CASE STUDY | 
SHOTOVER F1 Camera Turret Analysis

SHOTOVER create high performance vehicle mounted camera systems utilised in blockbuster motion pictures as well as documentaries, high-profile sporting events, broadcast television, and advertising.

THE CHALLENGE

• With a demand for use of the F1 camera turret on higher-speed aircraft, SHOTOVER approached Caliber Design to carry out a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to determine the maximum aircraft velocity for the unit.
• Full scale destructive tests on aircraft would be expensive and potentially dangerous.
• Caliber were asked to determine the drag loads on the three-axis turret assembly in a variety of configurations, then compare these results with physical test data to provide operating curves and, combined with momentum calculations, a never-exceed velocity (V_ne) for the unit.

THE SOLUTION

• In an effort to reduce cost for the client, Caliber used OpenFOAM, a linux based open-source CFD platform.
• With complex flow characteristics at air speeds of up to Mach 0.8, a specialised solver was deployed and, due to large solution times, solutions were run in parallel across four different computers, for days at a time.
• With a large amount of generated data, Caliber were able to provide a concise summary of the results for the SHOTOVER team to use in their next stage of testing.
• With the data provided by Caliber, the SHOTOVER team was able to determine an operating window and a never exceed velocity for the camera turret without the need for expensive and potentially dangerous full scale destruction tests.
• Caliber provided pressure loads on the lens cover to provide an input for physical testing.
• The SHOTOVER team has a better understanding of the behaviour of the camera turret under high air speeds, which will prove invaluable for future designs.
• With expensive sub-componentry, carrying out CFD enabled the client to make significant savings.
• CFD also prevented the need for failure testing on an aircraft – a costly and potentially dangerous task.
• Caliber consulted throughout the project with the client and ensured that they were happy with the final result.
• The SHOTOVER F1 Gyro-Stablized Camera Platform was successfully launched at Hei Heli-Expo in February 2016.