New Aircraft

[+Geezer 3,569]

22 minutes ago, whiteknight06604 said:

love it. I think this will end up being my favorite aircraft to just fly around and "sightsee" in. looks amazing. 

Thanks.  The will be two or three versions, depending on the rifle armed observer working out.  The Lewis gun armed version is certain, though it will have a limited field of fire.  Then, there will be an unarmed version for use very early in the war.

[+VonS 1,424]

36 minutes ago, Geezer said:

Thanks.  The will be two or three versions, depending on the rifle armed observer working out.  The Lewis gun armed version is certain, though it will have a limited field of fire.  Then, there will be an unarmed version for use very early in the war.

I'm very excited that FE2 will get a Bleriot. I will most likely do two data ini mods for it - one to fit with the later, two-seater model (of about 80hp), and also one for earlier-war Bleriots that can also be flown as single-seaters with the observer removed from the plane (power range anywhere from about 50 to 70hp approx.). Should be entertaining trying to keep these models aloft.

Von S

[Crawford 570]

9 hours ago, VonS said:

Should be entertaining trying to keep these models aloft.

Really, when you flying the Blériot XI, in this airplane you have very little power so you have to be not overly generous with the control movement because you can get yourself into an awkward attitude of the airplane where you may not be able to recover. So everything in this airplane is done very slowly.

[Crawford 570]

22 hours ago, Geezer said:

I'll look at the model, fix it, and then post a new LOD1.

EDIT: Posted below is latest version, with new LOD1.

1-24-19 Caudron_R11.rar

Thank you. Already much better than before, but the problem has not completely disappeared, and a new one has appeared. Please, when you have time, look at the CaudronR11 again. It will be a shame if this beautiful model will be burdened with minor flaws.

(Don't pay attention to the lack of skins. This is a test flight and I haven’t yet changed the format of the skins for the model.)

[+Geezer 3,569]

2 hours ago, Crawford said:

Thank you. Already much better than before, but the problem has not completely disappeared, and a new one has appeared. Please, when you have time, look at the CaudronR11 again. It will be a shame if this beautiful model will be burdened with minor flaws.

The only solution to this particular problem is to deform the wires by using a stretch modifier in 3dsMax.  That is more effort than I am willing to expend on a project that has already consumed months of my time.  Plus, I do not know if it would work ingame because of the old 1999 game engine.

In your bottom shot, the ventral Lewis gun is shown outside the aircraft.  Has anyone gotten this third gun to work correctly?  If not, I'll delete it.

Edited January 25, 2019 by Geezer

[Sky High 166]

The lack of a skin only reinforces the beauty of the model itself. Perhaps we should just accept the original glitch as a cigarette scorch-mark?

That black patch was the original problem, wasn't it-otherwise I'm too blind to see it?

Edited January 25, 2019 by Sky High

[+Geezer 3,569]

It's been a while since I worked on the Caudron, and I forgot to delete two objects that should not have been part of the game LOD1.  Below is new LOD1 that deletes the unwanted objects.  On my rig, flying in FE2, the ventral gun does not display.

1-25-19 Caudron_R11.rar

[+Geezer 3,569]

Adjusted the tints of the colors to simulate a vintage look.  May fool around a bit more, but it is close to a balance between "accurate" color and atmospheric color.

[Crawford 570]

11 hours ago, Geezer said:

The only solution to this particular problem is to deform the wires by using a stretch modifier in 3dsMax.  That is more effort than I am willing to expend on a project that has already consumed months of my time.  Plus, I do not know if it would work ingame because of the old 1999 game engine.

Judging by Stephen1918's airplanes, a stretch modifier works. But, of course, no one can make you do what you don’t want to do.

[+Geezer 3,569]

21 hours ago, Crawford said:

Judging by Stephen1918's airplanes, a stretch modifier works. But, of course, no one can make you do what you don’t want to do.

Any real world professional knows that perfection is impossible, which is why - at some point - it is necessary to say "that's good enough."

I've been slowly rebuilding my old files, as I had to clear my HD to make way for a contract job.  Attached is a Russian Nieuport 21 armed with a Lewis gun, that needs file work to run ingame.

Nieuport_21 Lewis Gun.rar

EDIT: Crawford - I realize you have good intentions.  I'm not trying to piss you off, because I appreciate your help.  You must understand that I am busy with the Bleriot and interruptions disrupt my production flow.  

Edited January 26, 2019 by Geezer

[+NeverEnough 78]

Geezer, It is great to have you back after your period of absence.  Greatly appreciate all your efforts towards making FE and FE2 some of the most impressive abandonware on the planet. Someone way brighter than I said: "Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble with none".  I guess he was saying everything reaches a point of diminishing returns.  Most importantly, do what you enjoy.

Thanks again.

[+VonS 1,424]

On 2019-01-26 at 5:52 AM, Geezer said:

Any real world professional knows that perfection is impossible, which is why - at some point - it is necessary to say "that's good enough."

