Means for remote control of an aircraft video system for surveying ground activity

Claim 1

An aircraft video system utilizing an aircraft and operation on board intended for air surveyance of ground activity comprising a technical container attached to the aircraft, a transparent radome forming a forward portion of said container, a pilot camera inclinable in angle of sight and azimuth located in said radome, a television monitor screen in the aircraft connected to said camera, a remotely controlled inclination means for controlling inclination and for controlling the object-lens of said camera in said radome connected to said camera, a television transmitter with its transmission aerial in a rearward portion of said container, said remotely controlled means including a structure secured to said container through damping means, a cradle connected to said structure, a first means for pivoting said camera in azimuth with respect to said cradle, a second means for pivoting in sight said cradle with respect to said structure, electric motors having pulleys with two directions of rotation connected to further pulleys linked to said camera, and said electric motors also connected through cables to said cradle, a remote-control box connected to said remotely controlled means located to be acted upon by instinctive reaction of the operator while observing said television monitor screen, said remote-control box including a pivoted axis shaft pivoted in an elastic block, four microswitches controlling said electric motors for controlling camera inclination, said shaft having a lower portion which acts upon said microswitches, a plate in said box having a psuedo-square opening therein, said lower portion of said shaft having protuberant parts on either side of a portion of said shaft itself included in said psuedo-square opening to prevent undesired action on said microswitches by allowing only limited deviations of said shaft.