It's Been a While, So It's A Little Dusty (And So Am I...)

[pstrany]

Well, its been a little while, but I'm finally getting ready to push something out of the hangar. Nothing spectacular, just a Hudson III of the Chinese Air Force. The model is finished, and everything set, just tweaking the textures right now before I upload it. Its been in the hangar so long its a little dusty, but I finally got a push and finished it.

It is a true CFS2 model, with breaking parts and (of course) multiple LODs. Unless some disastrous problem rears its head, I will upload on Sunday to both my page and SOH (if I can remember how that is done. It HAS been a while.)

Might have another Hudson or two in there, as I get closer to being done I will share. And no, I haven't forgotten the other stuff, but life has been very hectic, and so my free time has been very limited.......

Paul

[Rami]

Pstrany,

Thanks for the effort, it is profoundly appreciated. :ernae:

[Oglivie]

Looking good! Thanks pstrany!

Here are some other Hudsons by pstrany for those who may not have them yet.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/index.php?lloc=downloads&loc=downloads&page=downloads&FileUploadName=pstrany

[Wulf190]

Looks great! I can't wait to see how your updated Doras are going. Thanks Paul!

[Bill Kestell]

Nice to have you back again, Mr. Hudson!:ernae::ernae::ernae:

[OBIO]

Yea! Another Hudson for me to crash test.....and this one is OH so close to being a Lodestar (the number one plane on my wish list) that I think I could use it as such and be happy with it.

Will this one be usable in FS2004 like the others?

OBIO

[oldwheat]

It seems to me that a lodestar version would merely require some simple subtraction :kilroy:.

[Jagdflieger]

Thanks Paul! It's good to see you in the Basement again.

[OBIO]

Yep, to make this one a Lodestar...all that is needed is a solid nose. And the addition of seat for passengers...but since I prefer to haul cargo, no seats are needed.

Actually, giving this plane a solid nose would make it a L-14 Super Electra. Giving it a solid nose and lengthening the fuselage by 5 feet would make it a Lodestar.

I will be quite happy to use this as a Super Electra...another plane on my wish list.

OBIO

[PSULLYKEYS]

Great to see you back Paul!:ernae:

[pstrany]

Wow! A sticky! I don't know that a small rework and a repaint really warrants that. I guess I will have to step it up a bit.

First, there is quite a difference between the Hudson (based on the Model 14 Super Electra) and the Lodestar. As someone pointed out, the Lodestar has a longer fuselage and the horizontal tail is raised. Also, the elevators separated left and right, and there are structural differences in the wings.

Okay, so what can I say to earn this sticky?

I also have an RAAF air ambulance in the pipeline as well (see screenies below.) Again, it is down to textures, I'm in the process of applying a little foliage green and dark earth, then a little touch-up here and there and I will release that.

Next, I've also finished the Hudson Mk I model. Again, all it lacks is textures (again, see screenies.)

And lastly, I have resurrected a side project that just might get you a bit closer to a Lodestar. This is a Lockheed Model 14-N3, a Super Electra powered by the Wright Cyclone engine. This model still needs work, but most of the major alterations have already been complete (again, screenies.) This is actually turning into my favorite model, and is seen (in very roughly applied) colors of 267th Sqdn, RAF. This particular aircraft was originally sold to Superior Oil in the States, but soon found itself in North Africa (via Canada and South Africa) flying men and supplies around the Mediterranean. She went down on a mission to a beleaguered Tobruk in 1941 (I bought a picture of this aircraft on eBay.)

I will upload the Chinese AF version tomorrow (Sunday) to both SOH and my webpage. The other two (RAAF air ambulance and Hudson Mk I will follow, probably in just a few days. The Super Electra will probably be just a little while longer, but I promise to stick with it until I get it finished.

So there you go, hopefully that rates the honor of a sticky......

