Has anyone used a suction cup GoPro mount on the outside of a high speed aircraft , and have it come off? What are the speed limits (more or less), or should I use it outside at all??? Any other mounts I can use, if the suction cup is not advisable? Any good or bad experiences shared would help.

Eduardo

I have not yet, but I was checking into it. There is this tri-suction mount I thought might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Three-Points-Suction-Cup-3D-Printing-for-Gopro-Hero-3-Camera-high-quality-dgy-/161096362369?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2582176981

They also have a mount that can be used by removing a couple of the screws. If you have wing struts (which I dont) I would think you could use the motorcycle mounts.

I dont trust the 3M mounts. I just dont think it could hold up to the wind.

Had 3M mounts on both my C150 and Citabria and they held great, and I'd trust them any day over suction cup. Have never had good luck with suction cups inside of vehicles, let alone out in the wind!

I have a suction cup mount (thanks, Greg), but I've only used it inside. Haven't had the guts yet to deploy it outside because I've seen videos shot from cameras as they came off. Those guys used tethers, but I've always been nervous it would flog the plane pretty badly while I was trying to get it on the ground.

xcalibursword wrote:I have not yet, but I was checking into it. There is this tri-suction mount I thought might work.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-Three-Points-Suction-Cup-3D-Printing-for-Gopro-Hero-3-Camera-high-quality-dgy-/161096362369?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2582176981

They also have a mount that can be used by removing a couple of the screws. If you have wing struts (which I dont) I would think you could use the motorcycle mounts.

I dont trust the 3M mounts. I just dont think it could hold up to the wind.

This is the tape used. It's serious. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/e ... 5815&rt=c3

Kirby uses them. They've been on his plane for well over a year now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO0FmzRW96o

My personal experience is that the 3M mounts are rock solid. I would never use a suction cup outside the plane.

Also the 3M mounts are much more solid and greatly reduce jello.

I had a GoPro Hero 3 mounted on a suction mount outside on the top glass of my Supercub. It fell off somewhere will doing some off airport landings. I wouldn't trust it.

Thanks guys. I really didn't feel comfortable putting a $350 camera out in the wing on a suction cup. The three cup system might work, but there has to be a better system.

Eduardo

At OSH, I looked at this: http://www.wingitmounts.com/ I was impressed. If/when I get a Gopro, I'll get one of these mounts.

An acquaintance I met at Marble last year has screwed a mount to an inspection plate. Of course, the camera is upside down, but I guess it works.

Cary

Cary wrote:Of course, the camera is upside down, but I guess it works.

The gopro has a menu item where you can tell it that it's mounted upside down. Then when you upload to your computer everything is right. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy.

Hey, that's an awesome mount, Cary. The problem is that the airplane I'm trying to put the GoPro on does not have struts!! As to the other one that you mention, the one that goes on an inspection plate, do you have a name for it?

Eduardo

I don't think there is a name for the inspection plate mount. You just take an inspection plate off, screw your mount to it, and put the cover back on. Or do it to a spare inspection cover and you can switch them out.

That makes sense. Thanks Skinner.

I've flown with the suction cup mounted externally at over 130kts. It has not come detached, but I don't trust it. I don't trust the sticky mounts either - and now use a strut mount - which that too will eventually give way I'm sure of it after talking to other pilots who have lost them.

I've used the RAM suction cup mount on the windshield only so far, like like most, I don't trust it...especially since I lost my other camera.

Not a suction mount but here's what I made up for my cub strut. So far works good but got some jiggling in the footage, I'm thinking it might be that longer arm. I'm gonna try the shorter one and see if that helps. It's crude, but its only a prototype Next ill try to figure out a way to mount it on the tail handle...

bart wrote:I've used the RAM suction cup mount on the windshield only so far, like like most, I don't trust it...especially since I lost my other camera.

Not a suction mount but here's what I made up for my cub strut. So far works good but got some jiggling in the footage, I'm thinking it might be that longer arm. I'm gonna try the shorter one and see if that helps. It's crude, but its only a prototype Next ill try to figure out a way to mount it on the tail handle...

I had a pretty substantial reduction in vibration moving from that same ram mount to a sticky mount. If you use a sticky mount (or any mount I suppose), remember to think about what direction you want the camera to point so you can have as few of the plastic adjustment connectors as possible.

PatínLoco wrote:Hey, that's an awesome mount, Cary. The problem is that the airplane I'm trying to put the GoPro on does not have struts!! As to the other one that you mention, the one that goes on an inspection plate, do you have a name for it?

Eduardo

Get the standard tripod mount attachment for whatever camera you have. The female part of that is just 1/4-20 thread. Drill hole through inspection plate, locknut a 1/4-20 bolt thought the hole so the male end is extended out the minimum distance needed to fasten to the tripod mount.

Have a GoPro, use the mount made by NFlightCam. Look for Billet Mount on their website.
Use it mounted to frame tube on inside of aircraft and mounted to strut on exterior.
It provides endless ways/angles to mount to get the shot you want.
Worth every penny.

------
"Get busy livin' or get busy dying..."
Shawshank Redemption

Here's a pic of my mount. The fabric made a bit to much jelloing for me, but this is sturdy so far. Sorry it doesn't help much as you don't have struts, but anyone who may be interested. Vey solid so far.

I've been using a mk1 GoPro with the original GoPro supplied suction mount for nearly three years now. It's been mounted all over Cessna Caravans and Pilatus Porters and only once did it come off. Luckily I'd secured it with a lanyard round the tie-down so it just swung up under the wing and stayed there in the air stream until landing.

Fastest I've had it attached was to the strut of a C208 at 173KIAS and it was still rock solid. One off in probably 500+ hours of flying isn't bad I reckon. Still going strong too