"F" for Foto

[Bomber_12th]

A little "Recce" flying in the desert. : )

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_2.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_3.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_8.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_5.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_6.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/F6D_7.jpg

[Warrant]

Excellent! Both the skin and the screenshot art!:medals:

[hairyspin]

Some have complained about so many P-51 (and variant) models around these days: I'm not one of them. I really enjoy seeing other views of this fabulous series of models. Thanks again John! :icon29:

[stovall]

Beautiful, simply beautiful John, thanks for sharing.

[Ian Warren]

Was it not American Airlines who polished the skin so much and so often the skin had to be replaced many more times than the other airlines .. guess a P-51 is a lot cheaper to do :icon_lol: Brilliant screens :cool:

[Bomber_12th]

Thanks guys! It's a fun aircraft to fly, and is my idea of a perfect "civi" Mustang - modern coms, transponder, and VOR gauge w/ nav radio within an otherwise packed-solid, stock, Mustang.

Yes, the turtle wax and buffers are never kept too far away from this one. : )

(Note the checkers over the top of the nose are correct - I've been asked about that before. ; ))

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/Oshkosh%202010/4.jpg

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/0/6/6/1556660.jpg

[mal998]

Bomber, your screenshots are spectacular. Please talk a little bit about your hardware, video card and process. I'm most interested in learning how you are getting such great shots.

[stiz]

tut tut john, you'll never get that p39 done if you keep messing around with those mustangs :icon_lol: :engel016: :wavey:

[dvj]

Your screen shots look better than the real thing. Well done.:applause:

[Barfly]

Was it not American Airlines who polished the skin so much and so often the skin had to be replaced many more times than the other airlines .. guess a P-51 is a lot cheaper to do :icon_lol: Brilliant screens :cool:

American actually uses a different metal composition in the surface skin specifically designed for shine and polishing... supposed to save paint weight and be more environmentally friendly with less paint removal / repainting over the life of the aircraft.

Back on topic - awesome photos! er screen shots! Minor re-paint errata - one of those side views has the USAAF symbol overlaying the camera port (edit - the other screens have it correct - must be an earlier capture before repaint was finished)

[Bomber_12th]

Hi Mal,

First of all, I'm glad you like the screenshots! The graphics card I have, installed back in the spring of 2011, is the Nvidia N560GTX-Ti "Twin Frozr II" by MSI, and I have been extremely impressed with it. When I first had it installed, I had a 5-year old dual core processor, and it wasn't able to keep up and started over-heating and crashing. Once I got a new processor (just an Intel i5-2500 3.30GHz quad core), everything settled in just exceptionally well. I have my card settings setup for FSX with the special "AA_MODE_MEHTOD_SUPERVCAA_64X_4v12" setting under antialiasing, which results in a super crisp image but maintains butter-smooth performance. Usually this will maintain at least 30-fps no matter where I fly in FSX (except for downtown ORBX Seattle with full autogen turned up (medium to medium-high settings, it is no problem), or some of the latest Earth Simulations scenery products if full autogen is on (but again, medium to medium-high settings it is just fine). Perhaps I was most excited by the fact that I could also now have self shadows, light bloom, and max water detail with little to no performance impact. It all started with the goal of upgrading my existing computer at the time, with the "biggest bang for the buck", so it all being quite affordable was also a huge bonus.

Otherwise, other elements have just come together over time and experience. For instance, the sky textures are one of the key elements, in my mind, in either making or breaking the illusion of reality. I have been a long-time user of REX, and having experimented time and time again with different options, about two years ago I used the "Exact" version for the daytime sky textures, and I haven't used anything else, in that slot, ever since (based on the name alone, it makes sense). : ) From a lot of experience I've also come to know how to setup the weather for the different looks that I want for the clouds in the sky. And then it comes down to properly staging the camera distance from the aircraft (adjustable through Ctrl+Shift+ either the - or + keys). FSX does a really good job, I feel, of allowing you to recreate the same effects of taking a "photo" right next to the aircraft, or far away from the aircraft, when the telephoto lens type of effect starts to take place (always easiest to see when the wing tip farther away from the camera looks bigger than the wing tip closer to the camera) and the angle of the aircraft to the light source. I’m one of those people that can stare at air-to-air photos of warbirds for hours on end, and I have (through books and countless magazine publications), so also a big part of it is always wanting to recreate those same images (in sky, angle, distance, color, and other elements) stored in my head, using FSX.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/f6D_10.jpg

Regarding the P-39 project, the exterior is getting finished and I hope to finally get into the VC soon. In addition to "Lil' Margaret", and others, I have been able to get the opportunity to spend some time lately revisiting these old guys as well:

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image13.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image14.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image15.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image17.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image18.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/Image19.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Back on topic - awesome photos! er screen shots! Minor re-paint errata - one of those side views has the USAAF symbol overlaying the camera port (edit - the other screens have it correct - must be an earlier capture before repaint was finished)

Thank you Barfly! I would like to know which screen you might be referring to, as they were all taken with the same work (within the same hour). It might just be a faulty illusion in one of the screens (based on the glass reflection). For those that might not see it, the camera ports are actually modeled (per the real thing) and are not just there through textures.

