Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Custom Skins => Topic started by: Vraciu on June 26, 2020, 02:27:57 AM
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Thanks to Lyric1 for his outstanding sleuthing on this one...
Lt. Hjalmar Johnsen
P-51D-20-NA "The Brat III" (9D*J)
S/N 44-72339
370th FG, 401st FS
RAF East Wretham, England, March - May 1945
This P-51D-20-NA s/n 44-72339 named "The Brat III" and coded 9D*J was assigned to Lt. Hjalmar Johnsen of the 370th FG, 401st FS operating out of RAF East Wretham (Station 133), England.
After graduation from flight school in July 1943 he was assigned to this squadron and trained in P-47s for deployment to Europe. Upon arrival in Andover England the 370th transitioned to P-38s in preparation for the Normandy invasion. Hjalmar flew more than 64 ground support combat missions, most of which were in a Lightning named "The Brat". On October 4, 1944 while on a bombing mission “The Brat” was hit by ground fire. Johnsen bailed out over Belgium sustaining a broken leg and was picked up by Americans near the front lines. In March 1945 the 401st received P-51s which they flew until the end of the war.
Johnsen returned home and married Rita Mederle. They had two children Jal and Lynn. He retired after a 30-year career with United Parcel Service and passed away on March 12, 1999. His decorations include the Purple Heart and the Air Medal with 10 clusters.
Johnsen’s Mustang was sold in June 1947 to the Swedish Air Force and served as Flygyapnet (FV) Serial No. 26115 based at F-4, Ostersund. Between 1952-53 it was sold to the Dominican Republic and served as Fuerza Aerea Dominica Serial No. 1918 until 1984 when it was retired from active service. Eventually acquired by the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas it was flown for many years as Donald Blakeslee's WD*C. During subsequent restoration the aircraft's combat history was discovered and it was completed in its World War II markings. It remains in flyable condition and is displayed regularly at airshows.
It has been modeled here with an olive drab anti-glare panel in accordance with wartime photos of the airplane prior to VE-Day.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/cCNNqJB
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400487.0;attach=32638)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400487.0;attach=32636)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400487.0;attach=32640)
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400487.0;attach=32642)
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:aok
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Great skin and an interesting story, thanks Vraciu.
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Looks like an actual photograph of it sitting on the tarmac. Well done.
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Looks great. That yellow looks right on to me, difficult to do with the game's lighting.
Where do you guys find such detailed stories about pilots? LOL, my sources are generally much more tight-lipped, divulging only name and rank of the pilot and aircraft tail code and squadron assignment.
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very nice.
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Thank you everyone. (I always notice stuff to fix when I sleep on it.)
Oboe, I just do a lot of searching using variations of the pilot’s name, squadron, and group along with airplane type. Occasionally I hit pay dirt. I also have decades of being around warbirds so sometimes I know a little inside baseball. Then there is always Lyric1. His internet searches make mine look amateurish.
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As a former bare metal Fabricator+Fettler I'm always impressed by the progress being made in the metal look by skinners :rock
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As a former bare metal Fabricator+Fettler I'm always impressed by the progress being made in the metal look by skinners :rock
True, the metal on Vraciu's skins are very, very good.
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Thanks, guys.
Learning as I go. Baby steps...
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At the risk of highlighting a deficiency...
Would this airplane have had fabric or metal elevators? I believe the production line switched over to the latter with the P-51D-25-NA but many older airplanes were retrofitted in the field.
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Great skin V, really nice. :aok
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Thank you, sir.
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Just Outstanding. What I appreciate also is the history that comes along with the aircraft.
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Yup... the history on the birds are great.
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Thanks guys. I'm glad to do it. You're most welcome.
One thing I really enjoy about the Custom Skins forum is all the support, praise, constructive criticism, research, cooperation, etc. from everyone be they skinners (active or inactive) or players. It's a neat dynamic that brings out the best in everyone here--even you, Shuffler.
:neener:
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Is there a war time photo of this airplane?
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Is there a war time photo of this airplane?
There are three. Two show an OD anti-glare panel the third doesn't show the panel at all since it is taken from head-on.
Cavanaugh restored it in black (they also did not paint the cowling side grills black, which they were). When it was in Swiss service it had a black anti-glare panel so it acquired one eventually, however, the only actual wartime photos I have of it are OD so that's how I drew it. Another plane in the squadron from the same time frame also has OD anti-glare.
By the end of the war the squadron itself had quite a variety of paneling from black to blue to OD.
At some point it looked like this Mustang so that's what I went with. If a wartime photo showing black anti-glare is found I'll update it.
(https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=400487.0;attach=32686)
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The two yellow colors on the propeller and spinner look the same (insignia yellow). The tail color is impossible to determine in that picture. I think your spinner yellow is a shade too light and/or bright. Perhaps making it match the blades would be good?
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The two yellow colors on the propeller and spinner look the same (insignia yellow). The tail color is impossible to determine in that picture. I think your spinner yellow is a shade too light and/or bright. Perhaps making it match the blades would be good?
It's already been submitted.
Yellow is the hardest color in the game to get right other than black. You'll just have to fly it and see.
Oboe seemed to like it and he has a good eye so let's just see... I think the yellow rings true, personally.
