The basic structure is a kit (DJI F450), the landing gear and the corks is my design. The corks protect the propellers. Flight time a bit less than 15 minutes with the camera. The camera is simply used as a camcorder, the original idea was to film the ground vertically from above. Most people use a gopro camera, which are much smaller and lighter.
The main limitation is the wind, because the whole machine tilts when it needs to accelerate and the fixed camera tilts with it. I am building another one where the camera would be stabilized and the platform controlled by GPS.
The magic allowing these machines to fly is done in the electronic controller. There is a controller named
ardupilot using free software and I'll use that controller for the next kit. It can also be used with fixed wings airplanes, which can fly much longer with bigger loads.