F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

[sr01]

Houston, we have a problem. I've run into a design quagmire. I have several photos showing different shaped gear bay compartments. I'm not sure which one is the current production model. bugger!

I've been following your F-35 post with great interest and the tips that have been posted have been extremely helpful with my 1st aircraft project . You have a PM, regarding your request

[fishlips]

Thanks for that Brian, some great info their.

I've been working on the gear bay today and what an eye opener it is to make a model that requires nearly of its parts to be joined for smoothing. It's thrown up some issues that I've luckly avoided in most past occausion so its pretty much a learning curve at the moment with shading, etc.
Getting the correct shape is almost impossible from the plans I have on hand which do not include cut-outs views of the airframe.
I almost purchased a Kittyhawk 1/48 scale model today on Ebay until I found out I had to make it first before I could proceed with cutting it up into slices and scanning those into Photoshop. I believe some of the 3D max guy's do that and there models are fabulous.

Any how I have another 24 hour flight to get ready for so I'll leave the thread with this update of where I'm at.

[DaleRFU]

Is it possible to make an aircraft fly as a normal aircraft yet still land and take off as a chopper? The reason I ask is because if you can't do that then there may be no point in animating the engine nozzle
????

[Flyin Illini]

Sounds like an osprey problem all over again. I wonder if nick tried with the harrier?

[MIKE JG]

I think the best you can hope for is short take off and short landing like the Harrier model.

That should be more than adequate for the B version.

[mikewmac]

Is it possible to make an aircraft fly as a normal aircraft yet still land and take off as a chopper? The reason I ask is because if you can't do that then there may be no point in animating the engine nozzle
????

No, totally realistic helicopter VTOL takeoffs and landings coupled with normal aircraft flight are not possible with the normal FS9 AI engine.

Heli Traffic 2009 may allow that, but I haven't progressed that far with it yet.

Mike M.

[mikewmac]

Sounds like an osprey problem all over again. I wonder if nick tried with the harrier?

No, Nick never tried to get helicopter like VTOL performance with the NBAI Harrier, but I did with no joy. The best I could do was a very short takeoff and instant stop landing version that we never released. However, this was before Nick developed his NBAI Apache and Chinook takeoff animations, which were never adapted to the NBAI Harrier.

I actually got Wee Scotty's prototype KRAI Mil V-22 Osprey performing pretty well as a short takeoff and instant stop landing model, but VTOL performance was again not possible.

Mike M.

[mikewmac]

I think the best you can hope for is short take off and short landing like the Harrier model.

That should be more than adequate for the B version.

Mike G.,

Yes, but maybe some variation of Nick's AI helicopter takeoff animation might be interesting to try.

Mike M.

[sr01]

This was in the 25th anniversary issue of the Australian Society of Aviation Artists Newsletter.thought it might help you out with your F-3$ project . HMMMMM F-3$ I think I COINED a new name for the POS

[fishlips]

Just back in the door from a quick trip to the States. Those long flights are a killer on the back and backside for that matter.
I did manage to do a bit more work on the model between turbulence but I need to move the model back to my modeling PC where I can see the monitor a bit better.
I think I have all the major fuselage parts modeled and ready to be cut out to a satisfactory level of detail for an AI model.
Forward V-tol engine is now modeled and the hatches a little more detailed than earlier.
I'm now starting on the gear which will be a tad more detailed than my prevous models own, but only a tad more!
I have put some thought into the rotation parts required to make the Vtol engine pipe, and simply hurt my brain so I decided to give that a miss until very last. Hopefully I can encourage one of the experienced senior modelers to help me come up with a working design that is fairly kind on polys.
Once the main model is basically finalised I will start on the texture mapping which so far looks like the "frying fish" method will work ok, top and bottom. If more detail is needed than I can look into that as painters request.

Mike G.,
Yes, but maybe some variation of Nick's AI helicopter takeoff animation might be interesting to try.
Mike M.

That would be an option if we still have that xml code to try on it, otherwise we may as well save the effort on making the animated Vtol engine nozzle. I'm open to suggestion and some hands on assistance with it.

PS: Please ignore the joint line running down the centre of the model, it's there on purpose as the model is still in two halves.

[fishlips]

I actually got Wee Scotty's prototype KRAI Mil V-22 Osprey performing pretty well as a short takeoff and instant stop landing model, but VTOL performance was again not possible.
Mike M.

Yes Yes, what a fab model to have as AI, the KRAI Mil V-22 Osprey performing short takeoffs and instant stop landings. Another model that would be a contender for Kev's xml black magic.

[DaleRFU]

That looks like it is going to be a great model

[MIKE JG]

To clear things up a little bit, the XML based takeoff animation that Nick used on his helos was created by Kevin (Weescotty). So if we're referring to that animation, we need to be giving the proper credit to the proper person.

[Firebird]

To clear things up a little bit, the XML based takeoff animation that Nick used on his helos was created by Kevin (Weescotty). So if we're referring to that animation, we need to be giving the proper credit to the proper person.

Useful safety tip there. Thanks, Egon.

[fishlips]

To clear things up a little bit, the XML based takeoff animation that Nick used on his helos was created by Kevin (Weescotty). So if we're referring to that animation, we need to be giving the proper credit to the proper person.

I never knew that Mike.
Kev is such a wonderman when it comes to black magic. Next we'll see him wondering about wearing his undies on the outside with a cape flapping in the breeze, lol
Kev is responsible for a lot of MAIW's latest and greatest xml coding as well, big thank you to Kev.
cheer's,
Mark

[Weescotty]

Guess I should clear this up.

Back in 2007 I suggested a way of building a model (heli for example) that would allow us to use XML to make it 'hover'.
I tested the method and found it worked, never posted my XML as it was only a test.
'Magic' Mike knows the model that was used.
I suggested what XML variables could be used to make the hover effect (fairly simple code) and the guys took it from there.

Is still isn't perfect -
Although in the hover on take off the wheels still turn.

Still haven't found a satisfactory way of using it for skidded helis, due to aircraft going 'dark' immediately on shutdown.

Mark - F-35 nozzle, try 2 cylinders. Both with one end 'cut at' 45 degrees.
Position one vertically (the downward pointing nozzle), the other at 45 degrees so the two cut ends can line up. (an upside down L)
I think be animating one clockwise and one anti-clockwise you can get the back in a straight line.

[fishlips]

Thank's for that info Kev. I have always been under the impression that Nick had come up with the code as he was so guarded of it. Nice to know where it originated so the proper kudos can be given.
I'll try that nozzle L shape at 45 degree's tonight after the TV NRL ruby league games.
Cheer's,

[fishlips]

Kev,
The L-shape was a bit savage in the turn angle to use. I think it may need to look something like that in the screen picture below but getting my head around the animation x-y-z is probably going to chalenge me no-end. I'm still very much jet lagged and anything different from the norm is not going to end well for me!

[fishlips]

On the home run now with only the pilot, some tiny copy/paste stuff and the animated nozzle to complete.
But as I thought, the animated nozzle modeling did not end well for me so I may have to put the B model on hold and move onto the A & C models which do not require any fancy animations.

Kev, if you happen to have any spare time, hint hint!

[Weescotty]

If its all to scale email it to me.