Possible new Caudron G.4 Bomber/observer

[aleatorylamp]

Basic Deficiency

Hello Folks,
Unfortunately there is some basic deficiency in the model, coming from my original FS98 build, whereby any modification is an obstacle for SCASM, seriously hampering any re-work on it. It will not even allow any simplification on the pilots´ head structures, for example, to free some parts needed elsewhere, which seems contradictory.

I´m sure it has to do with the 34 individual insignia panels needed by each engine cowling to display the rotating engine animation. This raises the complication level, and even though AF99 compiles, SCASM won´t have it.

I could of course build an uncowled Caudron G.4 that had 100 Hp Anzani radial engines, but this would take away whole reason for building this complicated sequiplane. Without the compensation of a decent rotary engine animation, the momentary bleeds between struts/wires and wing surfaces
do away with any pleasure the model could supply.

So, what I have achieved is sadly not up to the quality standard I was aiming for, and I´ll have to throw in the towel. I´m terribly sorry to disappoint anyone who would have enjoyed having this model upgraded for CFS1.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[hertzie]

Gee, I'm terribly sorry for you, doing so much work and then being blocked. Hope this will not stop you making future models. I can send you a handkerchief to dry your tears, but suppose that's not much of a help .

By the way, did you see my post on the designing forum about the non-working VC gauges? Also no results.

All the best,

hertzie.

 

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Hertzie,
Yes, I saw your post about the non-working VC gauges on the designer´s thread.
Probably, the reason for the lack of response, is the lack of available information.

Thanks for the moral support! It doesn´t often happen that I have to give up on a
model because of excessive complication. The last time it happened, was when I tried
to upgrade my FS98 Caudron G.3 for CFS1.

This was the single-engined observation sesquiplane that the G.4 was based on,
and I couldn´t get the desired results for CFS1 either. I should have remembered that!
It is technically a simpler build than the G.4 twin, but I forget why that one fell through.

Well, Perhaps my next endeavour will be a new build. Upgrading old ones seems to be
getting a bit heavy.
We shall see...
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Another possibility, another chance.

Hello all,
I was quite disappointed at the impossibility of supplying a properly SCASMed Le Rhône Rotary powered Caudron G.4 for reasons previously expressed, and that my other version, the FS98 Anzani Radial powered one, was a bit boring-looking, lacking the attractive feature of the animated rotary engine.

The Anzani engines on my old model were made with the same 12-sided cross-section structures as the Rotaries, with an engine bitmap on them, but don´t turn and are un-cowled. A model with this kind of engine-build would (most probably) not be rejected by SCASM, but would look rather dull, and that was the reason for my reticence for the job.

However, now I remember the very good-looking radial engines I built for the Stearman 45 series, with instruction from Ivan. They were made out of 2 components, with properly shaped cylinders and crank-case, in 7-cyl and 9-cyl versions.

Here is a screenshot of my old Anzani-powered model with its bitmapped, circular structure engine, compared to the Stearman PT-13 with the component-built engine - also bitmapped.

I find the properly built radial engine sufficiently attractive to warrant a try at a CFS1 upgrade of the Anazani powered Caudron G.4. Being un-cowled and not animated, it will most probably not present any modification problems.

So, possibly, we WILL get a CFS1 Caudron G.4. This change in plans, at least for me, and probably also for some, is very pleasing indeed!

P.S. It will be an interesting engine to build - 10 cylinders in two rows, so alternate cylinders are staggered, and there´s a split exhaust ring. Let´s see how that comes through on the engine component.
The performance increase due to the 20 Hp extra engine power thanks to the extra cylinder, although not documented in any sources, comes through in the simulator as an overall gain in speed of a little over 3 mph, which is interesting and probably to be expected.
A large numbers of Le Rhône rotary powered Caudron G.4´s were re-engined with Anzani Radials, but how many, is unknown.

