Northrop F-15A / RF-61C Reporter

[Sundog]

Thanks for the update and the preview. It's looking great so far.

 

[DC1973]

Flight testing for the RF-61C is now underway!!

Much modelling work done over the past week or so. Spoilers added, textures refined, more animations and other enhancements including the use of fresnel on canopy and metal. This shot was taken in the downwind, cowl flaps deployed, one quarter flap and gear down at 130 KIAS. Really starting to look like a proper aeroplane now. I have about a weeks' worth of tidying up before I can start finalising textures / bump and specular maps. Then I can call the exterior complete and move on to the virtual cockpit. On schedule so far!

 

[Josh Patterson]

Flight testing for the RF-61C is now underway!!

Much modelling work done over the past week or so. Spoilers added, textures refined, more animations and other enhancements including the use of fresnel on canopy and metal. This shot was taken in the downwind, cowl flaps deployed, one quarter flap and gear down at 130 KIAS. Really starting to look like a proper aeroplane now. I have about a weeks' worth of tidying up before I can start finalising textures / bump and specular maps. Then I can call the exterior complete and move on to the virtual cockpit. On schedule so far!

Awesome! I really like the "We Three" markings at the beginning of this thread. Did they serve both painted an naked? The look of the photo on downwind looks like a proper warbird. Pristine and pampered! I do wish MAAM would fly their P-61 at least once before they paint it just to show off all the work that went on under the paint. Looking forward to this.

 

[DC1973]

They served in several schemes, I'll be creating two or three ( We Three, Over Exposed and one other - yet to be decided which one ) but will leave further schemes to the community. The model will come with a layered paint kit included and a true bare metal aircraft for that purpose.

 

[warchild]

Josh?? Did MAAM complete their P-61?? There is precedent for a bare metal P-61.. General Barnes used it as a personal plane..

 

[jmfabio]

Josh?? Did MAAM complete their P-61?? There is precedent for a bare metal P-61.. General Barnes used it as a personal plane..

Warchild, after reading this thread and seeing your question I checked the MAAM website and as of 12/20/17 they foresee several years work remaining. They have sent out one engine to be overhauled and said that when funds become available they will send out the other.

But work still progresses.

I will see this bird come June at their WWII Weekend, as our group re-enacts at the event.

I can't wait to see it fly.

Joe

 

[roger-wilco-66]

If they can get it done for Oshkosh 2019, I'll be there!!




Cheers,
Mark

 

[Josh Patterson]

If they can get it done for Oshkosh 2019, I'll be there!!




Cheers,
Mark

Doubt if it will be that soon. They still have quite a way to go. Both outer wing panels need to be finished. Spoilers, ailerons and flaps need to be done. After that it's the many little things that need to be tidied up at the end which seems to take the longest! Steady progress, but slow. (Mostly funding, but they're also not rushing.) It will fly when it's ready and I'm okay with that! Also looking forward to the P AND XP-82s that are nearing completion! Another one I'm really waiting on is the Lightning T.5 in Mississippi. The FAA paperwork was done for the trip last November and I though it was going up but once again the little things (and one major one) got in the way. A fuel leak necessitating the removal of the #1 engine (which added the updated fuel line connection at the same time) and replacement of the air turbine gearbox with a freshly refurbished unit while the engine was out. Also a microswitch in the left airbrake needed replacing and a faulty flap indicator sourced and replaced.

Any trip you make to Oshkosh get in touch. It would be fun to meet another SOH member in person! (There IS a Meteor coming this year along with Berlin Airlift's C-97 both of which I've never seen in the air and in the case of the Meteor have never seen one in person at all.)

 

[warchild]

Warchild, after reading this thread and seeing your question I checked the MAAM website and as of 12/20/17 they foresee several years work remaining. They have sent out one engine to be overhauled and said that when funds become available they will send out the other.

But work still progresses.

I will see this bird come June at their WWII Weekend, as our group re-enacts at the event.

I can't wait to see it fly.

Joe

Thanks JMFabio.. too be honest, i was afraid of that. They've been facing a challenge getting finances for it for a long time.

 

[Josh Patterson]

Thanks JMFabio.. too be honest, i was afraid of that. They've been facing a challenge getting finances for it for a long time.

One has to remember the condition of the plane when they started also. They had a very long road to get from that to where they are now. (And I think it's 100% volunteer driven so kudos for all who gave up their time and helped with it!) It will be nice to see it in the air when it does happen though!

 

[roger-wilco-66]

[...]

