Preview Thread: Some modern military Aircraft

[Red Door]

Since the J-7 is exported a number of countries I thought I make some versions of it, below are a generic green camo ver for African countries, since it has been/is being exported to a number of African states, like Zimbabwe, Nigeria and others. Plus a Pakistani AF version with Pak AF markings.

Now that's what I'm talking about. We need planes for African and South American countries, especially countries like Colombia.

 

[Wyrmshadow]

Well about my scale, it's a sliding scale, sort of like the Mercator Map. The higher you go up in lattitute, the bigger the land seems to account for the curve in the world as represented on a flat map. Its the opposite for my planes. The bigger the plane, the smaller the scale is pixel/meter. And if you notice I use different scales for fighters and bomber sized planes. Some of the stuff I had to fudge on like the B-2 is acutally really short but if I used the figher scale for it, the wings would expand past the frame. There is a bottom limit of around 55 pixels in length and an upper limit of the B-36 and An-225.

I hope I'm not insulting your intelligence when I write the following:
How to scale planes:
1. Import the model and set everything up like textures.
2. Check length in XLS file.
3. Goto Camera view. 200x200 frame for small planes, 240x240 for large ones. Set camera zoom at 100%. Set ground plane to 45' (so it points East). Export image
4. Goto photoshop or gfx program. Find length of plane. I use photoshop so I can use the Ruler Guides. I select a rectangle from one guide to another, copy, paste into new file so the program can count the size. Length=x
5. compare X to Excel file and do a little math. I set zoom at 100% so its a simple matter to calculate new zoom settings for the proper length.
5a. I spin my fighters in the fidget. So I rotate my aircraft so it stands on its side. Point East. I change the height so there is no cropping at the top of the frame. Point South and check so that the rudder is not touching the top of the frame.

If that just insulted your intelligence, sorry. Sometimes people can get clueless sometimes.


If you'd like a divison of labor and to help speed things along, how about this:
I do the animations of the basic model. If you'd like, you can do the textures of the various versions. I send you the animation files.. you replace textures using an easy method... and you can animate the stuff with your own equipment.

Pros: vastly increased speed of production.
Cons: takes away creativity from you.

 

[MatteLeDog]

If that just insulted your intelligence, sorry. Sometimes people can get clueless sometimes.

Nah no problem, I wasn't insulted. On the contrary, any advice that is helpful and can save time is valuable.

If you'd like a divison of labor and to help speed things along, how about this:
I do the animations of the basic model. If you'd like, you can do the textures of the various versions. I send you the animation files.. you replace textures using an easy method... and you can animate the stuff with your own equipment.

Pros: vastly increased speed of production.
Cons: takes away creativity from you.

I like your proposition! The artistic freedom argument will have to give way for a more pragmatic solution. Besides, sooner or later I would be begging you for models anyway You still have my MSN? I think you are on my user list, best mode of transfer would be via that chanel.

 

[MatteLeDog]

Italian AF Starfighter:

Info from Wikipedia:

"F-104S, 246 Italian versions produced mainly by FIAT, upgraded for interception role with NASARR R-21G/H radar with moving-target indicator and continuous-wave illuminator for SARH missiles (initially AIM-7 Sparrow), two additional wing hardpoints, more powerful J79-GE-19 engine with 11,870 lbf (53 kN) and 17,900 lbf (80 kN) thrust, two additional ventral fins for increased stability. The cannon was sacrificed to make room for the illuminator and was never restored in subsequent variants."

Apperently the type was not retired by the Italian AF until 2004.

Model was provided by Wyrmshadow, the paint job I based on an actual picture, so it's not fictional.

 

[El Justo]

hey! it's the "missile with a man in it"!

i've got a spot for this little fella when it's ready well done!

 

[MatteLeDog]

hey! it's the "missile with a man in it"!

i've got a spot for this little fella when it's ready well done!

Thanks, there will also be a German and Japanese version too, quite a remarkable design, but had an unfortunately high accident rate.

 

[TopGun]

Thanks, there will also be a German and Japanese version too, quite a remarkable design, but had an unfortunately high accident rate.

That's because the Luftwaffe - at first - tried to use it in the interceptor role and flew it like any other dogfighter, nonewithstanding the fact that the Starfighter really wasn't built for that. In retrospect, the acquisition of the Starfighter was one of the largest blunders of the Luftwaffe.

 

[MatteLeDog]

Ok, I always thought that the aircraft was designed originally for the interception role, I can recall reading in som aviation book that Kelly Johnson went with the design after asking F-86 pilots in Korea what they
would like, and after going up against the MiG-15 they stressed the need for speed and altitude performance above everything else. They certainly got what they asked for. I have always loved that scene in "The Right stuff" when Chuck Yeager flies his modified F-104 to 100 000+ feet.

 

[TopGun]

That's true. Only that "interception" for the Air National Guard at home, that is, in the US, meant something completely different than "interception" for the Luftwaffe:

The US Air National Guard was looking for an interceptor for Soviet long-range, high-altitude bombers, hauling them nasty nukes over here.

The Luftwaffe, however, was looking for a tactical interceptor, against ground attack/strafing bombers and enemy fighters/fighter bombers.

 

[El Justo]

yeah, the f-104 had a dubious record. that's for sure. and iirc, there was some scandal i think involving lockheed peeps and securing the contracts for the euro-built versions. Germany i think was at the center of it as TG noted.

civ specific versions w/ the roundels/colors is always a nice touch. keep up the good work

 

[MatteLeDog]

Attack anim:

 

[MatteLeDog]

Fast animations with minimum amount of frames, I don't want the silly
game engine to mess things up when interception occurs in game.

 

[taube87]

nice very good!
are you planning a mg-attack .flc?

 

[MatteLeDog]

nice very good!
are you planning a mg-attack .flc?

No MG attack on this one since by the the time these were widely used by aligned nations the gunfighter era was pretty much over, however Wyrm's USAF version might use Mg attack, I'm not sure.