Trident Redux

I didn't do much work on the cockpit so this isn't something I'm proud of but here it is. Maybe I should remove the gauges and make it a plain black cockpit, which is what I was going to do in the beginning.

Trident 88.jpgTrident 89.jpg
 
My real-life cockpit wasn't fancy either - just instrument decals. They're not the fancy ones with the faces in little chrome rings or anything. And my panel isn't perpendicular to the pilot's sight line - which I didn't even think about at the time. I just stuck them on the bulkhead. I think the only post that shows it at all is this one: https://forums.realflight.com/index.php?threads/trident-redux.56368/page-2#post-350985 I don't recall trying to be very realistic in my instrument selection/placement.
 
Last edited:
technoid said:
Then it will be time to finish the physics.
Click to expand...
I'd like to request that you add flaps to the CH6 knob when you do that. It might just be me, but I think it floats a little too much when landing. Flaps might help. But it SURE doesn't need any help on takeoff - it practically jumps off the ground.
 
Bill Stuntz said:
I'd like to request that you add flaps to the CH6 knob when you do that. It might just be me, but I think it floats a little too much when landing. Flaps might help. But it SURE doesn't need any help on takeoff - it practically jumps off the ground.
Click to expand...
I was planning to add flaps on the CH 6 knob for you when I finished the physics but if it floats now wouldn't flaps make that worse instead of better. I've never noticed any floating when landing, has "anyone" else noticed it floating when you land?

SO.. the Cockpit looks okay to you? I tried to find some plain paper looking decals but I couldn't find any large enough (pixel size) to look good so I took some gauges that had color on them and made them black and white and used them. The gauges seem to be okay I just have a couple of issues but for what it is, a control line conversion, I guess it's okay. So if you like it I guess it's a go then. Let me know.
 
technoid said:
if it floats now wouldn't flaps make that worse instead of better.
Click to expand...
I could easily be wrong about that. But my gut says that the increased drag from large-deflection flaps would make steeper approaches work. Or maybe I'm just starting my approaches too high & too far out. I get nervous at low altitude - even knowing that the reset button's there. I've NEVER claimed to be anything more than a so-so pilot. Trident can already do MUCH more than my (lack of) piloting skills allow. In my mind, your Trident is already a masterpiece. Then again, I'm only a LITTLE prejudiced since it's based on my build of Larry Scarinzi's design.
 
Bill Stuntz said:
I could easily be wrong about that. But my gut says that the increased drag from large-deflection flaps would make steeper approaches work. Or maybe I'm just starting my approaches too high & too far out. I get nervous at low altitude - even knowing that the reset button's there. I've NEVER claimed to be anything more than a so-so pilot. Trident can already do MUCH more than my (lack of) piloting skills allow. In my mind, your Trident is already a masterpiece. Then again, I'm only a LITTLE prejudiced since it's based on my build of Larry Scarinzi's design.
Click to expand...
Okay cool thanks. Hopefully it will work the way you want. I was just speaking from the idea that flaps add more lift.
 
I'm not a good enough pilot to make side-slip approaches work. Maybe I should bite the bullet & try to learn them since I have the reset button. But it's a very interesting feeling in a real-life sailplane. Can't feel it in RC, so they get scary. Maybe using cockpit view would help me. I also have trouble flying close-enough in & low enough.
 
Last edited:
I know it's a minor change but if you look at the instrument panel it had a flat area in one place on each side as it rounded up so I went back and added one more segment so it would look smoother as it rounded. Here's a before and after picture. If you look just above the last gauge on each side you see the flat area in the first picture.

Trident 88.jpgTrident 91.jpg
 
@Bill Stuntz You said you liked the stripe I put on my Red CS so I need to ask you a question. The CS I created for you was for the temporary mapping so it doesn't work for the final mapping so do you want me to make a blue version of the Red CS for your CS or do you want your blue CS I created, it's your call. I'm only asking because you mentioned how well you liked it with the stripe I put on. So the question is which blue/white version do you want "your" version or the new version I created? Let me know because I need to create a blue/white cs for you before I finish the physics and release it. Thanks.
 
