Flight Replicas B-24 preview

I have to admit that I forget about all the nations that banded together to defeat the Axis. When I was in Rio de Janeiro as our ship transited to the South China Sea in 1968, among the places I toured with my friend was the WWII museum honoring the Brazilians who fought in Europe and the Atlantic. Brazil was one of the Allies of World War II. It was also the only Ally from South America to provide troops. The country made significant contributions to the war effort. ... The Brazilian Navy and Air Force helped the Allies in the Atlantic from 1942 until the end of the war in 1945. Children today, sadly, are learning next to nothing about WWII history. My generation knew much because our parents (both my mother who worked in the office of the Secret Service and my father who I said above served in the Panama Canal Zone) were actively a part of it. As a ship modeler I built a number of ship models for families to give as gifts or individuals as a reminder of their service. I built: USS Colorado BB; a number of DD's: an LST; and an LSI: One of the most interesting commissions I did was a freighter and a tanker for the merchant marine captain who carried supplies back and forth from the U.S. to England. the freighter was torpedoed and he survived. After his recovery leave he was assigned to the tanker which I modeled for him to do likewise. It too was torpedoed and he miraculously survived. He requested and was allowed to retire after that. He said that he felt that was enough...3 strikes and you're out he said. It was disgusting to me that it took too many years for our country to recognize that the merchant marine were true combatants and as such deserved like recognition as the other services. We wouldn't have been able to fight the war without them. Likewise, the WASPS and the famous Tuskegee Airmen who contributed so much took years to truly recognize their contributions as well. A BIG salute to all of the unsung heroes from every country.


We have no B-24, but a lot of American birds operated from Natal, Recife, Salvador and Rio, including some B-24 and PB4Y. The only B-24 in Força Aérea Brasileira records was used as an instructional mechanics asset in Salvador.

Cheers

Pepe
 
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The anticipation for the release of the B-24 is killing me!! I cannot Wait to get it and collect all of these fantastic repaints!!
 
Top secret-operation jedburgh

About 10 years ago I created three "Joes" a Jedburgh "Carpetbagger" team, with 1/6 WWII Action Figures with custom made uniforms and equipment. Team Basil was a tribute to my wife's best friend's father, Army Sgt/Radio Operator of the team which parachuted into occupied France after D-Day to support French Resistance. This B24D, was one of the older aircraft used. After much research I found that Br'er Rabbit's last mission was an NL or Night Leaflet mission. I was fortunate to have not only noseart but also a full side view including the tail empennage showing the placement of the Code Letter G-George and the serial number. I thought this might be the only B-24 "Carpetbagger" anyone had repainted, but in looking for RAF Harrington the base of the 801st Bomb Group (Provisional)/492nd/406th I discovered that my friend JanKees had created a B24H "Black Zombie" for the Alphasim B24 way back in 2008. Here is my B24D "Carpetbagger" BR'ER RABBIT, pilot Lt. Clinton H. Rabbitt in command.
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The aircraft were all painted glossy black because it was believed that hid them the best from the German searchlights at night.
 
John, your bare-metal screenshots have a PBR-like look to them, and they're gorgeous BTW. Were they taken in DX-10?
 
John, your bare-metal screenshots have a PBR-like look to them, and they're gorgeous BTW. Were they taken in DX-10?

Thank you! Yes, the screenshots are taken from FSX in DX10 mode (using Steve's DX10 Fixer and Cloud Shadows). The repaints I've been working on for Mike's B-24 have my go-to metal layers added, which I've been using on my other recent projects, like the B-25. A lot of emphasis on the power of specular alpha channels.
 
Thank you! Yes, the screenshots are taken from FSX in DX10 mode (using Steve's DX10 Fixer and Cloud Shadows). The repaints I've been working on for Mike's B-24 have my go-to metal layers added, which I've been using on my other recent projects, like the B-25. A lot of emphasis on the power of specular alpha channels.

Looks impressive, did You check it in P3Dv4 also? :applause:
 
Here are some screenshots from P3D v4.5. Not exactly as they are in FSX, but pretty close.

If you look closely at the details, there are differences between these in the stenciling, the glare shields and the louvered and non-louvered panels around the fairing below the nose turrets, being earlier/later J-models and manufactured at two different factories. Even the data block stenciling and the stencil layout on the fire extinguisher panels is different. Pugnacious Princess Pat was built at Consolidated Fort Worth as a B-24J-65-CF and My Akin ? was built at Consolidated San Diego as a B-24J-185-CO.

The "35-45" number on the sides of the nose on Pugnacious Princess Pat is from the Lousiville Convair modification center, which was 1 of 5 modification centers where B-24's were sent, immediately following completion at the factories, for final Tech Order modifications, Theatre modifications and equipment installs prior to being delivered to their unit assignments. "35" was the particular modification batch number and "45" was the sequencing number, it being the 45th Liberator so modified within that batch. One of the items that was added to Pugnacious Princess Pat when it was at the mod center was the addition of the extra side windows at the base of the nose for the bombardier. At the time, these windows were simply cut in the aluminum and flush. Later, as added from the factories, as in the case of My Akin ?, you can see there was a framed edge around those windows that stuck out.

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"My Akin?" of the 722nd BS, 450th BG.

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I hope there will at least be a couple kept warbird clean like this one. FANTASIC job on the quilted skin! (Unrelated to the B-24, but someone here at the Outhouse is giving the Howard 500 a makeover to look like this too. Can't wait to see that either!)
 
Yes, thanks for the P3D4.5 sneak peak, John!

And kudos to Mike on the modeling as well. It looks impeccable! I'll have to change my avatar to the photo of my dad sitting atop the engine on the C-87.:jump:
 
Went for a short ride in P3Dv5, and all seems to work just as it should. Still the dark high contrast shaders in the exterior view, but best news for myself in these short flights is that VC daytime lighting appears vastly improved. No time to explore anything else, however.

:)


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Could someone in this group paint "Bangin Lulu"? My buddies father flew in it as a nose gunner in WWII. It would be much appreciated.
 
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