USS Enterprise CV6 Pre-WWII Air Group

[TARPSBird]

I converted Paul Clawson's TBD to FSX in ModelConverterX with the much appreciated assistance of Tom Gibson and Brian Gladden. I was successful, but it was a tedious process for me and not what I consider the "fun" side of flight sim. I would've loved to replace Paul's basic aircrew figures with better detailed ones like Shessi and others do with some planes but that's way beyond my skill level. As Dirty Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations!"

 

[tgycgijoes]

I have that one

I converted Paul Clawson's TBD to FSX in ModelConverterX with the much appreciated assistance of Tom Gibson and Brian Gladden. I was successful, but it was a tedious process for me and not what I consider the "fun" side of flight sim. I would've loved to replace Paul's basic aircrew figures with better detailed ones like Shessi and others do with some planes but that's way beyond my skill level. As Dirty Harry once said, "A man's got to know his limitations!"

Nice airplane but I agree that the figures leave much to be desired. It would be nice if Capt Kurt would open up his FSDS model and export IT as at least FSX native. It is even nicer than Paul's but of course look how old that one is. At the time it was "state of the art" as all the old ones once were. We just get spoiled with newer and newer stuff. I am blessed with all the Photoshop knowledge that I have learned and am still learning when I remember just a few years ago I couldn't do anything with it.

 

[Allen]

I know gMax FS04 work in FSX but do they work in P3D? I did very rough rebuild of the CFS2 AI TBD-1 for my rebuilding guide. (not even unmirrored textures rough) https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?catid=49&linkid=29391 While the guide is for CFS2 everything done in gMax is FS04 compliant so I do sort of have TBD made.

Since I woke up at like 5AM feeling like I eat a bowl of broken glass cereal I went to work on a VC. When not as good as Capt Kurt's it should work once done.

 

[tgycgijoes]

I Tried Too

Since I own FS Design Studio, I reactivated it and with Model Converter X V1.5 I exported an fsc model. I then was able to upload it into FSDS. I also was able to export an FSX mdl, well sort of, it started like it was going to work and then kept giving me an error. Since I don't know enough about FSDS to ask an intelligent question, I have written a PM to Capt Kurt asking him to convert it to FSX mdl native if he can but have not had any reply. Tarpsbird has converted Paul Clawson's to FSX as he said and I am using that one right now in FSX. In FSX I can use AI Carriers too. Thank you for trying.

 

[tgycgijoes]

The Short Answer Is

I know gMax FS04 work in FSX but do they work in P3D? I did very rough rebuild of the CFS2 AI TBD-1 for my rebuilding guide. (not even unmirrored textures rough) https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?catid=49&linkid=29391 While the guide is for CFS2 everything done in gMax is FS04 compliant so I do sort of have TBD made.

Since I woke up at like 5AM feeling like I eat a bowl of broken glass cereal I went to work on a VC. When not as good as Capt Kurt's it should work once done.

The short answer is no, unfortunately in P3D V4.5 or higher. It has to be a P3D 4+ mdl. Any attempts at converting messing up all the animation when you think it worked.

 

[Allen]

Guess I'll put it onto the trash pile unless someone can convert FS04 .mdl to work or can use gMax to convert from a FS04 gMax. I guess a 3ds or .obj file if they want to do all of the animate work in 3dsmax or Blender if that is a thing for P3D.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Section 5 Leader Willow Green Cow

I tried to be the most accurate I could be with the textures matching the named colors of the USN pre-war aircraft with RGB matches online and then specifying those colors in Adobe Photoshop my choice for repainting now that I have learned how to use it (always something learned new each time I use it) The Dive Bomber shot is in the sunshine so it should be as light as it is normally. I learned that interpreting photos as a model shipbuilder. Even black and white photos depend on the time of day and location. My favorite part of using Photoshop for repaints is that it is so simple for me to change the color of a layer. I will see if I decide to change the Section 5 color and then use the eyedropper to sample the real color photo cowl. Open to opinions before I do from those repainters more experienced than me. Please excuse the Subject. Somehow the "l" got cutoff.

https://i.imgur.com/j8xlGFP.jpg[/img

][/FONT][/COLOR][COLOR=#FFFFFF][FONT='inherit'][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/6lGe0yh.jpg

 

[tgycgijoes]

