Didn't Brent also make these training areas?

John

Thanks Mike. You were absolutely right about the need for research and as part of that, constantly looking at photographs when the available plans are extremely poor. Steve's eagle eye has been useful too. When I build AI aircraft I save the Gmax file periodically and increment the name each time so...

Yes a carrier or two, is possible a bit later Gary. I’ve been trying this week to finalise the “B” model before making the LODs and bulk painting makes changes prohibitive. I’ve managed to: Re-model the canopy to give it a narrower width and to push the arch back a tad. It also has a more smoky text...

Good and timely question Maurizio. Coincidentally, I've actually been discussing that with Brent earlier today. I'm likely to release the F-35B first and that could be with Brent's reworked Iwakuni. He still has to finish the scenery and I still have to make the LODs for the aircraft and the FSX/P3D...

At the moment I'm using the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System used on the F-15E Mike, but I want to try the proper F-35 helmet.

John

The F-35B took as long to map and paint as it did to build the model - very tricky with the RAM lines. I used an example of a US Marine Corps aircraft from VFMA-121, that will be used by Brent, along with 14 other F-35B's at Iwakuni Japan. The screen shots are FS9 during a flight from my test airfie...

Yes indeed, particularly for FSX/P3D. The "B" has 42 parts that require either animation or visibility tags or both for those sim versions. Multiply by the 6 LODs that have them and that's between 200 and 252 tags to be applied. Not as bad as the Osprey had I produced the FSX/P3D versions....

No problem, 6 F-35B models it is. The F-35C, I think is easier to figure. I think it needs 2 models (4 if external loads are an option) Carrier ops - short take-off, arrested land, hook down, horizontal stabilisers to horizontal on touchdown (in case of a bolt) and wing fold. Airfield ops - conventi...

So, we don't really need the STOSL_1 and STOSL_2 models. Is that right?

John

Thanks for the input guys. The complication I was exploring was whether for a conventional F-35B take-off and landing on a long runway, the norm is to have the engine doors open or closed. It’s not primarily an FDE question, it’s a modelling question. It seems from all that I’ve seen of this type of...

Quite a busy week with the F-35B. I did a lot of re-work of the nose to get a more accurate shape and also set up the aircraft for STOVL performance with the vertical land. Brent has tested that successfully on the short runway at the Yuma Auxilliary Landing Field. While some testing of the F-35B wa...

No hurry with the tips. Let me know if the Norwegian aircraft are arriving with the brake chutes fitted - large bulge between the tail fins, if the chutes are not actually deployed.

John

Because people will ask for the external load and it's better to plan ahead for that and incorporate it on the texture sheet. The load-out will be an alternative model from the clean one, so there's no compulsion to use it.

That will be a popular addition Miljan. Good choice.

John

I slice planes and then extrude downwards rather than using Booleans if I can Foxbat, but sometimes the shape, like the serrated edges on some doors on the F-35 make that more difficult than using a Boolean shape to cut out. Booleans just need a lot of work to re-align and weld vertices or the mesh ...

Many thanks for your kind comments everyone. I'm glad Steve suggested this project - it certainly seems popular. I've now managed to get the right animation triggers in place to move all the F-35B parts in the appropriate stages of flight. These mainly use the strobe light to open all the doors and ...

Following on from the F-35 discussions in the "Thoughts on the next project" thread, I can now post an update of the design so far. I decided to start with the F-35B, because it’s the most complex of the 3 variants. The basic shape was a little tricky to achieve with smooth contours in the...

Two options I can think of. Try the FDE from my AI Hunter, if you haven't done that already. Repaint my Hunter in Belgian colours.

John

No hurry Mike.

I've just checked my installation Andy. At 07.52 (local) on the 23 July 2017, I see 4 of them sitting on the ramp on the other side of the runway from the A-10s. I assume these are the ones you are looking for.