Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Greebo on January 10, 2005, 02:14:16 PM

Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 10, 2005, 02:14:16 PM
I've uploaded a new B-24 skin to The Skin Department (http://www.ah-skins.com/index.php). This aircraft is from 24 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force which operated Liberators from mid 44 onwards in the SEAC theatre of operations.

One annoying thing about the B-24 as a skin is that although most of it is currently glossy, the wing and tail leading edges are matt. Because of this I've decided to leave the leading edges black, where they should really be silver.

Any constructive criticism would be welcome, before I send it to HTC.

(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/24sqnsc.jpg)

(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/24sqnsc2.jpg)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Guppy35 on January 10, 2005, 03:44:10 PM
Very very nice work Greebo.  Libs over the Pacific Aussie style.  Can't beat it :)

Dan/Slack
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Citabria on January 10, 2005, 04:26:53 PM
looks great!

can you darken the interior textures the way waffle did on his b24J?

i think it looks much more realistic that way :)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: SELECTOR on January 10, 2005, 04:39:44 PM
nice.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Citabria on January 10, 2005, 06:19:05 PM
also i think you left the non turbo charged exhaust streak on accidentally on the outboard engines
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 10, 2005, 06:24:21 PM
Thanks for the kind words guys. I'll have a look at the interiors and the exhaust, Cit.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Jester on January 11, 2005, 03:40:16 PM
Coastal Command Liberator skin would also look nice.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 11, 2005, 04:26:30 PM
I agree, a Coastal Command Liberator would be nice. I've been trying to find one with both a front turret and a grey/green upper camo scheme. However all the turreted ones seem to be grey only on top.

Once the gloss skin problem gets sorted there are quite a few interesting Liberator schemes that can be done. USN Atlantic, RAF Bomber Command night scheme, RAF SEAC, as well as the USAAF olive drab/grey scheme. Lots of nice noseart to choose from there.

Until then I've been looking at doing a USAAF silver B-24, since that is all that will work well with the current gloss finish. There are still a couple of issues with this skin which make some schemes problematical. Tigershark mouths get stretched around the nose leading to a "missing front teeth" look, the extra bombardier window on our B-24 doesn't help either. "The Dragon and his Tail" has issues around the bombbay area and on the matt panel above the nose.

So I'm still looking, but currently the upper one of these two is favourite.

(http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/decals/ztz48004a.jpg)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Kev367th on January 13, 2005, 01:12:32 AM
Started a Coastal Command Liberator, just doesn't look right with the shinyness on. Got it about 90% finished, then decided to wait until the specularity switch is introduced.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Guppy35 on January 13, 2005, 07:35:55 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Greebo


So I'm still looking, but currently the upper one of these two is favourite.
 


Interesting that they have Queen Mae as part of the 90th BG as the info I have shows her with the 20 combat mapping squadron.

Close up of the nose art.

Dan/Slack
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/169_1105623271_queenmae.jpg)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Wolf14 on January 13, 2005, 12:23:05 PM
Bombers always have the cooler nose art.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 13, 2005, 03:35:26 PM
Queen Mae is now up at The Skin Department (http://www.ah-skins.com/index.php). Thanks for the photo, Guppy. I reckon it was originally a 90th BG aircraft, as Mae's necklace and sceptre ornaments are the same as the 90th BG tailart. Of course the aircraft may have been transferred at some point.

I see Rogerdee is doing a Coastal Command Liberator too Kev. Guess I'll skip that one then, three's a crowd.

(http://www.ah-skins.com/skins/screenshot272.jpg)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: rogerdee on January 13, 2005, 03:42:53 PM
mine  is a seac lib if it ever gets done  but it will never be as good as any of yours

  you can do it if ya want just let me know

rogerdee
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: SELECTOR on January 13, 2005, 05:16:01 PM
hehe nose are is so gay. i like them plain jane
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: FTJR on January 17, 2005, 06:31:15 AM
Hi Greebo,
Been away for awhile. Nice job on the RAAF Lib, but im biased :)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Jester on January 18, 2005, 03:36:08 AM
One of the squadrons of the 90th BG all had "Shark Mouth's" on all their B-24J Liberators.

Very nice looking scheme. Defenately got to have this skin.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 18, 2005, 06:34:40 PM
Quote
Originally posted by rogerdee
mine  is a seac lib if it ever gets done  but it will never be as good as any of yours you can do it if ya want just let me know
rogerdee


You go ahead and do it Rogerdee, I'm thinking of doing this one now. It is a 223 Squadron ECM aircraft. Only trouble is I can't find a photo of it. All the 223 Squadron aircraft photos I've seen show an all over black scheme.

(http://www.flyingmule.com/img/prd/CG-AA34012_01_lrg.gif)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: SlapShot on January 18, 2005, 10:14:00 PM
The Skull Head needs the "dents" in it.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 19, 2005, 03:08:56 AM
The skull dents are there in my skin, its just that they are a lot more subtle than on that transfer set. All the photos of 90th BG liberators show them that way. Also the eye and nose sockets are not joined together like on the transfer sheet.
(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/90thbgtailartphoto.jpg) (http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/tailart.jpg)

(http://www.gfg06.dial.pipex.com/90thbgphoto.jpg)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Jester on January 19, 2005, 05:00:56 AM
Can anyone post a pic of one of the 90th BG "Jolly Rogers" B-24J's with the "Shark's Mouth"?

I have seen them before but can't seem to find one on Google to save my life.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Jester on January 20, 2005, 01:02:40 AM
Found a pic of them. All of the aircraft of the 320th BS "WHALE'S TAIL'S" of the 90th BG had "Shark Mouth's painted on their B-24's - both D and J models, OD and Silver color schemes.

(http://www.b24bestweb.com/images/B24/ASNAPPINNABITIN2.JPG)

(http://www.b24bestweb.com/images/B24/ASNAPPINNABITIN3.JPG)
 
(http://www.b24bestweb.com/images/B24/SADSACK-V1-2.JPG)

On the OD aircraft, the tail markings where just the "Skull & Crossed Bombs" in white on the OD background of the aircraft. Some of this squadron's a/c had the rudders painted red.
On the silver B-24's of the later war era - the tail markings are as in the pic below, for the 320th BS, it is red where the pic in the above post has blue behind the skull.
(http://www.b24bestweb.com/images/B24/BOISEBRONC2.JPG)

Even the 320th BS's "Hack Aircraft" "Moby Dick Jr." carried a "Shark's Mouth."  :D


(http://www.b24bestweb.com/images/B24/MOBYDICK1.JPG)
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Greebo on January 20, 2005, 02:54:12 PM
I've looked at doing a shark mouthed B-24 before. What stopped me was the second bombardier window getting in the way and the area across the front immediately below the turret being stretched widthwise. With this 320th BS mouth the second window is not so much of a problem, though you would still lose the front four or so teeth over the stretched area.

I'd be happy to give this one a go if I could get a complete aircraft's worth of data, i.e. squadron letters, airframe number.
Title: RAAF Liberator
Post by: Jester on January 20, 2005, 09:18:00 PM
See if I can track you down a nice OD B-24J from the 320th BS.