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General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Citabria on March 31, 2007, 06:42:08 PM

Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on March 31, 2007, 06:42:08 PM
here she is. will submit it tomorrow.
gonna add a bit more weathering but its basically done.


(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/louiv%20front%20left%20side.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/louiv%20back%20right%20side.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/louiv%20wing%20cockpit%20view.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on March 31, 2007, 07:26:02 PM
might change the athelene crew chiefs nose art on the right side to red instead of black. had no color photos of right side just black and white but it is possible it was same colors as louIV on the left side.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Greebo on March 31, 2007, 07:51:30 PM
That's a beautiful skin Cit.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: oboe on March 31, 2007, 09:04:10 PM
Check out the natural metal texture under the horizontal tailplane in the second picture.   I don't think I've ever seen it done better.

Been waiting for this skin.  Just gorgeous, Cit.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: killnu on March 31, 2007, 10:47:38 PM
amazing work...again.  :aok

thank you for your efforts.
~S~
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on March 31, 2007, 11:19:13 PM
Great stuff as usual sir.

Not sure if this will help as I know you are an attention to detail guy, but clearly there was writing on the black square in front of the windscreen.

Looks like Christenson's name followed by Crew Chief, Asst CC and Armament guys.

It's also a P51D-5NA so it has the small square canopy latch, not the longer one of the later D models.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175401111_lou.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Bruv119 on April 01, 2007, 01:49:36 AM
Very nice!

Thanks for your time and effort to make the game better.

Bruv
~S~
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 01, 2007, 02:55:46 AM
thx for kind words and guppy thx for pic great help...

what about the color of the panel around the guns? i have it as red but it is dubious i think... whats your take on an accurate color for the gun port panels? its visibly different color in the photo above.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 01, 2007, 09:30:38 AM
Eh not bad. :rofl :rofl  This is why I wanted you to finish this one.  Excellent skin!

I would go with red on the gun area.

Also, in one of the photos of this bird it appears that they did not blank off the intake on the nose.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 01, 2007, 11:06:02 AM
pretty sure the grill on side of nose is plated over every other bird in the flight has sheet metal blanking theirs over and seeing as how louiv's is Olive drab it suggests pretty strongly they did the same on it.

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/169_1123922585_louiv.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 01, 2007, 11:42:24 AM
Interesting, I wonder whether it was a seasonal decision.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Kazaa on April 01, 2007, 11:52:24 AM
WOW, just amazing!
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: xNOVAx on April 01, 2007, 12:08:55 PM
Fantastic as always Fester!!
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Krusty on April 01, 2007, 04:51:11 PM
Looks damn good.

I like the weathering you've perfected so well.

On the color image it looks like E2*S has red on the gunports (I definitely see a hint of red!), but not on any of the others. On E2*C it almost looks like a continuation of the BMF from under the invasion stripes, and on E2*A and E2*H it almost looks like it's black.

I think you could make black, red, or silver and still be right depending on which photo you look at (heh heh)

I say don't sweat the gunports. If you think they're red, do them red. One part about skins is interpreting your sources. If you discover more info later, just change that layer and resubmit.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 01, 2007, 08:47:14 PM
the closer i look at it the more it looks like the top of the gunports are red i can see a hint of it on LOUIV and the underside of the gunports are baremetal it is somewhat evident in guppy's pic and the color formation pic. redoing the LOUIV noseart also with guppy's great hi res photo that shows much more detail of how it really looked also adding  the nameplate lettiering etc changed athelene noseart to red letters and trim kinda like E2A
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on April 01, 2007, 11:41:33 PM
Can't get this one any bigger, but I don't see red on the gun ports :(

I really like that look though.  It would make sense with the red tape and dope the RAF Spits used as well as many of the Mustang groups.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175488810_lou222.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 02, 2007, 12:01:57 AM
aye will call it tape i ended up making the upper side red and only half the lower side of the ports red with metal below. :D its perfectly plausible that its red dope or tape that is removable  hahah :)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on April 02, 2007, 03:24:03 AM
Not sure if these will help or not.

Lou IV banking away.  Only undersides shot I could find in my stuff.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175502197_lou4.jpg)

E2S showing the area around the gun ports better.  These look unpainted.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175502177_e2s2.jpg)

And another of E2-S as big as I could get it for the detail.  Not Lou IV obviously but from the same day and photo sorties.  Urban Drew at the controls
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175502157_e2s1.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Treize69 on April 02, 2007, 03:39:13 AM
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/861_1175502177_e2s2.jpg)

That looks like it could be red to me, those old pics can be kinda hard to guess colors from. Might even be yellow, looks the same color as the nose to me.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 02, 2007, 05:37:59 AM
There is a very hires picture of E2-S on the Airforce website under photos.  I use it as my background alot of the time.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: T99LMG on April 02, 2007, 08:13:50 AM
I belive that the guns should be red, because, during the war, the British Spitfires lined their guns and alierons with red paint. I belive the americans started doing that near the end of 1944. It should be red for that reason.