Also, twelve Anzani-engined units were apparently licence-built in England in 1913, reportedly giving very good results.
A 1913 article in "Illustrated War News" described it as an "immense improvement in the construction of British aircraft" and that "...it can climb very rapidly and attains high speed.".

Anyway, let´s see if it comes out nicely!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Quite uncanny - no good either!

Hello all,
This is getting very uncanny and quite unnerving with the mods. SCASM still won´t have it!

Parts-count on the uncowled Anzani version during improvement work, as yet WITHOUT the engine components, has never been over 125% parts, and after fitting out the model with the gun and crew, I got the same unnerving SCASM error messages after Aircraft Animator had animated the model:

-> Invalid BGL EOF Byte
-> .MDL File format not recognized

As before, although I hadn´t mentioned it yet, this happens with the animated model file.
The non-animated model is accepted by SCASM, but there´s no point in that, is there?

Obviously it had nothing to do with the many cowl-panels on the other model, because this one hasn´t got any.
Evidently it is something else, and it must be something that can be tracked down step by step during the modification work, but will involve tedious testing for SCASM errors at every step.

Consequently, in theory at least, BOTH models should be possible - the rotary engined one and the radial-engined one with the planned new sophisticated engine components, unless SCASM has a personal grudge

against twin-engined, strutted fuselage type sesquiplanes!!
... although SCASM does accept both of the original, unmodified FS98 animated .mdl files.
I just want to improve them and put in a Lewis gun!!

Well, this is not just a normal CFS1 upgrade of a FS98 model, but quite a challenging project, which MUST be possible!
Anyway, I have no other interesting model to work on at the moment, so I´ll see if I can beat the darn thing, even if it takes a long time!

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Seems to be working...

Hello all,
It was the crew members that had to be kept as they were, and that took a long time to discover.
But, why SCASM won´t tolerate any alterations there, beats me! I was trying to give them the
standard, less complicated shape, but it wasn´t allowed. It´s as if SCASM has taken a liking to
those specific individuals, and can´t live without them!

Modifications seem to be progressing. Working my way from the nose to the rear, putting in
the Lewis gun, all the glue, and optimizing different elements as they get their turn, is going fine.

Finally, I managed to fix the rotary engine animation bugs I mentioned a few posts ago, and now
there´s only a few glue templates left to be put on the wheels, and it´s done, but I´ll do it tomorrow.
It´s too late now...

Parts count is at 147.1%, and SCASM isn´t protesting, and I´m glad I didn´t give up at the end.
So, after all, we will fortunately be getting the Caudron G.4 bombers!
After I finish this one, I´ll do the one with the radial engines.

Cheers,

Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,
Now we are where we were before the spanner got in the works, and all that´s missing
is the 2 virtual cockpit gunner-views for TG2, to be implemented via SCASM.

SCASM seems be accepting the build so far, with 148.1% parts, which is a great relief.
It even allowed correcting the little monkey-heads I had in the FS98 version into slightly
larger human ones.

The only difference with the SCASM-rejected bulds is the fact that the heads aren´t
animated, but I´m not going to push my luck, and it will stay put.

I also managed to improve little details here and there, and little cracks and bleeds, so
all in all, it´s turning out great.

Here are 2 shots, while I do the SCASM VC´s for the upload.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Hello All,
SCASMing for the two virtual chase mode views worked fine.
It was also possible to include a correct display of all the struts as seen from the pilot´s and the gunner´s position.

Here are a few screenshots of the new VC views, adding to the ones from post #18, although those didn´t yet have the
strut display correction.

I´m just finishing the texts and the DP files for the upload.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[Roxane-21]

This one looks really cool. Only bad point I can find is the propellers are too wide. It looks like the front-facing MG will be cut if the gunner turns it just a little bit!

 

[aleatorylamp]

Close propellers

Hello Roxane-21,
Interesting observation, thanks!
I thought so too at the beginning, and I´m still wondering about that,
but I think the gun swivelling point is so far forward that the barrel doesn´t interfere with the props.

