FCS Tempest repaint...

[RobH]

...almost ready. I got a lot a labels to put on yet, and I need to work on the specular file some. I think the overall finish needs some life to it, I think its a little too flat. But, its getting there.

What do you think? More shine, or is it ok?

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/RobH1108/FSX%20Tempest/FCSTempest1.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/RobH1108/FSX%20Tempest/FCSTempest2.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/RobH1108/FSX%20Tempest/FCSTempest3.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/RobH1108/FSX%20Tempest/FCSTempest4.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a83/RobH1108/FSX%20Tempest/FCSTempest5.jpg

[hschuit]

Rob, I think it is looking good now, I would not add more shine. It is a matter of taste but I think warplanes look better if they are a bit dirty, definitely not glossy like airliners. Thanks for posting; somehow I completely missed the release of this FSX Tempest model.

best regards, Henk.

[stiz]

looks fine to me, you've completly transformed the look of it ... for the better :applause:

[Quixoticish]

I would personally love a clean, polished, shiny gloss finish on one. It would be nice to be able to fly it as a restored warbird.

Perhaps a pack with two versions of the repaint, the first as shown above and the second with some shine?

[Fireball6]

Incredible ..... you did a fantastic job on her :applause: Shine is absolut ok (IMHO)

Dirk

[calypsos]

I think that sheen (not shine IMHO) is absolutely perfect for that aircraft.

Even fewer warbirds are now being made shiney, as newer paint formats that look authentic come on the market. Can you include a shiney file that can be added by the end user, if they want an un-realistic shine?

[Quixoticish]

I think that sheen (not shine IMHO) is absolutely perfect for that aircraft.

Even fewer warbirds are now being made shiney, as newer paint formats that look authentic come on the market. Can you include a shiney file that can be added by the end user, if they want an un-realistic shine?

I quite happen to like the shiny look on warbirds. It really makes them look like someone's pride and joy, something that they put a lot of time and effort into. And as much as the polished glossy warbird look may not be to everyone's tastes I don't think it can be called "un-realistic" if aircraft have, at some time in the past, looked like that.

[SpaceWeevil]

Thing of beauty, man! I love the satin sheen, it's perfect - high-gloss works beautifully for USAAF and USN schemes but I always think it looks a bit naff with RAF camo schemes.

[peter12213]

That is superb beats the default ones hands down!! I too personally don't think it needs more shine, it looks perfect!

[calypsos]

I suppose the term 'un-realistic' means not like actual operational finish, indeed some people have polished their warbirds to a high glossy finish (mainly in the USA at places like Reno or Oshkosh).

However, as there never has been a 'warbird' Tempest (but there are some Sea Furys, the naval adaptation out there), I used the term 'un-realistic' to mean this airframe in particular.

As someone who has actually had to 'polish' with (WD-40) many RAF airframes during my early service career, I know that the level of sheen here is accurate!

[noddy]

What a beauty.

[RobH]

Thanks folks for your opinions and comments:ernae:

Chris H, let me do some checking and see what size the initial package may be. It might be way too big for both versions in one package. It wont be hard to do a clean, restored look. All I will have to do is turn some layers off. Maybe after I decide exactly what paints I will do, maybe you can pick which ones you want with the restored look? Just a thought.

I tried to find some images of some restored Tempests in museums and such, but apparently they are rare, next to impossible to find.

Thanks again!

[Quixoticish]

Thanks Rob. Can't wait to see these "in the flesh" so to speak.

[Shessi]

Hi Brian,

Simply gorgeous!! :applause:

You ol' master you....;)

Cheers Shessi

p.s I think the only Tempest V is at the RAF Museum, Hendon, London, unfortunately in target-tug colours!!???.... They also have a Tempest II in camo.
p.p.s On the subject of shine. Factory finish was shiney (except early war night black). And then paint dulled from there, but there is always some sheen.

