OHKA prototype

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Derived from my Reichenberg and still carrying some of it's details but with a fully working Rendering Sequence. There is a pilot inside too but I couldn't use the Reichenberg's tranparency file but he's in there. The skin is largely from the Reichenberg with a white overlay and all colors removed from the plane and a quick Nippon dot replacing the German insignia. Later a proper skin with proper shading will be added but first the model needs to be tweaked so all V1 details are properly adapted to get the model as it should be. Notice that the model has 8 sides, like my Reichenberg, giving it a rounder shape then the stock V1. Couldn't squeeze more out of it due to the model's small size which limits the circumference of a circle polygon. However large planes can use this technique too and may be able to use 10 or 12 sides.

VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen 63]

I've created this protype to have a flawless plane from which other planes can easily be derived and which is cheap in terms of nodes, polygons and framerates, yet just a little more interesting then what stock planes provide. It's also been a study of the issues you see on many other planes created for EAW and how to prevent problems. It's a single 3DZ which consists of 132 nodes and 163 polygons and I've made it more elaborate then it needed to be, which just was more of an accident but very illuminating nonetheless. It showed me how to make modifications to existing planes and tweak them without significantly altering the R/S.

As I said it's a prototype but a very important one because you just can not alter planes which are inherently flawed without solving these flaws first. This model has no flaws whatsoever, has more polygons then it needs and adding or deleting polygons and reshaping the model is a piece of cake for those who understand the R/S.

During the build I encountered about 10 different shapes, each one slightly deviating from the base model but still totally flawless and I hope to turn them into the planes I've admired for a long time. To show what's possible here's one modified version, it's not an OHKA yet but reshaping the tail and keeping the R/S intact is not going to be a problem. Turning the  canopy into a bubble version is a bit harder I think but since it's a flawless base shouldn't take too long.

VonBeerhofen

Edited November 10, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen 63]

The final 3D model? Don't think it can be further improved but I've had simmilar thoughts before. Next will be creating a proper skin for it.

VonBeerhofen

[RIBob 39]

Latest version has the canopy correct, as well as general outlines of the A/C.  Any number of pix of the A/C on the web, for reference.  the rocket-powered version was, IIRC, never used.  Glider version was used. to indifferent effect. 

Initial attempts to use this A/C, launched from twin-engine Japanese bomber aircraft, were mostly failures, as the bomber was usually detected, at long range, and shot down long before the release point of the suicide A/C.  Some of the initial suicide GLIDING bombs made it, and were devastating when they hit, which was seldom.    

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Canopy got revised, the front side panels were canted backwards and the sidepanels are now more accurate. It's not entirely right yet as I'm still using the Reichenberg drawing for the canopy but I want a more round collar all around instead of the squary look. Also added a crosshair reticule. The wing still needs a bit of work for control surfaces, a smaller wing is opional and only requires the removal of 4 polygons. Will also try to get the nose more round (less pointy).

VonBeerhofen

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen 63]

The summum of EAW roundess and perhaps a bit over the top which i think can't be further improved. I know, I know, it's been said before but all I wanted to learn was how to fix all the flawed planes I've seen throughout 20 years of playing this game and I think I found a fair number of solutions. Not that I'm going to fix all of em, only the one's I need. The Ohka is not EAW's toughest plane to create and there's always room for improvement but I'll only make the canopy rounder in the texture and match the nose, which is actually the exhaust of the V1 ramjet, and that'll be it, at least for now. Time to move on!

VonBeerhofen

 

Edited November 14, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen 63]

The final model, only some more work on the skin remains.

VBH

[rwatson 26]

Looks pretty good VB,,One question are there any guns on that puppy or is it just a flying bomb as in kamikaze like a flying V-1

 

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Russ it can be anything you want it to be, what would you like? I'm thinking to have one as an ordinance file so it can be fired like a rocket and another one as a flyable plane, with or without guns. Ofcourse guns are a bit more fun. In EAWPRO a plane can also be set as a none flyable AI in which case it will behave as the V1 and plummet onto the target in an intercept mission.

Just couldn't help it but I had to add the front- and backview of the pilot so he's visible from all angles.

VonBeerhofen

Edited November 16, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[rwatson 26]

Hey Vb as Bob said it was a flying bomb and not a fighter I would sure hate to be on a carrier with one of these boring down on me..for sure it's one mean machine and the pilots had more chestnuts  than I have

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Yep, sure was a devastating weapon. Don't think any weaponised versions were actually designed. In ECA panel it was supposed to be a rocket fired projectile. Perhaps I can do something special with the rocket routine to make it more interesting, no promises as usual. As AI they're not designed to fight and my changes to it merely make em fly around. They do attack but they have very little steering capabillity. Not sure if it's in the FM that Theo created for the Reichenberg. Will keep experimenting with it and see where it goes. Sofar it's only been about creating a good working 3D model plane but as usual it's just the beginning of the story. As RiBob mentioned, it has no problem to create a spectacular explosion, :)

VonBeerhofen

Edited November 17, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[VonBeerhofen 63]

There seems to have been a weaponised version, MXY7 type 11-26 which I came across in a Japanese model building kit. The above version is simmilar to it in shape but has a narrower wing with a canon? in the left wing. Another version with the wider wing was found at Okinawa and the nose of it is sleeker so I modelled that one as well.

VonBeerhofen

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[RIBob 39]

This link has some valuable info and pix, not the least of which is proper nomenclature, and descriptions of the various types, both built and planned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokosuka_MXY-7_Ohka

Note that the ""Suzuka-24" (Japanese designation unknown)"  variant had 2 x 2 20 mm cannon, and was purportedly used against B-29s.  

