Model Forum / Radio Controlled / Air Models / November 2007

The R/C crowd usually goes for planes that are controlled in real
time, using visual observation of the plane.

What you're talking about is more in the realm of the UAV crowd.  You
might want to find some UAV forums and ask there.

Also be aware that the FAA (I'll assume you're in the US) generally
leaves recreational model airplanes alone, but once the plane is
flying out of your sight, they call it a UAV and all sorts of
regulations go into effect.

As for having a camera on a R/C plane, people do that all the time,
and the cameras and transmitters are small enough that they can be
easily put on almost any plane that's more than a pound or two.
Generally they don't have the sort of range you're looking for, but
some do.  But what we usually don't do is go for autonomous flight.

If all you need to do is take aerial pictures of something, you can do
that pretty easily with something like a Slow Stick and a cheap
digital camera (or camera/transmitter, but a still digital camera
tends to take better pictures) on it -- just a few hundred dollars.
But you'll be flying the plane the entire time.  But to have it fly on
it's own?  You're looking at thousands of dollars and lots of
paperwork with the FAA.

It's all doable and has been done.

Many college robotics competitions have produced GPS-guided
systems that could do what you want.

Maynard Hill's team sent an 11-pound autonomous system across
the Atlantic a few years back.

I believe there is a Japanese helicopter designed for spraying
fields under GPS guidance.

As Doug noted in his post, you need to consider lots and
lots of regulations.  The kind of setup you describe would
work for terrorist activity as well as sensible commercial
operations.  :o(

                    Marty