Alphasim Arado AR196 paint question

[OBIO]

I am wrapping up the paint template for the freeware Alphasim AR196....I can't believe that no one has done a single repaint for this plane. I am going to fix that! The first skin, as always, will be a redo of the stock skin. I am adding the lettering and insignia to the fuselage now...and ran into a bit of a head scratcher.

One the left side of the plane, the code is 7RK, all in black. On the right side of the plane, the code is 7Hk with the 7 and K in black and the H in red. Does anyone know if this is accurate or just one of those OOOOPS! things. I prefer the 7HK with the red H....gives the plane a much nicer look. I will most likely go with the 7Hk on both sides unless someone on here can say for sure that the 7RK and 7HK are the way it should be.

Though the first skin is a repaint of the stock skin....it has things that the stock one does not....lots and lots of panel lines and details. The plane looks much more finished, much more refined. As always, the very first thing I did was enhance the engine detail....those radials need to stand out! Heck, I ever ravamped the two belts of ammo feeding the rear gunner's double barreled shootin' iron.

Oh, I will even through in a sound pack for the plane! With spashy splash water sounds.

And I fixed the float settings so the plane does not throw a CRASH when you have a less than silk smooth landing.

I thought about giving the plane some reflective texturing so the floats could be given a nice punch....not sure if I'll take it that far or not.

OBIO

[Z-claudius24]

Hi,

It's some photos to check there .. so you can maybe make the needed verifications about the codes ....

http://images.google.com/images?imgs...=Arado%20Ar196

Certainly the H must be in red .. on the left side
Check also here for the 7R-HK
http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/h/21/2/1
And
http://arado196.50webs.com/fotos.html

Check also your PM !

Check very well in the Polish documentation (P 28 - 29) .. on the views in colour of the 7R-GK
Left side letter is red in the white band .. and on the right side the letter is black in the white band .. and the forward (cross) letter is red

[OBIO]

First paint is done! Well, nearly done...need to dial in the fonts used on the code lettering. But other than that...it is done! Looks great....tons more detail, sharper overall, texture sheets are now 1024 by 1024 instead of 512 by 512. 32-bit format. I didn't weather the plane, did not chip up and scratch up the paint. She is shiny and fresh...that's how I do my paints....for a couple reasons.

1) Weathering a plane is an art.....an art that I have not mastered, nor have I really tried to master it. It takes TIME to get it right, and I would rather spend the time it takes to weather one skin properly and use it to do 3 or 4 other skins.

2) I am not flying this plane, or any plane that I paint, in the period that it is from. I approach my paints from the point of view that I am an uber rich collector and restorer of vintage aircraft. I just spent a couple million sim bucks pulling this AR196 up from the bottom of the English Channel, having it crated up, shipped to my personal hangar, having a well trained and experienced team tear it apart, rebuild it like new, having it flight tested and certified. I do not want my newly restored plane looking like it is in need of a rebuild. I want it to look like it just came off the factory floor...maybe even better.

Now that I have the template done...I can do additional skins for the 196. It really is a nice plane, and I can't believe that not a single skin has been done for it.

OBIO

[aardvark62]

Obio - great to hear you're doing this, really looking forward to bringing this one out of the hangar.

Regarding previous skins, there were several on this site by Stalin, but in all the time I have tried to get them, they have never been available - lost forever in the crash ?

Anyway, highly anticipating yours !

Cheers, A.

[OBIO]

I am such a dumb arse. In my first post, I mentioned that the coding on one side was 7RK and on the other it was 7HK. No...it is 7RHK on both sides, with the H being red on both sides. Here's the scoop on my dumb arseness:

I had created the fuselage stripes and had them in place. On one side, the stripe covered the R and on the other it covered the H. Once I hid the stripes and looked at the original texture, as clear as day the coding was 7RHK on both sides. I will simply blame it on huffing to much carpet shampoo fumes yesterday, combined with a lack of cheeseburgers and milkshakes.

OBIO

[huub vink]

OBIO,

From memory I thought Steve Stalin had done several repaints for the AS Arado.

Cheers,
Huub

[OBIO]

Huub

Looks like Stalin did do a number of skins for the 196...never knew a thing about them until they were mentioned in this thread. I checked and all the links are dead.

OBIO

[aardvark62]

Oh Obio - where for art thou at ? (Oops! - sorry - just had a really 'Good' Friday !!) Hope you are having good hols and still really looking forward to your mods.

Happy Hols Everyone. A.

[OBIO]

aardvark

I art here! I also had a really great Good Friday. Deb and I went to her sister's house for a family get together. The youngsters hunted Easter eggs, we all chowed down on lasagna and spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a white wine and tomato sauce, 5 kinds of cheese, baked beans, salad, 4 kinds of desert. Our nephew was in from Fort Drum, NY...he's in the US Army and stationed there....was nice seeing him and his wife (they got married the day before Thanksgiving). I am stuffed up to my fuzzy eyebrows! The weather is wonderful....bright and clear, 81 degrees. And since the in-law's live less than 3/4 of a mile from KMFD (Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport) I got to see and hear a lot of GA aircraft taking off and landing (Mooney Bravo, V-tailed Beech, King Air, lots of Cessna's and Pipers, a couple of Lear jet looking things....I wonder if those are the C-21s that the 179th Air Lift Wing will be using now that they are losing their C-130Hs this year).

I have 3 skins done, working on the 4th. Have lots and lots of profile images saved. Have new fonts and color charts to work with thanks to Wild Bill Kelso, Cazzie and Huub Vink. Fear not...progress is ongoing....but not much today....too full right now to do anything but sign, to happy right now to do anything but smile.

OBIO

[OBIO]

Thought I'd share screen shots of the four new paints that are soon to be uploaded:

OBIO

[aardvark62]

Obio - you have a message.

Lookin' really good. One question - this is one of those 'prop texture as part of model' planes, right? - but how is it that in your screens your prop texture looks far less 'heavy' than mine?

Hope you find your mermaid real soon, A.

[OBIO]

On the prop wash on the AR196.....I think I may have tweaked the MDL file to lighted the prop disc material and make it more translucent. I started this project quite some time ago, so I can't really remember. I will check the date on the MDL file and see if I have indeed tweaked it....if so, I will upload the tweaked MDL file with the paints.

I found the mermaid. Not as clear and crisp as I wanted, but it is much sharper than what was on the original skin. One of the CFS2 forum regulars shot back with a reply on where to find it. The image was part of a decal sheet for a model of the AR196.

OBIO

[Eliezer264]

So I Painted one for my fleet.

Attachment 3963

[aardvark62]

Oh Wow! Eliezer - any chance of posting that one?

Regards, A.

[OBIO]

So I Painted one for my fleet.

Attachment 3963

Yep, I did know that.....and I also know that the Germans would disguise some of their ships for various reasons...and they would paint the AR196s on board in the coloring and markings of other nations...France being a bit one. I also have a profile for a Swedish 196 (interned after it made an emergency landing), Bulgarian, Russian, Finish, a couple Romanian ones.