Photo Interpretation

Here is another puzzler. This is an actual photo of Grumman F3F-2 Serial 0986 assigned to the Section Leader of Section 3 which was assigned to Fighting 6 aboard the USS Enterprise CV-6 in 1938 through 1940. The tail color of the CV-6 was "True Blue". The section color of section three was also "True Blue". Notice the differences in the cowl and rudder and the tail. Notice also the reflectance between the two. I see the tail as dull and the cowl and rudder as having a low shine. Is the fuselage stripe dull too? l Why we will never know for sure but there is definitely a difference. Probably two different sources of paint. I find this so interesting. You gotta have a real photo to be sure when repainting if possible. The same like the above Willow Green. I think that is what makes it fun. When I was aboard USS America, CVA=66 in 1969 the ship was in drydock and I did all kinds of painting of our assigned spaces. The paint locker mixed the "Haze Gray" paint in 55 gallon drums with a big spatula and when it was empty and more added it was never exactly the same.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Over The Holiday

Over the holiday from online photos and the Pilot's Handbook I downloaded, I created this 2D panel since the original did not work in FSX or P3D V4.5 from xml gauges I was able to use.
It is not 100% but I think its pretty close to the real thing. The popup is the lower panel of the pilot's panel again from photos. I couldn't read any of the labels so this is just my idea though the gauges and switches are placed properly. It works both in FSX and P3D up through V4. I posted at FSDevelopers for someone to make a VC from this if it's possible but have had no answers yet. I don't know if it is possible without an interior.mdl. I have tried in the past to create a VC in FSDS with no success for a different aircraft panel.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Well It's Done

In our Warbirds Library you can find the Douglas TBD-1 Devastor converted by A.F. Scrubbs for us to native FSX/P3D (up to V4.5) with the VT2 Texture. I am going to repaint it for VT6 the Enterprise Air Group Torpedo Squadron. There are both torpedo and bombs models. It includes a nicely done VC with 2D popups of necessary gauges like radios and GPS. Thanks Scrubby for taking the time and doing such a great job. Also a big thanks to Capt Kurt for allowing his CFS2 aircraft to be converted.

 

[UncleTgt]

In our Warbirds Library you can find the Douglas TBD-1 Devastor converted by A.F. Scrubbs for us to native FSX/P3D (up to V4.5) with the VT2 Texture. I am going to repaint it for VT6 the Enterprise Air Group Torpedo Squadron. There are both torpedo and bombs models. It includes a nicely done VC with 2D popups of necessary gauges like radios and GPS. Thanks Scrubby for taking the time and doing such a great job. Also a big thanks to Capt Kurt for allowing his CFS2 aircraft to be converted.

Kurt already did a VT-6 skin for the CFS2 bird. If the mapping is the same, it should do the job.

https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=52&id=29550

Hope this helps.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Yes He Did

Kurt already did a VT-6 skin for the CFS2 bird. If the mapping is the same, it should do the job.

https://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=52&id=29550

Hope this helps.

He was generous enough when he gave me permission to have Scrubby do the conversion to native FSX/P3D to supply ME with the paint kits for both the pre-war VT-6 and the post Pearl Harbor skins to use for my project. Yes I DO believe that his CFS2 bmp's will work on the new models. Thanks for the headsup.

 

[Mike71]

---

I also learned how to paint rivets as you can see from the closeup of the fuselage again from photos. The cowl is completely redone as well. Here is the section leader of section 1.

Soo rivets - done in photoshop? How did you do it basically??





https://i.imgur.com/mJT32ro.jpg[/img


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[tgycgijoes]

Rivets

The first thing I found was a PDF called Easy Rivets that explains how I used to do it with dots but it's not that easy. So I searched on line and found: The rivets are a special brush download that I found that you install into your brushes. Then open it up and make it the size you want. Paint a line of rivets by holding down the shift key as you move your mouse horizontal or vertical or CAREFULLY diagonal if required. That one takes practice and a few retries til you get what you want. The beauty of it is that they are shaded already. There are different ones in the download. I think this is where I found it:

https://www.brusheezy.com/brushes/49718-rivets-brushes

or else here:

https://www.deviantart.com/pixelstains/art/3-Metal-Rivet-Brushes-for-Photoshop-518351538

I enlarged my image to 4096 x 4096 for repainting and then when finished and satisfied with it, resize to 1024 x 1024 to save MB's

 

[Mike71]

The first thing I found was a PDF called Easy Rivets -----

Thanks much!!

 

[Ascua]

The first thing I found was a PDF called Easy Rivets t...

Excellent downloads, thanks!