Kite Aerial Photography —A Design Brief —

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Pendulum Suspension

Specifications for the suspension:

hold the camera cradle level and steady beneath the kite; attach to the kiteline securely and quickly; pack up for transport with ease.

The previous version is chronicled here.

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As mentioned above, a Picavet suspension was tried earlier.

The Picavet is a very elegant design which uses a cross suspended under four tiny pulleys. The pulleys are in turn supported by a a long length of nylon line attached at two points to the kiteline.

The advantages of the Picavet are twofold:

• The platform always remains dead level, regardless of the attitude of the kiteline; and
• The lines dampen vibration and sudden movements.

Sadly, there are catches:

The pulleys are difficult to obtain, and horrendously expensive. A Picavet will work with eyelets instead, but not as well.
The setup is a swine to (i) attach, (ii) launch, (iii) pack up, and (iv) store.

(Yes, I know there are techniques for this, but a windswept hill and a cantankerous kite do not encourage delicate operations.)

The solution is a simple Pendulum. This one consists of two strips of aluminium, 10x3mm in section. The bolt at the base attaches to the cradle, and allows it to settle to a horizontal position fairly quickly. The pendulum is attached to the kiteline with two brass wire clips. The kiteline is wound a few times around each loop on each clip. This method of attachment is very quick and easy, and to date has not failed, even with very slack lines.