Cessna 337 Photo / Video Windows & Mods - What is out there???
 

So it looks like I am jumping in to my 337 reality this week. I can't wait...

Believe it or not, my main business and what finally got me flying airplanes is my drone business. My company www.droneboy.com do a lot of film and TV work as well as mapping and commercial work. At first the 337 will be a personnel transporter to increase our territory in a niche market. Eventually I hope it can be more than that. Sooner than later I hope to mount cameras and various sensors use it as a camera ship to vastly increase our product offerings. Here's hoping...

To start, I hope to at the very least be able to take my personal love of creating photos and videos aloft with me so I can share what I experience with more people. I have done a lot of this in the Cessna 172 I fly now but now I want to go further and a bit faster, with a spare engine... The 172 was good because I could go really slow and open the window for unobstructed shooting (no lens distortion). Even then it is REALLY hard to get great shots but I am working on it. Unfortunately the 337 only has that tiny little left side triangle window opening and that is not so good.

Questions:

-Is it ever possible to ever go slow enough to open the top of the clamshell right side door to shoot photos (I assume NO)?

-I have seen photos of STC'd camera "bubble style" photo windows for the second row seats ( http://www.propexpress.eu/cessna_337f_uk.html ). Who makes them? Where?? How much??? Unobstructed (no glass) camera ports are always better and I want to know what is out there.

-Are there and STC mods available to create a partial opening windows out there like I see on some of the Piper GA aircraft?

-What about other camera mounts on the 337? Strut mount? These guys make a nice one for the 172 but I can't seem to reach them ( http://eyefish.tv/production-guide/a...ts/wing-mounts ) . Any mods to baggage pod? Downward, rearward or other creative mounts? Camera mounts on some of the hidden 0-2 hard points or even where the radar pod goes (was)?

Obviously the guys at Wolfe Air have done it up ( http://wolfeair.com/aircraft/cessna/ ) but I don't have $500,000 to throw at this project (yet) and there has to be some creative (legal) middle ground with stuff that is already out there and works.

Any leads are greatly appreciated.

Tomcomet,
Try thinking about using a belly pod to mount your camera. There's also enough capacity to mount other goodies too.
A friend of mine had a night vision camera along with other instrumentation on his 337 where he could spot fish at night off the Georges Bank. The fish would create bio illuminecence and the low light camera would detect this, and he could set the boats on the schools.
You could run two 60A alternators with inverters (if A/C current is needed) to create enough power for your gear.

Dave

The pilot's side window opens on the early 337s (A & B models, well before the clamshell door.)

Several 337 have camera ports for a cabin-mounted camera shooting straight down. The one that's on barnstormers right now (offering a trade for a 182) has that port installed.

The co-pilot window opened but not the pilot window. Emergency only on the pilot side.

Not a big deal though as it's easy to fly from the right side.

Tom, you might have some success contacting these guys:

http://www.issi-md.com/aviation.html

They've also added surveillance equipment to a 337G.

Good luck!

-John

Also, these guy operate out of Southern Ontario and they have A LOT of Cessna's that are camera platforms:

http://www.firstbasesolutions.com/

Thanks!
 

These are some great resources. Thanks so much everyone!

I've been flying marine mammal and bird surveys in N337NE (69 D model) for the past 10 years. When I set up my airplane I removed the left rear window and replaced it with one that has a small opening port to accommodate photo shoots (Note: I carry a crew of two marine biologists, one of whom sits back there as 'Photo' and the other sits mid-cabin as 'Data).

I forgot who made the window for me but can look up the paperwork and let you know; I think it was one of the usual suspects (vendors). I do remember it was a real pain removing the old rear window, drilling the rivets out that held the window channels in place and then re-riveting them back in.

I was once approached by a client who required a belly port camera. There was a factory kit and mod at some point to do that and I researched rounding up the parts and what would be involved in installing it. It's doable - if you can find the parts - but I figured the cost to be $2-4K minimum and the contract wasn't worth that much to me, so I passed.

BTW, I'm closing the business down and selling the airplane so will be dropping out of Skymaster-Land. This site has been invaluable; thanks to the administrators and everyone who contributed posts.

Joe

A friend of mine sent me those 2 pictures that he found on internet. Maybe this plane belongs to one of you?

My C337G is finally ready to fly, and I would love to have this Mod on my "G".

Do you know where I could find this STC?

Regards

Alexis

Photo windows
 

Those are the pictures of my skymaster photo windows. My plane was used as a photo ship and has several mods for it as well as has a restricted aw as well as standard aw.
You also can see on the bottom clamshell door is another camera mount however I don't know any information as to what cameras mounted on it

Hi !

You got a heavily modified 337G.
Mine is almost "stock" (N-5JT), only the Horton STOL kit.

I bought this 337G in France to go on holidays with my wife & Kids, but i also would like to use it as a fast photoship for military jets.

Where & How can I get this MOD? Do I need an STC?

Blue Sky

Alexis

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0WGLLXGLGoY2YY

LP aero plastics manufacturers the windows from my understanding
Edward Coffman designed them he is a member on here he may have more insight on then

Thank you for the info.
I am going to contact him.

Regards

Alexis

Happy new year 2020 !


My C337G is ready for the 2020 airshow season , as a photoship.

My photo windows from "LP Aero" are perfect.

I did my first Air to Air shoots some weeks ago, waiting to get the big military jets next month !

I want to thanks Skymasterdriver for his help, and LP aero ( George ) for the quality of the product, communication, shipping .


And thanks "Skymaster Forum" for making this possible.

Alexis


https://www.picuki.com/profile/skymasterphotoship

Great info and pictures. If you are ever working in South Texas, I would like to get some pictures of my Skymaster and patrol airplane in flight.

Alex,

Why is there a window to the rear engine bay? I mean... I know why I want one, but why do you have one and how did you get that approved?

Did you have to throttle back in order for the Fouga to catch up?

1/ @patrolpilot

I am a french owner in France, more exactly in Nîmes-Courbessac airfield ( LFME ). Our 337G is in France for about 20 years, I will check the Journey Log to get more infos about her history.

I will come and fly professionally ( on 737 for Air Transat ) in Hamilton ( CANADA ) next March . Because of the proximity with the USA border, I will try to visit the north- east of the USA, but Texas sounds quite far away.
———————————————



2/ @YankeeClipper

I guess you talk about this picture ( http://www.337skymaster.com/messages...2&d=1579248422 ) .

My technical knowledge on the 337 is almost limited to this website... so I can’t say much about it. Last December we got some issues with the rear starter and after some hours trying to figure out how to get an access to the rear started assembly, my mechanic found this hidden door.

I have no idea if this door is present on all 337 series. My is an early «*G*».


3/ @SKYMSTR02

No , it was quite easy for the Fouga to catch up.
It is an underpowered jet, especially this model «*Fouga Zephyr CM175».
The 175 is a Navy derivative of the Fouga Magister CM170.
The 175 is heavier , stronger wing roots, gears, bigger flaps, hook , sliding canopy ( 160kt with front canopy opened ) . Bigger , but still with the first version of Marboré engines... but anyway capable of 250kt on leveled flight.




.

Aviation Enterprises has the STC for the rear engine access door

Does anyone know of a mod or STC to put the O-2A eyebrow windows in a standard skymaster? It would be great to be able to look straight left in a left hand turn.