RoboBiggles & the P51b FPV Maiden, 18th June 2017 

Finally, this is what I have been waiting for, FPV goggles with a view from the cockpit. After viewing several of these of R/C warbirds outfitted with FPV cameras and head tracking, I am convinced this is the way to go to get into the air. My last attempt was with flight simulators equipped with head tracking and a 70" monitor that gave a full-scale cockpit view. It worked, but I wanted a more real-life, immersive experience. This looks promising, especially with all the cockpit details. I especially like the addition of the pilot's arms moving in unison with the control input. The only thing marring the experience is looking out at what is clearly a "foamy" wing, but I'll get over it. As for those inop instruments, how many are needed for the operation of these aircraft? It takes an income source like Week's oil income to fund full scale aircraft operation and even then, wealthy owners use the museum ploy as a means to to defray the mounting costs of their toys. Last time I looked a P-51 was approaching the $3M mark - www.controller.com/listings/aircraft/for-sale/24700307/1944-north-american-p-51-mustang Avgas is now around $5/6 gal. The "economy" cruise of the P-51 burned 60 gph, normal cruise - 75 gph, "military power" - 185 gph. At the bottom end of the scale, that is $300/hr in fuel cost alone. The there are those monthly hanger fees that cost more than a full-size apartment. The P-51 is considered a high maintenance aircraft. Not a problem when you have government funded mechanics working on your airplane, but a different matter when you are paying A&P mechanics to perform the maintenance. www.conklindd.com/t-Productsaircraftcostvariablecostperhour.aspx. Then there parts, very costly parts, squeezed from a rapidly diminishing supply of parts. While many, if not most, of these parts used to be cheap and readily available as military surplus, many must now be obtained by recreating them as one-off examples. Long gone are the days of a new, $500 Merlin or Allison pickled in a can. So for full scale operation, one has all those ongoing costs, versus a one time purchase cost for an R/C warbird that virtually anyone can step into at the high end of around $1k to $1.5K. No fuel costs, no maintenance costs, (okay, so maybe you break a wing or snap off a gear once in a while) no hanger fees, no licensing and best of all, no mountain of F.A.A. regs to contend with. For me it's no contest and I have 2700 hrs in the cockpit along with an A&P ticket.

I dream of flying from a scale cockpit like this one day....

and it doesn't get much more scale than that.excellent,love all the detail.

Quit playing with the stick and take off! LOL Definitely need a sound card for this!

I am 75 and my doctor wouldn't me fly a kite now, so this is wonderful.

Awesome video! Love the FPV. Camera needs to be raised a bit higher. I understand the aesthetics choice for wanting to mount it lower in the face mask of the head of the pilot. Perhaps a periscope arrangement of two tiny mirrors that could be placed over the head temporarily while flying as an option? Maybe you could even make them look like goggles and oxygen mask?

the only way I think I could be more impressed is if the indicators actually functioned, but if that were true my brain might explode. so thanks for not exploding my brain but just blowing my mind with how awesome your FPV flight video looks. it could fool anyone to think you're flying a real p51.

Looking good! What an inspiring setup, and flown with great skill!

Amazing footage. Love the FPV!!!!!

Very nice! BTW, My P-51 Sounds were from Kermit and the Macon Belle!

Brilliant, love it!

I wonder what would happen to the prop' flicker if a polarised lens was used on the camera, or (possibly better) a polarised lens were cut-up to form the canopy windows that are between the camera and prop arc? It won't, obviously, completely get rid of prop flicker, but it might reduce it. Or make it worse! Either way, it might be interesting to try? Great films btw! Would love to "how it's done"...

That is ridiculously awesome! The sound is so realistic for an electric..it must be more about the prop and airflow noise in the full size vs the Merlin engine itself making those harmonics

Pre flight, check. Fire her up and let's go! WooHoo.. always enjoy flying with Capt. Biggles!

Incredible!

It really looks like a real one !

Beautiful thank you😃!!

Very nice 👍

4:52 oh hello there 4:53 byeeeeeeee

May i ask what camera, pan/tilt setup you’re using? Awesome vid btw!

OMG. that is cool af. ty for not using shtt music. Every other a-hol has to ruin every video with crap noise that wont stop. : ) aprreciate the native sounds of the plane! OMG. this is cool af.

Great videos thanks for posting them, do you fly with the fpv view or line of sight?

It would be awesome to add a voice changer to sound like you had onboard communications to tower control....then narrate your flight with real time audio. That would add even more realism.

Are you using head tracking, or is it dials on the transmitter?

Is that what people mean by 'jelloing'?

warthunder simulator battles

World needs to stop being stupid and show some passion for these videos

intruments of cockpit dont move. dissapointed.