As configured within "Lil' Margaret", a K-24 camera is installed in the bottom left-facing camera port. At any one given time, only one camera can be installed in the aircraft as there is not enough room for the K-24 and one of the larger types to be installed at the same time, and it would also off-set the center of gravity too far. Per operations, either the K-24 could be fitted, or the larger K-17 or K-22. Either of the larger cameras could be mounted facing out of the top left-facing port. While not featured in the restoration, most original F-6D's were fitted also with a downward facing camera port, in which any of the three camera choices could be mounted. Providing room for the cameras, the control-surface lines had to be routed differently, and some of them can be seen through the upper left-facing camera port. The red placard underneath the fuel cap, as well as being mounted to the camera access door on the starboard side of the aircraft, provided information on how much fuel could be put into the fuselage fuel tank based on which cameras were installed. Even with no cameras installed, the mounting brackets created enough weight, that only a limited supply of fuel could be put into the fuselage fuel tank for safe operation, otherwise the center of gravity could be shifted too far aft.

Here are some related photos that I may have or may have not shown before, related to the F-6D, and all accurately included in this depcition.

Note that through the upper camera port you can see some of the re-routed control cables, as well as the K-24 camera in the bottom port. Also note that there isn't any glass that is flush with the exterior of the aircraft on the smaller camera port, but rather it is inset - and that is the same way it was recreated for the sim.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/camports.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/06-ObliquePort.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/2560104720092702542S600x600Q85.jpg


Here is the hatch on the starboard side of the aircraft, to allow access to the cameras. A red placard was provided here and also below the fuel cap, to provide serious instructions on the fuel loading of the aircraft. As can be seen, these placards are only for the F-6D/K variants, and unfortunately they have shown up in some decals for regular P-51D's in the past.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/2779743460092702542S600x600Q85.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/placard.jpg


This is the intervolometer that would control the image taking from the cockpit (in addition to the master camera control panel also installed in front of the engine controls).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/IMGP2424.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/f6d-cckpt.jpg


And this is one of two original diagrams, with all of the measurements, for applying the camera alignment markings on the port wing and the side of the canopy (the other diagram just shows the port wing alone, and how to precisely layout those markings).

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/2569076320092702542S600x600Q85.jpg

[stovall]

Now that is what I call attention to detail. Great work John. One learns something new everyday.

[Mach3DS]

http://d1kqib0uq4v1gs.cloudfront.net/wp-content/gallery/p-51d_ferry_tests/p-51d_oversized_ferry_tanks_17.jpg

John, I was searching for some photo recce pictures and came across this...interesting and unusual 150 Gal ferry tanks. (Don't mean to hijack the thread). Are the models for the early mustangs being redone? Textures look great.

[Bomber_12th]

Rick, as would be expected, those long-range external tanks were actually designed by North American, and the original factory drawings for them I have found right amongst the rolls of blueprint drawings for the aircraft themselves. I suspect they were used when flying the aircraft from the Inglewood factory on the west coast to New Jersey on the east coast (where they were then shipped by boat to England).

And that is correct - there is some work having been done to update the B/C's a bit. New prop blades, exhaust, wheels and tires, drop tanks and drop tank hardpoints, pilot, collimated gun sight reticule, and new materials.

[hairyspin]

I love Old Crow's Malcolm hood! I don't suppose you have an Apache A-36A anywhere? Just thought I'd ask... :mixedsmi:

[Bomber_12th]

I love Old Crow's Malcolm hood! I don't suppose you have an Apache A-36A anywhere? Just thought I'd ask... :mixedsmi:

Regarding the A-36A/P-51A/Mustang I project, the fuselage is just about done (having been built up in sections from the NAA blueprints), and I'll be working on the canopy framing and tail surfaces next. The destinctive Allison engine nose and carb intake have already taken form as well as part of the fuselage - the NAA drawings are wonderful for this (and other items like the radiator scoop), as they provide many cross sections so as to be able to form all of the contours correctly throughout.

[hairyspin]

Thanks John, good to hear! :jump:

[mal998]

A-36. P-51A...Sold!

John,
Thanks for the info on screenies. I do believe it's just about time for a new video card.

[fsafranek]

Beautiful pictures and thanks for the system info.
:ernae:

[Sundog]

Woohoo! Highback updates. :)

I'm also looking forward to finally having an A-36 in FSX. If anyone is interested, I highly recommend the book "Straight Down," Which is about the missions the A-36 flew in the war.

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you Frank, and no problem! With the way technology advances, I'm sure one can find a card for the same price as I paid for mine, that is light years better, now.

Sundog, that book title also happens to be the same title as this photo! ; )

(Rob Collings commented that, flying this aircraft, approaching an airport, the dive flaps do a good job of quickly slowing the aircraft down to gear speed before setting up the pattern/approach.)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y282/Bomber_12th/raiden/301192_412191582176250_672228546_n.jpg

[Bomber_12th]

Because of a PM I got, I should add for clarification, that the title of this thread is related to the subject matter because it is a F-6D variant of the Mustang. (During WWII, before the "Fighter" designation came about, "F" stood for "Foto", and used in the designations for USAAF photo-recon aircraft (such as the F-5 Lightning). Following the start of the USAF, and the change from "Pursuit" to "Fighter", all photo recon aircraft were re-designated "RF" - thus called RF-51D in USAF service).

[Ian Warren]

Crikey John , ;) that is one hell of an impressive photo:cool:<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><input jscode="leoInternalChangeDone()" onclick="if(typeof(jsCall)=='function'){jsCall();}else{setT imeout('jsCall()',500);}" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">