[Quixoticish]

With regards to shine on warbirds, the Grace Spitfire always looked spectacularly polished and incredibly clean and tidy.

http://www.bigginhillairfair.co.uk/photos/gallery/air-to-air/grace-spitfire.jpg

[calypsos]

Anybody up for a re-paint of the target tug???

[jeansy]

very nice

[peter12213]

I'd like to see the target tug paint too!

[Bomber_12th]

The repaint looks fantastic, RobH! My only criticism is that the boundaries around the RAF Green areas are too sharp. Of any aircraft I would be extremely excited to see flying again, the Tempest is one of them. There are a few that are currently under restoration around the world.

Here is a walkaround of Kermit Weeks' Tempest Mk.V project, EJ693, fitted with the 24 cylinder Napier Sabre engine:

http://christerl.jalbum.net/EJ693/
http://www.hawkertempest.se/EJ693.htm

Unfortunately, in order to get one of Weeks' two Napier Sabre engines back into full operational status, it would take as much as a roughly $2 Million investment! So there is little chance at all, that we will ever see a Napier Sabre-powered example fly, though the rest of EJ693 is ready to be airworthy. There is however another option for Weeks, and that is to work to produce a limited production run of new-build Napier Sabre engines - it will cost more of course, but be cheaper in the long run. For now it will be on static display at Fantasy of Flight once it arrives.

There are also two radial-engined variants which will be flying in the near future.

The first example is MW763, which will be powered by a Centaurus engine, and is based in the UK. It is hoped to have it flying next year!

http://christerl.jalbum.net/Walk%20Around%20MW763/
http://www.hawkertempest.se/MW763.htm

Here in the U.S., there is also a Tempest being actively restored by Ezell Aviation, and will be powered by a R-3350, for ease of availability of parts and backup engines.

http://www.ezellaviation.com/page40.html

Finally, here is a whole list of surviving Tempests (yes, they are rare!):

http://www.hawkertempest.se/Summary.htm

Now, I just need to finally buy this addon! :)

[Shessi]

Hey Calypsos,
If you get the paint, I'll get us into Hendon......Shhhhhhh! :d

Cheers Shessi

[RobH]

Thank you everyone for the comments, pictures and links!:ernae:

I will see what I can do with the target tug. Bare metal has never been one of my strong points, but I will give it a shot.

Not a problem to fix the edges of the green.

I am curious about the paint jobs on RAF planes though. I read once before that they used to "mask' off for the camouflage using, I believe it was rubber mats. Was that practice only used early in the war, or maybe at certain factories? I know I read something about that being painted that way on the Hurricane.

[peter12213]

I've found to save space and make it more friendly on my meagre system , I've converted all the textures without alpha channels to Dxt1 (no Alpha), the rest with the alpha channels I have changed to Dxt1 minus the canopy and the bumps which I left well alone. However I also removed all the spec files from the texture folders and this was the result, a more matt finish, which I prefer it also saves a lot of space!

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/2066/2009930233017343.png

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8884/2009930233115703.png

As you can see its nice and matt and it now runs a lot sweeter with regard to texture loading!

[calypsos]

Bare metal has never been one of my strong points, but I will give it a shot


I am pretty sure that they painted aluminium, not polished bare metal.

[peter12213]

Yeah knowing our weather bare metal wouldn't last 5 mins lol!

http://www.hawkertempest.se/res/default/ctnv9942.jpg

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/aircraft_images/enlarged/tempestv.jpg

It looks like there painted to me anyway!
http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/images/tempestLG.jpg

[jameg]

Hi, just thought I'd post a shot of Kermitt Weeks' Hawker Tempest II. Have only just got back to the UK from a vacation in Florida last week, the Tempest is currently situated in a Hangar at the Florida Air Museum where Kermitt keeps a small collection of reserve aircraft.

Cheers

James

http://www.aircraftphotographer.com/forums/fsx/IMG_1077.jpg

[Gibbage]

The irony of it all is that the target tug version wa used as my referance when I modeled it. Great job on the skin BTW!