mighty gorgon

Did some work in the weekend... Well, you know, the model is at that stage in which every simple addition takes a long time and does not show up very much. So do no expect too much, I just corrected the control panel (MFD) added some antennas and the HOTAS (pilot removed for clarity). I also plan to rebuild thge ejection seat, using an ACES-II as the model. Regds, Gorgon.

Ouch! THAT'S cockpit detail!!! So... next work, redo most of the cockpit and add all the tiny antennas and details to the nose. you're right... I used as reference the attached image, but the proportions are different. Regds & Thnx Gorgon

Yes, the MFD does not look right yet... On the other hand, both in the b-club and in the Macross Design Works images, the HUD seems too low... Real HUDs are centered at the pilot's eye level: BAe HUD. I guess I will have to strike a balance between the EF model and the VF4 references. Thanks a lot for the helpful discussion. Gorgon (the HUD smilie)

You are right. I've seen a photo of a test protoype with some chevron shaped slots in the nozzle, used to augment the contol of the hot gases, or probably to cool the surface... (I don't have that photo here now, but I guess it was some university lab photo). All those "tiny" details can make a big difference on the operational birds. Anyway, they look great even in the preproduction stage. Regds, Gorgon

Just type Pratt & Withney F-119 into Google and you are going to find lots of images of the vector nozzles. One of my faves from http://www.f-22raptor.com Regds. Gorgon

Just lowered the main panel. To check the visibility from the modified cockpit, I put a camera at the pilot's eyes position and rendered from inside the helmet. The bird is flying at 0 AOA. Man... I LOVE these programs! The reflections... the engines in the rear viewing mirrors (convex) and the pilot's helmet in the main MFD! I tried to get a decent image in the HUD, but somehow half of it it gets distorted. Ufff! It should not matter that much, as the model is not intended for these images, but anyway... I'll try to fix it. OK, see you in a couple of days... Gorgon. p.d.: edited the original image. replaced the rendering for one with a background from a Flight Simulator program

Mmmm... the drawings of the Macross Design Works (attached), show a tiny HUD, as well as this image... (bclub magazine). Normally planes with curved windshields will have HUDs. Regarding the main MFD I'll try to lower it (it looks very low in the attached image!). Anyway, dont worry... because of the large AOA it is probable that you will not see the carrier in any case! Thanks, a lot for the comments, Gorgon.

For me it looks OK, if you try to simulate an operational bird for carrier operations. I guess a white plane will get worn very fast (operational f14s). However nothing is this way OR the other... check this photo of two F-14. The second one is being repainted: (f14s)... someone believed the planes were too worn out! Regds, Gorgon (yes, today I got a bit obsessed with www.airliners.net but I truly believe they have the best aviation photos of the net... if you don't mind navigating between 100.000 photos of civil planes...another f14 and another f14 mirage)

(another view here)... Regds, Gorgon Ah! by the way, see the link to a gorgeous front shot of a Typhoon (I love that HUD) ef2000 cockpit

...and tried 2 alternatives for the HUD. First a model "based" on the new F-14D HUD (FVI), and another one based on the EF2000 (BAe Marconi). Attached two images for comparison. I think I'll stick to the BAe Marconi model, but any suggestion will be welcomed. (p.d. modified the old "blue windows" panel, for one more macross...)

After a week abroad, I got back to the VF-4. Not too much (still no detail in the intakes, sorry), but did some work on the cockpit. First a general render... Nothing too new here...

...Mmmmm.... maybe I became too obsessed with windows at that stage of the modelling????? Gorgon (Intel Inside) p.d.: as a Mac-groupie friend of me likes to say: "the intel inside sticker is not an ad... IT IS A WARNING!!!!" p.d.2: the textures are already corrected. As soon as I add some "intake detail" I'll publish the upgrade.

You are right. I should define inner and outer nacelle surfaces and do a proper "clean up" of the color map of the inner (I'm using planar projections, not UV maps). Hope to correct that today... Thnx, Gorgon.

Thanks!!! You're right. The intakes look flat in the last image because of 2 reasons: #2, the light is very "harsh"... most of the details are lost (panel lines, shadings, etc.) #1, THERE IS NO DETAIL IN THE INTAKE YET!!!! I should fix both (especially #1!!!)... maybe tomorrow. This evening I've been playing with the cockpit. No hud yet, no sticks, and no seat... only the first iteration of the panel. Ah! by the way, the blue color on the main MFD is the BLUE SCREEN OF WINDOWS! Regds, Gorgon (next project? VF-11?)

and a final one with a nice space background. You may notice a new helmet, an approximation of a Macross 2012 one (but I should do a close up). Some reflections on the panels from the bump map don't look right yet, and there is a wrong polygon on the nose. Other than that (and all the above comments as well), this image would do a fine wallpaper!! Regds, Gorgon

(another image, port side again!)

...some of you will surely notice that I did not do a "proper" inner color map... actually, only the port side map was completed...

Ok, finally I could resume the work on the VF-4. My computer crashed again, and finally I decided that it was time to replace it. Now I'm running a 2.8 GHz, 1Gb RAM which makes the rendering a less tedious work. I was goin to do some modelling of the cockpit, but with all this computer changes, just did some fancy texturing. I was assembling a A-1H Skyraider (US NAVY) and I liked the color scheme of the VA-145 ("Swordsmen"), Vietnam era. Here are the results with some pannelling and diffusion maps thrown in. Colors and numbers from the Hasegawa 1:72 A-1H. Regds, Gorgon at 2.8 GHz p.d.: the images were rendered at 1024x768 and resampled at 800x600 for display purposes

Oh! yes, but it is from a different project, only to check general proportions of the cockpit. The guy wears a P4b (1960's) helmet and the ejection seat is an approximation of a Martin Baker Mk.2, probably from a late Gloster Meteor or something like that (see image)... But don't worry, I plan to put a proper pilot in it. This afternoon I have been photographing toy helmets to start modelling it. Hope to work on the cockpit or textures, this evening... Bye, Gorgon

Well, my computer "thinks different", and decided to hang up in such a way that I had to reinstall tje OS Anyway, I went back to the model and started a little surfacing, upper wings (port side), and tail. Regds Gorgon.

Thnx! I'll review my Hasegawa cockpit then. Just a new image to show a new (again!) tailboom, nose and underside veniers, some texturing and some additional detail. The pilot has a 60's P4 helmet and a Martin Baker Mk2, ejector seat from one ongoing project. I'll use for general proportions of the cockpit (I plan to do a proper Macross pilot for this one). I try to keep these images small, until I reach a more advanced stage (bump maps, diffuse maps, etc.) Bye & Thnkx Gorgon

With most of the major modellin of the outside done (just added the nose veniers this morning), I am now starting the cockpit area. I have plenty of references on the VF-1, but... any idea for the VF-4? A VF-1 cockpit should be OK? I have been watching the few seconds of Macross 2012 to no avail. I've seen some nice detail on the rear part of the cockpit, but little to none of the control panel, seat, etc. Thnkx in advance (my name is gorgon, mighty gorgon)

(last image today)

Ah! and guns an the infamous tailboom...

Ok, have been doing some work lately: new missiles, inner wing intakes, some venier thrusters, etc. etc.