Look what was found in a barn in Scotland!

[OBIO]

A very rare British 4-engine bomber has been found in a large barn in Scotland. Believed to be the only one in existance, the Vickers Valiant B1 was carefully disassembled, shipped to an aircraft restoration company in the United States, and has been undergoing a complete restoration. Some snap shot of this plane in flight were found on a digital camera that was left behind at a restaurant by one of the workers at the restoration center.

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This is the freeware Alphasim Vickers Valiant. I had forgotten about his plane until a couple days ago when someone did a thread looking for a Vulcan. I thought Alphasim had released a CFS2 Vulcan (it was actually a FS98/CFS2/FS2000 model) and went looking for it. While on the Alphasim freeware page, I saw the Valiant and remembered that I had it installed. Took it up for a flight and decided that I needed to spend some time getting this plane ready for more air time. It had no 2D panel, no VC gauges, and the stock paint left a lot to be desired. I have the original 2D panel bmp installed and populated with gauges, will be installing VC gauges, have the pop up windows in place (working on a bomb site!) and have the paint kit nearly done. I came across a pic of the Valiant prototype in bare metal and liked the way it looked, so bare metal is what I am working up as I develop the paint kit. Also found one bare metal and orange/red scheme that is very striking and will be doing it as well.

No time frame for when this project will be finished.

OBIO

[nazca_steve]

I like the old Alpha Valiant; did some paints of her a few years back, but you might run into the same issues I did with the mapping on the tailplane not handling camo well, if you do some of the later low-level paints.

http://www.cbfsim.org/cbfsim/cbfsBB/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11304&hilit=vickers+Valiant&start=15

Do you have the gmax file of it? Sounds like you are starting over on it, cool if you are - the old girl need some TLC. Good luck and can't wait to see the results.

[OBIO]

I don't have the source file for the Valiant...and if I did, all I could do is stare at it. I have no clue how to do anything Gmax, except make balls, boxes and Tic Tacs.

The work I am doing on the Valiant is all based on what I can do with Photoshop, FS Panel Studio, MDLC and a hex editor. I wish I could get the source files and had the skills to rework the plane. Would be nice to smooth out the wing roots, remap the textures and improve the VC....but you know what they say about wishing in one hand and pooing in the other and seeing which one fills up first.

OBIO

[nazca_steve]

I am finding myself more and more tempted to have a go at a new Valiant one day. There is some FDE activity going on with this model over at Classic British Files at the moment which got me thinking about it again. The Valiant is one of those planes a bit like the Canberra; not so sexy to the masses, a bit slept-on really. Overshadowed by the Vulcan and Victor, yet still a nice design. One of the only V-bombers to do any serious bombing in anger as well.

How's your texturing work going with it, Obio? Anything you can show us?

[RyDraiggoch]

Would Love to see you do the Valiant Steve....

At present the "restoration" work on the Alphasim aircraft is being done by Lars and Degsy -- they are working in tandem to do an FDE as good as Degsy's Vulcan update and Lars is doing a full cockpit .....add the Aeromusica Comet 2 sounds and hopefully we will have something to hold us until Steve can turn something out....


Leif

[nazca_steve]

Good, because I think me starting a new Valiant is a long way off! I think it's going to be something naval based for the next one if Skippy and Fraser leave anything left!

As I said, I am really looking forward to this new lease of life on the Valiant, a bit of a facelift and impoved handling will do her some good. Hats off to the boys for working on her.

[Blackbird686]

I have a copy of the B1 Valiant somewhere... I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do with her. If she turns out anything like your RF-5A Vigilante restoration.. it'll be a real beauty.

Alpha did a B2 Valiant as well, but me thinks it was a CFS2 plane. A little bit different animation on the landing gear. Bringing that one back to life would be a real project as well.

BB686:USA-flag:

[nazca_steve]

Deffo have to agree with you on the B.2, I think it was CFS2 but worked to a degree, barring the funky landing gear anim problems in FS2004. The B.2 was a cool-looking bird, 'The Black Bomber' as it was called at the time. I think it'd make a lovely new model, but as always, if it's not a new F-35, F-16, or P-51, you have to wonder what the interest would be from a commercial standpoint. But from a FDE/panel restoration standpoint, I think this would make a superb project.

