Advice needed for long range aircraft carrying two gopros

I'm beginning a project to build an aircraft to map sections of the SF Bay for water quality monitoring. The aircraft needs to carry two gopros (one for visual, one IR) as far as possible. I have a lot of experience with pixhawks on quads but very little experience in building fixed wing drones.

I was looking at RMRC's Air Titan but that aircraft seems like overkill for carrying just two gopros. The SkyHunter is smaller, but I don't know anything about the range/payload capacity. I would greatly appreciate any help in choosing an airframe for this vehicle! Budget is sub $1000.

Two more questions: Is 60km range feasible while traveling > 9m/s? How much does wind affect performance?

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  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU0ZGcYdCjk

    Suggest you take a good luck at this aircraft.  More than capable of carrying your proposed payload. Developer also has some additional clips which detail how to construct more advanced battery modules which offer extended flight times.

  • Moderator

    You realize this task could not possibly be legal Nathan?

    • I'm not sure where you are coming from. The drone would not interfere with airport no-fly zones, always be in line of sight of a chase boat, fly under 400ft, be less than 55 lbs, and not enter private property. We would also not be flying in marine sanctuaries. If there are legal issues at play, the SF water authorities we are working with may be able to help.

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