P-47 Progress Thread

Finally a productive two weeks: I re-modeled the engine and unwrapped most of its parts (except for the ignition harness and the ducting). Now it's time to play with colours, shine/reflection and weathering! Below are some screenies of the model with the cowling off. As mentioned earlier, there are many things engine aficionados will notice as mistakes but with the cowl on, I am sure it will pass a basic scrutiny:

Teaser54.jpg

And it runs too!

Teaser55.jpg
 
I should probably kick myself forward enough to get the flight model done. It's been a pretty rough year and a half, and just about everything else in life has taken priority.
 
I'd like to see if I can use some of the CFS3 extension functions, such as 'Tailhook' and 'Bomb_bay', for other stuff as the P-47 doesn't use them. Does anyone know how to implement these?

I assume I can name a part in gmax according to the SDK and animate it to my liking, assign a key to the function in the CFS3 configuration menu and then it should work? Or should these functions also be activated/assigned in either the .cfg or the .air file? Is there a prescribed keyframe range for the animation (eg. 0-50 or 0-100)? I can't seem to find that in the SDK.

Thanks!
 
After the new, more detailed 500lb GP bombs and the M10 Bazooka in the screenshot thread, here's some new ordnance delivered by the P-47: M1 Cluster Fragmentation bomb (consisting of six 20lb AN-41 bombs and the AN-M1 Cluster Adapter, centerline) and the M26 Cluster Fragmention bomb (consisting of 20 20lb AN-41 bombs and the M13 Cluster Adapter, wing stations):

Teaser_57.jpg

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(Just a showcase of the weapon models, not carried specifically in this particular loadout configuration)
 
This is so exciting ,i can hardly contain myself ! This is one release i've been looking forward to for 20 years ! A labor of love ! Regards, Scott :jump:
 
Fascinating Joost, those look interesting! Are they set up as a single bomb, or do the bomblets drop individually?
 
Fascinating Joost, those look interesting! Are they set up as a single bomb, or do the bomblets drop individually?

Both Cluster Adapters and the AN-41 bombs are modelled separately and then combined to form a single 3D cluster bomb. So we can go either way. Right now they are dropped as single bombs.

I have also tried setting up a cluster bomb up as a "bomb container" but I find this unsatisfactory because the 3D bomblet models still remain in the cluster adapter. Instead a bomb (IF the 3D model has been added to the "weapons" folder) is generated and dropped from the center of the 3D model. So this might work for a closed container but not for an open framework Adapter.

I found this is the same for the "rocket container" setup for the M10 bazooka: There are no actual 3D rocket models in the launch tubes. Again, upon pressing the 'fire' -button, a rocket model is generated and fired from the center of the 3 launch tubes. If there is no rocket model in the library, you'll only see exhaust effects. A bit disappointing we cannot add and fire rockets from their respective launch tubes. There might be a workaround for this but we can discuss this some other time.

I hope that someday someone comes up with a way to have the cluster adapter disintegrate after dropping and we can have a proper cluster bomb effect.
 
Can things other than droptanks be jettisoned? You could build the frame as a pylon (if there is a type that can be dropped) and mount the bombs on it. Alternatively, you could build have an invisible pylon for mounting the bombs on one hardpoint, and the frame (configured as a bomb) on a second hardpoint in the same place. Looking ahead to the code writing, it would probably be possible to salvo off all the bombs in rapid succession followed by the frame at the end.
 
Can things other than droptanks be jettisoned? ...

Any payload can be jettisoned but then it is unarmed.

... You could build the frame as a pylon (if there is a type that can be dropped) and mount the bombs on it. ...

I think that is the current setup in ETO

... Looking ahead to the code writing, it would probably be possible to salvo off all the bombs in rapid succession followed by the frame at the end.

That would come closest, if the frame can be dropped last.
 
A decent aircraft model needs decent weapons so the US weapons pack I did some 10 years ago was due for a revision. This is the preliminary result of many weeks of research and modeling (colours, metalness, weathering isn't entirely done):

Teaser59.jpg
 
Teaser60.jpg

The P-47D hardpoints are equipped with B-10 shackles with a capacity of 100lb to 1,600lb and a distance of 14in between the hooks. This means you can load up your aircraft with:

- 75gal, 108gal, 150gal or 200gal drop tanks
- 100lb, 250lb, 500lb or 1,000lb GP bombs
- 500lb or 1,000lb SAP bombs
- 100lb practice bombs
- 100lb chemical bombs
- triple rocket launcher with rockets
- 90lb and 260lb fragmentation bombs
- 100lb and 500lb size cluster fragmentation bombs

Mind you, these are 3d models only; accompanying visual effects are those present in ETO and may not be appropriate for each weapon. I wish I knew something about creating effects because some of the existing effects are not up to 2023 standard. They're not very consistent either (eg. vapour/condensation rings with small explosions but not with the larger ones etc.), Anyway, for now, it'll have to do...
 
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