Zurawski

Thank-you sir... that would definitely be a small step in the right direction!

Might I add that if anyone knows his stuff regarding the venerable Sabre, it's Tazzkiller...

I feel for you Stary... I really do. Have not had a HD go tits-up on me yet (knocks on wood) but can offer you a personal "got a better one" that might make you feel better... About 6 months ago my wifes OS took a major dump that resulted in BSOD no matter what I did to try and rectify it. Decided to simply install Windows to a new directory and recover the stranded files etc. Somewhere between pressing install and my second whiskey sour, I must have elected to reformat the drive instead of repairing it... I know... It's the wifes PC, what is she going to lose... A recipe or a coupon to get her nails done? Nope... Me in my infinite wisdom choose to archive all my original 3D Studio MAX files to her drive as a "poor-mans" off-site back-up solution. ...Yup, I lost all my original Sabre, P.11, P-38 Los, Pogo, Talon and Osprey .3ds files. Just typing this made me vomit in my mouth a little... Lepszy szczęścia mój przyjaciel!

LOL! When I work as loss-prevention at a prominent electronics store in the early 90s our policy was to not engage any shoplifter who became physical and or elected to run (read: don't pursue) ... I apparently had excellent "luck" as every one of my apprehensions came as a result of a "slip and fall" by the shoplifter. Apparently the SAS fellas have excellent luck and or the shoplifter had exceptionally poor luck dependent upon ones perspective. Regardles, Good-on-them!

You know... Every-now-and-then you guys post some images that I have to do a double-take to qualify if they are photos of actual real birds and terrain or screen grabs. Truly amazing stuff (Yes... I know there are a few actual photos in this topic besides screen grabs) LOL!

LOL! For all the emotional and physical distress UVW work is to me... Applying textual artistry through texturing would then, to continue my lovely metaphor, would be like after having impaled my my fleshy man-sack to a fixed object, to then bolt upright and attempt to do jumping jacks. I lovingly and honestly liken by texturing efforts to be the equivilent of an ADD child with fat crayons and hick-ups... It's best just to let me play with the 3D shapes and leave the texturing stuff those far more talented than I...

I'd sooner drive a tent stake through the fleshy part of my scrotum before doing any UVW mapping or unwrapping... Sadly, it's a occupational hazard of our chosen hobby.

File Name: MQ-10A Kodiak File Submitter: Zurawski File Submitted: 24 February 2011 File Updated: 20 March 2011 File Category: SF2 Series Add On Aircraft MQ-10A Kodiak – Release Version 4.0 Welcome to the Kodiak release version 4.0. This plane was conceived out of my need to find something to effectively kick-start my creative juices and prime me mentally to tackle a few of my languishing projects. The MQ-10A is obviously a fictitious UAV on steroids. I best described it once as the unholy union of an A-10 and a Predator drone. It’s capable of carrying pretty much everything and oh, did I mention it VTOLS? Yeah, I wet myself a little too... Please fly it, enjoy it for what it is and go blow some crap up… NOTES: 1. Engine nacelles are rotated via what ever you have mapped for VTOL. Max VTOL weight is around 47,000 2. Do not be bashful in criticism or critique. 3. Installation is easy… decompress and cut/paste it in your aircraft folder. It has been tested on all version 2 games but should work in version 1 as well. CHANGE LOG / FIXES: 1. The weird porpoises issue has been fixed. The Kodiak is again a rock-sold weapon platform. 2. Right, wrong, or indifferent, I’ve settled on a very basic if not extremely functional projected cockpit format. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: 1. I pilfered the HUD stuff from Fastcargo’s F-35 bird. 2. I pilfered FM tidbits from a lot of different birds. ** Once I finalize on what will be enclosed in the final product I will include full and complete disclosure. 3. It includes a default Olive Drab scheme and all layered paintshop pro templates to assist in the creation of more. Click here to download this file

Thank-You... "Inventive" is my middle name!... Ok, it's really not but it would be quite a conversation point!

LOL! "bad-assery" was exactly what I was going for!

ROFLOL! Oh man that's F'n priceless... Though admittedly... I like a good landscape and a home without bushes or multi-tiered white fencing just seems wrong. Might make me go out and cut down a tree with a Herring...