Nice to see a Valiant discussion lasting longer than two posts. Well done Obio for kicking this off!

[Cag40Navy]

Looks like fun! Glad shes getting what she deserves! Hey steve, when should we expect the next Canberra's? I love then all!

[RyDraiggoch]

Steve

Judging by the posts I have seen on the development thread over at the Pond they are cooking something up . I have seen some preliminary shots of Lars panel and its a good one.-- dont look for it before the end on January though at the earliest -- maybe we could twist your arm into doing a couple more paints for the old girl to release with the "upgrade"??
:icon_eek:

Cheers

Leif

[Blackbird686]

Deffo have to agree with you on the B.2, I think it was CFS2 but worked to a degree, barring the funky landing gear anim problems in FS2004. The B.2 was a cool-looking bird, 'The Black Bomber' as it was called at the time. I think it'd make a lovely new model, but as always, if it's not a new F-35, F-16, or P-51, you have to wonder what the interest would be from a commercial standpoint. But from a FDE/panel restoration standpoint, I think this would make a superb project.

Nice to see a Valiant discussion lasting longer than two posts. Well done Obio for kicking this off!

Yep, Got to agree with you about all the F-35's (what an UGLY little plane), F-16's and P-51's, Steve. Just how many can one have?

With that, I have decided to find another "barn in Scotland", as OBIO put it... and un-pack my copy of the 'Alpha' B.1 Valiant. If nothing else... take her out for a long flight.

BB686:USA-flag:

[Desert Rat]

With that, I have decided to find another "barn in Scotland", as OBIO put it...

There are plenty of barns to search within spitting distance, gimme a shout, I'll give you directions. There are plenty of jewels to be found, very recently, found a Seahawk on Google earth not to far from me. Maybe common knowledge, but news to me.

Looking forward to the overhaul, BTW Steve, you got links to your downloads?

Jamie

[nazca_steve]

More Valiant repaints? Happily. If you can suggest a few you'd like done I will try to bang them out this weekend. It's been a while but I am sure I still have the template files. Good old Valiant :) B.1, B.2, they are both classics, even if you do have to dig around in Scottish barns for them!

Links to the Valiant repaints are as follows:

http://classicbritishfiles.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=162&func=fileinfo&id=826

http://classicbritishfiles.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=162&func=fileinfo&id=827

http://classicbritishfiles.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=162&func=fileinfo&id=828

Canberra: well, they are coming along, I would like to say there might be a new pack out this weekend if possible; I was close the other day but just added to the bug list last night and have to work some kinks out. The dreaded REAL WORLD has taken over my life of late slowing development down but I hope to get back to speed soon.

[nazca_steve]

Yep, Got to agree with you about all the F-35's (what an UGLY little plane), F-16's and P-51's, Steve. Just how many can one have?

With that, I have decided to find another "barn in Scotland", as OBIO put it... and un-pack my copy of the 'Alpha' B.1 Valiant. If nothing else... take her out for a long flight.

BB686:USA-flag:

I like the P-51, the F-16s not bad, but forget the F-35. The thing is, they've been done to death across countless sims and countless variations. But I guess their popularity never wanes. I tip my hat to folk like Ted Cook who tirelessly makes the underdogs of aviation history.

[OBIO]

I have most of the Valiant reskinned. In gleaming bare metal like the prototype. There are a number of modeling and texture mapping issues that just really prevent this plane from being done in anything but one solid color. Too many places were color from an upper surface shows up on the bottom of the plane. Between these issues and real life, this project was put back onto the shelf. I will gladly send anyone who wants it my layered PSD file for the Valiant. Just send me a PM with our e-mail address (DO NOT PUT YOUR E-MAIL ADDY IN THIS THREAD!).

OBIO

[nazca_steve]

Trust me, I've been there and feel your pain. If only I knew you'd been working on it I could have warned you off all that work. I bet you discovered the tailplane wrapping issue...shame about that as, as you say, it prevents it from having camo schemes applied. Still, it's not wasted if you came up with a nice natural metal texture, and it is fun working with the Valiant regardless.