P-51B "First Of The Few" - 31st FG, 309th FS - AH3 Adoption

[Vraciu]

I also used brown transitioning to gray at one point. 

[Vraciu]

Updated the exhaust.  The right side actually looked more like this.   I guess I intended to mimic that and forgot.  I will tweak it a little bit more but you get the idea.

Thanks for the heads up, Puma.

[Devil 505]

I've had trouble with adding dark colors for engine soot and grime - it may look OK while in Photoshop, but in game the dark color shows up as reddish brown if applied over the top of drab green.  Tried many things as work around but still not completely satisfied.

What I have done on the darker paint schemes and all Allison engined P-40's is to add a layer of gray smoke under the sooty dark brown smoke. I just copy the sooty smoke stain onto a new layer and change the soot color to neutral gray. Then I enlarge the gray stain so that the gray peeks out from under the soot stain. 

[Vraciu]

What I have done on the darker paint schemes and all Allison engined P-40's is to add a layer of gray smoke under the sooty dark brown smoke. I just copy the sooty smoke stain onto a new layer and change the soot color to neutral gray. Then I enlarge the gray stain so that the gray peeks out from under the soot stain.

Let me give that a shot.  Although this is a Merlin I imagine the effect is similar (based on pictures) to the Allison Mustangs.

[Vraciu]

First try..........................

[Vraciu]

Updated exhaust stains...

[oboe]

Honestly, the transition from a brownish exhaust stain to dark grey-black isn't working for me - the transition seems too abrupt, for one thing.   But besides that, I don't really understand the physical rationale for transitioning from brown to black?  I can't think of a real-world example of that?

[Vraciu]

Honestly, the transition from a brownish exhaust stain to dark grey-black isn't working for me - the transition seems too abrupt, for one thing.   But besides that, I don't really understand the physical rationale for transitioning from brown to black?  I can't think of a real-world example of that?

Heat, time of exposure, and the effect this has on the paint.    You're getting different temperatures as it moves aft among other things.    The transition is where the guy's leg is rubbing when he climbs into the cockpit.  I can blend that more.

I have two other options.  One is to simply dial it back to almost nothing--which I have also seen.  The other is to pick one color or the other and run it all the way...

[Devil 505]

Honestly, the transition from a brownish exhaust stain to dark grey-black isn't working for me - the transition seems too abrupt, for one thing.   But besides that, I don't really understand the physical rationale for transitioning from brown to black?  I can't think of a real-world example of that?

I agree.

Heat, time of exposure, and the effect this has on the paint.    You're getting different temperatures as it moves aft among other things.    The transition is where the guy's leg is rubbing when he climbs into the cockpit.  I can blend that more.

I have two other options.  One is to simply dial it back to almost nothing--which I have also seen.  The other is to pick one color or the other and run it all the way...

I think what is needed is a transition from dark soot to medium gray soot

I'll post shots from a P-40 skin in a minute to illustrate.

[Vraciu]

Some are clean, some aren't so that's always an option.










Warbirds, with modern fuel, but...

[Vraciu]

Fooling with it until Devil comes back.   

[Devil 505]

This is where I start. Full size smoke pattern in Dark soot color RGB 41/35/30 at 100% opacity.


Copy smoke to 2 new layers and change color to gray on the bottom layer. On layer directly above gray smoke scale down the soot smoke to allow gray to show through to the sides and rear.

layers should be arranged like so:

1. Full size dark smoke
2. Small size dark smoke
3. Full size gray smoke
 
This is layers 2 and 3 at 100% opacity. My dumb arse had merged these layers making the P-40 template, so they are locked together.


Set layers 2 and 3 to desired opacity and use layer 1 to blend and tint them if necessary.

Layer 1 at 25% over layers 2 and 3 at 60%

[Vraciu]

I will give that a shot.  Thanks.   

[Puma44]

Yeah I am trying to imagine it with people rubbing up against it, etc.   I have the exhaust figured out for my NMF airplanes.  Not so much for olive drab.     Will probably tweak this one a tad more before I submit it.  Thanks for the photo. 

Lee Lauderback likes to keep the exhaust stain for esthetics.  I’ve not gained any stain climbing I n or out.  There’s a step in the side of the fuselage.  Once my foot is in that, it’s a matter of stepping in and putting the glove on. 

Nice effort!

[Vraciu]

Lee Lauderback likes to keep the exhaust stain for esthetics.  I’ve not gained any stain climbing I n or out.  There’s a step in the side of the fuselage.  Once my foot is in that, it’s a matter of stepping in and putting the glove on. 

Nice effort!

Yeah, but you guys are being a lot more careful getting in and out than these guys were in WWII.   

I will get it sorted.   Thanks for bringing it up.  It’s amazing what you miss when you’ve been staring at the same drawing for days...