:aok
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Krusty on April 02, 2007, 11:35:09 AM
I think you can assume the B&W spots on E2*S are red, because in the color photo posted above where it's behind Lou IV, you can see red by the guns. Just a hint, but red.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on April 02, 2007, 11:47:56 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Krusty
I think you can assume the B&W spots on E2*S are red, because in the color photo posted above where it's behind Lou IV, you can see red by the guns. Just a hint, but red.


Generally the gun tape over the barrels was red.  The question still remains what was the color of the area around the gun ports.  The more i look at E2-S, the more it looks to be bare metal.

Looking at Lou IV, I'm now inclined to think it's the same dark olive that is over the grill on the lower side of the nose in the yellow.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Krusty on April 02, 2007, 11:53:14 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Guppy35
The more i look at E2-S, the more it looks to be bare metal.


Take another glance at the photos you posted. Definitely painted, with whatever color. Look at the fuselage. Look at the wingtips past the stripes. Night and day, totally different compared to the gun port area.

Now the underside may be BMF, as Fester mentions, but the upper definitely was not.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on April 02, 2007, 11:54:21 AM
Picture of the gun barrels with the red tape.  This is a 4th bird but it's the best example I could scan.

Krusty, I'm not suggesting Lou IV has bare metal on the gun ports.  That's clearly painted.  I think it's just a darker olive green like the cover over the vent on the nose.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Krusty on April 02, 2007, 12:00:56 PM
I'm sorry, I must have misread your text!
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Widewing on April 02, 2007, 03:10:20 PM
Gents, IIRC that cap that fits over the gun muzzles was stamped out of stainless steel to eliminate the corrosion associated with the gun powder residue. I believe that it was held in place by countersunk philips head screws. It could certainly be primed and painted, but I suspect that is was simply brushed (mat finish), bare metal in this case.

Bodhi would likely know for sure.

My regards,

Widewing
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 03, 2007, 04:25:13 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Citabria

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/169_1123922585_louiv.jpg)


Are we discussing the panel around the guns being red?  If so, note that E2_S has yellow around the guns in this photo Cit posted and one I have as well from the same photo op.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 03, 2007, 05:23:53 PM
Did I mention I got a new Scanner this week?  Found this in my library.  I gotta call bare metal.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 03, 2007, 10:14:18 PM
thx fencer bare metal it is indeed mystery solved haha :D
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 06, 2007, 09:20:13 PM
ok heres the final final version updated with everything new LOUIV art,  p51d-5 canopy handle, new crew chief pilot plaque, athelene colors changed, more weathering, bare metal gun panels, more refinements, etc etc etc. :D
submitting it now and going out of state for easter :) cheers!

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss115%20copy.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss139%20copy.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss104%20copy.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss107%20copy.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss109%20copy.jpg)

(http://p38fester.sitesled.com/ahss133%20copy.jpg)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Widewing on April 06, 2007, 09:31:25 PM
Fester, that is nothing less than extraordinary.

The best skin I have ever seen.

My regards,

Widewing
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Greebo on April 07, 2007, 06:12:28 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Widewing
Fester, that is nothing less than extraordinary.

The best skin I have ever seen.



Seconded. :aok
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Geary420 on April 07, 2007, 08:03:09 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Greebo
Seconded. :aok


Thirded, I will even fly a pony occasionaly now just to rock that skin.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Widewing on April 07, 2007, 11:20:42 AM
I can't wait to see Fester's skin for the B-25 or P-39...

He's set the new gold standard.

Now, HTC has select a lesser P-51D skin to remove (they're all lesser, except for his other P-51s).

My regards,

Widewing
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Treize69 on April 07, 2007, 11:36:46 AM
The one we have from that group is pretty bad. So is the 357th one. Wouldn't mind never seeing either one again.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 07, 2007, 11:56:45 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Widewing
Now, HTC has select a lesser P-51D skin to remove (they're all lesser, except for his other P-51s).
 


Ouch man. :( :p
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Widewing on April 07, 2007, 12:20:00 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Fencer51
Ouch man. :( :p


No offense intended... If he did more P-38Gs, I'm sure mine would be out and I wouldn't mind one bit....  ;)

My regards,

Widewing
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Guppy35 on April 07, 2007, 12:45:05 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Widewing
No offense intended... If he did more P-38Gs, I'm sure mine would be out and I wouldn't mind one bit....  ;)

My regards,

Widewing


Cough...gasp....cough....P38G, 80th FS, 8th FG, "Corky Jr' flown by Corky Smith!.....cough.......gasp......co ugh:D
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: rogerdee on April 08, 2007, 07:58:15 AM
I wouldn't go as far as saying a skin already in the game is bad.it was good at the time when it was done  its just that now the standard has got so high that what was good last year ,just can't keep up.