Drawings show very close propellers - sources quote very good single engined control as a result.
Anyway, here are a drawing, a screenshot and the AF99 blueprint.

The drawing would show the propeller disc going a bit more than half way into the fuselage half-crossection,
and the blueprint shows just about the same.

I believe I know what´s wrong: The simplified swivel supporting point on the model is placed too far back.
In reality it was a complicated mechanism involving 3 arched metallic ratcheted tubes, but I´ll try to move the
gun-mount forward, infront of the windscreen, and move that back a bit. There seem to have been several ways
of handling that.

Anyway, I´m glad you like the model!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp.

 

[Roxane-21]

You are much probably right about the propellers. I might be used to see replicas which often use smaller propellers.

About the gun-mount, there were many versions. If you want to save parts you could use this one, with only three straight tubes:

As you can see the gun swivelling point is right above the front end of the nose.

 

[aleatorylamp]

A good, photo!
I was just altering the necessary parts to get the swivel point further forwards, but the glue sequence with the windscreen and windscreen-frame fails.

Nevertheless, on this photo, for this version they eliminated the front windscreen altogether! Maybe I should do that too - it would seem more logical, as it just got in the way. There were so many different ways of mounting that gun...
I was just checking some more photos - lots of them show this way of mounting the gun, including Numbers 7 and 9 of Escadrille 47, so I´ll do it that way. Good that you mentioned it!

Here´s another picture, showing a two-gun version. The front mount is similar to the one on your photo, although it seems to be able to come out of the nose to rotate upwards, and also, there´s no windscreen.

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

New Gunmount

Hello Folks!
Thanks to Roxane21´s observant comments, the gunmount is now more correct. The
front windshield has also been removed, as per photos of the model being worked on.
Re-SCASMing the 2 Virtual Cockpit views also went well.

Here´s two screenshots. The slightly-looking-to-the-right VC view is zoomed out a bit to
make the screenshot look more interesting.

At the moment Parts count is (only!) at 147.8%, so perhaps some better looking propeller
blurs can be put in. I´ll have to re-SCASM the model again, but I´ll have to do that anyway,
as the inner fins bleed throught the cockpit when seen from the front. They´ll have to be
grouped differently, at the cost of some unavoidable but minor bleeds with the taiplane.

Anyway, we´re slowly getting there!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Hello Folks,
I have been a bit busy with some other things, and have been delayed a bit with the Caudron.

The tail bleeding through the central nacelle is fixed, but I couldn´t put back the wires between the fins without causing bleed problems, so they´ll have to stay out. At least there is MUCH less display interaction now, which is very satisfactory. I´ve also been able to more finely adjust some vertices, not only on the tail, so that´s also coming out very nicely!

Then, unfortunately I´ll have to discard the propeller blurs. Despite having an identical radius to the propeller blades, they simply won´t fit the animated AA propeller disc correctly. This disc only works with 1 decimal place in AA, and re-adjusts the size of the phantom-blades, so I´ll have to leave the blurs out, because making the propeller blades smaller is a bit too inaccurate for me.

Anyway, hopefully I´ll get round to re-SCASMing the model today, and proceed with the upload!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Caudron G.4 with rotary engines.

Hello Folks,
I´ve just uploaded the Rotary-engined Caudron G.4 bomber/observer.
As soon as it is authorized, it will be made available at:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...id=18&id=24551

Thank you very much to all who participated with comments, sympathy and encouraging suggestions!

I hope you enjoy the machine. It is designed to be flown with the program add-on TG2, to fire at the enemy by pointing and clicking the mouse in the Chase-mode target box and firing the guns. There are two virtual cockpit views available, one for the nose-gunner and one for the pilot. Apart from the forward-firing Lewis machine-gun, Pilot and Nose-gunner can fire rearwards using their automatic Parabellum or Luger pistols.

There are also 3 bombs to be dropped using the "oculaire" or eyeball technique...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the model.

