Having fun with the Alpha F-105 Thunderchiefs

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OBIO

Retired SOH Admin
I've been flying the freeware Alphasim F-105 Thunderchiefs a good bit the last couple of days. I've revamped the effects on it, tweaked the gauges. A really fun plane to fly...though it's not such a fun plane to land....but that comes down to the fact that I rarely land the plane...I fire it up, fly around carving holes in the air for 20 minutes or so, then simply end the flight. I don't spend enough time landing planes, that's why my landing skills are poor and Deb gets to laugh at me for crashing at least 10 times a week.

I think I have a paint kit done for the Thunderchief....if not done, then really close to being done....and will work on some new skins for the Thud...including some fictional skins. Like an Isreali Thud, South African Air Force, Royal Canadian AF...heck maybe even a few Navy schemes. Just some fun "what if" skins.

OBIO
 
Cliff Presley did a really nice panel upgrade for the freeware F-105, not sure if he uploaded it here or not... I think I have it on a CD somewhere but I'll have to look for it.

You are right about landing the "Thud". It takes alot of finese and patience. I flew the payware version for a week or so before I was actually able to gently bring it down in one piece. Most all Republic jets of that era required a long runway. I use Alpha's Groom Lake scenery, it has runways most suited for landing the F-105 as well as the F-84.

BB686:USA-flag:
 
Man, what a headache! I dug around to find the paint kit I made for the Alpha Thud back in my CFS2 days. Found it, enlarged the texture sheets, redid all the panel lines, applied a nice aluminum metal look (not the high chrome on the stock bare metal birds)...and quickly found out that each of the 3 D models have slightly different names on the texture sheets. Not all of them...but enough so that it became a PITA. Two of the D models have the _t.bmp names, one does not. One D model has the drop tanks with the _T.bmp thing and one does not. Two of the D models have reflective texturing, one does not (but it will have in about 15 minutes!).

So, to make things easier...I broke the 4 models of the Thud (D loaded, D with drop tanks, D clean and F) into 4 separate aircraft folders. And I will create a paint kit for each variant...ensuring that the files are all named to match the bird they go on.....sure, I could just rename the final bmps...but that is just too darn easy....and I have a 1TB hard drive that is way too full...seems like it is getting by too easily in life.

OBIO

Oh, the THUD in a much more realistic bare aluminum skin looks AMAZING! That chrome look of the stock skins is just too much.
 
Blackbird686 said:
Cliff Presley did a really nice panel upgrade for the freeware F-105, not sure if he uploaded it here or not... I think I have it on a CD somewhere but I'll have to look for it.

You are right about landing the "Thud". It takes alot of finese and patience. I flew the payware version for a week or so before I was actually able to gently bring it down in one piece. Most all Republic jets of that era required a long runway. I use Alpha's Groom Lake scenery, it has runways most suited for landing the F-105 as well as the F-84.

BB686:USA-flag:
Click to expand...

If you can't find it BB (and if you would like a copy Obio) I have it as well, just let me know if you need it.
 
Ahhh, the memories. Sensing your usual awesome tweaks, I reloaded this baby and fussed with the lights. For some reason it refuses to recoginize the taxi light entry so I made 'em all landing lights.

Aircraft.cfg entries

[lights]
light.0 = 4, 17.00, 0.0, 3.00, fx_shockwave_vclight,
light.1 = 7, -16.5,-17, -1.50, fx_contrail_Alpha Viggen
light.2 = 7, -16.5, 17, -1.50, fx_contrail_Alpha Viggen
light.3 = 6, -24.00, 0.00, -1.5, fx_engine_Alpha Viggen
light.4 = 9, -31.00, 0.00, -2.0, fx_reheat_Alpha Viggen
light.5 = 3, -10.5,-18, -0.75, fx_shockwave_navred
light.6 = 3, -10.5, 18, -0.75, fx_shockwave_navgre
light.7 = 3, -27.75, 0.00, 9.5, fx_shockwave_navwhi
light.8 = 3, 3.7, 0, 4.00, fx_shockwave_beacon
light.9 = 3, 10.95, 0, -2.70, fx_shockwave_beacon
light.10 = 2, -10.5,-18, -0.75, fx_shockwave_strobe
light.11 = 2, -10.5, 18, -0.75, fx_shockwave_strobe_2

