Some experimental photography with night flying!

Hi there! Last night I tried an idea in practice, that I´ve had in my mind for some time now.  Flying a lighted RC model in darkness for a camera with a long exposure time. This kind of photography is hardly new, but I fancied myself with the idea of being able to paint some lights into the night sky.  I work as a photographer, so this experiment joined, once again, work and fun.

The result was by no means disappointing, but to get an even more dramatic effect I would need brighter and more LEDs to the model. With a long exposure time the sky begins to reveal some undesired colour cast, and if the exposure is shorter, there are of course less light trails in the sky. Last night was really dark, making the flying considerably more difficult than last time with an overcast night sky.

So, more lights is the ticker here!  Night flying is so thrilling, that I´m considering of tearing the covering off the model and planting the LEDs properly inside...now we´re reducing the wing´s aerodynamic character a bit with all the wires-I can tell it from a slightly degraded ability to penetrate into the wind.

Next calm and clear night (last night was definitely not calm) will probably persuade me to give a try  with a depron flying car I made from my friend Troy Peterson´s G.T.P. kit. It has 10 LEDs, 4 as the headlights and 6 in the back. What is funny, is the fact that it is almost easier to fly the model really low without really seeing how low it actually is !  The ground is not lighted at all.  As the lights draw their colourful trails into the darkness,  the models behaviour can be interpreted without any interference, like scenery!  Anyway, no damage yet...after dozens of dark landings.  I´ve not even tried switching this Christmas tree off and then back on in flight- that would surely be even more exiting...

The Twinstar has now bigger 7 x 4 props and I look forward to giving it a go.