TOTALLY off topic. When it rains, it pours... lots of rain overnight. 6 inches of water in the basement. It's clean storm water even though it came up through the floor drain. I don't know why the back-flow preventer... didn't. Our neighborhood has combined sanitary/storm sewer that the city's supposed to separate, but who knows when. In 2015 we had 14" and 22" a month later - lost washer/dryer/water heater/furnace control board the first time. The second time was partly sanitary sewer sludge instead of clean storm water. I had lifted everything up except the furnace & water heater, and lost both of them the second time. >15K of damage including several planes/heli's, RC equipment & tools. But there was a little bit of a silver lining. When we replaced the furnace (lifted IT up, too) we had 16SEER central air installed - using insurance money. The central air has saved us $100/month in the summers over what 3 window air conditioners cost us to run. But that's another sad story. Turned the A/C on this year & the compressor is shot. The installers didn't register the warranty, so it was only 5 years instead of the 10 it should have been. And they went out of business about 5 years ago. So I'm on the hook for that, too. I picked up a used compressor that arrived last Friday, and we're trying to schedule installation since that's something I can't do myself. I saved about $1000 by replacing just the compressor instead of putting in a whole new condenser unit, though. I had relpaced all the other stuff myself. I think if I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. :eek::mad::cry:
technoid said:
Let me know because I need to create a blue/white cs for you before I finish the physics and release it.
Click to expand...
I'd like the original one please since the baked-on one is almost a perfect match for my real Trident. Will I be able to tweak it later, or will it be baked on, too? You said the stripe wouldn't work, anyway. Just saw your post pop up as I was posting my tale of woe.
P.S. I don't know whether I want anyone to like this post or not.
 
Last edited:
Bill Stuntz said:
I'd like the original one please since the baked-on one is almost a perfect match for my real Trident. Will I be able to tweak it later, or will it be baked on, too? You said the stripe wouldn't work, anyway. Just saw your post pop up as I was posting my tale of woe.
P.S. I don't know whether I want anyone to like this post or not.
Click to expand...
Okay thanks I'll create your original blue/white cs and yes you'll be able to change it there are no baked-on colors in the new version of Trident everything is now paintable in the CS TGA file.
 
Great. I doubt that I'll want to change it, but it's nice to know that I can. That's another of those things that I don't clearly understand, but have seen mentioned many times. I know that colors can be baked on, but I don't know how... and probably don't have any NEED to know since I don't plan to do it. I'm guessing that the baked-on colors simply over-ride anything you try to do with a custom CS. Not that it really matters, but can some parts be baked on and others be paintable? If my minimal understanding is correct, I think it should be doable. I think you said something like that when you were talking about the cylinder head color several pages ago.
P.S. I'm being dumb again... you just answered that question! DUH!
 
Last edited:
Bill Stuntz said:
Great. I doubt that I'll want to change it, but it's nice to know that I can. That's another of those things that I don't clearly understand, but have seen mentioned many times. I know that colors can be baked on, but I don't know how... and probably don't have any NEED to know since I don't plan to do it. I'm guessing that the baked-on colors simply over-ride anything you try to do with a custom CS. Not that it really matters, but can some parts be baked on and others be paintable? If my minimal understanding is correct, I think it should be doable. I think you said something like that when you were talking about the cylinder head color several pages ago.
Click to expand...
Yes you can have baked-on colors and colors painted in the cs tga file. But the baked-on colors are added in the 3d mesh and is done when the plane is designed so you can't change it unless you have the original 3d file and a 3d program to modify it. So the baked-on colors cannot be changed once they're added.
 
Well, the water has drained. Hope it stays down. Things are wet & there are puddles all over, but no real damage since it seemed to be just storm water - unlike last time. We had to call in professionals that time because it left 4" of mud & doo doo. This time most everything was up high enough or in plastic tubs where the floor is higher. And it didn't get high enough to get the expensive stuff. We were sorta prepared after 2015. But we're getting more rain now & through tomorrow. Our neighbors got hit pretty bad - one had 3ft. Another about 2. I'm going to crash. I've been up since about 4am monitoring, moving some stuff, & I went in to work for a couple hours.
 
Bill Stuntz said:
Well, the water has drained. Hope it stays down. Things are wet & there are puddles all over, but no real damage since it seemed to be just storm water - unlike last time. We had to call in professionals that time because it left 4" of mud & doo doo. This time most everything was up high enough or in plastic tubs where the floor is higher. And it didn't get high enough to get the expensive stuff. We were sorta prepared after 2015. But we're getting more rain now & through tomorrow. Our neighbors got hit pretty bad - one had 3ft. Another about 2. I'm going to crash. I've been up since about 4am monitoring, moving some stuff, & I went in to work for a couple hours.
Click to expand...
Boy that sucks hopefully you'll be spared anymore problems.
 
@Bill Stuntz I started working on your original Blue/White color scheme. I had some Photoshop Paths created for the wheel pants and the anti-glare area but they weren't the correct size for the final mapping so I reworked them and have most of them done except for adding the color and fine tuning the edges so they match properly, but it's getting there. I have a Doctor's appointment soon so I'm stopping for now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top