F/A-18A/B early drop tank

[Svetlin 543]

Guys, do we have in some weapons pack the early F/A-18A/B drop tank? I have not come accross it, but I might be missing something.

The external difference with the later drop tank is in the shape.

The early one has an oval shaped cross section, the later one has a circle shaped cross section and is more pointy at the front.

There could be other differences as well, but these are the most obvious to me.

[+EricJ 4,244]

They would have to redo the model for them to work as I don't have early tanks either. it's just one tank for all.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

find me some pics with dimensions or a 3 view ...can knock one up

[Svetlin 543]

1 hour ago, russouk2004 said:

find me some pics with dimensions or a 3 view ...can knock one up

Thank you so much for the proposal, russouk2004! Here is a drawing, showing front, side and top of view of the FPU-6/A drop tank:

 

So far I have not been successful in finding the dimensions. I have a drawing of the newer style FPU-8/A drop tank in the same scale, showing it in front, top as well as side view and a drawing in the same scale of the F/A-18.

I suppose that knowing the dimensions of the F/A-18, I could use all these drawings to calculate approximate dimensions of the FPU-6/A drop tank I am looking for. I will give it a try and will post the results here. I guess it will be better than nothing.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

okeee dokeee  can size it using the drawing and a model...i can scale it in 3ds max using the wingspan as a template...make box in 3ds max same size as the wihgspan then the tank will be in scale. voila lol

A\B and C  11.43m

Edited October 9, 2019 by russouk2004

[Svetlin 543]

Here is the source drawing, in case it helps better.

I am not sure I understood your post. Do you need me to make calculations or did I understood correctly that you could use the drawing to scale the tank properly?

 

[+russouk2004 6,958]

no its ok....sorted  wingspan 11.43 m so easy to calculate tank ..ty m8 

grey box is actual A dimensions...then scaled up drawing to fit.minus landing gear......so now the tank will be right scale....see.?....lol

Edited October 9, 2019 by russouk2004

[Svetlin 543]

Got it, 10x

 

[Wrench 9,846]

Quote

can knock one up

I'm not even going to go there....this is a family site!!! 

[+russouk2004 6,958]

cant get the fekkin hornets to lose the centre tank its fekked up it is fixed on all the ones ive got cant even ddrop it using CTRL and D   so heres shot of the 350 tank...do what you want with it lol...even adding it to wing pylons...the fixed tank is always there...

here you go and a psd file....

Tank350_Hornet.7z

[Svetlin 543]

Thank you so much, russouk2004, I truly and greatly appreciate your kindness to devote some of your time to this.

I will give it a try to solve the issue, I believe I have an idea what I need to do for the fixed FPU-8/A tanks to show only when specifically called for.

[+EricJ 4,244]

I think the problem is that the tanks on the Hornet is part of the 3d model, including the Supers. That way you can skin the tanks as well as the aircraft to have varying schemes represented. If you look at the aircraft they're shown with the aircraft in LODviewer, so you're going to have that problem when doing something such as early model tanks and putting them on the aircraft. I vaguely remember that bpao had the original models and the problem is that he passed away so what we have is what we have. And if I'm wrong then it will take a person to add the early tanks to the A and B models for historical accuracy. I think FastCargo may have them but not entirely too sure who has them, if anybody.

Edited October 10, 2019 by EricJ

[+yakarov79 11,082]

make new another weaponstation entry in data.ini only for new fuel tanks.

add lines

hidenodename=xxx where xxx is name of fuel tank nodes names that are part of the 3d model.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

14 hours ago, Svetlin said:

Thank you so much, russouk2004, I truly and greatly appreciate your kindness to devote some of your time to this.

I will give it a try to solve the issue, I believe I have an idea what I need to do for the fixed FPU-8/A tanks to show only when specifically called for.

your welcome...with bump map..its basic so if textures redone you can make the bump map as you like it or if not...delete bump and it wont show...which is stating the obvious lol`

was driving me nuts with that tank,usually you can make them changeable...this looks as if the f18 tank is actually fixed as part of maybe fuselage mesh....yaks idea should work

Edited October 10, 2019 by russouk2004

[Svetlin 543]

Yes, what yakararov79 wrote was my plan too and it works fine. I added the tank and I can select between the early FPU-6/A tank and the later FPU-8/A tank.

I just need to make a matching skin with the same level of weathering as the aircraft, though that is not really mandatory.