SOH A-26 Invader, the story continues ...

[JensOle]

This is the kind of time consuming research I get into with HD textures.. It was simpler back in the 512x days..lol

[JensOle]

On Mark Engineering has been busy at their hangars at Van Nuys.. Riveting and putting on the wing straps..

I hope we don’t step on any’s toes with trying to update this marvelous old model. A big thank to Milton and the others involved for the Invader family models!

Here is the first production K, 64-17640, as it looked in 1964 in the rather smart green/grey On Mark scheme. The black rear section which housed a light on 640 was not a feature seen on the rest of the production batch. The USAF used the scheme for the first years of K service before they got the SEA camo. We also have a RB-27K with camera bay and glass nose coming.

The BLU-27 is just there for load testing.., Mark is helping us out with some freeware weapons to go with the release.


Scrshot640 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr
Scrshot645 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr
Scrshot649 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr
Scrshot655 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr

[Milton Shupe]

That looks great JensOle Keep up the great work!

[gman5250]

+1 on what Milton said.

That looks fantabulous.

[sp762]

I agree - this is looking spectacular.

[Sundog]

They are looking really smart in that green and gray camo. Nice work on all of the updates you guys have done so far.

[sp762]

Is the cockpit getting a redux as well? Really hoping that this will all translate into P3d-64bit

[roger-wilco-66]

At it. The MK-82 is ready, SUU-14 is almost done (stenceling to do), and the BLU-27 is next.

[DaveQ]

Is the cockpit getting a redux as well? Really hoping that this will all translate into P3d-64bit

Sadly not, apart from the addition of a Mk 20 gunsight, courtesy of ******** (a great big Thank you of course!). I've converted the interior as best I can and we could refine the gauges a bit I guess. Apart from that, if you want a better cockpit I suggest you could use the much better A-26 cockpit from Bomber_12th's excellent conversion of the model. But if anyone wants a project....

Here's my rendition of 64-17657 as it was in civilian hands till 1978 when it crashed on landing. The nose section is restored as an A-26C and resides in the UK.



Prior to that it served with the Virginia ANG as 44-35869. I've made a start on upgrading the A-26 with Jens-Ole's masters and some mods to the models - this one requires the guns and ventral barbette removed, for instance.





DaveQ

[blanston12]

Sadly not, apart from the addition of a Mk 20 gunsight, courtesy of ******** (a great big Thank you of course!). I've converted the interior as best I can and we could refine the gauges a bit I guess. Apart from that, if you want a better cockpit I suggest you could use the much better A-26 cockpit from Bomber_12th's excellent conversion of the model.
DaveQ

I had forgotten about Bomber_12th's conversion. I just installed it into P3D V4 and it works great, I have an A-26 again to use while we wait for your update to become available.

[docjohnson]

Is this released? It works in V4!?

[JensOle]

No, as we have said many many times so is it wip. We hope to release a beta at some point.

[JensOle]

Any ideas on how we can get the gauges to appear in higher resolution?

Changing the size_mm and pixel_size has not made any defference.

[JensOle]

The B-26K was build with a recce capability which was used particular in the early years when several airframes were flying with the glass nose and both nose and bomb bay mounted cameras. These are known to have been flying out of Howard AB for ops over Center/South America. Of interest is that all the K airframes were build to take the camera pallets and that they all had bombdoors with cut outs for the camera ports (faired over when not used, as flown in SEA).

Pictures shows 669 at Sembach AB in Germany in 1965, a rather strange place to find a recon K!

Scrshot663 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr

Scrshot667 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr

Scrshot674 by Jens-Ole Kjølberg, on Flickr

[Switchblade408]

If I were to take pictures of the model of Special Kay that we have at the Vintage Flying Museum, would you be able to have a repaint done for it? It would be in the SEA camo with a black underside.

[JensOle]

Special Kay will most definitely be painted up at some stage. Has she been painted in the SEA scheme yet?

Do you have any connection with the Special K team? Any straight ahead HD pics of the main and side panels would be most welcome. The VC is currently the most pressing issue with this update, it is very low res and Dave will take a look at reworking it. Milton has said that he can help out as well, so I hope we can find a solution. Externally the K is looking good now, ready for Marks weapons :-)

[Switchblade408]

I volunteer at the museum on weekends, so I have done some work with the Kay crew. She has not been painted as of now. But, we do have a model of what she will look like when the camo is applied, which will be at some point in the next 3-6 months, we are all hoping.

[gman5250]

You gentlemen have inspired me to go back and dust off my original A-26 metal skins.
I used some of my new techniques on the aluminum and took the art up to 4K for the makeover.

[MZee1960]

These shinies are simply stunning and sharp, Gordon !

Hopefully these maps will be able to be used with 'Sugarland Express' as well as the other fine paints for this bird.

[PeteHam]

Oh yesssssss

I love these highly polished metal skins

Pete.

[strykerpsg]

Outstanding work by all.....this is indeed a beauty! While I no longer use FSX, it's seeing art and work such as this, that makes me consider putting her on my HDD again. Looking forward to a future porting over to P3Dv4 indeed......

[JensOle]

Superb work Gordon! Are you interested in our new 2048x panel lines and rivets? We have panel lines and rivets for both the solid and glass nose. The Extra K details are in separate layers and can be removed easily.

[gman5250]

Superb work Gordon! Are you interested in our new 2048x panel lines and rivets? We have panel lines and rivets for both the solid and glass nose. The Extra K details are in separate layers and can be removed easily.

Absolutely interested in your rivets, bumps, PK and the K model. I'll have my basic art updated and on deck when you are ready for release.

[jankees]

Gordon, I see antiglare panels on the engines, but not on the nose? Is this intentional?
Other than that, marvelous job (again)!

[JensOle]

I believe it is more of a proof of concept than a finished repaint