New Hi-Poly Spitfire in the works
- Thread starter lythronax
- Start date
I feel as though I've got the shape figured out pretty well, it's more a case right now of getting all the panel lines of the lower wing skin and fillet skin in the right spots, seeing as I'm constructing the model broadly like the real thing and not stitching the whole outer mesh into one conjoined piece. The lower wing skin more or less continues to the inboardmost edges of the radiator baths and thus has the beginnings of the fillet's gull shape. Getting plans into MAX and verifying them I find massively tedious and I put it off for as long as possible. 
Got a fair bit done this evening - finished the fillet and made some preliminary tail units;
Here's the model with each part using an individual material to show how it's been built; none have been fully polished but it gives a good impression:
I then made the classic small tail unit of the Mks I-XIII (and XVI)...;
...which was quickly modified into the early two-stage Griffon unit (longer ribs in front of the fore spar, small block extention at the top and a fairing with the fuselage)
Here are some examples with a uniform material;
Spitfire FR XIV (rear view)
Spitfire F 21
Here's the model with each part using an individual material to show how it's been built; none have been fully polished but it gives a good impression:
I then made the classic small tail unit of the Mks I-XIII (and XVI)...;
...which was quickly modified into the early two-stage Griffon unit (longer ribs in front of the fore spar, small block extention at the top and a fairing with the fuselage)
Here are some examples with a uniform material;
Spitfire FR XIV (rear view)
Spitfire F 21
sixstrings5859
Charter Member
Excited ! Coming along wonderfully ! Thank you Sir ! Regards,Scott
Much to report tonight!
First off, I cut out the rear-view panel on the high-back fuselage and gave it a glass material, followed quickly by the production of the horizontal stab' and elevator;
Next on the agenda were the F Mk 21 ailerons, their housing in the wing, the fairings for their control actuators, and early-production extended tips;
The rudder, elevators and ailerons are all rigged for correct animation in-sim;
I've a video posted here to show how the control surfaces animate in-sim at current; I would REALLY like to get the servo/balance tabs animated and working once I model them, same with the trim tabs if possible. Is this something I'll be able to achieve?
What's next?
Next I'd like to finish the ailerons; immediately thereafter finishing the rudder and elevators, and modelling the stab' fillet, are my goals. From then on I think either the canopy and a basic cockpit or details like the prop, exhaust, undercarriage, etc. will be next.
Any comments/tips would be hugely appreciated!
First off, I cut out the rear-view panel on the high-back fuselage and gave it a glass material, followed quickly by the production of the horizontal stab' and elevator;
Next on the agenda were the F Mk 21 ailerons, their housing in the wing, the fairings for their control actuators, and early-production extended tips;
The rudder, elevators and ailerons are all rigged for correct animation in-sim;
I've a video posted here to show how the control surfaces animate in-sim at current; I would REALLY like to get the servo/balance tabs animated and working once I model them, same with the trim tabs if possible. Is this something I'll be able to achieve?
What's next?
Next I'd like to finish the ailerons; immediately thereafter finishing the rudder and elevators, and modelling the stab' fillet, are my goals. From then on I think either the canopy and a basic cockpit or details like the prop, exhaust, undercarriage, etc. will be next.
Any comments/tips would be hugely appreciated!
Here's a video of the flight model I've been working on for the F Mk 21 (early);
https://youtu.be/R7IWyMfUXP0
I've endeavoured to make it appropriately heavy, though with effective controls throughout the flight envelope. The biggest advantage of the F Mk 21 & onwards were the large, tabbed ailerons with the standard tipped version having a rate of roll of about 120*/s at 300 mph IAS, and this is reflected in the FM. The typical Spitfire "feel" is present, incl. neutral static stability with the power on. I've also included roll/lateral instability as described in the pilot's notes. Speed and rate of climb match the numbers as best they can considering the stock engine model.
https://youtu.be/R7IWyMfUXP0
I've endeavoured to make it appropriately heavy, though with effective controls throughout the flight envelope. The biggest advantage of the F Mk 21 & onwards were the large, tabbed ailerons with the standard tipped version having a rate of roll of about 120*/s at 300 mph IAS, and this is reflected in the FM. The typical Spitfire "feel" is present, incl. neutral static stability with the power on. I've also included roll/lateral instability as described in the pilot's notes. Speed and rate of climb match the numbers as best they can considering the stock engine model.
