[GMAs]

Gee don't any of you guys look in the... service parts manual anymore... in their you will find the drawings and part no's for the ones they built with camera ports... and yess they had to be factory made... yep I have one.. its a 75GII and sure enough its got the big hole under the copilots seat... great for ejecting them sassy argumentive borring co-pilots or the gal who just won't be quiet while you fly... and the small hole with the glass behind the pilots seat....

Now after servicing both types... you are in for a major undertaking if you think all you have to do it go cut a couple of holes... ain't so... their is different hydralic lines.. keel beam metal,,, cable arangments...and seat mounts... its a major... major undertaking.. besides their is even different sheet metal on the bottom.. the whole area under the cabin is doubbled with a thicker sheet... to stiffen and give it back its strength when the big hole goes in... so you won't be just making minor modifications... its almost rebuilding the plane... and no I don't want to sell mine... I like my plane... and while I have the K17/19 cameras and controls and mounts for it... I have never used the hole in the bottom...neither has anyone else so it seems...

Their was some guy a while back who wrote and wanted to take some pictures way up their and wondered about the skymaster... first off he wanted to go to 30,000 feet or some dumb altitude... which the plane won't go... and then wanted pressurization... so they didn't have to use oxygen... and then wanted to do it for just two nickles an hour... I mean.. like these are good planes but, your asking for the space shttle and wanting it on a beer budget... ain't going to happen... and if you do make it so... let us all in so we can enjoy the ride... smile....

As to presurization and the camera port... again ... ain't going to happen... as Dave says... the certification is not their... and the pressure would be too great... so your limited to just turbo and oxygen for that way up their stuff... and remember you decrease temp as you go up... smile.. so your going to need electric heaters for the camera too...

What I think I would do is see if you couldn't locate a whole cabin that has it already in it... take just the cabin area and replace it into a good plane... that would probably be the cheepest... and fastest way to do it...

Some time ago their was a canadian survey company that was looking for several.. and they were buying just about anything that had a camera port in it... from 210s on up to D-18's... they made a good offer to me on mine but, I like 484 and its like trading wives... they even said that they would find another year model one that was like mine and trade it to me with some cash to boot... but, I told them no... most of the camera ported planes are really sought after now that the real estate people and aerial survey people are looking for them... sorry...

Dave.... I have a nother camera ring... mount that may fit one of the O_2s. you might be interested in... its military... I will send you a picture on the web of it... I have no use for it and if its something you might need... let me know... I also have a rams horn yoke... and another control (pilots side) tube col assembly... if anyone needs one... cessna sent the wrong one... and then wouldn't take it back...

Oh and one other option that I have seen some of the forest service planes do that rent 337 over here... is use a pod under the wing... attached to a rack that was used for the rocket tubes and guns... their they put the IR and video camera stuff.. and then the operator can look forward, down and back... so they can do their 3D photogramity as well as the new survey methodes... they use the stablized camera from canada... its about 6 inches in dia... and goes into the pod which is aerodynamic... so their is another suggestion that you might look for... instead of cutting holes in the bottom of the plane...

And as to Cliff Ives... he was a great loss... I understand that someone said he died a couple of months back... but, I haven't confirmed it.... he was MR. CESSNA... and almost ran the company by himself... the knowledge he had gained over the years ... would fill a telephone book... I met him many times and he was always the frendlest and best friend a cessna owner could have... if cessna built it.. he knew it... and could get the print or drawing to give you the info.... a most valuable resource... that has now passed on...

HOpe this helps... Good luck... GMAs...