Paul

[OBIO]

Paul

Your Hudsons are amazing and definitely worth a sticky. If you produce a solid nosed version without turrets and bomb bay doors....a L-14 Super Electra....I will be OH SO GRATEFUL! Having a real Super Electra, especially without seats so it can be used as a cargo hauler would be great. Would love to have a Lodestar...but that is an entirely different bird all together and would require a dedicated modeling project. I suppose I could take Milton Shupe's Howard 500 Cargo and call it a Lodestar...I am pretty sure the Lodestar was the basis for the 500.

OBIO

[hewman100]

As a sidebar, I thought you guys might like to see the Hudson VI conversion I did on the Airfix kit:

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd199/hewman100/Models/04034_HudsonVI_KW-B.jpg

[Ravenna]

Paul,
Your screenies are making my mouth water. I've made a lot of use of your Hudsons and really look forward to your additions. You always show great attention to detail!
:ernae:

[pstrany]

Hi all;

okay, I've posted the Chinese Hudson to my page, and I'm waiting for a password from SOH so that I can upload it here.

The download includes no sound files. You can download them separately (there is a link) or just alias it to another aircraft.

Thank you all for your kind words of encouragement. I will be slapping some paint on the RAAF air ambulance next, then on to the Mk I and the Super Electra. I'll keep you all posted as to my progress.

Direct link to my download page: http://www.virtualwings.org/hudson/downloads.htm

Go down the page to the section "Lockheed Hudsons in Service with Other Nations"

Enjoy!

Paul

[egypt23spitfire]

..:ernae:looks damn fine PAUL:ernae:.......... great work:engel016:


...........and the model looks well done too HEWMAN :guinness:

[pstrany]

I remember the Airfix Hudson well! Must have built a dozen or more of those in my youth. Very nice mod hewman, that is one on my list to do. Did you go with azure or Mediterranean Blue on that? Bet the engine installation must have given you fits....

Well, the Chinese AF version should appear in the downloads at SOH soon. It should appear in the CFS2 section.

I've been tinkering with the Super Electra, and have made some progress with that. Just in case anyone can help, I am looking for pictures of the cockpit of the Model 14. I'm also looking for a frontal picture of the Pratt & Whitney Hornet engine, and also trying to find out where the air intake on the Hornet was located (I can't seem to see an intake on any of the photos I have of the Hornet-engined aircraft. There is a scoop on the lower nacelle, but I'm assuming (uh-oh!) that that is the oil cooler intake.....)

Paul

[sc7500]

Will This work, Paul ?

SC
:kilroy:

[sc7500]

Found an image of a Cyclone, the next phase of P&W Hornet...

[SPman]

Heres one - not much good to you, though..........

[kelticheart]

Splendid model, Pstrany!
:jump: :applause: :jump: :applause: :jump: :applause: :jump:


Is it very different than your older Hudsons? Will the older repaints fits this one?

Thank you very much!
KH :ernae:

[pstrany]

Hi Kelti;

thanks for the kind words. By the by, the Chinese Hudson is now available at SOH for download.

To answer to your question regarding texture compatibility and models, yes and no. Largely, the textures will be the same. However, each model is generally custom made (each aircraft had a few fiddly bits that made it unique.) For instance, the mapping between the Cyclone and P&W engined variants is different because the engines and nacelles were different. There were equipment differences (some aircraft have such things as ASV antennae, others do not) and the like. Also, as the model is refined, some minor parts have been altered and remapped.

I can provide a texture legend for anyone who would be interested, and also would do minor special requests (blanked windows, etc.)

The changes between the Hudson and the Super Electra will be a little more pronounced.

Of course, the prop maps should be the same....:mixedsmi:

Paul

[pstrany]

Thanks to all who submitted photos. The engine in question is the Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet. I have good documentation of all the other engines used by the Hudson/Super Electra, but so far good photos of the Hornet are hard to find. I look for a good full frontal shot of an engine (preferably color) to build an engine as I like to be as accurate in their presentation as possible. I have a ton of photos of the other engines (Wright Cyclone, P&W 1830) but so far a good photo of the Hornet has eluded me.