light.12 = 5, 20.90, 0.2, -5.0, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_small //Taxi
light.13 = 5, 20.90, -0.2, -5.0, fx_Shockwave_landing_light_small //Taxi
light.14 = 5, -2.00, 8.90, -2.60, fx_Shockwave_landing_light
light.15 = 5, -2.00, -8.90, -2.60, fx_Shockwave_landing_light

Panel.cfg Entries:

[VCockpit00]
..
..
gauge17=shockwave_lights!SW Lights_gear, 1,1,1,1
gauge18=shockwave_lights!SW Lights_taxi_gear, 1,1,1,1

I also added an effects section to the aircraft.cfg

[EFFECTS]
wake=fx_wake
water=fx_spray
dirt=fx_tchdrt
concrete=fx_sparks
touchdown=fx_ktchdwn, 1
windshield_rain_effect_available = 1
startup=fx_dsb_JetStartHeat3

Not sure which engine to alias yet. I don't have anything in my inventory for the Pratt & Whitney J-75-P-19W. I've stuck in Nigel's F-4 potent set for the time being.
 
Thanks for the lights set up racartron. I had pretty much the same set up....a few differences with some of the effects I used on the taxi and logo lights. I hadn't seen or used the Iris Jetstart Heat effect before, so will have to check it out. I do have the IRIS Heat effect on the Thud already....in combination with a really nice engine flame (not the AB, but up inside the engine)...this combo looks amazing as the engine starts up.

Two external paints are done. One is a redo of the stock New Jersey ANG paint, but with much more clarity (due to the enlargement of the texture sheets) and the other is a new one for the package...a Thud from the 335th TFS/4th TFW from December 1965. A nice bare metal and light Olive scheme. Will continue chugging away on this package....redo one of the stock skins, then do a new skin.

View attachment 46009View attachment 46008View attachment 46007

Will also work on the internal textures to enhance them as well.

OBIO
 
OBIO,

I remember the Thuds from my days in the USAF at George AFB, 1969-1973 (now Southern California International.) We were a TAC F-4 training base, and often had the Thuds come in TDY to use our weapons training range. The F-4s were loud, but the Thuds were louder. They needed the full runway length to take off and land, as well as their braking parachute. They did not come in with the angle that the F-4s used, they came in long and low, powering it in at very low angle.

The original "chrome polished" skin would work for a Thunderbird paint. Yes, I know they were "B" models, but unless you were really looking you wouldn't know the difference.
 
I have the original skin that came with the F-105F redone. The camo colors may be off from what they should be....but I think we can all live with a little inaccuracy for the sake of a much sharper looking skin.

View attachment 46119

I have a better lineup of RGB codes to use for the SEA tri-color camo (thanks to fsafranek) and will use those colors on upcoming SEA paints for the Thud.

And no...there are no plans to add dirt and grime to this paint....I don't do dirty skins....not that I am unwilling to do them, just that I am unable to do them in a way that looks good. So, I go for the freshly restored look.

OBIO
 
I'm not sure if nose art is nose art if it is under the wing...as it is on many F-105s. Whatever it's called, this one has to be one of the all time greats.

View attachment 46135

This is a snap shot I took in ACM of a WIP SEA Tri-Color Camo pattern to be worn by the F-105D models. The image I am working off of is really small...but I could make out the pregnant Lucy and the words Damn You Charlie Brown. Position is not quite right...but then again, the real F-105D was not cut in have right behind the engine intakes. The font still needs some work...not real happy with the way the one in the image looks....will look until I find one that has that comic strip look but is sharper than the one I currently have there.

OBIO
 
Here's the dealio.....I have two SEA Camo pattern paint kits done for the D model. Very similar patterns, but just a little different....that way all the paints I will be doing won't be based on the exact same camo pattern. Also have a bare metal paint kit done for the D model.