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(And thanks for the feedback, as always.) :salute
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It certainly matches the restored version.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/57/c2/f1/57c2f14ba7f66daba6aa2e4532ec238e.jpg)
But, I think they got the color wrong, too.
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It's the best yellow I've ever managed in this game...
Lighting is dynamic. What looks good at 1200 looks weird at 1600 and vice versa. It's the nature of the beast.
Like anything, it is a series of compromises. Sometimes you have no perfect option.
The photos show a deep/dark yellow. I think I came in right on the money.
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It's the best yellow I've ever managed in this game...
Lighting is dynamic. What looks good at 1200 looks weird at 1600 and vice versa. It's the nature of the beast.
Like anything, it is a series of compromises. Sometimes you have no perfect option.
The photos show a deep/dark yellow. I think I came in right on the money.
Maybe. In the shadow it looks like the right color and in light it looks way too light a shade. I suppose that is the game.
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Maybe. In the shadow it looks like the right color and in light it looks way too light a shade. I suppose that is the game.
You have to hit the color that looks right the most often.
Ask the other guys. They'll tell you how hard this is.
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You have to hit the color that looks right the most often.
Ask the other guys. They'll tell you how hard this is.
I don't doubt it. Just calling it like I see it.
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I don't doubt it. Just calling it like I see it.
I disagree here.
You can't tell a color from a fixed shot. You have to fly it around offline and maneuver it in every possible way at all different times of day to get an idea of what it is doing.
The graphics engine limits what you can do by its very nature. You work within the parameters of the environment provided.
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Here is a 21st fighter group P-51 WWII colour image forget what squadron at the moment.
Edit: 72ND fighter squadron.
(https://i.imgur.com/jweq1yoh.jpg)
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Here is a 21st fighter group P-51 WWII colour image forget what squadron at the moment.
(https://i.imgur.com/jweq1yoh.jpg)
You are something else, bro. :salute
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Perd, here's a sneak preview for you. May as well give you a head start on all your complaints so I'll have a chance to maybe fix them. :neener:
Should have it finished in time for the next release. It's about 85% complete here... None of the spec maps are done so ignore that aspect for sure.
:banana: :banana: :banana: WORK IN PROGRESS :banana: :banana: :banana:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mctxHwkR/ahss34.png) (https://postimg.cc/mctxHwkR) (https://i.postimg.cc/WqmxvYWm/ahss35.png) (https://postimg.cc/WqmxvYWm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2bZPHSnK/ahss36.png) (https://postimg.cc/2bZPHSnK) (https://i.postimg.cc/ns5yYD9m/ahss37.png) (https://postimg.cc/ns5yYD9m)
https://postimg.cc/gallery/Ktjy189
This could wind up as my best B yet. I've really thrown a lot of things into it that I've learned from all these skins lately...
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Perd, here's a sneak preview for you. May as well give you a head start on all your complaints so I'll have a chance to maybe fix them. :neener:
Should have it finished in time for the next release. It's about 85% complete here... None of the spec maps are done so ignore that aspect for sure.
:banana: :banana: :banana: WORK IN PROGRESS :banana: :banana: :banana:
Looking good V
This could wind up as my best B yet. I've really thrown a lot of things into it that I've learned from all these skins lately...
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That WIP is a great looking B Pony, Vraciu. From what I see it’s your best yet! Needs its own thread with big pictures. 🤩
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It's already been submitted.
Yellow is the hardest color in the game to get right other than black. You'll just have to fly it and see.
Oboe seemed to like it and he has a good eye so let's just see... I think the yellow rings true, personally.
Yeah, yellows are pains in the arse to get right. This shade looks fine though.
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Perd, here's a sneak preview for you. May as well give you a head start on all your complaints so I'll have a chance to maybe fix them. :neener:
Should have it finished in time for the next release. It's about 85% complete here... None of the spec maps are done so ignore that aspect for sure.
:banana: :banana: :banana: WORK IN PROGRESS :banana: :banana: :banana:
(https://i.postimg.cc/mctxHwkR/ahss34.png) (https://postimg.cc/mctxHwkR) (https://i.postimg.cc/WqmxvYWm/ahss35.png) (https://postimg.cc/WqmxvYWm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2bZPHSnK/ahss36.png) (https://postimg.cc/2bZPHSnK) (https://i.postimg.cc/ns5yYD9m/ahss37.png) (https://postimg.cc/ns5yYD9m)
https://postimg.cc/gallery/Ktjy189
This could wind up as my best B yet. I've really thrown a lot of things into it that I've learned from all these skins lately...
Looking good so far. But like Oboe said, it needs it's own thread - especially since we need to do some work on the blue shade.
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I am sorry that you interpret my comments as complaints. I will try rewording in the future.
It looks very good, but we should not be commenting on it here.
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Thank you, all. I'll start a new thread shortly. Gonna try and get it cleaned up first.
Perdue, don't take a little ribbing too hard. All in good fun.
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I am sorry that you interpret my comments as complaints. I will try rewording in the future.
It looks very good, but we should not be commenting on it here.
I believe he chose the wrong term. I am sure, from his earlier posts, he does not take your input as complaints.
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I believe he chose the wrong term. I am sure, from his earlier posts, he does not take your input as complaints.
Correct. It was intended as a tongue-in-cheek elbow to the ribs for a laugh.