Hello All.  I own and pilot a turbine-powered helicopter in Pennsylvania and I've been working on a project to use the best of DJI technology on a REAL helicopter.  I have worked with an engineer for 18 months to create an affordable FAA approved nose-mounted camera system called the "Skybox".  I will be selling this product to the aviation industry in the coming months.  Here's some exciting footage I grabbed testing the system over New York City yesterday (in 25 knot winds).  This is footage right off the Osmo (not RAW just standard 4K 30 compressed footage with Vivid color selected).  


An Osmo with the X5R gimbal mounted in "flashlight mode" is the core of the system.  To cancel the high frequency vibration generated by the helicopter, we hang the Osmo from a heavy duty commercial gyro on a custom suspension system.  To protect the Osmo's gimbal motors from winds created by speeds up to 120 knots, we enclose everything in a box that has high quality camera glass in the front that is invisible to the camera.  The new DJI Battery Extender and Car Charger allow me to power the Osmo from takeoff to landing and the DJI GO app allows me to control the camera system wirelessly from an ipad in the cockpit throughout the flight!


I am still learning X5R camera settings (I am an expert pilot but very-amateur videographer).  I know my footage can be much better once I master the X5R and use the right lenses and filters.  Or, I need Ian Cresswell to manage the camera!   A real helicopter can be a big benefit to many jobs and with this product we can deliver consistent X5R footage from both an Inspire and a real helicopter.  Enjoy and let me know if you have any interest in this technology or any jobs in the Northeast USA that require a real helicopter!

Here are some photos of the Skybox mounted on my Enstrom 480B turbine helicopter.   

tedrosenberger Posted at 2016-5-15 16:09
Here are some photos of the Skybox mounted on my Enstrom 480B turbine helicopter.

This is really cool.  Let me know if you're ever in VA and need someone to control the camera while you fly the chopper.  Best of luck on your idea.  While it's definitely a niche product, I'm sure there's plenty of people out there who could use it.

Really nice pictures, and amazing in the amount of detail you can see -- especially if you stream and watch it in 4K.

What lens are you using?

Hi Ted,

Out of curiosity, seeing how expensive helicopter time is and the importance of getting the shot, especially if it's live or unrepeatable, how did you decide on such a finicky, not 100% reliable gizmo? I didn't buy the 5 because of what I read, especially on this forum. That's why I decided on a X3 and I may be sending it back to B&H within my 30 day window. It will take DJI time to catch up to the popularity they created. I consider it a prosumer item at best. Just curious, thought I'd ask.

Best,

Ned

rpknowles Posted at 2016-5-16 11:57
This is really cool.  Let me know if you're ever in VA and need someone to control the camera whil ...

Thank you very much for your kind words.  Virginia is an easy flight from Pennsylvania.  Go sell a job that requires a real helicopter (and there are plenty) and I'll be happy to team up and make you copilot for a day.   See my reply to the next message to better understand the benefits of using a real helicopter for some jobs!

LenMiddx Posted at 2016-5-16 12:31
Really nice pictures, and amazing in the amount of detail you can see -- especially if you stream an ...

The Olympus ED 12mm  f2.0 lens was on the X5R when I took this footage.  I happened to be testing an ND 4 filter at the time too (based on a recommendation I saw on this forum to cut down the shutter speed for better "motion blur").  Honestly, I'm not that proud of the footage because I'm still learning the camera and playing with options.  I did capture everything in RAW that day too and I'm working on editing a few clips in RAW to see how much better they can be than what I posted which was right off the MiniSD card.

Chicago DP Posted at 2016-5-16 15:41
Hi Ted,

Out of curiosity, seeing how expensive helicopter time is and the importance of getting the ...

Thanks Ned.  Well I own the helicopter (I am a successful entrepreneur from an unrelated industry) and I was looking for a way to capture buttery smooth video to share the experience I enjoy with others and to offer a cost effective service that can get shots that drones can't (high speed, over cities and national parks, near airports, at high altitudes, etc).  After failing many times due to the extreme vibration and wind resistance that real helicopters flying at 100 knots or more create, my solution is pretty ideal.   And I'm not tied to the Osmo + X5R.  In fact, the Osmo + X3 works great in the same camera box.   But my gyro-stabilized box is large enough to carry DSLR's and other cameras too.  Granted these could not pan and tilt but for straight on shots (which many find the most desirable) my box gives the industry a cost effective option.

