Creating a system similar to top down template with a static mesh as character

Hey all,

I’m trying to create a system like the top down template (tdt) where the character is a helicopter. I’m still trying to figure out where to start with this.
I was looking through the blueprints of the tdt and was wondering a couple of things:

Where does the game know that the camera component in MyCharacter is the main camera? I don’t see any setting or blueprint graph where its activated.

I want to replace the main mesh with my static mesh of an heli without a skeleton. The rotor is simply a mesh which will be rotated by a blueprint.
Is it ok to simply leave the mesh component to None as it doesn’t seem to take a static mesh as input and attach the static mesh as a child to it?
It seems hacky to me but I don’t know a better way either.

I was also thinking of using a pawn as my main actor type but then I’d loose a lot of functionality which is already provided by the character class like physics integration.

Any pointer would be very welcome, thank you!

check content examples in marketplace, it has a UFO rig that after some changes can achieve what you want, or at least you can use it as reference.