And more dealio....I have two SEA Camo pattern paint kits done for the F model...again, just slight differences so that all the paints aren't on the exact camo pattern. Also have a bare metal paint kit done for the F model as well.

Have two or three skins done of for the D model and two for the F model done. Still have a good number to do for each. Will concentrate on the F model first.

Will also being doing one more camo pattern for both models....the reversed pattern, which....from what I have found reference to....was used on about 1 out of 20 planes. I have a few schemes for the reverse pattern Thud.

I want to do a nice selection of Air National Guard paints...but can not find many pics of the Thud in ANG usage. If anyone has images of the F-105 D or F in use by any state ANG....please share it. Would love to pay homage to those pilots whose primary role is to defend home ground.

OBIO
 
What about this one?

196-62_4253_kiab_07apr09_1.jpg


Or maybe...
1220-f105d10164149tfsegulnov76.jpg
 
I just put the finishing touches on a Virginia ANG F model. Very neat "nose art" (Flying Anvil II) which I replicated.....so-so I guess. It's close enough to be a resemble likeness, but not 100%. Let's say 80%. That's still a passing grade by any standard. Have one more Virginia ANG skin to do...Flying Ace is the nose art.

The Kansas ANG scheme will be added to the list. Will check airliners.net for some better pics of the bird...got to see what that decal is on the side of the forward fuselage.

Next F model paint will be a bare metal job....with a much more realistic aluminum sheen. I made the model reflective.....the bird looks great in clean polished aluminum....I don't do dirty paints...so it'll look inspection ready.

OBIO
 
modelr

I have a nice B model scheme that I am going to spray onto the D model...like you said, the differences are not that great. For one, the B did not have the gun...so I will simply remove the gun port from the paint.

Will look at the Thunderbird scheme and see if it is something I can do.

OBIO
 
Some new screenies of the Restoration of the F-105. Added some overall paint weathering...thanks to a tip and file from Smoothie. Have been trying to add dirt to parts of the plane...but my smudge tool doesn't seem to be working properly. May have to uninstall and reinstall Photoshop....need to stop screwing around and bite the bullet and buy a new version of Photoshop.

Anyhow...here's some screenies of the D model wearing the "Damn You Charlie Brown!" nose art.

View attachment 48068View attachment 48067View attachment 48066

The planes now sport a much more correct color scheme, 32-bit format for max clarity.

Still have a lot of paints to do, some camo, some bare metal. Will keep chugging along on this project and will present the Thunderchief in a much better state of usability. Again, this is just a visual Restoration....the FDE seems good enough to me, so I won't try to fix what ain't broken.

OBIO
 
Just got a second SEA camo skin done for the D models. And I added a new touch to the VC panel...a gauge to control the refueling probe thingie. Not a great gauge, but it works...it's the stock Concorde Nose gauge..it has 4 positions on the gauge, but you only need to click one notch down to extend the refueling probe and one click back up to put the probe away. Makes it nice to be able to operate the refueling thingie from the VC without having to try to hit some odd keyboard combo...try hitting Control Shift N with your left hand without looking.

OBIO
 
Thought you had been quiet recently. You have been busy, that is looking mightily impressive Tim, looking forward to getting my hands on her. :applause:
 
I have been quiet lately...but not because I have been working on planes. Deb and I are moving at the end of the month, so I have been busy with all that is involved before a move....going through our stuff to figure out just how much stuff we really didn't need, didn't use, didn't want (and it came to 3 mini-van loads of stuff.....and I'm talking about the extended wheel base 7-passenger Plymouth Grand Voyager LE with all the rear seats removed, packed full as full can be loads....it's amazing how much junk two people can accumulate in 7 years). Packing, packing and more packing. Now begins the cleaning phase...giving the place a good deep cleaning before we move out so that it is ready for the next people who will live here......but that begins tomorrow....so today it's all about painting the Thud.

OBIO
 
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