment... 15 to 21 to 1! Down from 7 and 14 not so long ago. Yikes!