Any trip you make to Oshkosh get in touch. It would be fun to meet another SOH member in person! (There IS a Meteor coming this year along with Berlin Airlift's C-97 both of which I've never seen in the air and in the case of the Meteor have never seen one in person at all.)

I've been there in 2016, meeting Tom Stovall again and Rami, which was great. I'll never forget these mornings in the Warbird Alley.
And I managed to get a ride in the B-17 Aluminum Overcast. I'd love to attend every year, but that would be quite expensive, coming where I'm from. I probably live in the wrong country regarding all my interests.


Cheers,
Mark

 

[warchild]

One has to remember the condition of the plane when they started also. They had a very long road to get from that to where they are now. (And I think it's 100% volunteer driven so kudos for all who gave up their time and helped with it!) It will be nice to see it in the air when it does happen though!

I know.. I've been following them fervently since they started the project.. Just always had hopes i'd be able to see it at least once..

 

[DC1973]

External model pretty much complete now, crew added and final tidying up done around fuel tanks and undercarriage. Will start on textures now, as well as bump detail, weathering and specular while having a break from the modelling side of things. Just the VC and visibility XML to go after that

 

[Bjoern]

I'm discussing the subject of flight crew apparel with Dean on FSDev and need a bit of input from the warbird nerds.
In short: I think an officer's cap is a bit out of place in a flighter-like aircraft, especially if the type is used post-war. An early helmet for the aircraft commander would be more useful.
Were there any guidelines regarding flight crew clothing post-war?

 

[warchild]

I'm discussing the subject of flight crew apparel with Dean on FSDev and need a bit of input from the warbird nerds.
In short: I think an officer's cap is a bit out of place in a flighter-like aircraft, especially if the type is used post-war. An early helmet for the aircraft commander would be more useful.
Were there any guidelines regarding flight crew clothing post-war?

Excellent point Bjoern.. It illustrates magnificently, the exact gestalt of this aircraft. It was a plane out of time. Designed to fight the part of WWII that never happened by Johnny Meyers, The RF-61 was modified from the four cannon nose to the version we are so familiar with now for post war aerial mapping and reconnaissance. BUT! The Lockheeed shooting star was right there along side of it. It didnt matter if the RF-61 was one of the best aircraft designed for WWII. WWII was over and the age of the propeller driven fighters was all but over.. It was born and old man in a young world. I'm not sure if at first jet pilots wore helmets. Those may not have been introduced till 1949 or 1950 or so. This plane was made for the air force, but pretty much spent its entire life ( after mapping Korea ) in service to NACA and NOAA. It didnt fit anywhere else. It was too expensive to maintain as a fighter, and too expensive for anything that wasnt top priority ( chasing tornado's wasnt seen as anything productive and misunderstood even by the people at NOAA ). Along side its big brother; the P-61, the RF-61 was relegated to the NACA and NASA for testing new technologies..
Zoom in. The crews wore baseball hats..

We decided to give the pilot the iconic 50 mission crush hat. This was not based on anything historical, but rather an insight gleened from the above given reality of the era in which these planes operated. There were a lot of ex WWII bomber pilots now in the civilian sector. Some started their own businesses ( i.e. Tales of the gold monkey style ), and many went back to woprk, for the airforce, nasa, and other agencies. The 50 mission hat was ubiquitous, along with the iconic type 4 flight jacket. These 'civilian" pilots werent issued airforce gear. They werent combatants. They didnt need a helmet. They were just joe's trying to make a living while still holding on to what self respect and dignity they had.. The were yesterday's news, and tomorrows myth. Yeah, you can be pretty sure that some of these pilots wopre the 50 mission crush hat. Its what they were comfortable with, and no one ws going to question them for it out of respect for what they had done just a couple years before.. But for the most part, the wore baseball caps..

 

[warchild]

Just found this.. Early plexiglass sucked SO bad for visibility.. Cant see anything inside those cockpits..

 

[jankees]

Plastic models?

 

[warchild]

Ya Know?? Thats an excellent question.. If i zoom in i can see a lot of little dents and variances in the panel lines where they arent perfect, and that emblem on the tail i've seen maybe once before and have no clue what its from.. I'm wanting to say its real, but perhaps someone with better eyes than mine could look it over..

 

[stansdds]

Just found this.. Early plexiglass sucked SO bad for visibility.. Cant see anything inside those cockpits..

Plastic models?

Confirmed that these are plastic models.

https://modelingmadness.com/review/allies/us/usaaf/cjaf15.htm

 

[Sundog]

Apparently that modeler didn't know the future floor wax trick (Dip the canopies in future floor wax to make them look like shiny glass, but they may have changed the formulation recently, so we modelers may have to find another technique).