P-61 Research

[MustangNightFighter]

So, I've been doing some research on the P-61 so I can start making one and I came across these great photos that I thought I would share to get some people into the mood of nightflying...

[MustangNightFighter]

Some more...

[MustangNightFighter]

And the last few...

[MustangNightFighter]

Any suggestions on what I should make first. What would be easy? The radar? Maybe the turret? Remember, I need to get a feel for Gmax first and I have no clue what to start with... I would rather do somethign small than a huge part of the airplane.

[NachtPiloten]

Just start. Get good 3 view line drawings, set them up, and then start by making the fuselage and work out from there. Simple parts like the engine cowl, spinners, tires and wheels, landing gear... all can be done. However, without the "plane" it is somewhat abstract. IMHO

[MustangNightFighter]

Okay then...

[Riley64]

Here is a 3-view drawing if you need it.

[MustangNightFighter]

Wow, this is going to take a lot longer than I thought. At least I now have started the fuselage.

[lewis11777]

Congratulations, we'll see you in a couple of years!

:costumes:

[Pat Pattle]

Good going Mustang! :) Thanks for posting the great pics too.

[NachtPiloten]

Please before you go too far look here for line drawings

http://www.airwar.ru/other/draw_fw.html#7

[MustangNightFighter]

Thanks, as if I wasn't already overwhelmed with the weight of the project itself, now you've given me a bunch of skins to make when I finish. Here are the skins and the info about them that I found on the website Nachtpiloten gave me. Danka. Oh yeah, just a note of personal interest, the second to last P-61 up there, Lady Gen, is my favorite bird as it is the only USAAF NF ace from the ETO as far as I know, got a V-1 kill, and has a great looking paint scheme. It's also my avatar...

Post Script
If anyone is interested in making this into a team effort, that would be great. We could call it the Widow Squad and get free entrance to airshows... JK :kilroy:

[MustangNightFighter]

Just out of curiosity, would it be possible to convert one of the P-61's from CFS2, FS 2002, FSX, or maybe the WIP IL2 one?

[NachtPiloten]

Need the original mesh files.

[MustangNightFighter]

Bummer, I guess this preview has been for a movie a couple years away then. While I'm at it, I think I'll build the XP-61F. Like the XP-61E but based around the C model instead of the B for better speed. Max speed of around 440mph with a range of around 4000mi and a collection fo 4x20mm and 4x.50 cal guns in the bay and nose. Only 20mph less than the XP-82 and nearly double the range and more than double the firepower plus countless times the manueverbility thanks to those zap flaps. Unfortunately, the Twin program and other jet programs kept Northrop from making more than one F. Luckily, we got the F-15A Reporter. Same plane excpet made for recon. I believe that brings the models to produce up to four. The A, B, C, and F. I hope everybody here loves night and super-long range opps as much as I do. Long live the spider...

[Squiffy]

Sweet! There was one in progress but I don't remeber where. Please use the later line drawings. That radome on the first was not right, even for the small one. Dont' worry about skins. I was lucky that someone actually did the S-51. I hope someone here can tell us where the trail leads even to the mesh files from the other sims.

Also, don't you think that original cockpit looks like a P-51B frame with additions? I think that's a good guide to build from. The Beaufighter and Lightning both ended up feeling a little distant and large so if you can tighten it up that would be great. For reference, I'm thinking of the picture of St. Ex. strapping into his P-38. Not sure how tall he was but it was tight in there. The plastic model was a little large in there too.

[NachtPiloten]

Just out of curiosity, would it be possible to convert one of the P-61's from CFS2, FS 2002, FSX, or maybe the WIP IL2 one?

Ok, here is what you do. Contact the author of the plane you like the most and then ask. Once in a while you'll get luck especially if it is freeware. I one guy turns you down ask someone else. You may not ever use the model you get but you can use it for references.

[safn1949]

Did someone mention a P-61? :friday:

[popsaka]

MNF... were ya able ta get some pix of the 'Reporter'?

[MustangNightFighter]

A few...

[Milton Shupe]

Michael Davies started a P-61 project in Max last year but that has been on hold since November. He offered the mesh and posted a link in the Design forum back then but the link is dead now. He may wish to share his research or his Max mesh, not sure.

Here's a screenie of a test I was doing as a project member.

[MustangNightFighter]

Could I get the one you were working on or could someone find Davies?

[popsaka]

That basic prototype Reporter was a "Lean Mean Machine" 'ey wot?:ernae:

[OldCrow]

Congratulations, we'll see you in a couple of years!

:costumes:
LOL, yeah no doubt. That GMAX is some involved stuff.

[Milton Shupe]

LOL, yeah no doubt. That GMAX is some involved stuff.

Maybe so but I see it as no more difficult than learning all the tools of any other sophisticated program, even like texturing programs.

If one does the tutorials and uses the help, they are exposed to the tools they will ultimately use.

Then using any good overview introduction like the link posted earlier, things fall into place quickly.

I guess it's like building a house, you must really prepare the ground and do a nice foundation before starting the framing and closing in. There are no shortcuts to anything worthwhile and complex.

I did a series of tutorials that seemed to work for those who otherwise had trouble here: http://www.flightsimonline.com/C162/

I also did a basic gmax introduction done as a video tutorial.

Basic GMax Video Introduction:

Download the zip of the .avi file to play:
http://www.flightsimonline.com/C162/...basicintro.zip

[Helldiver]

I don't know if this is of any help but the early radomes were made of laminated plywood and then canvas covered. As a consequence they were light colored. No paint could be applied to them. However, they were suceptable to rain erosion. So Dr. McMillan, of the MIT Radiation Lab, came out with a cloth filled bakelite radome that was colored black. This is in the days before fiberglass. So any of the light colored radomed P-61s were early models. I used to work for Dr. McMillan, the inventor of the radome.

[Squiffy]

Helldiver that's AWESOME!

:woot:


What a crew we have assembled here. That model looks really sweet! Please someone with some free time, take care of this little baby!

:engel016:

[sixstrings]

A good looking model. I can only hope someone will finnish it.:amen:

[MTG196]

The Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Pennsylvania has been restoring a P-61 for a number of years now. Their website has a lot of info on this aircraft.
Here's a link:

http://www.maam.org/p61.html

Also, on the MAAM home page check out the link for the annual World War II Weekend. This is an awesome show for all things WW2. Her's another link:

http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html

[Oglivie]

May I also recommend....

Osprey Combat Aircraft.8 "P-61 Black Widow Units of World War 2" by Warren Thompson (c1998) - contains 40 color plates of P-61s from various WWII theaters and 3 pages of detailed and scaled drawings.

"Northrop's Night Hunter P-61 Black Widow" by Jeff Kolln (c2009) - contains detailed history of the P-61 with a section that contains all the P-61 serial numbers with a brief history of each. The serial number section includes the aircraft names used and painted on the nose of P-61s by their crews for each serial number.

Cheers,
O

[BeauBrummie]

Sweet! There was one in progress but I don't remeber where.
'Dangerous' Dave Boynton had one as a second project to the DBKF DH98 Mossie project, but he's off radar at the 'mo due to personal stuff. But has told me that he hope to restart the mossie soon. As for the P-61? A way off I should think.

Beau

[MustangNightFighter]

It will be a ways off for me as it is...