sm0lk4t

[Ghost129er]

You ever look at you favorite R/C aircraft, browse the BVM website and see a Bobcat costs waaay more than you can afford for something like that? That it takes up space, money, time, and just about everything you don't have?

That's how I felt with the Bobcat. I've always wanted a Bobcat and was amazed, and absolutely in love with that aircraft ever since I was a 5/6 and attended any R/C airshow that took place in my area and saw pilots flying them. So naturally, I did what anyone who dreams would do. Make it a reality.

That's the story of my sm0lk4t (small-cat in leet speak). My own compact, fly-anywhere Bobcat that I never had, but finally, now own. Here's a thread of me making the sm0lk4t for RealFlight.

Edit - I know a lot of you guys have seen my actual 3D Bobcat but I'm making a profile one because to date, I still can't be arsed to finish that model and this is actually pretty fun to fly, I must say.

 

[Ghost129er]

-reserved-

 

[legoman]

so something like the AeroCat from expansion pack 2

 

[Ghost129er]

so something like the AeroCat from expansion pack 2

Yus, but it won't look so uh... ****. The Alley Cat plans online were great, but, it never looked like a Bobcat to me and will never take it's place as an actual Bobcat, but the sm0lk4t on the other hand will. I still need to message you regarding the actual Bobcat... I've started doing 3 different things at once (The Beau Skin, sm0lk4t, and other KEX files to mess with, practice and experiment _n & _s files more efficiently [since they work totally different than Battle of Stalingrad's DDS files Alpha channels and skinning convention]) but yeah.

I've overwhelmed myself as of now...

 

[Ghost129er]

Slow progress, did some component modelling:

Some cheap servos as well as a Detrum servo (amazing how they have the same dimensions and are almost the same in real life, wonder why :^) ---- ) Control horn is to scale too, by the millies since I'm using a digital vernier to measure these things. I guess attention to detail which I hope some of you will appreciate since this model won't take up so many polys as usual.

The actual model used to CAD-ify the plans which I had printed out IRL

Control surfaces ready and shaped.

Pivot to be better fixed and aligned.

Completely offtopic, I found a way to use the Interlink to control and test pivots with motion capture in 3DS Max and it's pretty nifty and fun. Also kinda sad to see people lose interest in it the moment I say it's a flatout foamie/etc. I crie.

 

[asj5547]

The sm0lk4t is taking shape nicely and should be fun to fly, what is the wingspan.
Interlink with 3DS Max, that is interesting.

 

[Ghost129er]

The Detail playground:

43 entities and only 3 parts are actually done and can be applied onto the aircraft.

Currently working on the motor and loving the detail I'm managing to get out of it, this build might end up taking longer than anticipated at this rate... Been busy with work and stuff here and there, and with this much detail, who knows how long it will take...

This beats crappy generic cylinder motors I used to make at one point, this really is starting to look like a motor. If I feel generous enough I might put all these parts on the parts respiratory.

Motor in the build and actual aircraft is a Detrum BM 2815A.

 

[Ghost129er]

Okay this is WAY too cool to not to share!

I guess the right mood, time, and all, can really make something great come out!

-Can't wait till I have to do the smoothing groups, cause that's going to be an absolute pain in the rear....-

 

[uncle twist]

That looks SWEET Ghost, very nice work. ?

 

[technoid]

Very nice great work.

 

[Ghost129er]

Hey UT! Nice to see you again! Been a long time, eh?

Thanks to everyone for the kind words, I've had a wild and busy week and have a deadline for some project on Monday, but I'm hoping I can get some time somewhere and somehow, through some miracle to just work on this as I've been dying to get back to it.

Not sure if I'll make a quick and dirty version for everyone to beta and test fly in the meanwhile (with a lower LoD [Level of Detail]) then release a full Alpha version once completed. Getting the sm0lk4t into RF won't take any effort as I'm sure I can just export the profile bird in no time, but I also wanted some sort of template/etc set up so that you creative peeps can make up a whole bunch of colorful and unique schemes for this Kitty.

Of course to do that, I'd need to finish the UV mapping of the aircraft, again, no biggie but since I'd be putting detailed parts, I was thinking of also making certain parts of the details like motor, servo, battery, receiver all mappable so you can texture them according to the gear you have to make it feel like your very own, personal sm0lk4t flier.

What do you guys think?

 

[asj5547]

Map everything is a good idea.

 

[technoid]

Yeah I map everything these days.

 

[Ghost129er]

Should probably stop wasting my time on stuff no one will even see.

I'm never going to finish at this rate.

 

[uncle twist]

Nothing a little walk around wouldn`t take care of, I know I`d check it out. .for sure....Looks absolutely fantastic/amazing Ghost.. it` all in the details... ? ? ?

 

[Ghost129er]

It's 1:1 scale. Oh God.

 

[uncle twist]

NICE....!!!! ....great job on the spinner... ? ?

 

[asj5547]

Looks great and yes I will check it out in the editor, zoom in and pan around.

 

[technoid]

Yep it looks great !

 

[PilotAt6]

WOW ... amazing detail ... someone will need to come up with a plane that can show this off. Motors in the open like some sort of drone ... or something !!!