As to the cockpit, there were some major differences between the Hudson and the Super Electra in the cockpit area. The Hudson had an extra area for a radio operator; the Super Electra did not. The instrument panel for the Hudson was asymmetrical to allow access to the nose; the Super Electra was symmetrical, as there were two pilots. The cockpit glazing was also different, allowing for some controls to be installed in the overhead on the Super Electra.

I've attached a few pictures that I have of the Super Electra cockpit (one is of the Lodestar, which in early models was pretty much identical.) Note the odd shape of the cockpit door!

I'm trying to identify the controls, particularly in the overhead. I'm also trying to figure out what is on the back of the cockpit door (one is a window opening that I suspect had a flap or door so the pilot could close it until he wanted to look into the cabin area.) I'm not really strong on all the gauges and levers. The center console appears identical to the Hudson, but there are some differences to the control panel (and of course that overhead stuff is a mystery - some might be radio controls?)

the photos are from City of Toronto Archives, the book "It Seems Like Only Yesterday" by Philip Smith, and (2) "The Lockheed Twins" by Peter Marson.

[pstrany]

Hi all;

I've posted a challenge over in the FS2004 section:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?p=286216#post286216

Thought some of you might be interested as well, just in case you want to take a break from blowing s**t up (though a resourceful individual could probably hang a pair of 500 pounders under the wing and take a whack at the Messerschmitt Plant at Marienburg on the way past...)

Paul

[sc7500]

There just ain't a whole lot of image data on this plane to be had !!!

Here's all I could find after a one hour wander through the Google Maze...

SC
:kilroy:

[pstrany]

Thanks for your effort. I've made some progress here, pouring through old magazines and books (I have a rather large library.) Found a layout of the interior from an old Wings magazine, and someone over on the FS2004 forum found a nice image of her nose, though not the angle I really would have liked. Making some progress, which is good, because civvies are not really my thing, so got to get this one out quick before I'm distracted (I've got a box on my desk from Montana that I'm desperately trying not to open 'til I get this done.....)

Paul

[OBIO]

Paul

I have looked and looked for any images or information about the L-14 Super Electra's cockpit arrangement...and come up empty handed. There simply isn't any thing out there. A lot of the stuff on the over head panels is radio equipment, old style auto pilot stuff....stuff that is usually better placed on pop up windows within a sim for easier use. If it were me making this model, I would not worry about the over head stuff too much....when trying to replicate a historical plane in a sim with minimal information, that can't be helped.

I did some testing on your Mark III Chinese model..the newest one that you just uploaded. I was testing to see if it could be given reflective texturing for use in FS2002/2004..it can! Takes a bit of work, but nothing that 15 minutes of time won't take care of. One thing I did note however....the patches where you plugged in the holes from the turrets....they aren't mapped to the textures. IF this is something you can correct in the Super Electra, I for one would be very very grateful. The Super Electra will get some major tweaking and painting once I get my hands on it....these Lockheed twins look so good with polished aluminum skins.

OBIO

[pstrany]

Hi Obio;

The way I did the turretless modification for the Chinese AF Hudson was to build a separate part called "turret plug" to fill the hole in the Hudson fuselage fuselage (as opposed to filling in the hole with polys then remapping.) The texture for the turret plug is "L14WSM.bmp" (it is mapped to the lower right hand corner.)

For the Super Electra, I've eliminated the turret hole (and also the bomb bay) from the model and remapped the textures, so that should make it easier to repaint.

As to cockpit controls and all that, VCs are not my strong suit. I'm just trying to gather the best info I can, then I'll take my best shot. I have a hard time telling an airspeed indicator from an altitude gauge - sometimes with less than hilarious results when I'm flying.

Just about done with the main model of the Super Electra, I'm just finishing up the cabin area now, then it is on to the LODs (which should go quick, as this is a conversion of the Hudson Mk I, which is already complete) then its on to the VC.....

Paul

[Ravenna]

Hi Paul,
These might be a bit late, but I hope they are of some use to you. Keep up the great work.:ernae:

[pstrany]

Laid low with the flu right now. Thought I was ready to get up, but my head says different. Will be a few days before I'm back at it, I fear....

Paul