New on AP

[alevorin]

Hi there,

Thanks god you guys start this forum very interesting and informative.
I'm starting an AP company in Brazil and looking for a good device

As I see looking on the net there's almost three UAV on this segment:

Draganfly X6, Microdone MD4-200/1000, and Ascending technologies AscTec falcon 8/12

Looks like biggest problem on X6 is flying on wind and others may do it a little better (not totally proved)

I could not find many info about other two devices

So I'm looking for advise, comments for those X6 owners

Regards,

[Guest]

Before you decide on an AP platform it's suggested that you focus your energy on the end product you want to produce and essentially work this backwards. In my opinion the very last thing you want to consider is the AP platform. I suggest you first sit down and take a look at:

- Business model - what kind of AP are you interested in ... stills, video, architecture, sports ... clearly understand your target market before selecting a platform.

- Budget - how much are you willing to invest versus the type of quality you're after. Understand your budget and stick to it.

- Cameras/payload - what kind of quality are you seeking and what type of camera would you like to be shooting with. Understand the payload weight, whether you'll be shooting stills or video. If you're shooting video - you typically need to match the video quality of your aerial shots with your ground shots. Think this through.

For example if you're shooting with a "red" video camera on the ground and a hand-held camcorder in the air you'll see what I'm talking about when you're editing everything together...

- What is the environment where you'll be shooting - typically heavy winds, gusty winds, light winds, indoors ... you need to understand this to get the most use from the AP platform.

Several people I know that are seriously involved in AP fly several different platforms. For example one fellow always goes out on a photo shoot with at least three helicopters... a large turbine, medium size gas powered and smaller electric. Some people even bring along an AP Kite in case the wind is howling when they get there.

You also need to consider risk... for example, flying the larger helicopters is much more dangerous for you and your talent than something like the X6. Understand what it takes to get liability insurance for the kind of work you'll be doing.

Know and understand any Air Space regulatory issues in your country.

I suggest you put together a check list, think this all through and quite honestly the very last thing you need to decide upon is the AP platform. Don't get caught up in the glitz and excitement of the aircraft - this is a business and the helicopter is just a tool and nothing more.

There are lots of great resources on the WEB to get this information - do your research and talk with a lot of people before buying anything and pick the best tools for te work you'll be doing. Another good resource is www.aplanding.com/forums/

Have fun....

[alevorin]

Thanks Guest,
I´m doing this all the time but not organized as you suggest.
I´ll put all things together to see what happen
Regards,
Alex

[Guest]

Sounds like you're on the right track Alex. When it comes time to select an AP platform make sure to ask the manufacturers and people using their products the really hard questions. In the end you'll be that much further ahead. Most importantly have fun.