B-17F Flying Fortress

[Cowboy]

Here's the latest project. needed a break from the P-47 for a bit. Figured I'd work on this one a little bit. Details going to be tricky on this thing, if I want to add, it won't be able to have the radial engines. planes over 8,000 polys in these pictures. Can anybody tell me how many poly's G4 allows or is it still the same as G3? Will have a 103.9 inch wingspan at 100 scale when it's finished. the Nacelles are there, but not finished yet. Just wanted to see how it would look

 

[pplace]

Looking good! As far as the radials..........I'd personally "delete" them and add other more important details. I normally make a flat round plate and add an image of a radial.

On the GeeBee I did make a radial (only to find out it pushed me over the poly limit) So I deleted just they cylinders and created a "flat plate" for the image....and placed it just behind the engine block. So I still have the 3D look of the valve rods and front of the engine block....while saving a ton of polys by not modeling the actual cylinders. Just a thought

 

[Cowboy]

That defiantely sounds like a good idea. the actual radials look really good, but on a 4 engine bomber, to many polys taken up. Could you show me a picture of the "backplate" that you're talking about? Would like to see it so i know exactly what you're talking about

 

[pplace]

Here is two shots:

The first is a rendered shot from 3dsMax. You can see I have the forward part of the engine modeled....but the cylinders are on a flat plate (this one happened to be 9 sided....I normally just use 16, because it's default for Wings3D. But I was trying to save any and every poly I could here!haha)

The "image" (any nice straight on picture of a radial works) is then "mapped" onto the flat engine plate)

Then.......

Here is the finished results....once it's in the cowl....you'd hardly know. Like I mentioned above. I normally in the past did the complete engine this way (just a picture) but this is one step better.....and really helps the look on this (and any) model. Obviously this looks better while viewing it at a normal distance. But I zoomed in to show what I was talking about better. (I have now added a screen shot of a normal distance that you would look at it in the sim)

Hope that helps explain what I ment

 

[BigGuyJT]

Really great idea there pplace. Looks great too. I would have never caught it. Too bad we wont be seeing it in 3.5 though.

 

[Bonanza]

After the problems you had with your computer where you able to save all that work you did on the P-38 and a couple of others you were working on? If so, you will have a real WW2 hanger coming out soon. This looks really nice.

 

[pplace]

Too bad we wont be seeing it in 3.5 though. I don't want to take over cowboy's thread...but I will say that opjose is helping me with the physics on the GeeBee for G4. I will probably then duplicate what he has for G3.5 and also release it then for both.

Okay now back to the B-17!

 

[Blade Scraper]

Is this big guy going to be a giant scale or a .90 or .40 size?
Happy to see the old 17 replaced by it's cousin as i sold my add ons 3.

 

[Cowboy]

After the problems you had with your computer where you able to save all that work you did on the P-38 and a couple of others you were working on? If so, you will have a real WW2 hanger coming out soon. This looks really nice.

Yes, all of my models are still here and waiting. This model is 1 of 2 B-17's that I personally will be releasing. I'm also going to make the C model from very early WW2 where the F's and G's didn't come out until mid to late war. I was actually thinking about doind a little scene like pplace did on the "post your renders" thread and put all of the models together as 1 big hanger picture. As to Blade Scrapers question on engine size, I have no idea yet. I don't want to think about physics and everything until the modelings done. Can only take so much rattling around my head, but off the top of my head, it will probably be 60 size.

 

[Blade Scraper]

Yes, all of my models are still here and waiting. This model is 1 of 2 B-17's that I personally will be releasing. I'm also going to make the C model from very early WW2 where the F's and G's didn't come out until mid to late war. I was actually thinking about doind a little scene like p place did on the "post your renders" thread and put all of the models together as 1 big hanger picture. As to Blade Scrapers ques tion on engine size, I have no idea yet. I don't want to think about physics and everything until the modeling s done. Can only take so much rattling around my head, but off the top of my head, it will probably be 60 size.

60 sounds very well. i added some emotions to your posty heh he he

 

[Blackhand]

when

when will this baby be ready to fly I can not wait to get my sticky little fingers on it. well done that man.

 

[Cowboy]

I have put this plane on hold for a little while. Have had some unfortunate turns and have not been able to do any work on any of my planes. Once things go back to normal I'll be getting back to doing the modeling on the B-17.

 

[Kahloq]

what paint scheme do you have in mind? I'd be nice to see an aluminum skined B-17.

 

[Cowboy]

what paint scheme do you have in mind? I'd be nice to see an aluminum skined B-17.

I usually try to never release a plane with just 1 CS. I've been researching actual planes and thier CS so that I can release the common olive drab scheme and an aluminum scheme for it. I personally think that the B-17 is a gorgeous plane in the aluminum finish myself as well. I did release a CS for the B-17 from the addon pack, but it just turns out being a dull gray

 

[Blade Scraper]

I usually try to never release a plane with just 1 CS. I've been researching actual planes and thier CS so that I can release the common olive drab scheme and an aluminum scheme for it. I personally think that the B-17 is a gorgeous plane in the aluminum finish myself as well. I did release a CS for the B-17 from the addon pack, but it just turns out being a dull gray

If it was aluminum it wouldn't be an accurate WWII version as the aluminum version was the "silver maching" wich had a boat under it for rescue operations.

 

[Cowboy]

If it was aluminum it wouldn't be an accurate WWII version as the aluminum version was the "silver maching" wich had a boat under it for rescue operations.

Actually, there were a very select few WW2 B-17's that did have the aluminum finish. Wasn't just rescue. In the early models they did use it. I have a model of one of them the "El Lobo II" which is the CS I released on swaps about 5 months ago. that was an actual bomber.

 

[BigGuyJT]

Senitmental Journey would be a nice CS

 

[Cowboy]

Senitmental Journey would be a nice CS

have you possibly found any pics for the sentimental journey? If you do that'd be great, Would be one I can look into when this thing gets to that point

 

[Kahloq]

If it was aluminum it wouldn't be an accurate WWII version as the aluminum version was the "silver maching" wich had a boat under it for rescue operations.

Huh? Ummm...you must be quite confused. There were thousands of B-17's in WWII with aluminum color schemes.
"Heavent Sent" , "Aluminum Overcast", "Liberty Bell" and "Sentimental Journey" are just a few. "Heavent Sent" was shot down in 1945.

 

[Kahloq]

have you possibly found any pics for the sentimental journey? If you do that'd be great, Would be one I can look into when this thing gets to that point

How bout this one?

But, for the Sentimental Journey, go here(lots of good pics):
http://web.mac.com/pioarizonawing/iWeb/Arizona Wing CAF Photos/Tour 2007.html

You can also go to www.airliners.net and search for b-17 and look through the hundreds of photos there. I know there are several of this B-17 on that site as well.