Quote Originally Posted by David47 View Post
Just following on from Lowell's comments, I'm putting mounting points on my plane for external cameras, but I'm including them (with cameras attached) in my flight test program so that I can demonstrate safe handling etc with and without. I want to be able to use them without getting awkward questions from Australian regulatory surveryors if they do a ramp check, and also for insurance purposes. The same thing would apply for slinging bikes or anything else off the wing struts or anywhere else for that matter. External attachments can cause handling problems, depending on their form factor, and where and how they're attached. Recommend that you do some homework and understand what the risks and potential safety implications may be before you proceed. Consider also the insurance implications if it was to go south for any reason. It may be worth talking to your DAR to see what additional testing would be required. Just an opinion
David,
Your thoughts are appreciated and a fresh approach to what had driven me originally. My concern seemed to be always focused on the prohibition mentioned in our FARs regarding experimentals being used for compensation or hire. I always intended my camera to be for personal use only. Modifications after the initial airworthiness inspection are pretty much dictated by whether they are major or minor. Major requiring an additional 5 hours of test flights.

My first camera mount on the 1998 Model IV began as this:

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And ended up as this"

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Regarding insurance, sadly this became a reality when I initiated an emergency landing after an oil pressure issue that destroyed the airplane. No problem regarding insurance - full hull coverage. During a subsequent interview with the FAA investigator he mentioned the camera in passing, but declined to address any questions about it because he said he had, "too much on his plate right now". This was due to him also investigating the fatal takeoff accident from the same airport we had left that morning. My thinking was that he was concerned about the possible commercial use of the video camera - it was not in record mode during our emergency. The camera set-up in all iterations had a total of over 400 hours of flight time

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Current Mount


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