Falklands Sea Harriers (WiP-update 11-1-11)

[+elephant 36]

Hi, guys I'm in a Falklands/Malvinas frenzy lately!

Thanks eburger68 for the Great modded Campaign!

Start fiddling with the skins and decals to make a more historical representation of the 800, 801 and 809 NAS during the Falklands/Malvinas Conflict.

Here is my impression of the 899 NAS Sea Harriers - integrated into 800 NAS on 02.04.82

 

 

 

 

 

The winged fist emblem of the 899 was totally overpainted and the side two digit code numbers were painted under the cockpit and not at the usual place on the panel ahead of the forward nozzle. (originally the side code numbers had 3 digits but the first digit denoting the Sqn. origin, 1 for 800, 7 for 899 was overpainted upon intergration).

To be mote accurate I should repeat the last digit of the side code inside the airbrake...but I dont know how...

Could someone give me a hand on this?

Also I tried to give a more historical look to the 801 NAS giving the side codes the Roundel Blue color that were originally overpainted...but the placement is still wrong...Can somebody help me placing the decal a bit above from were it's placed now, (above the panel ahead of the forward nozzle).

 

 

Any help would have been apreciated.

Thanks.

Edited January 11, 2011 by elephant

[SUICIDAL 401]

uring the Travel from England to the South Atlantic.

The Harriers were painted on a small scale and in a hurry

For his mechanics.

The badges were placed, and numbers With brushes

Malvinasd war 1982. The most productive plane in Malvinas conflict - 3 victories + 1 damaged A-4Q.

Edited December 29, 2010 by SUICIDAL

[+elephant 36]

Sorry, I can't see your pictures SUICIDAL...

I was not trying to make individual skins for the planes.

I was just trying to enhance the generic skinpacks that's already given in eburger68's Campaign.

My problem isn't on historical research, but how I can place decals on certain places, such as the airbrake interior or the correct 801 NAS side codes placement, (not on the panel of the forward nozzle but above it).

Thanks, anyway!

[MigBuster 2,879]

You need the mesh name for the specific place - and even then it may not be possible - or might leak. Best contact the model maker, or see if there is a .out file in the shars folder.

[+elephant 36]

Thanks a lot MigBuster!

There is an OUT file in the Sea Harrier...I'll give it a try.

[+elephant 36]

Getting there...

I found how to assign the side code decals for 801 NAS.

I also treated the roundels, as I could best, to smoothen the disfiguration due to model stretching and corrected their coloration as well as they were, way too bright on the original skin. Two missing stencils were also added to the AIM-9 rail.

(see the above pics to compare)...

All planes now have historical, matching, side codes and serial numbers.

As a bonus I made a RN pilot based on Falkland War time footage.

Now I only have to find the coordinates to place a decal on the airbrake interior to make them almost perfect...

 

801 NAS on partol...

 

 

 

 

 

Also the 4 historical 809 NAS planes integrated into 801 NAS at 18th and 19th May 1982,

with correct side code numbering in rich pale blue and matching serial numbers...

 

 

Edited January 2, 2011 by elephant

[+Crusader 2,078]

cool

the 809 kites integrated into 801 had the side codes in the same place as on the grey kites

phoenix tail badge + royal navy was overpainted too

[+elephant 36]

Oh, yes you are right...

How I missed it!

 

"As with the Hermes ex-809 aircraft, after arrival on Invincible the ROYAL NAVY and 809 badge on the fin were overpainted in the nearest approximation of MSG available on the ship. 801 side codes were applied in the usual 801 location and standard RN style with the last digit inside the airbrake in a locally mixed pale blue, which appeared richer in hue than the Pale Blue of the roundels (a Roundel Blue + white mix?)"

 

I will correct ASAP...Thanks!

[+Gunrunner 313]

Ideally we would have the UV map for the newer model and/or ChrisBV's layered template.

Without any of these two it's a game of coordinate grids and pixel pushing to correct the stretching of the old skins on the new model, most visibly, by order of increasing difficulty :

- The pylons.

- The upper, trailing part of the wing root.

- The whole engine nozzles area.

- The whole front fuselage area.

 

Another issue with the new model is the pitot tube being outside-in.

[+elephant 36]

Yes, I couldn't agree more...

Nevertheless with the lack of a proper correct template, I tried to address the nose and intake stretching as I could...

Here's what I have now:

 

800 NAS

16 aircraft with corresponding serial and side numbers.

XZ4500, has side number (30) in roundel blue, (historically correct).

Including the four 899 NAS planes with correct side number placing.

The last four planes (76,94,77,99) are the 809 reinforcements and thus the camo is not correct, but I left them as they were... (in the original Falklands '82 Campaign).

 

 

 

801 NAS

10 aircraft with corresponding serial and side numbers.

the last two planes are not historical. (002,000).

No 002 (ZA174) was originaly an 801 plane that was left behind due to repairs and later integrated into 801 as No 000 of the 809 NAS reinforcements.

No 000 (ZA195) is purely fictional.

 

 

 

809 NAS

OK, here is my interpretation of the 809 NAS planes that integrated into

801 and 800 NAS at the 18th and 19th of May...

Featuring "corrected" nose section of the skin.

Field overpaint of the vertical stabilizer's 809 emblem and ROYAL NAVY inscription.

Historical numbering with correspondant serial numbers for the eight planes.

 

801 NAS style side numbering in a field aproximation of the rich pale blue of the roundels, (mixing roundel blue and white? thus having richer hue as well documented), for the first four, (000,002,007,009).

 

 

 

800 NAS style side numbering for the rest four, (76,94,77,99).

 

 

 

Skins and decals have been submited to eburger68 for evaluation...

Now if I could find the coordinates to place decals on the airbrake interior and the outriggers they would be closer to perfection...

Not to forget two pilots for RN and RAF, that I've made and been using for SHAR and GR3.

The RN pilot's helmet, (Mk.3C), is depicting the one worn by Dave Morgan in the 1st May raid, as seen in newsreel footage.

 

PS BTW, any takers to reskin the SHAR cockpit to SF2 standards?

Edited January 11, 2011 by elephant