mighty gorgon

Argh! I know you're right... I did the leg 2 or 3 times and still I can't get the proper shape... It did not go gracefully from low-poly to high-poly. My last hope was to modify it while doing the infamous leg door, but I guess I'll go back to the modeller and to a low poly version. Fortunately I still have all the intermediate files (83 files so far). Ah! BTW, regarding the "-21" you are right. I assembled a comparison between the Hase model (as posted in starshipmodeller) and the drawings from here and I posted it in an old webpage of mine (it is at the end, after some VF-4 sketchs). Even if they do not match completely, the drawing shows a different, thicker wing root. Hope it helps, Regds, G.

How's the Hasegawa model? They cannot "retract" the wheels in the fuselage? Sometimes I hate anime magic!!! And sometimes also plastic magic!!! I remember a kit with "half wheels" (it was a BF-109), to make them into the wings. Going to the references... I assembled a series of images of the MDW with some indications in japanese... By any chance, does anybody here knows what they indicate? There is aslo a prominent "?" sign for the "thingie-in-the-wheel-door". I guess it is a venier, but it also could be a landing light! Any help appreciated! Regds, G

You're right. The leg has actually two problems. The pinch you remarked and a vertical "crease" towards the feet (just aft of the "Y" of SPACY). I could not remove them from the model earlier and I had the secret hope that once textured they would not be so evident. BTW, there is any good reference for the location of all the small assemblies, vernier thrusters, sensors, etc? I started the detailing, but the little info of the MDW is in japanese, and the Macross Compendium page, even if lists many details, has little info on where they are. Thnx in advance G.

Landing at dusk... ok, not really. Underside shot to show wing lights, some details in the fuselage and flap hinges. Regds, G

It's very nice! and at 5400 polygons, it has a lot of detail. Regds, G

Started some work in the nose (cockpit, thrust nozzles). The seat & pilot are lifted from the VF-4. I should update them... Also modified the radius of the wheel hub, as suggested by Chronocidal. Regds, G

Hard to give a straight answer... because of two things: 1) 3D modelling requires talents in different departments! 2) "artistic talent" is something hard to define In principle I should agree with Akilae, as I turned to 3D modelling because I did not have the skills to do realistic drawings of planes. However, CG also requires some creativity and a lot of effort. As someone said, it's 90% sweating and 10% inspiration. Volumetric modelling goes more or less fine, once you master a 3D program. Things (for me) get difficult when you start surfacing and illuminating the model. Like plastic modelling, painting & weathering are more difficult than assembling. In any event don't get scared by the apparent complexities of 3D modelling. There are lots (and I mean LOTS) of good tutorials out there in the web. As for Lightwave, I personally recommend http://www.lwg3d.org Regds, G

Ha! Modelling in 3D can be an exercise in detail! As you use vector models, this can get to INSANE detailing! A reasonable modeler (which I am not!) should balance the details along the model. In my case... the results are obvious! The tires... You are rigth. I'll try to fix them in the next iteration. Reegarding the low poly mesh, you still want it for the FS? That mesh, along with some 3 views of the advanced model (basically for landin gear position), should be more than enough to get a good VF-11 in MSFS. Regds, G

So... after some days off, I went back to the L.G. this time to tackle the gear bay doors. Again, some "anime magic" was present in the original designs, so I modified them, trying to stick as much as possible to the original. I do not have ANY plans to detail the inner bays, excep for some major stuff. This is how they look so far... Regds, G (edited, added the) P.D.: the hinges have not been modeled yet...

Yes, but other countries like China and Russia also have, or can reasonably have the Su-30... And warping a little your sentence I can honestly say that "...the fact that such an exercise was conducted strongly suggests that the Su-30 is regarded as possible -and underestimated- foe". just my 2c Regds, G.

Well... as there are "canonical" references to the rear L.G. I tried to stick to them. I really like the Hornet gear, at least from an aestethical point of view... Hope I can try it sometime... Say... in a VF-5000????? (that will be my next project)!!! Regds, G.

Front L.G. almost finished. The wheel hubs are not complete yet, but I added some details like the approach indexer. The complete L.G. (rear & front with wheels) is weighting some 9500+ polys. Regds, G. p.d.: did some trial render with some diffusion map in the *rear* L.G. and it works fine. Is like a wash in plastic models. Details suddenly jump out...