No idea if the pilot was supposed to ram once running out of ammo, or bail out in order to try again.  Note also that this aircraft, or at least some variants, were planned to be launched from land and sea platforms, as well as the initial air-launched variant.

The pix contained in the link will, I hope, prove useful. 

 

Edited November 19, 2019 by RIBob

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Thx for the info RiBob, very usefull information and I'll see what I can do with it. It's more fun when the flyable version has guns.

VBH

[RIBob 39]

As submitted elsewhere, if it is desired to have a shorter, rounder nose on any of these flying bombs, perhaps the modder could use the nose of a torpedo.  should be ideal for some variants which sported stubby, round noses.

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Lol. torpedos aren't very round in EAW RiBob and shapes can not easily be copied and pasted into a model. However there's no problem with shortening the nose and adapting the curve . I agree that it's a little sharp and needs to be more like the previous version I posted (picture was already deleted). I will match it to the exact shape of the picture I have later. Having more fun with the escort carrier at the moment.

VonBeerhofen

Edited December 8, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[rotton50 19]

1 hour ago, VonBeerhofen said:

shapes can not easily be copied and pasted into a model.

Not 100% accurate.

While you can't copy and paste elements from one model to another you can easily attach separate 3dz's together with hardpoints.

So you could null out the sharp edged nose elements and then find a smoother nose cone somewhere in the EAW universe and attach it to the front of the main fuselage. The whole exercise would take about 1/2 hour.

FWIW, the roundest nose cone 3dz I've ever come across is the radar pod I built for the P-82. if you want to try adapting that one, you can still get it at Talley-ho.

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Doesn't sound as if it needs adapting. Roundest nosecone I've build is my 16 sided white blimp, which was called a fake. I'm sure you rember that one, :(

Anyway there's no need to use the described method with the 100% models even though the method is available. You can do anything with them, provided you have knowledge about how the rendering sequence works. As I said previously they can be turned into multipart models without the need to copy it's R/S and unused nodes and polygons into every part and tweak your heart out. The result are fast rendering clean objects which can use the F.3DZ as intended and every node and polygon each 3DZ can provide.

VonBeerhofen

Edited December 8, 2019 by VonBeerhofen

[RIBob 39]

6 hours ago, VonBeerhofen said:

Lol. torpedos aren't very round in EAW RiBob and shapes can not easily be copied and pasted into a model. However there's no problem with shortening the nose and adapting the curve . I agree that it's a little sharp and needs to be more like the previous version I posted (picture was already deleted). I will match it to the exact shape of the picture I have later. Having more fun with the escort carrier at the moment.

VonBeerhofen

Just a suggestion, and I'm sure that you would know better than I how to go about it.  Bravo, and keep up the good work.

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Forgot to mention that that blimp was one of the first  100% models ever created back in 2010 and turned into one of the most memorable moments in my life :) All in all it turned out very well for me in the end, no hard feelings to the people involved, they never had any idea what it was all about, still don't.

It's all sorted RiBob, don't worry. Thx for the input!

VBH

[rotton50 19]

It's faster to adapt an existing nose cone than build one. No sense reinventing the wheel.

[RIBob 39]

5 minutes ago, rotton50 said:

It's faster to adapt an existing nose cone than build one. No sense reinventing the wheel.

Perhaps.  I would have thought so, but I am writing from a position of ignorance.  Perhaps VBH has something else in mind.  

Saying that there is no need to re-invent the wheel is only a partial truth.  For example, once the pneumatic tire was added to the wheel, its' rolling resistance was greatly reduced, and the speeds at which it could be used greatly increased.

So, while not exactly re-inventing the wheel, some modders considerably increased the wheel's usefulness.

Let's see what VBH has in mind for a final product.  I think it only fair to evaluate a work on its final iteration, and not when it is in development.

[VonBeerhofen 63]

8 hours ago, rotton50 said:

It's faster to adapt an existing nose cone than build one. No sense reinventing the wheel.

You can not break down an entire plane to only a nose and concatenate it with an existing model within the time I need to add 8 or 10 polygons on an existing model with a proper working R/S.

Fact is that 99% of the models out there have issues. just inspect the tail on your Ohka. Importing parts from it merely increases the risk of importing R/S issues as well and setting yourself up with having to fix none matching parts which are an additional risk for more R/S issues.

If you start out with models which already have such issues and try to stretch and twirl them to get a viable shape then things will only get worse. Further more, adding your shape to mine isn't necessarily going to work for that same reason. You should know, you and Col, Gibbon have tried that for an eternity.

VonBeerhofen

[rotton50 19]

Simply not true.

There are a massive number of aircraft available in the 1.6 development line with no R/S issues and most of them use some form of hard point attachment.

In fact, my "Empty F" method takes this to it's logical end with a main section that is nothing but hard points attaching all the pieces together.

Since all 3dz's are recognized in the exactly the same way by the EAW exec, of course adding my shape to your shape would work. The game doesn't know who built a particular model so there is no inherent risk associated with combining pieces from different sources.

The problem is that some modders strive for ideological purity and others adhere to the idea that the enemy of good is perfect. As we know from so many real world examples, the ideologists DEMAND purity.................................all the while, realistic players couldn't care less.

PS - The Okah rudder R/S was fixed as soon as I saw the screenshot but I didn't feel like reposting a new picture.

[VonBeerhofen 63]

Well in that case there's no reason not to fix your other planes which have R/S issues. I think players do care, after all modding has always been about trying to improve EAW, especially it's plane models. It's why Col. Gibbon's planes caught everyone's attention in the first place, perhaps it's just you who doesn't care anymore. 

VonBeerhofen

Edited December 9, 2019 by VonBeerhofen