I like the Osmo because it's small.  I had looked into putting a Ronin in a camera box and other gimbals too but they are huge and the surface area of the box would be too large and create excessive drag beyond the allowable limits for a typical helicopter mount.

Sure, there are several specialized helicopter ball turret gimbal cameras out there like Cineflex, Shotover and Wescam.  These systems RENT for $5,000 a day and cost $250K to $1M to buy.    My system with an Osmo inside produces forward-facing video on par with some of these crazy expensive systems for a tiny percentage of the cost.  

So to answer your question, I'm focused on the Osmo due to:

1. Low cost 4K RAW with excellent image quality, smooth panning, etc.
2. Total wireless control from Ipad in cockpit
3. Small size to fit in reasonable size box
4. Light weight
5. External power (thanks to new DJI Osmo battery extender + car charger)

Make any sense to you?  

Thanks for using DJI Products!
Any suggestion would be appreciated.

Hi Ted,

Yes that makes sense. Especially if you continue to practice like I am doing to learn it's strengths and weaknesses. So is this pointing only forward? Or can you do a tracking shot?

From the mid '80s to the OJ Chase I did a lot of aerials, mainly Tyler Middle Mount out the side of a Jet Bell Ranger. That was a specialty of mine but when that damn OJ Chase happened, it was the nail in the coffin of my helicopter days because everyone then wanted the buttery smoothness of a Webcam, which my clients could never afford.

Very impressive. Very smooth. My only suggestion: avoid the in-camera color settings such as "vivid". Too much saturation. Notice the cranes are glowing hot pink! Just leave it at normal setting because the color is already slightly enhanced even at normal setting. Good job.

frypan Posted at 2016-5-17 10:54
Very impressive. Very smooth. My only suggestion: avoid the in-camera color settings such as "vivid" ...

Thank you Frypan.  Luckily, i have the same footage in RAW so i'm seeing what i can do with the RAW footage now.  I have no expertise in color correction (obviously) so i'm learning as I go.  Any LUTs or other suggestions you have for getting the color right are appreciated.

Chicago DP Posted at 2016-5-17 08:53
Hi Ted,

Yes that makes sense. Especially if you continue to practice like I am doing to learn it's  ...

Thanks Chicago DP.  

Yes, this particular box is forward facing with the ability to pan left, right, up and down about 25 degrees each way.   A future design might allow the entire box to rotate.

However, these days it's pretty "easy" to get tracking shots.  If I fly with the door off a cameraman handholding an OSMO shooting out the side seems to work pretty well (as long as the Osmo stays out of the wind).    So it's the unobstructed forward view that is elusive and expensive to get.   My solution makes that easy and affordable for operators who have a budget but not a six figure budget!

Hi Ted, great work! We operate AS350B3e aircraft, and I'm just about to use my Osmo handheld this weekend for a test. We've built a Kenyon gyro rig for side mount work, but as you say, the forward tracking shot is the money shot for aerial work, and helicopters still have a big advantage over rc multicopters. I'm very interested in your Skybox. Can you give me a ballpark pricing figure? Maybe PM me if that's possible on this forum, if you don't want $$ splashed across this post.

southerndoug Posted at 2016-8-30 01:47
Hi Ted, great work! We operate AS350B3e aircraft, and I'm just about to use my Osmo handheld this we ...

Hi.   My email is ted @ vertivue.com   Email me there and we'll share contact information. There's a ton to discuss.  I've had terrific success recently.  I'm no longer using the Osmo but instead a full A3+LB2+X5R rig and it's terrific.  Let's talk.     Here are some links that show you example footage and the skybox on my helicopter:

Just as an update, I've now completed 5 separate jobs using the Osmo from the back of an R44. Since we rent copters from the closest airport to the target, all have been with different pilots. The best part is discussing the flight plan and asking the pilots how good they are at flying sideways. ;-). All shoots have produced happy and repeat customers. We just picked up a Nebula to see how well it does in the copter with the Cannon 5D's.