Just found this today in Yahoo! and remided me of this old topic. Seems that somebody found the evidence that India must be taken seriously... Regds, Gorgon (edit: simplified the quote by ewilen) &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "WASHINGTON - The success of the Indian air force against American fighter planes in a recent exercise suggests other countries may soon be able to threaten U.S. military dominance of the skies, a top Air Force general said Wednesday. "We may not be as far ahead of the rest of the world as we thought we were," said Gen. Hal M. Hornburg, the chief of Air Combat Command, which oversees U.S. fighter and bomber wings. The U.S.-India joint exercise, "Cope India," took place in February near Gwalior in central, India. It pitted some F-15C Eagle fighters from the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, in mock combat against Indian MiG, Sukhoi and Mirage fighters. The F-15Cs are the Air Force's primary air superiority aircraft. The Indian fighters, of Russian and French design, are the type of planes U.S. fighters would most likely face in any overseas conflict. Hornburg, speaking to reporters, called the results of the exercise "a wake-up call" in some respects, but he declined to provide details, other than to suggest the Indian air force scored several unexpected successes against the American planes. For the last 15 years, the U.S. military has enjoyed almost total command of the air during conflicts. A few fighters and fighter-bombers have gone down, usually victims of surface-to-air missile fire, but in general, American planes have been able to target enemy ground forces at will. In the most recent invasion of Iraq (news - web sites), Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s air force stayed grounded. Still, new tactics, better Russian fighters like the Su-30, and a new generation of surface-to-air missiles mean that U.S. dominance could be ending, said Loren Thompson, who follows military issues for the Lexington Institute, a Washington think tank. "The United States has grown accustomed to having global air superiority, yet we haven't put much very much money in the last generation into maintaining that advantage," he said, noting the F-15 first flew in the 1970s. "So of course the rest of the world is finally starting to catch up," he said. Hornburg said the exercise shows the need for some new Air Force fighters, particularly the F/A-22 Raptor, which is intended to replace the F-15C. But critics deride the aircraft as too expensive and built to counter a threat that hasn't existed since the Soviet Union collapsed.

Remember that I told that I only modeled the legs, to figure out the fold and design the wheel wells. And also, the front L.G. is not complete... anyway, there's something in the renderer that I cannot master yet, to bring the L.G. to "life". Check by yourself the differences between the scan of the rear L.G. and the model. Remember, I did legs & wheels only (no wheel well or doors at all!), and no textures. The mesh you'r watching has 2170 polys. 90% of the volumes of the MDW book are there (more or less), but somehow it looks dull. I have a couple of ideas I'll try to experiment with tomorrow, using bump and diffusion maps. Regds G nore: the inner wheel hub looks SOOO bad... I'll redo it some of these days... (edited: note that some proportions have been modified from the MDW... I followed more or less the dimensions of an F-14 L.G.)

Yes... it makes you wonder were the hell are those 7900 polys... just to stack some 10 cylinders? I could not get a decent (I mean *complex*) looking landing gear in my previous model (non Macross). Guess I'll improve it with textures. Regds, G.

...and now in the renderer

No problem! but let me first finish the mesh. After all, I am doing 3D models because they are very easy to repaint (once you get the first model straight). Now, going back to the '11, I've been working the whole day on this @#%$ landing gear . Boy! Kawamori can design a perfectly transformable craft, but he needs some help for the L.G. When you are at it, you realize why the current design of landing gears are different from the ones in the MDW. Ok, so far (and weighting some 7900 polys), the gear legs and wheels look like this. After finishing them, I'll fold them in the fuselage and I'll do the gear bays and doors. Regds, Gorgon p.d.: I forgot some details in the front leg, including the launchbar, landing light, etc.) (edited, added the "p.d.")

Great! Thank you, Gorgon

Without 3-views of the gear, I'll have to model first the "legs & wheels" and after figuring out the folding mechanism, the bay doors... In the meantime I couldn't wait to do some test texture (no panel lines yet). Man! I'm in love with the F/A-18 E/F low viz of the VFA-2 (here). I *PROMISE* I'll do a High Viz Sundowner, but the low viz fits so sweet on the VF-11... Regds, Gorgon (seat and pilot borrowed from the VF-4)

Some control surfaces have started moving... (still no slats).

Thnx Ignacio & Jedi... hope the VF-11 comes af half as good. BTW, one of these days I'll add some wake turbulence to the VF-4 Regds, G (another day WITHOUT modelling! UFFF!!!)

You're right!!! Actually I still had some doubts regarding the fron gear (looked too short) when I got the attached screenshot (from Macross 7, episode 44), an almost prefect side shot that solves the "front gear length doubt". MUST GO BACK TO THE MODELLER!!!! (this thread will become "VF-11 references") Regds Gorgon

When you get the right references... Thnx Gerwalker for lending me the book for a photocopy! (VF-11C entry in the MDW)

100% agree. There seems to be no problem with that. Check these two pages (IMHO the best "walkaround" I've seen of ANY landing gear), of an F-18E/F. Page 1 Page 2 You will notice that the L.G. cover of the F-18 has 3 elements. A front one that opens to the interior and two back doors. It seems easy to redesign the front door as in the B2 photo you sent. Time to 3d model!!!! Regds, Gorgon!

Angel's Fury, thnx for the references of the airbrakes. As for the F-15 gear, the problem is it folds forward (see also here and here). Just inverting it one can create some geometrical problems, as struts meant to absorb tension become members in compression and the geometry should be changed (thicker for compression struts). Heck! Looking at these photos I realized *again* what a beautiful plane the F-15 is... Ok, I'm digressing. Chronocidal, I have no problem in giving you the "low poly" mesh. My "high ploy" mesh will have as realistic as possible moving surfaces (I plan to be able to make a limited animation in LW). Again, references should help. The wings of the VF-1 are patterned on the F-14, but for the VF-11? The reference could be a Flanker? An F/A-18E? Regds, Gorgon