I've been slowly rebuilding my old files, as I had to clear my HD to make way for a contract job.  Attached is a Russian Nieuport 21 armed with a Lewis gun, that needs file work to run ingame.

Nieuport_21 Lewis Gun.rar

Just a quick note to fellow FE/FE2 simmers that the data ini file located in the Nieu21 pack on page 18 (link is https://combatace.com/forums/topic/91066-new-aircraft/?page=18&tab=comments#comment-747561) may or may not be interchangeable with Geezer's Nieu21Lewis mod for the Russ. N21.

The relevant data ini to try out with Geezer's N21Lewis Russ. model is the one located in the "N21DuxLewis" folder of the post on page 18. That one is my latest data ini from Sept. of 2018, while the one in Geezer's N21 Lewis folder is from June of 2018. It's possible that the "N21DuxLewis" uses the same aircraft files since, from a quick check of the lods/outs, they are dated July 13, 2018 in both that pack and Geezer's post.

EDIT: Have now tested the files...Geezer's post contains the latest skin folder for the N21Dux...two variants work well therefore...either replace your old Russian skin folder in the N21DuxLewis folder with Geezer's skin folder, or rename his Nieuport_21 aircraft folder to N21DuxLewis and drop in the data ini and general ini files from the N21DuxLewis folder available on page 18 of this thread...results should be the same and will give you the latest variant of the N21 Dux Lewis-armed...pic included below (don't forget to include Stephen's Lewis gun in your Pilots folder as per instructions on page 18 for this to work).

Happy flying,

Von S

LATEST EDIT: Recommended is to download the "consolidated" file posted below (page 25) in this thread, for all of the latest updates to Geezer's aircraft that were released on pages 17, 18, and 23 of this thread.

Edited September 8, 2020 by VonS
See big "consolidated" folder on page 25 of this thread to download all latest updates to Geezer's aircraft package.

[+Geezer 3,569]

The N21 above includes a Lewis gun installation.  Attached are the pdf artwork files, plus templates.

N21 Art & Templates.rar

Edited January 26, 2019 by Geezer

[Crawford 570]

7 hours ago, Geezer said:

Any real world professional knows that perfection is impossible, which is why - at some point - it is necessary to say "that's good enough.

EDIT: Crawford - I realize you have good intentions.  I'm not trying to piss you off, because I appreciate your help.  You must understand that I am busy with the Bleriot and interruptions disrupt my production flow.  

Affirmative

[+Geezer 3,569]

My Windsock Data File of the Berg D.1 arrived yesterday, so I spent today tinkering with "accurate" colors.  The problem with Austro-Hungarian camo schemes is that almost no reliable information has survived the last 100 years. My 2002 edition of Austro-Hungarian Army Aircraft of World War One deleted the color camo illustrations found in the original 1993 edition because few of the colors could be reliably authenticated.

The Windsock Data File has a color photo of a Berg D.1 rudder that has survived, and its colors are less saturated (less vivid) than most of the color references found on the internet.  Granted the color pigments have oxidized in the last 100 years, but even so the colors are quite dull and unsaturated.  So.....I spent a couple of hours tinkering with my artwork to better reflect the sample shown in the Data File.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Geezer

[+VonS 1,424]

The Berg D.I has lovely lines - here are a few pics. of its triplane variant, this one never got beyond two or three prototypes unfortunately. Note the wider-chord bottom wing, in relation to the top and mid wings.

Von S 

 

Edited January 28, 2019 by VonS
Added info.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Working on the Bleriot gunner today.

[+Geezer 3,569]

Getting much appreciated help from a couple of guys on the Berg D.1 gun sights, which will require significant offset from the aircraft center line. 

[+Geezer 3,569]

Added the rigging and control wires.

[+whiteknight06604 935]

love it.

[+Coupi 4,407]

With a lot of detail !!! 

[+Geezer 3,569]

4 hours ago, Coupi said:

With a lot of detail !!! 

[+Geezer 3,569]

Took a break from the Bleriot and worked on the Nieuport 28 cockpit.

 

Edited February 2, 2019 by Geezer

[Crawford 570]

Each time, better and better. I love to look at these pictures. Sometimes I look at the picture once in the morning, and then look out the window - it's already evening there ...

[+Geezer 3,569]

Maybe you can help me with research?  I have been slowly working on two Morane-Saulnier aircraft that were used by Russia.  The M-S Type I was armed with a Vickers gun so the gun installation was different from the earlier "Bullet" types that were armed with Hotchkiss or Lewis guns.  Shot of the Type I model shows my best guess at the Vickers installation - but its only a guess.  Can you locate  better information?

Russia also used the Type P, but I can find only one reference and it shows a Madsen MG.  Is this correct?  Second shot of the Type P shows the more or less "normal" armament used by the British and French.