**DONE** F-52 Ultra Hornet, United States Space Force (PICS Pg. 4)

TheChronicOne · December 21, 2018, 08:07:56 PM

Quote from: strobez on December 21, 2018, 04:31:53 PM
Been there buddy... in fact I have a chair with my name on it there... but it looks like you've snatched this one out of the jaws of defeat and put it squarely back on track. It's looking great now!~

Thanks, bud!!

I have tennis elbow from sanding on it but It's back in order.

I'll gobble some anti-inflammatories and make it happen yet....

TheChronicOne · January 05, 2019, 04:04:53 PM

Back to work on this. I'm getting the paint job lined out. I've put a thin wash of green/metallic silver over the black and it has made a cool futuristic looking paint job. It's not what I was shooting for, but, works for now. It may not be permanent, however. I'll have to take a look at it again after I gloss it before decals.

In other news, I've start painting some of the sub assemblies and other little bits and pieces. Needed a break from the work on the fuselage... So, engine exhausts and some sort of laser cannon or something (goes on the bottom of the plane):

Pretty simple, but takes a bit of care to be painted right. I didn't mask any of it so I had to pay attention.

Next up I'll be painting the ordnance and putting more green/silver wash onto the canards and tailplanes.

TheChronicOne · January 07, 2019, 02:06:01 PM

Need some opinions.

Look at how the ordnance is loaded.

It looks really cool, but is it plausible to have what appears to be the largest, longest, and possibly heaviest peice outboard where the wing appears to be the smallest and maybe weakest? I was thinking about re-arranging the weapons to go from large to small starting at the fuselage.

Chugging along SLOWLY. Trying to paint the gear then I'll start working on these weapons. Probably paint the RL green, the little one white, then the other black or keep it grey.

NARSES2 · January 08, 2019, 06:32:00 AM

That's stunning

Quote from: TheChronicOne on January 07, 2019, 02:06:01 PM

It looks really cool, but is it plausible to have what appears to be the largest, longest, and possibly heaviest peice outboard where the wing appears to be the smallest and maybe weakest? I was thinking about re-arranging the weapons to go from large to small starting at the fuselage.

Personally I would switch the outboard pieces with the middle placed ones. Modern materials would probably enable them to be carried as you have them, but I just think they look better that way ?

TheChronicOne · January 08, 2019, 08:29:41 AM

Thanks! I'll take it under advisement. I like it. Looking at this picture, the rocket launcher thing there could possibly smack into the rear stabs if on the inboard pylon so your set up is likely the best one. I'll have to play around with it. Hell, I need to check and see if the stuff can even be re-arranged to start with. I could MAKE it re-arrange, but I'd rather the stuff simply plug into the holes. I don't need any extra grinding, cutting, glueing, etc. They may wind up staying like this simply because it's easier.

EDIT: OH, I forgot the update. I finished painting the landing gear last night. Glad those are out of the way! I'm about.... half way done painting all the stores. The RL I painted green with black head and going to try to paint silver into the openings if I can. Tried one last night and did well right up to the end... too close to bed time. Man I was tired yesterday! All day long. Didn't sleep worth a crap. I've noticed that I'm less enthusiastic about just about anything when I'm not well rested.

Getting off target here... So anyway.. did that then started painting the missiles. Got a couple coats of white on then I'm going to paint some optics up front and paint the rails red. Not sure how to do the fins. Probably white just like the rest.

That's about it. If I do anything at all, it will involve more painting on the weapons. Also, I think I'll go ahead and glue the canards on. I left them off with the rear planes so they would be out of the way of decalling but looking at them, I don't think they will.

Dizzyfugu · January 08, 2019, 08:50:00 AM

It's the question where the thing is operated - in space the potential drag does not matter. Had this issue with some VF-1s with FAST packs and their orbital ordnance. Once you accept that these are only intended for operations in space, the bulkiness of equipment and ordnance does not matter much anymore.

But for a more plausible look I'd also put the missile pods innermost, and maybe even omit the wingtip stations altogether, adding instead another station between the original inner and middle pylons?