The next one to follow, if I have enough parts (about 120?), will be the same model with two un-cowled 10-cylinder radial engine components fitted onto the engine nacelles. They are more powerful Anzani-10´s with a max. power of 110 Hp.

The 2 x 18 extra horsepower, make the plane about 3.5 mph faster, but the main advantage was that it had progressive throttle, and did not have to be "blipped" for descent, approach and landing.

Let´s see how that goes now...
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Hello folks,
Wow, thanks for the demand - that of course translates into moral support!
12 downloads in under 16 hours is great!

Let me know if anything improvable has to be improved.
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Anzani 10-cyl. radial step 1.

Hello folks,
The Anzani-10 radials have 2 rows of 5 cylinders, offset by 1/2 cylinder width, and are very part hungry.
This required thrifty employment of parts, and the first test was discarded as the casing bled through the
cylinders.

However, careful re-shaping of the casing parts between, in front of and behind the alternately
positioned cylinders bore fruit, and even better, the radials support textures without the dreaded
filling-in of empty gaps.

Now for a) some decent texturing work, b) the split exhaust rings, and c) proper re-shaping of the forward
portion of the engine-gondolas!

Parts count is at 147%, and I know that after the vertex clean-up, this build compiles upto 149.5%
parts, so I still have a few parts left to make the exhaust.

Incidentally, the British markings for this specific RNAS plane,which was license-built by the
British Caudron Company with engines equally license-built by the British Anzani Company, are
very similar to the French markings, and in some cases, there are inconsistencies: The outer circle
in the roundels is red, and the inner circle, blue in some cases, although the colouring on the fins
would still have the same order - but with a different blue, maybe?

I wonder if anyone knows anything more accurate to this respect?

Cheers, and thanks in advance for any info...
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Anzani Engines and British roundels

Hello all,
Some more headway has been made with the British RNAS Caudron G.4:

The 110 Hp uncowled Anzani engines now have their exhaust rings, albeit as 2D semi-circles,
the engine texture is a bit better, though not defititive yet, and the engine-gondolas are
shaped more correctly. They have metal-sheet heat-protection around the front behind the engines.

Then, my doubts on the RNAS roundel colours have dissipated, and here´s a couple of screenshots.

Also, propellers on this aircraft were handed, rotating in opposited directions.
I wonder if the 3.5 mph speed thanks to the 36 Hp increse increase will be noticeable...

Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

British Roundels cont´d

Hello Folks,
Looking for further information on WWI markings, I found that early RNAS aircraft used roundels with red circles
filled with white on wings and fuselage sides.

As the Caudron G.4 had a lattice-fuselage, lateral roundels were placed on the engine nacelle sides.
This can be seen on pictures of a Caudron G.4 from No 5 Wing RNAS, Coudekerque, France in the spring of 1916.

Quite soon, it was discovered that the red-and-white roundels could easily lead to confusion with arcraft of the
Danish Air Force, so the roundel colours were changed to blue-white-red. This can be seen on several pictures of
single-engined RNAS Caudron G.III Scouts, with these roundels on wings and also on the sides of their central nacelle.

It seems the most logical deduction, that the RNAS Caudron G.4´s would have used the new colour scheme on their
roundels, which would also have been present on the engine-nacelle sides, so I have opted for this solution.

Here´s a screenshot! BTW, this build still has the old fwd gunmount and wind-screen, which I have yet to correct,
as well as changing the nose-art, but I´m slowly getting there!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp

 

[aleatorylamp]

Brithsh Caudron G.4

Hello Folks,
Well, the British Anzani radial engines are done.
Each engine has a component with 62 parts just for cylinders and outside casing,
plus a structure for the forward casing cone, apart from the prop-axel...
A bit parts hungry, but they look reasonably fine.

Here´s a close-up of the British Caudron G.4. Parts count is at 149.6%, and still compiling...
but I think I´ll stop before something breaks.
Now for the SCASMing of the 2 Virtual cockpit views, and then we´re done!!
Cheers,
Aleatorylamp.