 I am all for resubmitting old schemes with better ones and we all know fester citabra does some of the best skins especialy bare metal ones around.
  But no offence guys, calling a skin that some one spent ages doing and that got put in the game isn't that nice.

I look back at some of my early attempts that are in the game and think umm looking a bit battered now,things have progresed so much as we all learn new skills .But i know i would be offened if some one said it was bad,unless i agreed.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Widewing on April 08, 2007, 11:22:23 AM
Quote
Originally posted by rogerdee
I wouldn't go as far as saying a skin already in the game is bad.it was good at the time when it was done  its just that now the standard has got so high that what was good last year ,just can't keep up.

 I am all for resubmitting old schemes with better ones and we all know fester citabra does some of the best skins especialy bare metal ones around.
  But no offence guys, calling a skin that some one spent ages doing and that got put in the game isn't that nice.

I look back at some of my early attempts that are in the game and think umm looking a bit battered now,things have progresed so much as we all learn new skills .But i know i would be offened if some one said it was bad,unless i agreed.


I understand your point. I said "lesser", not "bad". I spent many hours doing Art Heiden's P-38J (from Art's photos), and I would hate to see it replaced, except by a much better skin. That would force me to go back and upgrade my skin. I would not be offended, just motivated. "A rising tide raises all of the boats".

My regards,

Widewing
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: rogerdee on April 08, 2007, 02:31:36 PM
nah wide wing it wasnt a knock at you you didnt say bad.

 and i know where you are coming from about the motavation.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: AWwrgwy on April 08, 2007, 09:17:43 PM
Quote
Originally posted by Treize69
The one we have from that group is pretty bad. So is the 357th one. Wouldn't mind never seeing either one again.


The 357th "Croghan Cruiser/Waverly Democrat" is actually a post war scheme as it has the buzz numbers under the right wing.


wrngway
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Fencer51 on April 09, 2007, 04:49:41 AM
Quote
Originally posted by Widewing
No offense intended... If he did more P-38Gs, I'm sure mine would be out and I wouldn't mind one bit....  ;)

My regards,

Widewing


None taken, I was just making a funny. :eek: :aok

As I have said previously, if he wants to redo my accepted skins, he can have at it. He is better than I am for now. :)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 13, 2007, 03:20:49 AM
I wouldnt worry too much about skin bumping. My own theory is that they will bump either really badly made rehash skins that were skins from the origional p51 that are completely innacurate or done with such low detail and minimal color variation that would make them stand out against just about any more recent skin that has moderately good colors and details.

or they could go after the cloners. theres a few skins for some planes that could have 6 or 7 slots for the same skin thats been altered in ways that are not visible from the cockpit and just a bit of weathering or nose art is different. I don't see a problem with doing a clone here and there as long as its unique enough to stand apart from its origional especially if its for a plane with no skins and a single skinner is trying to add a lot of variety in markings with just one skin as a stopgap till more unique work can be done by the skinner to their existing work if they so desire or more skinners add more skins to the plane and eventually decrease the number of cloned skin repeats.

but i think its best as waffle said a while back to do 1 skin for a certain plane and move on. I think revisiting a plane and doing another skin for it or finishing a problem skin that had issues that relegated it to the scrap pile till being sorted out has good results in that it will make each skin done by a single skinner of higher quality than the previous skin for the same plane simply by the time between skins and other skinning projects between them as well.

anyways...

I am starting my b25 default skin research tomorrow with a trip to the Museum nearby (at the inlaws still hundreds of miles from home) which dosnt have a b25 but has a very good reference library hopefully containing some great plan views of the b25.

I have some pretty damn good b25 plan views with rivet and panel detail at home. but if anyone has some truely unique drawings of the b25 with good rivet and panel detail or even really good pics showing such detail please share by PM'ing me or posting in the custom skins forum :) like guppy said I love dtails and the more I can find about the origional plane the more I can accurately add to the skin :)
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Geary420 on April 13, 2007, 03:36:02 AM
I'm sure you already have done so, but just in case you havent check waffles sticky at the top of the Aircraft and Vehicles section.
Title: 375thFS 361stFG P-51D "LOU IV" finished
Post by: Citabria on April 13, 2007, 05:02:08 AM
nope this is the first chance ive had to get online since last weekend will check it out :D