Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Fencer51 on December 27, 2006, 09:20:46 PM

Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Fencer51 on December 27, 2006, 09:20:46 PM
Minor tweaks to oil leakage left.  As usual constructive comments appreciated.
Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Krusty on December 28, 2006, 12:49:34 AM
Red stripe looks a tad jagged. Can you smooth it (blur it once)?

Also, here's a question for all P47 folks. The vents on the sides of the rear fuselage. They're for the supercharger (or is it a Turbocharger? I get the two terms mixed up) exhaust. I've seen some model kits and restored warbirds that have the stars and bars shifted over the flaps. It seems as if they slide forward and inward, and the markings are painted when fully closed.

It *seems* that way. This is all speculation.

What's the deal on that? Do they fully 100% close? Or is there some opening even when fully shut? Are they painted when shut, then they shift when in use?

Should we take this into consideration when skinning them?
Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Stoney74 on December 28, 2006, 01:17:57 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Krusty
What's the deal on that? Do they fully 100% close? Or is there some opening even when fully shut? Are they painted when shut, then they shift when in use?

Should we take this into consideration when skinning them?



Proper terminology is the "intercooler doors".  There's a great 8 panel or so set of pictures that show the operation of the door in Bert Kinzey's book "P-47 Thunderbolt, In Detail and Scale" that shows the effect of the doors on the insignia in particular.  The door was made of one part, and the 3D model has the door in the full open position, while the aft ducting is closed flush with the fuselage.  In real life, the ducting portion was recessed into the fuselage.  IMHO, I'm skinning the intercoolers in the 100% open position, which means the aft ducting should be shaded a good bit to simulate its open/recessed position.  Without a good picture showing the effect on the insignia, its tough to describe, and I think the model would just stretch the insignia over the door anyway, so it may just be a personal preference type of deal.  Basically, the door shifted forward to about the half-way position, then started moving out as it continued forward.  Some units continued the insignia paint on the inner ducting to preserve a portion of the insignia with the door in the open position, some did not/did not have to given the designs of the insignias over the course of the war.  When the door is open on a plane that has the "bar" type USAAC insignia, the forward vertical red or blue border is concealed beneath the fuselage where it slides forward, and you only see the horizontal border and a piece of the white bar.  Its a very difficult detail to achieve given the model and the way the skin is stretched over the door.  Again, I'd say any variation that at least gives some consideration to the effect would be appropriate, if it doesn't turn into one of those diminishing return type of things...
Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Treize69 on December 28, 2006, 01:19:48 AM
(http://www.warbirdsinscale.com/images/walkaround/p47dellacqua/Immagine%20063.jpg)
(http://www.air-and-space.com/20050522%20Chino/DSC_1176%20P-47D%20N3152D%20right%20side%20l.jpg)

Yup, they definitely close fully.

And to show how much it slides forward...
(http://www.air-and-space.com/20050522%20Chino/DSC_1068%20P-47D%20NX47DF%20left%20side%20l.jpg)

(http://www.air-and-space.com/20001008%20Chino/P-47D%2019750504%20l.jpg)
Title: Re: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Stoney74 on December 28, 2006, 01:22:17 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Fencer51
Minor tweaks to oil leakage left.  As usual constructive comments appreciated.


Navigation lights on the wingtips?  Personally, I like the gun soot to be much less conspicuous.  I really like the data plates on the fuselage beneath the canopy and aft portion of the cowl.
Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Greebo on December 28, 2006, 02:53:54 AM
Its looking good Fencer. I agree about the stripe looking a little odd like it is. IIRC though, its can be difficult to stop the line bleeding into the stretched area on top of the fuselage if you alias it.

Personally I'd add some shadows behind the cowl flaps to give the illusion of them standing out a bit.
Title: P-47d40 377fs/362fg
Post by: Krusty on December 28, 2006, 12:20:15 PM
I like to see that, too.