Yeah, if you up the alt. it'll fix that. What would you recommend as a more reasonable ceiling?

Thanks Spectre. FM is truly a "work in progress"... There are still bits in there that are residual from the the original bird I pilfered them from. I'm going to hazard the guess that it's the oscillating pitch? If it is, I believe I know what the problem is and should have it fixed with the next release. Keep'm coming... Stuff like this makes my laundry list before I post the release version.

Well... when the migraine subsides from wrestling with the DCS Sim this will make for a enjoyable "simpleton" diversion LOL!

My pickle is that I wanted all the rwr, mfd, radar and TV displays to be translucent to fit the whole "virtual" pit" idea... However the game display function calls for them to be bitmap only. Tried it with the bitmaps and it just looks plain craptacular... Unless I can figure out some way to fudge my conceptual cockpit, I'll have to either go with a conventinal pit of some type or go with my original idea of creating a fixed display to give the impression of remotely piloting the bird. (Think how the UAV pilots do it now. (This is becoming the more plausable alternative as I mull it over). Thanks

As most have seen, I have released the MQ-10A under beta status while I noodle over how to finish the cockpit, damage model etc... For those that know me, know I have since day one acknowledged that my skill-set is on the 3D side and my graphic artistry is more in line with a 3-year old with fat crayons and a bad case of hick-ups and have always relied upon the far more talented community members. I've included a base scheme utilizing all my artistic efforts just to give the bird some clothes. My quest or challenge if you will is: Help me properly clothe the Kodiak. For your artistic efforts I will gladly include your offerings in the final release revision. It's not much, but I know what my weaknesses are. Included in the 3.0 beta release is the layered templates that you may utilize... Feel no obligation to participate, this is just me reaching out to talent far greater then mine. LOL! FWIW... I envisioned a default OD scheme, a low-viz / stealthy something, desert and a SEA scheme. Just suggestions... everyone will be wowed by anything better than my kindergarten efforts! Thanks in advance to anyone who plays along!

I'e got a little pet project going and just ran into a small snag... I'm trying to utilize alpha-channeled .tga for various displays. They show just fine with .bmp but when I change them to .tga, they disapear... Am I a dunce or can function-called displays (RWR etc..) only use .bmp? If any one can give affirmation or correction to this, I would be very appreciative...

"THIS" is a MQ-10A Kodiak... Yeah, I know everyone loves the historically accurate stuff but I needed something to kick-start my creative juices! Okay... think A-10 Warthog had a one-night stand with a Predator Drone. It's kind of a UAV tank if you will... Has the ability to pack a lot of power and oh, did mention?... It also VTOLs. Working on a pit right now (Very VR / Tron'ish) Anyway... enjoy the pics!

This was my initial thought regarding the Kodiak's cockpit view. Problem is I would have to edit the head motion / FOV to strictly a dead-on straight ahead view... anything else would blow any suspension of reality as the HUD data tends to float and eventually fade away when the rotation exceeds 45 degrees...

Wisconsin.... NOT Wisconson... *sigh* LOL! Seriously... You could not expect any self-respecting cheese head let you get away with THAT!

Thanks Tazkiller! For me there are only two US fighter aircraft that the mere visage conjures the sheer impression of absolute power and lethality: The F-4 Phantom and the venerable F-86 Sabre...

Take a peek at the MV-22 Osprey... You'll see how it's set-up and it'll almost be identical to your needs. (minus the prop entires)

Color me silly but I thought they were already made? LOL! Just like me to re-invent the wheel when the cart hasn't even been put together... No promises but neither bird would be all that difficult to model.

Do you mean "cockpit" as seen from the external model or do you mean "cockpit" as in actual virtual cockpit? There is an actual physical cockpit being worked on as we speak (well, as I type actually)... Because it is ultimately a UAV I originally was going to go with just a CRT display as if you are sitting at a console flying it... Instead I've gone with what I can best describe as a "projected virtual cockpit". Think "TRON"... As so far it's quite effective and gives you visual que as to your orientation at the same time being very "minimalist" Once I get a little further along I'll post some pics of the pit. If it's an external pit, actually if you look closely I made the nose in such a way that I "could" do a manned varient if there was enough calling...

Actually I created it as a gunner station so it would actually track enemy targets... Thanks for the kudos! Just having fun...