North American Aviation Shop

[Fencer51]

Starting this thread to have a place to show what I am working on and receive comments on the aircraft in progress.

First up P-51D Sizzlin' Liz  QP-H of the 334th Fighter Squadron / 4th Fighter Group in Spring 1945.

Not happy entirely with the normal map, particularly around the gas caps.  Also the flap area and interaction area between the wing and moveable trailing edges looks wonky.

[Greebo]

Looks really good Fencer. The screenshots don't really show the issues you mentioned. There are a couple of what looks like normal map-generated raised strips just ahead of the ailerons. Looking at RL photos of these strips they should be streamlined and blend into the wing at the front and back. The only other thing that looks a little off to me is that the blue on the markings seems a bit too saturated.

[oboe]

Could just be my laptop screen, but I'm seeing sort of a faint lavender cast on fuselage and tail. 

Re: the raised strips ahead of the ailerons - if they were generated by the normal map, and the normal map "raises" areas of lightness and depresses areas of dark, could it be the raised strip is caused by the light panel line layer?

Or could it be the aileron hinge shadow (n-map depressed area) causes the area next to it to appear raised by comparison?

[oboe]

Just checked on my game machine and I'm definitely seeing a lavender hue on the fuselage, especially in the top shot.   So it wasn't my laptop screen.  However, it could just be my old eyes....

The red might be a little overstaturated - that's a matter of taste, and its common to see in the the new graphics engine.   The pictures I Googled of Liz do show a pretty intense red.

I think I'm seeing the anti-glare paint underneath the red at the top front of the nose, however that could be from the spec map value if you haven't adjusted that yet.

[bustr]

There is a lavender cast which is probably his interpretation of the blue sky surroundings saturating the polished aluminum plates. Greebo seems to have gotten a handle on making aluminum look like aluminum in his P47 remakes with blue saturation versus pearled light lavender white panels. Polished aluminum seems also to reflect light into the blue spectrum.

[bustr]

Mirror polished aluminum in sunlight. You can see why so many ww2 color photos of bare aluminum skinned P51 have a spectrum of gray to blue casts to the reflections and along compound surfaces. At certain times of day the cast of the aluminum could well be lavanderish pearl white under a solid cloud cover.

[Nefarious]

Looking good!

If P-51s are rolling back down the assembly line for AH3, can we please visit Robert "Punchy" Powells 352nd FG P-51B or D "The West By Gawd Virginian"?

Thanks! <S>

[oboe]

Looking good!

If P-51s are rolling back down the assembly line for AH3, can we please visit Robert "Punchy" Powells 352nd FG P-51B or D "The West By Gawd Virginian"?

Thanks! <S>

Was this one in the game at one time?   I had ideas of doing a 352nd '51B, and settled on Snooks Sniper, but it may be a little to decorated for my taste.  Did Powell fit a Malcolm hood on his B?

My understanding is there is one open slot for the D, and maybe two or so for the B.  Apart from that, it'll just be the updates by skinners who already have their '51 skins accepted and in game.  Not much room for anything new.

[Fencer51]

I could do that Nef, I have a secret that might/should allow me to add a skin... muhahahaha.

[BFOOT1]

I can't wait to see what else you're working on, I love your 51 skins!

[Fencer51]

Moving down the line of my accepted P-51Ds..

[Devil 505]

Overall I like it.

I still think you should correct the lavender hue to the metal surfaces.

Also, you might want to darken the silver lacquer areas so that they don't get washed out in the sunlight.

 

[Vraciu]

Overall I like it.

I still think you should correct the lavender hue to the metal surfaces.

Also, you might want to darken the silver lacquer areas so that they don't get washed out in the sunlight.

 

The problem there is everything then looks too gray.  It's a challenge.   

[Nefarious]

I could do that Nef, I have a secret that might/should allow me to add a skin... muhahahaha.

His P-47D-11 would be another option as well. As well as this 361st FG P-47D, the "West by GOD Virginian". I think you see what I'm getting at

Sgt. Arthur R. Minor (right) was responsible for much of the Squadron’s nose-art. Capt. Dayton C. Casto’s “West by God Virginia” was one of his many creations and was crewed by S/Sgt. Fred L. Seavey, (left) crew-chief, Pvt. Charles R. Betts, assistant, Cpl. Floyd E. Stinemetz, armourer and Sgt. Frank Pukoszek, radio man.  (Casto)   

[Vraciu]

Looks really good Fencer. The screenshots don't really show the issues you mentioned. There are a couple of what looks like normal map-generated raised strips just ahead of the ailerons. Looking at RL photos of these strips they should be streamlined and blend into the wing at the front and back. The only other thing that looks a little off to me is that the blue on the markings seems a bit too saturated.

I've tried to make those strips taper with the Normal Map without success.