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Balancing and dynamic tuning procedures for Flyer camera sled

18 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

What the thread found

  • The sled should be slightly front-heavy without a camera attached, but this is not a practical concern since a camera will always be mounted during operation.
  • Camera brand and shape are irrelevant to balance; only the total mass and location of the center of gravity matter.
  • A properly balanced rig should respond to forward, backward, and sideways thrust movements without tipping or rotating.
  • To find a camera's center of gravity, rig it fully as it will be flown, then balance it on a pencil point and mark that location.
  • Mount the camera so its center of gravity sits directly over the sled's center post to achieve approximately eighty percent of the way to dynamic balance.
  • Battery position should be fine-tuned using the battery mount swivel to achieve front-to-back balance.
  • Final adjustments to dynamic balance come from the adjustment knobs under the dovetail plate.
  • A rig that is too bottom-heavy may cause the sled to kick or behave unpredictably during thrust movements, and increasing drop time to around three seconds can help address this issue.
  • Increasing drop time for a bottom-heavy rig requires more deliberate horizon control during operation but can improve overall handling characteristics.

Depends on

  • The procedures described were shared by experienced operators but were not presented as formally tested methods.
  • Advice about drop time adjustment is anecdotal and specific tuning may vary by individual rig configuration.
  • The discussion does not address all possible camera models or mounting configurations.
  • Dynamic balance procedures require hands-on practice and workshop instruction for optimal results.

Parts

Dovetail Plate

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