P38J - 429th FS/474th FG "Swat"

[Waffle]

Still in experimemnt mode as well as finishing up some unfinished skinning..

[Guppy35]

Looks great

But you know the more I look at the 38J and L the more I think the intakes under the engine of the AH bird are too big.  

Glad you did another of those 9th AF 38s. Those guys really had a heckuva job flying ground support in 44-45.

Dan/Slack

[oboe]

Beautiful, as always Waffle!    Your work always has such fine detail.   Looks like you are experimenting with the materials.txt values, too - the metal as an overall brownish cast I haven't seen before.

Questions - for the nacelle engine access panel screw heads, did you use a one-pixel dot?   I've tried to make custom screwheads but even the smallest one I design - 5 pixel plus-sign with an empty center pixel, seems too large.

What does the text say on the left nose?

[Waffle]

The fastners on the engine are just a one pixel dot - just spread out and darker that any rivets. Text on the left nose?

You talking about the  nose art "SWAT"? or stuff like the model version / serial / crew weight stuff?

The brown stuff was a layer experiment on the actual texture map. to give it that "vintage color movie feel"...lmao

might be a tad bit over board but it is fun experimenting!

Another thing I've been trying with these models lately is "exaggerating" the panel lines / panal shade and see what it does with different material properties.. -  Next step is to tone down the tail section lines....those end up thicker on the model due to the size of the bitmap to the area mapped, and then start work on the interior of the gear / flap cavities, misc ect....

I  also stuck a request in the gameplay feedback/request forum about seeing if there's a possible way to get the nose cone included into the materials property set-up. As it is currently, theres no-way to make the spinner natural metal.


BTW - got word for Pyro that interiors can't be skinned due to  memory limitations..... so no more aircraft interiors for now. My b24 interior got in under the radar, so it might be dissapearing soon.

[United]

Beautiful work!

[oboe]

 I guess I meant my left, as I'm looking at the pic - I should've said on the right fuse side (from the pilots POV).

I have some text I found in pictures on the lower left fuselage - this gist of it is this:

U.S. ARMY  P-38J-10-LO
AIR FORCES SER. 42-39024
Crew weight 200 lbs
Service this airplane
with 100 octane fuel
Suitable for aromatics
if not available

Text is one of those great 'little' details that really adds authenticity - but its hard to find photos where you can read it.
What does it say on Swat's starboard boom under the wing?

[Stang]

Originally posted by Guppy35
Looks great

But you know the more I look at the 38J and L the more I think the intakes under the engine of the AH bird are too big.  

I think you're right.  Instead of being so large at the end, it looks like the boom should curve up sharply in the last couple inches toward the intake.  The boom on the 38 we have is pretty much flat running up to the intake.

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

Originally posted by Stang
I think you're right.  Instead of being so large at the end, it looks like the boom should curve up sharply in the last couple inches toward the intake.  The boom on the 38 we have is pretty much flat running up to the intake.

You are indeed correct. The opening is far too large, and there is no significant curvature leading to it. Air show pics from Middlesboro KY featuring the p-38 from Chino, a late model with an early paint job and nose art:

[thebest1]

waffle what combination did you use in your material file? cause i cant figure it out.

[Kevin14]

It looks a little too pink Waffle.  I love how you varied the color of each plate of metal, it makes it look very beat up.

[thebest1]

Originally posted by Kevin14
It looks a little too pink Waffle.  I love how you varied the color of each plate of metal, it makes it look very beat up.

i noticed that too