Skin P47D-25 – 8AF/78FG/84FS, 42-26551 / WZ-P (pics)

[MachNix]

P47D-25(RE), flown by the 84th CO Maj Ben Mayo

The primary source for this skin comes form a picture out of "Aces of the Mighty Eighth" (ISBN 1-84176-619-4), page 168.  The image wasn't much to go by.  A question I'm sill mulling over is whether the stare and bar under the wings were the "regular" size, the "jumbo" size, or a mix of both with the "jumbo" being under the left wing.  I'm leaning toward the "regular" size under both wings.  I think I have seen all three ways.  If anyone has some definite ideas or information on this bird, let's hear 'em.

[Krusty]

I like the nose checkering (nicely done). I'd suggest going with a slightly more specular materials file, to give it more "gloss" -- it is metal, mostly.

I don't think I like the painting mistakes on the D-Day stripes. The brush strokes are "too regular" and look intentional.

I'd think they'd be going with the stripe, not against it, so you'd get more bowing of the stripe, slight curves, just off-angle lines, rather than bumpy wavy lines.

If I didn't describe that well I can try to re-phrase it. Did you understand what I meant?

[MachNix]

Okay, re-worked the invasion stripes and some other details. (Above images updated.)  Also upped the Specular values slightly in the materials file.  The value is a compromise between the shine of the bare metal and the flat of the anti-glare panel.  Even though the skin is metal, it is not polished to a high gloss so I don't want the wing to go completely white.  You can see what is going on in the below image.

[Fencer51]

Looks great Machnix, I sure would fly it alot.

[MotleyCH]

Thats awesome:aok

The bar next to the WZ on the tail looks out of allignment tho.

[Treize69]

Thats it mapped over the exhaust (I think supercharger exhaust?) vent.

[Krusty]

There is a spot on the bitmap for the belly exhaust. It would be painted over but is not. There is the round shaped one, then a square shaped one between it and the tail wheel door. These can both be found next to the engine on the bitmap, and you're re-done them from the default, but I think the stripes would continue onto them. The same invasion stripes go over these parts on the default skin as well.

[MachNix]

The star and bare on the fuselage is partly on the intercooler shutter.  I might do some more work in that area to further misalign the bar – part of the blue border should be covered up.

On the exhaust shroud, I'm not working with the best picture to see if this bird had the invasion strips applied to the shroud.  I did have them initially but then found another 78th FG bird that was bare metal with half strips and the shroud was not painted.  Therefore I removed the strips.  Taking a few minuets here to look through what images I have, I'm not finding any 78th birds with invasion strips on the shroud.

Thanks for pointing things out.

[Krusty]

Cool, if you have other references that trumps my guess

One thing I just thought of with the intercooler thingamabob (where the star-and-bar is broken) is that I've seen others with a shade/shadow where it slopes into the fuselage. I think that helps sell the shape a bit. I think most folks will realize the star and bar are supposed to be broken up when they see it first-hand. I'd leave the markings where they were, but maybe add a shadow or some other indication to show the shapes at play, rather than the markings. Minor nit-pick for an otherwise good skin. You could submit it as-is I think, but since you ask *pulls out 100-foot-long-list-of-suggestions*

(just kidding! )

[MachNix]

Re-worked the intercooler shutters and insignia on the mid fuselage.  Updated above images.  Other than that 100-foot-long-list-of-suggestions, I think it's about done.

[Krusty]

I don't know about everybody else, but I kind of like it!