474th FG P-38L for DGS

[oboe]

How's this now?    Specularity OK?  Shade of OD antiglare panels right?
Nose art and insignia correctly placed?


I'd like to finish it up tomorrow and submit it, if possible.   That's not much turnaround time- usually I  let them sit and cool a bit and come back much later for a fresh look.  

I suspect it could use more grime, dirt and oil, but I might need to reduce the shine too.

Here's a view from the opposite angle:

[Guppy35]

Only thing I'd suggest is moving the black box with the pilots name, bomb symbols etc down so the top edge butts up against the OD Anti-glare instead of overlapping as it is.

Looks great otherwise

Thanks for taking it on Oboe

[oboe]

Done, chief!    

I'll sleep on it and pending no other mod requests, submit it tomorrow after final weathering/grime/tweaking.   I'll have to review how the submission procedure works again.

Glad I was able to help out; I hope HTC likes it and can process it in time for the scenario.

[Fencer51]

Thanks Oboe, I was just looking at your's and admiring how the aluminum looked.

I create mine by following some of the tips people have posted in the past.  The aluminum is created with 4 layers.  1 Light Grey, 1 Silver, 1 Dark Grey, 1 "blue green" and I tried and like using a 5th layer that is a darker blue at a low opacity and using a brush from Photoshop done multiple times over the surface than using the same brush going back over it erasing at 50% to break it up.

I like Airliners.net and there is a P-51D there that is plain metal aluminum no polish no silver paint.  I figure that is how they must have looked when comparing that versus wartime photos that have aged.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1240018/L/

or

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1171277/L/

and

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1150774/L/

[evenhaim]

fester has got an amazing p51d metal texture
his big beautiful doll has been my skin for a while now

[oboe]

OK guys, Baby Shoes The Second has been submitted to HTC.   Been a while since I've done this so fingers crossed for no SNAFUs.

Here's some baby pictures:









Its got updated panel line and rivet patterns and new wheel rims, too.  Hope you like it.

[Fencer51]

Looks great Oboe.  Where did you get the stencil info?

Guppy I could use some help with the stencils near the gas caps, and other prominent stencils please.

Thanks.

[oboe]

I'm pretty sure I got my stencil from Kev367th - he and I did a number of skins early on.    I could zip up and email you the labels layer as a .psd if you use Photoshop.

I feel like redoing some of my earlier skins now - Jandina for sure, and I have one more 38 skin in mind.    It's Col Ben Mason's "Billy Boy", which I *think* is a J model.   I'll need Guppy's help with some resources if he's willing.

'course that can wait til after the big scenario... I have to get some practice flying!

[Citabria]

p38s look nice just wish you guys would not trace those older default panel line and rivet layouts as they are pretty much totally inaccurate. thats the only thing that really bugs me about them.

btw where is kev367th he seems to have disapeared

[oboe]

Thanks, Citabria.  

I did fix some panel line errors with this one - especially around the inside of the booms just inboard of the supercharger, and again on the small intakes on the outside of the nacelles.   Also added a panel seam on the rear of the boom near the access hatch, as in Guppy's profile above.  The rivet patterns are also new and more extensive than any I've done before. I'd be glad to have you take a look and offer suggestions for improvements.  

I used the wheel rims from the large format illustration of the 20th FG P-38 in David Donald's book, which I think you used as well.  I tried to show screws in the same style as you did on your 38Gs, and used a similar dark and light panel line opacity that you recommend in your tutorial.

In all I hope its an improvement from my previous '38 skins.

Don't know where Kev went off to.   I have been away too for a while.

[Fencer51]

Originally posted by Citabria
p38s look nice just wish you guys would not trace those older default panel line and rivet layouts as they are pretty much totally inaccurate. thats the only thing that really bugs me about them.

btw where is kev367th he seems to have disapeared

Well Fester these are for the scenario and are on a deadline.  I have never done a P-38 before so I had to start from scratch with short notice as Guppy had hoped someone else would do them.  I noticed the PLs are wrong but I did not have the time to redo them for this submission.  After DGS I will do the appropriate research and fix it.

[Guppy35]

Looks good Oboe

As for resources on the 82nd bird, you bet I'll help

I owe ya for many a skin

Kev moved back to England so he's out of action for a bit.

Fencer, as for stencils, I wouldn't worry about it on the L.  Those 9th birds were ridden hard and put away wet as the saying goes in that ground attack role.  I don't see a lot of stencils on them

I can't wait to get both those 474th birds in the air

Thanks a million gents.

[Citabria]

someone else was scratchbuilding b25 skins and didn't have innacurate lines to trace.

[Bruv119]

Originally posted by Citabria
btw where is kev367th he seems to have disapeared

Hulse said he moved back to England I guess he is still sorting stuff out.

[lyric1]