LloydNB

Thanks guys

Well, that complicates things. The squadrons I'm skinning for the Battle of France and North Africa had a mix of aircraft - some with the bomb bay and some without.

An Aero Journal edition I have has the actual serial numbers for each GAO squadron, from which you can determine the correct under wing codes.  Perhaps that means I'll do an early war version of the .data file, allowing the section of mixed squadrons.

LloydNB

I'm looking to make changes to  the .data file for the Potez 63.11.  The books say it also had a small internal bomb bay that held 8 10kg bombs.  its not clear where the bomb bay was located as none of the panel line drawings or cut-out diagrams I have show it.

My guess is that it was under the pilot, close to the centre of mass. The gunner had to be able to man both the ventral and dorsal gun. The orientation of the bombs was probably horizontal in two stacks of five - there doesn't appear to be space for vertical bombs, such as in the p.633.

What do you think?

LloydNB

Progress shots. I still need to change some of the flight numbers for ECN 1/13- the aircraft below (No.117 flown by Cap. Treillard) was actually White 1, not White 2 as depicted.

The P63.11 may take some time as the fuselage is mapped a little differently to the P630.  It means that the size and orientation of some layers will have to be tweaked. However, when done, there are dozens of possible squadrons and theatres.

I'm also working on the P633. I've managed to add a decal giving the pilot an aiming window but it bleeds into the nose on the left side. That will require another decal to cover it. I can add a rear window (below the gunner's feet) and a landing spotlight but they do the same thing.

The P633s hung on making up squadron numbers at the start of hostilities. The aircraft represented should be used in blended squadrons with B693s. As most of the P633s were aircraft held back from foreign orders, I've represented them with letter suffixes to their aircraft number - C for China, R for Romania and G for Greece.

A re-skin of the Potez 631 C3 in development. The aircraft number and under-wing codes are historically correct, although only some aircraft are recorded as being in particular squadrons. Most that were recorded were downed aircraft. 

Well if you ever need inspiration, just come on down to the Hood Aerodrome, Masterton New Zealand, where Peter Jackson keeps some of his collection.

https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/the-vintage-aviator-hangar-masterton-nz.46396/

They are even more impressive in the air during Wings over Wairarapa.

I remember reading here the other day that people continue to have problems getting TGAs to show properly on aircraft.  The problem is down to paint programs producing 24-bit TGAs, whereas the game needs 32-bit files for the Alpha channel to be included.

The answer is a handy little utility that I keep on my desktop. Its an Alpha Converter by Adam Najmanowicz. Simple to use - just open the utility up (there are just two files), select TGA files as the output,select and drag your 24 bit TGAs on to the utility.  For a 128x128 file you will seen the file size change where you have the TGA files stored  e.g. from 66KB to 65KB. You can find the utility for download at Adam's blog - https://blog.najmanowicz.com/search/alphaconv/

Remember to select an uncompressed 24-bit format when making the files in the first place.

Terrific!!

I'm using that page as my guide.

I thought a few Ecole d’aéronautique (Cockatoo)  aircraft pressed into service flying in an army communications role would be representative of 1940. The numbers should probably be in the 130-156 range to represent the last surviving air frames, although I have record of No.78 being abandoned at Oostende.

Well, its posted.

Working on the Belgian Br.19.  I've got the standard rudder makings sorted.  All it needs is the individual aircraft numbers in the place indicated and matching codes under the lower wings.

Me included! 

Well some of us have access to the Wellesley.

I was thinking of the Eritrea/Ethiopia terrain for SF2.  The objects are all modern but at least it wouldn't be starting from stratch. 

Even the Madagascar terrain for SF2 would be useable if we were thinking of the invasion of the Vichy territory in 1942.

I do love the vehicles. Have you considered the Italian L3 series of tankettes? They saw wide service in Spain and North Africa. I'm still looking for evidence that they were employed in East Africa.

Progress report on 23 Grupo.

The beauty of it is that all the same aircraft , equipment and scenery can be used for East Africa and there is even the beginnings of a suitable terrain.

Still working on Republican Br.19s. Casa built Br.19s used more canvas in the fuselage, positioned the steps in a different place and only put them on the left side.

Three  squadrons under development - 22 Grupo, 23 Grupo and Alas Rojas Squadron.

I'm using Paint Shop Pro 9 and a nice little AlphaConverter execute to make the tga files work properly. PSP9 will produce PS files.

I think I've got a hi-res version of the squadron marking. I'll look when I get home.

I struggle to find a good font for the numbers on Italian aircraft. What font is that?

Nice choice of squadron markings for the S.79

2 Mira, Royal Hellenic Air Force 1940

The Breguet 19A2B2 served in the Royal Hellenic Air Force from 1925 to 1940. Initially they carried the names of Greek cities and island but were later given code numbers.  

53 aircraft were purchased, including 12 from Yugoslavia in 1935, but only 18 were still airworthy by the start of the Greco-Italian War. By this stage it filled an observation/army cooperation role with 1 Observation Mira, under I Corp Command, based at Perigiali, near Corinth and with 2 Observation Mira under II Corps command, based at Larissa and Kozani.

I've include both the bmp files and the layered psp files for those of you who want to improve on the skin or make your own.

LloydNB