Geary

Inspired by PraetorH's recent A-4 WIPs.

Oh Great God of Airplane Designers, Forgive me for I have sinned against the Purists. I have added a gun to the F-102 Delta Dagger. It is a beautifully designed airplane (with a couple of major flaws) and I love flying it. But it's not a dogfighter and It has no gun. What the hell were you thinking? Once I've released the AIM-4 air-to-ground missilots to careen willy-nilly into space, I'm a bit embarrassed as the enemy pilots know they can easily evade those flying drop tanks and I have no other means of offense (or defense). I'm flying around in what moments ago was a dogfight and now feels like it's feeding time in a shark pool and I'm the raw meat. My only option then is to hang my head in shame, put it in afterburner, and head for home So ... I added a gun. (Currently the 20MM_M39.) I know the airplane designers didn't put a gun on this plane and they probably thought it wasn't needed or couldn't find the space for it, I also know they didn't design this plane as a dogfighter, But most of us that fly it here end up in dogfights. So ... I added a gun. I know Purists are probably gathering to have me burned at the stake, but I shot down 3 MiG-17s with the gun after lightening my load by dropping my missiles. (I hope they found suitable ground targets.) So, my quandary ... Do I keep the gun ... or go back to looking and feeling sheepish trying to get a kill by throwing those explosive hunks of lead at the enemy? (If I keep the gun, I could use an expert to design a better Photoshop gun port for it.) AMEN. P.S. What's with that damn cockpit strut down the center of view???? What the hell were you thinking?

PraetorH, 'The thing about the internal gun is that the F-102 would not be capable of housing it internally, if I am not mistaken:' I guess it depends on 'who' you read. Wiki says, " A proposed close-support version (never built) would have incorporated, in addition, an internal Gatling gun, an extra two hardpoints for bombs (in addition to the two underwing pylons for drop tanks that were fitted to all production F-102s), bigger internal fuel tanks, and an in-flight-refueling probe."[17] I also guess if there was a gatling gun in the plane it would probably chatter the pilot's teeth and heat-up his hemorrhoids as he would be sitting just above it. I think effective (20MM) gunpods on the wings would detract from the planes aerodynamics. Which is why, I think they weren't put on the plane to begin with. But it would still be an interesting project. We may end up with a new F-102.

PraetorH, I first considered a gun pod but couldn't find a place under the fuselage to place it. So, that left the wings. My first choice was the SUU-23. But that gp is too big for the wings. So, I looked at the SUU-11, but that fires 7.62 ammo and I don't think it has the range or impact needed for jet-to-jet combat, especially at speeds the F-102 would be fighting at. So, that left me with a virtual internal gun. I chose the M39. Seems to fit the 'requirements' for the F-102. The great thing about a virtual internal gun is that I can change it quite easily. :) macelena, I think you make my point quite well in my not choosing the SUU-11.

Bucklehead101, I'd first considered putting a gun pod on the F-102, but couldn't find a place it would fit. I thought mounting in in a bay, but that required more work than I cared to put into it. We should've given this plane to the Israelis. They would've found a way to put a gun on it and use it as a fighter.

Does anyone know from looking at the attached photo what I'm doing wrong in trying to create this Decal? I've followed Wrench's and Column5's tutorials on making decals, and this or pure black squares are what I get. It's saved as a TGA per the tutorials' instructions. The background isn't transparent when on the plane, but it is in Photoshop. ???? Any help is appreciated. Geary

Sheriff001, I like Pain.net. Seems to be somewhere between Gimp and Photoshop in its layout. I put it on clients computers if they don't have a pay ware paint program. Many clients love it. Guess I should spend a bit of time with it to see what it can do. logan4, I think maybe those transparent layers have been eluding me. I need to see how CS4 applies and handles them. If Gimp or Paint.net handle them easier as you and Spinners suggest, I may just stick with Gimp for decals. Just need to figure out what I did wrong when I tried Gimp.

Having problems here too trying to add photos to posts. Seems to have begun right after installing MS IE 11.

Spinners, I like GIMP from what little I've used it, but I'm more used to Photoshop CS4. I followed your instructions using my version of GIMP and also tried it with CS4. Didn't work. If I understand this decal making procedure, I have to somehow separate the decal from the background, then somehow turn the background transparent. Yes? Somewhere in the instruction steps from your tutorial and also from Raven's instructions for Photoshop, something didn't happen correctly in CS4. I still don't understand Alpha channels and what they do, (although I have an inkling of the 'masking' theory) but if they're willing to work with me, I'll work with them. Hey man, don't knock magic wands. If I had one that worked, I wouldn't worry about alpha channels either, or skinning for that matter.

Cobra Warming Up in the Early Moring

logan4, I think I kept messing up the step where I should 'invert' the decal with the background. Spinners' and Raven's instructions both had those steps but apparently I misunderstood or missed it. When I get time, I may try their tutorials again and pay special attention to that step to see if that was where I went off course.

Raven, Training pictures with stick figures performing actions. That's the best method for training slow thinkers. That and an electric cattle prod.

Eureka! And the Winner of the 'Getting Through The Dense Skull' Award is Russouk2004!! You should bottle those '4 steps' and place them in the Knowledge Base. This easy method works in Photoshop CS4. One try was all it took. Do you teach Kindergarten by any chance? MANY thanks. Geary

logan4, I'm trying to avoid using other paint programs. I have and am more used to Photoshop CS4. But, if it comes down to using another program to create decals, so be it. Thanks, Spinners, Where is it? EDIT: Found it. OK, Spinners, Tried your decal tutorial. Must have a slightly different version of GIMP as all the screens didn't look the same, but muddled through somehow. But the end result came out the same as in the photo I posted at the beginning of this thread. Got the decal, but the background isn't transparent. Will give it another try and see if I can figure out what I've been doing wrong. Reminds me of the first time I had sex. Glad I sorted that out.

Thanks, I've got to learn to do decals. This is becoming a small holy grail to me.

Any idea how to un-mess it? When I add an Alpha Channel to it, it saves as a black square and nothing shows up on the plane.

Never saw those before. CLASSIC! Thanks for the laughs.

MigBuster, Were you wearing your rose colored glasses when you took that photo? Mandatory ScreenShot

Cliff7600's SEA Skin with a few alterations.

Very Nice. Brings back OLD memories. Thanks,

In the AIM-4's defense, they are good-looking missiles. A bit misunderstood, I think. I feel like they should have happy faces painted on their nose because when you fire them, they turn into happy little missiles flying as fast as they can, evading anything in the air that might cause them to explode, and living their short life in the air to its fullest.

Yeah, I can also use the SF F-106 cockpit with the pipe-site in the center of the cockpit strut. I'm currently using the RAZBAM cockpit. Hate to give it up, but really limits view. Seems the designers figured out the F-102 needed a gun when they evolved it into the F-106. Might add some power, too..

Mine is.