Ever since I started doing some camera op work for Yeah Drones, I’ve been obsessed with creating a dual operator FPV rig. I first tried with a gimbal on the Dualist, but couldn’t figure out a way to get live video out of the GoPro. Then, thanks to Reelsteady Go, I was able to get a working rig with servo operated tilt on the Geyser. The natural next step was to do the same with an unducted frame, so it’ll be faster and handle the wind better.

To be honest I’m not sure if there’s much of a use case for such a thing. Proximity makes framing trickier, and ducts allow extreme proximity. Pro pilots have demonstrated that they can frame shots really well with piloting skills alone with 5” rigs, so maybe this thing would be unnecessary. But then again, so many pilots are now making good money on serious shoots, and it can’t hurt to have a second operator perfecting the framing.

I wanted to use the same central section as the Geyser, so I’m using its top plate. And to keep things simple I’m using Ichabod Jr.’s 8x8mm arms. So all I have to draw up are the two lower plates. Easy peasy.

The Geyser had SMA mounts on its ducts, which made it easy to make it a cheaterkwad. I didn’t have a clear idea on where to put an alternate SMA mount, so I built this one up without a rear facing fpv cam first. I used a Lumenier Lux F7, Hobbywing 40a, Rush vtx, and Johnnyfpv 2207 1750kv’s, with Crossfire for flight and a Frsky RX4R for the cam servo.

The MMCX from the Rush didn’t quite reach the angled SMA mount (borrowed from the Squirt), so I drew up a flat one, and threw in an Immortal T holder. Immortal T mounts are always tricky. I didn’t want it to be a snap-in mount lest it get ripped out in flight, so I made closed on one side and snap-in on the other.

I asked Randy Slavin to help with the maiden. I didn’t have any specific shots in mind, and we didn’t have a subject to shoot, so I just flew around randomly and he operated as he saw fit. The result was kinda trippy, though it was totally not from my piloting skills.