Video Taxi / Landing System

[Wild Bill Kelso]

I heard a rumor that one of the top sport racers this year had a video camera mounted on the airplane to aid in seeing over the nose of the airplane during taxi / landing. Has any body else seen or heard of this?

[Mluvara]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I believe all of the NXT's have a lipstick camera mounted in the air scoop at the bottom of the cowl and have a small lcd screen in the cockpit to aid in taxiing.

Michael

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I believe all of the NXT's have a lipstick camera mounted in the air scoop at the bottom of the cowl and have a small lcd screen in the cockpit to aid in taxiing.

Michael

Ahh that was what I heard. Mr. Sharp would you care to comment on how well it works, and the advantages / disadvantages. I would like to install one on a unlimited that I am working on. What would you call that... The ghetto HUD

[WARPT]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I was checking out the screen in the cockpit of NXT "Relentless", curious as to what it was used for. The pilot of Relentless visits this site occasionally. Maybe Kevin E. can give you some insight on it.

[Red]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I was under the impression that it works out quite well. The view is less than spectacular over the nose from what I understand.

Red

[Apteryx]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I've installed some cameras for surveillance, and some are little bigger then the chip they are mounted to, for b&w, a little larger for color. We use a color 'cigar' style camera in the race car, (about half a stogie in size), and the quality is fine. If your glass cockpit has video inputs, or as I've seen in RV's with a retractable screen on a cd/dvd player, with video-in for front & rear views, it would be silly not to use them, when you have visibility issues. The cost would be FAR out weighed, by the first thing you hit....
One of the race builders, pre-wired the top of the vertical stabilizer for a camera, makes a GREAT vantage point, for race footage.
Technology has come a long way since an ABC affiliate, duct-taped this HUGE camera to the Shoestrings landing gear. (Never did the a copy of the tape he promised).

Paul

[Stevo]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

If I'm not mistaken the camera is actually mounted to the gear of the NXT's.

[aflyer]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

I am planning one of these for my new homebuilt (Mullicoupe).

I would sure love to hear from Jon or Kevin about it...how well does it work? What focal length lens are/would you use? Resolution of the screen? What would you do differently?

Thank you

John

[Nemesis]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

Hello.
The taxi camera is AWESOME! It is a simple RV backup camera. The camera is either forward or reverse, now there's a scary thing...We have ours attached to the gear strut, so it's about 8 inches form the ground. Tricia says that it's quite the view on landing, as you could imagine the ground coming up and RACING by. She says " you don't want to see it on landing". I'd like to look but just a bit busy... Kevin has his in the gear bay, that has helped him to dial gear doors in flight, see a little light, do the "tighten up"... I like ours where it is, as it scares the bageba's out of the passenger, and helps them to loose track of the funky landings I've been known to do... The LCD monitor, is first class! The leading edge of RV technology...
The visibility over the nose of the NXT on taxi, could be worse, but I'm not sure how... but the camera really helps to keep me able to see the guy in front of me during the tight formation taxiing that the Sport Class performs. No S turns required. YEA! Perhaps someday, I won't have to taxi behind someone...what a gloriuos dya that will be!
Cheers,
Jon

[Apteryx]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

Jon-
With the glass cockpit, is there a video-in option, or is it just for simplicity that you run a dedicated monitor.
Also curious if it's b&w or color?
The RV stands for Racing Vehicle, right?

Paul

P.S. Congratulations on the new partnership.

[Relentless]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

It works great for me for booth taxi and I have started using it for approach view as well. I use it exclusively for taxi and feel it is better than s turns. Since Reno I have upgraded the monitor and installed a DVD stereo system to get more use out of the space. It will slide into the panel on shut down! Cool. I will drop an image and info on camera and player once I get Relentless back together. Also have some shots of the monitor in reno from my helmet cam that show the gear coming up on the monitor. I will dig it up and get it on my web site.

kee

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

Thanks. This makes it much easier to do the mod I want.The pilot can't about the view over the nose now.

[aflyer]

Re: Video Taxi / Landing System

Thanks Jon and Kevin

It is really nerve-racking to taxi at OSH or Sun n Fun with all the kids running around.

Down with S-turns!

John