F9F Exhaust
- Thread starter Kodiak
- Start date
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
I was taking a fresh look at these as I was adjusting the environmental reflections for AnKor's new shaders. The spent cannon shell casings currently appear from right in front of the cockpit, and fly up and back into the rudder and elevator.
I used a similar fix to use XZY coordinates instead of the modeled emitter locations and moved these to a more believable position along the bottom behind the dive brake. This avoids the appearance of damaging the flight controls, or dumping them into the engine intakes.
<Effect Type="Shells0" EffectName="fx_shells_s" PosX="-0.25" PosZ="3" PosY="-0.50" />
<Effect Type="Shells1" EffectName="fx_shells_s" PosX="0.25" PosZ="3" PosY="-.50" />
If anyone knows the actual location where the casings were ejected I'd love to place these correctly, but I came up dry trying to find a clear reference or a picture.
For the glossy navy blue finish I found that the lighter parts of the *_r.dds files needed to be increased from 3% or 8% brightness to 15% to get the right amount of shine to match what I could see in some of the vintage photos. I have my d3d8.ini settings at 5 for reflection and 1 for glossiness.
I used a similar fix to use XZY coordinates instead of the modeled emitter locations and moved these to a more believable position along the bottom behind the dive brake. This avoids the appearance of damaging the flight controls, or dumping them into the engine intakes.
<Effect Type="Shells0" EffectName="fx_shells_s" PosX="-0.25" PosZ="3" PosY="-0.50" />
<Effect Type="Shells1" EffectName="fx_shells_s" PosX="0.25" PosZ="3" PosY="-.50" />
If anyone knows the actual location where the casings were ejected I'd love to place these correctly, but I came up dry trying to find a clear reference or a picture.
For the glossy navy blue finish I found that the lighter parts of the *_r.dds files needed to be increased from 3% or 8% brightness to 15% to get the right amount of shine to match what I could see in some of the vintage photos. I have my d3d8.ini settings at 5 for reflection and 1 for glossiness.
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
Compare this to the image in post #12 above to see the change from the default flat paint finish.
FOO FIGHTER
Charter Member
Nice work Major.
I'll have to revisit those skins and make some adjustments now. They were made before Ankor appeared on the scene and I struggled a bit with the r.dds to make the blue appear glossy without going overboard. I assume that is not the Korean Skies environment but ETO/PTO?
I have several books on the F-9 and I vaguely remember reading that the shell casings were not ejected for fear of fouling the intakes(?), which is why I didn't add any. I can't locate that info just now so don't qoute me on it. Early Panthers had two ammo boxes under the cockpit and then later they moved them to the nose cone with the other two. I have cutaways of both versions and neither shows ejection ports (or even shell collection areas for that matter). Another of life's mysteries.
I'll have to revisit those skins and make some adjustments now. They were made before Ankor appeared on the scene and I struggled a bit with the r.dds to make the blue appear glossy without going overboard. I assume that is not the Korean Skies environment but ETO/PTO?I have several books on the F-9 and I vaguely remember reading that the shell casings were not ejected for fear of fouling the intakes(?), which is why I didn't add any. I can't locate that info just now so don't qoute me on it. Early Panthers had two ammo boxes under the cockpit and then later they moved them to the nose cone with the other two. I have cutaways of both versions and neither shows ejection ports (or even shell collection areas for that matter). Another of life's mysteries.
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
It's actually a stock copy of CFS3 that I have set up with jets only!
I had wondered if they kept the casings on board, but couldn't find anything definitive on it. One thing that did happen part way into field service was the addition of vents along the side of the nose cone. The nose was removable to service the guns, and evidently under some flight conditions the gas bleeding off from the cannon recoil mechanism would build up enough internal pressure to pop it off. This vent initially appeared as a raised vertical bump near the seam where the nose was latched onto body. Later this was replaced with pairs of more aerodynamic recessed ports. It's clear that these were not used to eject the casings too as they are in close proximity to the engine intakes. Even the bulk of the gun gases would not be desirable to have them vented in this way, so they really were just to limit the pressure differential from exceeding the strength of the latches.
I had wondered if they kept the casings on board, but couldn't find anything definitive on it. One thing that did happen part way into field service was the addition of vents along the side of the nose cone. The nose was removable to service the guns, and evidently under some flight conditions the gas bleeding off from the cannon recoil mechanism would build up enough internal pressure to pop it off. This vent initially appeared as a raised vertical bump near the seam where the nose was latched onto body. Later this was replaced with pairs of more aerodynamic recessed ports. It's clear that these were not used to eject the casings too as they are in close proximity to the engine intakes. Even the bulk of the gun gases would not be desirable to have them vented in this way, so they really were just to limit the pressure differential from exceeding the strength of the latches.
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
I just took another look at my reference book on automatic cannons, and it was pretty clear about the feed and operating mechanism of the M3, but of course had nothing specific to say about the eject cycle as installed in an aircraft. 
It appears to throw the shell casing down and perhaps a bit to the left, but doesn't tell us much about what was going on as installed in the F9F.
I'm beginning to think that they just let them accumulate in the space below the gun mounts, until they got back on the ground. It would be nice to find a picture of the cannons being serviced after a mission.
If that's the case I'll have to find an appropriate effect to to use that shows the gun muzzle blast smoke without the shell casings.
It appears to throw the shell casing down and perhaps a bit to the left, but doesn't tell us much about what was going on as installed in the F9F.
I'm beginning to think that they just let them accumulate in the space below the gun mounts, until they got back on the ground. It would be nice to find a picture of the cannons being serviced after a mission.
If that's the case I'll have to find an appropriate effect to to use that shows the gun muzzle blast smoke without the shell casings.
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
Okay, if you add one of these lines to your effects.xml file
<fx_shells_n ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="aircraft_gun_smoke_s"/>
or
<fx_shells_n ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="A_shellSmoke_s"/>
depending on which smoke effect matches with the other similar fx_shells entries
and then add these two lines to your *.xpd files for the various F9F Panthers
<Effect Type="Shells0" EffectName="fx_shells_n" PosX="-0.33" PosZ="5.75" PosY="0.20" />
<Effect Type="Shells1" EffectName="fx_shells_n" PosX="0.33" PosZ="5.75" PosY="0.20" />
you will get the smoke from the nose cone vents, without any ejected cartridge cases.
http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/02/grumman-f9f-nose-cone-variations.html
<fx_shells_n ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="aircraft_gun_smoke_s"/>
or
<fx_shells_n ClassName="GroupEffect" Effect0="A_shellSmoke_s"/>
depending on which smoke effect matches with the other similar fx_shells entries
and then add these two lines to your *.xpd files for the various F9F Panthers
<Effect Type="Shells0" EffectName="fx_shells_n" PosX="-0.33" PosZ="5.75" PosY="0.20" />
<Effect Type="Shells1" EffectName="fx_shells_n" PosX="0.33" PosZ="5.75" PosY="0.20" />
you will get the smoke from the nose cone vents, without any ejected cartridge cases.
http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2016/02/grumman-f9f-nose-cone-variations.html
MajorMagee
SOH-CM-2022
The gas is coming out from the slot just below and to the right of the 312 marking.
FOO FIGHTER
Charter Member
Nice touch Major! Converting all my Panthers to this standard now!