TheChronicOne · January 08, 2019, 08:57:04 AM

This operates in both. That's the "selling point" of it that makes it neat, so atmospheric stuff and Gs definitely apply.

Thank you! That's a great suggestion... I'll get to tinkering with this stuff later and see what fits and where then compare notes.

AeroplaneDriver · January 08, 2019, 09:40:48 AM

I agree with Chris. Switch outer and middle stations.

TheChronicOne · January 08, 2019, 10:37:50 AM

Cheers!

Glad I can always get some help around here when I need it.

Although, I suppose this is more of a matter of opinion being fictional, but I'd like to maintain as much plausibility as I can. This is when I need help and ask you lot.

I'm figuring out things as I go along about why things are the way they are but I'm still no engineer.

From what I can gather, this is originally a "Mech" that actually transforms into a big robot type thing in which case those missile launchers being outside like that suddenly becomes the Mechs main weapon..which naturally would be held in the "hands." So... makes sense as a big piloted robot for them to be there but if it's just an airplane in MY universe I think I'd rather listen to the pros (yous guys) and move them suckers.

Tophe · January 09, 2019, 01:10:50 AM

Quote from: TheChronicOne on January 07, 2019, 02:06:01 PM
Need some opinions.

After deep reflexion, my analysis is: wow!

zenrat · January 09, 2019, 02:34:45 AM

In zero gravity and vacuum won't inertia still be an issue?
What I mean is that a craft with the heavier weapons* inboard close to the CoG will roll quicker for a given application of force than one with the heavier weapons outboard on the wings.

*OK, correct words in zero gravity would have been 'weapons with greater mass' but it seems too wordy and you all know what I meant.

TheChronicOne · January 09, 2019, 07:39:59 AM

It's all academic at this point. I played around with it yesterday and settled on going from large to little, inboard to outboard. I will also re-position everything closer to the fuselage. It shouldn't be too much extra work. I played around with multiple configurations and some didn't look right and some had things knocking into other things so I settled on one that not only looks good, but is out of the way of other stuff like the landing gear and the tail planes which are situated very close to the wings. Lucky part is it looks very good!!! The configuration that works the best for plausibility and layout also was the one that looked the best!

I also and going to put the canards on different from how they would have me. I found another way to do them that looks good and changes the look of the whole plane almost. With these two changes this thing is different enough from the original that they won't be confused as being "the same."

I also came just shy of finishing painting the weapons yesterday. I need to go back in and fix some things on the missiles. The ones with the rails on the sides. Otherwise... all I really need to do now is paint the green wash onto the canards and stabs and it's a wrap. I can gloss it at that point and try to find some transfers for it. No clue where or what but I'll try to come up with something. I may need to order in but I hope not.. I have a fair amount of grey markings that could work on here.

TheChronicOne · January 10, 2019, 08:19:51 PM

I stopped everything to re-organize the stash and get the entire model building operation cleaned and organized. I am now in the midst of an immaculate operation and it was well worth the time. It sapped less time than I was thinking it would, in fact! Happy to be back actually working on builds, though.

I didn't get much done because that jive took most of the day, but, I'm nearly finished painting the stuff that hangs:

I THINK I'm at the point now where I can't do anything else until I gloss it and see what it looks like. If my experimental "anti-radiation stealth coating" looks like a pile of arse I'll have to go back to the drawing board. If it looks OK I'll be able to start decalling.

kerick · January 10, 2019, 09:52:18 PM

This looks pretty hot and I hope the paint scheme works out for you.

TheChronicOne · January 11, 2019, 07:46:55 AM

Thanks! I might work on it today so we'll see. I have to fix a couple things on the body but that shouldn't take long then it's time to gloss it up and see how it changes things. I wish the sun was out. It's actually raining, instead. But, if the sun were out, I could take this outside and see how it looks. In the sun, it may activate the hell out of the silver paint I mixed in with the green and I'd like to see it. Oh well... I guess I'm flying by the seat of my pants a little bit here but that's alright. Worse comes to worse I just slap on another coat of primer and start over.