I've started my own fleet!

[Tako_Kichi]

I haven't done any repainting for a few weeks and was looking around for ideas when a buddy suggested I should start my own fleet of aircraft in a similar paint scheme. He really likes this paint which was the first one I did where I finally mastered the technique of making faux metallic paint in FSX.

http://media5.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20080926/b_102728.jpg

So with that scheme in mind I had a look through my hangar at the planes I fly a lot and more importantly the ones I had paint kits for that also included a specular map as that is required to do the metallic paint 'trick'.

First up is Piglet's Meyers 200D as that has rapidly become my favourite single engine GA aircraft.

http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090311/b_110926.jpg

As I had given the outside a new coat of paint I thought it would be nice if the interior got a little TLC too!

http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090311/b_110932.jpg

A nice oak burr fascia makes a world of difference and adds a touch of luxury to this impressive bird.

http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090311/b_110918.jpg

All the texture files were converted to DDS format too.

Now to find the next aircraft for the 'fleet'! :wiggle:

If anyone likes the repaint I could be persuaded to upload it here I guess. :rapture:

[harleyman]

Its very patroitic.....:applause:

[Tako_Kichi]

LOL...well it could be patriotic for a number of countries!

I am an ex-pat Brit and the fin is similar to the fin flashes used by the RAF but the red, white and blue could also apply to France and the USA too of course.

[DaveKDEN]

Yes please - upload it!!! :applause:

[Tako_Kichi]

The Meyers 200D repaint has just been uploaded, look for it tomorrow after the Admins have cleared it.

[harleyman]

:applause:


Thanks...........:woot:




BTW On leg 9 now.....This is fun.........

[Tako_Kichi]

The Meyers repaint is now in the download area, just search by my user name to find it.

[Dexdoggy]

The Meyers repaint is now in the download area, just search by my user name to find it.

And it is very very nice thankyou!!

[Tako_Kichi]

Glad you like it.
:ernae:

[Tako_Kichi]

I just uploaded an update to the panel for my Meyers 200D repaint which should be available within 24 hours once the Admins clear it.

I added black bezels to all the gauges which really helps to sharpen them up in the wood fascia panel.

http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090328/b_205057.jpg

Hope you like it. :ernae:

[Lazerbrainz2k3]

I like what you've done with the panel! My one issue with Piglet's Meyers - as with you, it's quickly become a favorite for me - was that the black panel seemed like it had little definition; it was like looking into space, punctuated by a gauge here and there. But that fascia panel looks fantastic, I think I'll be copying it into other texture folders, too.

[JT8D-9A]

Thanks Larry, great work! :applause:

Nils

[Tako_Kichi]

I've been painting again!!!!! :woot:

This time the Pilatus PC-12 got the 'Tako Fleet' treatment but it definitely caused a few extra grey hairs as the paintkit has some really quirky errors in it that you don't notice if you are just making a white paint with stripes!

For instance, the underside of the port horizontal stabilizer is mapped to the upper side but the starboard side has the correct mapping (i.e. a seperate area for each surface). The vertical forward extension to the vertical stabilzer has issues on the starboard side whereby any paint within two pixels or so of the fuselage interface 'bleeds' for a considerable distance across the fuselage (the port side is fine and you can paint right down to the intersection of the fin and the fuselage). Finally the wing tip 'winglets' have a problem in the specular texture which means that the 'trick' I use for the metallic paint effect has not been applied to these items despite many hours of trying to fix the problem so I can only assume it was incorrectly mapped/called out in the model.

Despite not being able to paint it exactly as I wanted to I don't think it turned out too badly. What do you think?

http://media6.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090405/b_190008.jpg

[Tako_Kichi]

I felt like a change of pace today so I knocked out a slightly different paint. :woot:

http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090407/b_141134.jpg

Hmmm.....let's see....I now have a twin prop, a single prop, a single turbo-prop and a helicopter. I wonder what I can do next? :whistle:

[cheezyflier]

do the connie:applause:

[Tako_Kichi]

Ahh but, I don't have a Connie in my hangar nor do I have a paint kit for one.

The only four engined AC I have (other than the stock tubes) are either military ones or the 377 and I don't think the current scheme would fit too well on those.

[Tako_Kichi]

I added a new aircraft to my personal fleet today, Piglets Zlin Z50.

Heres a side view....

http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090611/b_213556.jpg

...and one from above showing the treatment I did on the wings.....

http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090611/b_213505.jpg

The fuselage has my 'metallic' paint on it and I tried a new effect on the wings to make it appear like the 'colour shifting paint' seen on some cars these days. As the light reflects of it so the paint changes colour but you have to get the light just right to see the effect and unfortunately it is very hard to capture in a screenshot.

Next up are a couple of shots of the UC detail and again the screenshots do not do it justice but I have been able to get a very realistic polished metal look to the UC and spinner.

http://media6.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090611/b_213414.jpg
http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090611/b_213310.jpg

Finally here is a shot while I was playing over a small airfield with smoke on....

http://media6.dropshots.com/photos/93830/20090611/b_213906.jpg

...and no the blue smoke is NOT a stock FSX item. I had to create it myself but it looks pretty good IMHO.

I will get it packaged up and uploaded shortly.

[GT182]

Lookin good Larry. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v64/GT182/Thumbup.gif