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Animating spring-tab ailerons is easy, just align the pivots of each to match orientation of the aileron pivot in question, but pointing the opposite direction, and name each as another aileron. The sim will do the rest, pivoting the tab in the opposite direction to the aileron as you initiate roll.
Lastly, here's a short video demonstrating the gun setup of four Hispano Mk II cannon with 650 rounds per gun;
https://youtu.be/Ac9gwmx26PQ
Thank you! This is good news. Another worry off the list
I suppose I'd best clarify what my intentions are appropos order of modelling/release; I plan on doing the "Victor" marks first, namely the F Mk 21 (in 3 variants: early, mid and post-war), the F Mk 22 (in 3 variants: early, standard and export) and the F Mk 24 (in 2 variants: early and late). I'll probably do the corresponding Seafire variants too. If all goes well I'll do the earlier marks, i.e XII, XIV and XVIII, thereafter.
https://youtu.be/Ac9gwmx26PQ
Thank you! This is good news. Another worry off the list
I suppose I'd best clarify what my intentions are appropos order of modelling/release; I plan on doing the "Victor" marks first, namely the F Mk 21 (in 3 variants: early, mid and post-war), the F Mk 22 (in 3 variants: early, standard and export) and the F Mk 24 (in 2 variants: early and late). I'll probably do the corresponding Seafire variants too. If all goes well I'll do the earlier marks, i.e XII, XIV and XVIII, thereafter.
Thanks for the heads up! It's the kind of thing I'd forget in the heat of the moment
Shaping up very nicely!
Thank you! There are no modelling challenges I feel I can't overcome, but mapping will likely prove...fun.
Ailerons are more or less done! The blisters for the linkages need some more work but otherwise I'm fairly happy!
https://youtu.be/gqkmTtihI_s
https://youtu.be/gqkmTtihI_s
It's fun all right, and games...
Something we all learn, often the hard way, is to map before doing keyframe animations, because a Reset XForm should be applied to all objects before mapping to avoid scaling problems. That will also reset the pivot for an object to the Gmax world alignment and it will need realigned to suit animations where they are intended. Same goes for model hierarchy – link each object in the hierarchy after mapping, not before.
Took a visit to my local Spit (F Mk 21 serial no. LA198) to get some photos of parts I don't have plans for; I think I recreated the aileron bulges/linkages as best I could! Plus, due to tolerances, there's a bit of leeway anyways.
I'm also happy with how my rudder and and fin-to-fuselage fairing came out, though I may in fact want to extrude it out yet further as it sits even less flush than how I've modelled it!
I'll be getting back to work on the model soon, I've been tinkering with the flight model the past week or so - I think its ready. I anyone would like the WIP aircraft file to try it out in-sim shoot me a DM
I'm also happy with how my rudder and and fin-to-fuselage fairing came out, though I may in fact want to extrude it out yet further as it sits even less flush than how I've modelled it!
I'll be getting back to work on the model soon, I've been tinkering with the flight model the past week or so - I think its ready. I anyone would like the WIP aircraft file to try it out in-sim shoot me a DM
Indeed! I've followed the very first evaluation and incorporated some of the quirks and complaints. The "post war" variant I plan to include will be the modified one.
Here is the standard WWII variant (as opposed to the "early" variant with extended tips) in-sim now with standard F 21 tips and corresponding FM changes!
Here is the WIP aircraft file, if anyone has any tips/comments on the FM.
View attachment spitfire_21.zip
gecko
Charter Member
Not being terribly familiar with the Mk.21, there seem to be a long wingtip version, and a standard version, and somewhere along the way one or both versions had modifications made to the trim and balance tabs to make handling characteristics acceptable. Apparently only No.91 Squadron was operational with them (in a secondary capacity) during WWII. Which of these versions did they actually take into combat?