Geezer

Will add Gladiator and CR.42 to my to-do pile of 1930s aircraft. Both were used in BoB.

I just remembered that when FE was first released, the AA fire was unrealistically effective. This was changed in a patch that also addressed other issues. I wish I could remember more, but a search of the First Eagles forum at TW might shed some light on what was done to reduce overly effective AA fire.

I looked up the Lewis gun's rate of fire and, depending on the version, it was roughly comparable to the US .30 Browning. However, the Browning was belt-fed while the Lewis used 47- and 97-round drums which meant that the Lewis required frequent reloading. Factoring in the time spent to remove the old drum, install the new drum, and then re-cock the gun and re-acquire the target, the EFFECTIVE rate of fire was rather low. This would severely penalize Alvin York let alone the average gunner.

Agreed. I realize that there are many hard-working modders who have a significant emotional stake in the current stuff for SF1/WOV/WOE, and I have nothing but admiration for their outstanding achievements. However, time marches on whether we like it or not, and the newer TW sims (FE, WOI) are the new standard. I may be mistaken, but it is my understanding that TW will no longer support the older sims with any more updates? As you said, the Suez expansion will provide a baseline for the overhaul of all the old FM, ini, etc files.

Nice work. Sometime, I would like to play around with the A-20. I'm really a WW2 guy, I just start sooner than most propheads - in 1937 instead of 1939.

Interesting. I don't presume to tell anyone how to make a mod, but it sounds like the Val's gunners may be overly-effective? The Val's rear defense consisted of a single WW1 Lewis gun - woefully inadequate for fending off attacking fighters armed with 4-8 guns. While there is always the chance of a golden BB, historically Vals were sitting ducks.

Thanks. Had a hard day at work and just don't feel up to doing artwork - will get back to Ford Island tomorrow. Instead, I got some time in on the Kaga - that was easier.

Yep. Most WW2 infrastructure was built in the 1930s. It can also sometimes be used for WW1 (depends). Shot below of repair dock I was working on before the Kaga and Ford Island popped up.

OK - let's get Ford Island done first. Also, I have no idea what runway 3 looks like!

Well said. Progress shot of Ford Island below - basic coverage is done and beginning to add details. Kaga and 1930s hangars shown to give sense of scale.

Thanks - I have a good map, but this photo will be the best guide of all. Also, I'll recheck my scale and make sure it matches the grid shown on a previous map. As most Pearl Harbor action will center around this island, I'll take some extra time with the textures - test shot will probably be ready tomorrow night. Do you need other airfield models?

Quick and dirty Ford Island shown below - a trifle undersize (around 90% of actual size). I can probably get a test version off to you tonight. If you are in no hurry, I could make some ground objects (hangars, tower, oil tanks, docks, etc) in a couple of weeks.

Using the map's scale bar, I made a grid and overlayed it on Ford Island - each square is 1/8 mile. Because of the many problems you are struggling with, the island could be more accurate than the harbor. That leads me to ask - if I made one big model of the entire harbor, would the editor allow you to insert it into the game map?

OK, I'll start on a Ford Island "platform". It doesn't have to have any height correct? Just width and length? Also, progress shots of Kaga and Northrop 2E below.

Found some good maps and shots of Ford Island, and the tower. One map has a scale bar that provides some approximate dimensions. I know you have been having scale and size problems, so my question is: should the model be "correct" size, or a bit undersize? Also, it looks like the field was asphalt, not concrete.

Did you ever get a response from a 3D model guy on this? If not, send me a PM and we can talk about what is needed. Geezer

Here are a couple of maritime oddities that might be of interest - patrol boats used on large Chinese rivers. USS Panay (sunk by Japanese dive bombers): HMS Moth:

Definately - but it will be a while. I've learned to make 3d models, but my UV unwraps are rather ham-fisted and still have occasional distortions. So...I am learning the art by doing simpler stuff such as buildings and ground vehicles before tackling the more demanding compound curves that characterized so many 1930s aircraft. I love the wheel spats and open cockpits of the mid-30s, and an amazing variety of machines were used in the Sino-Japanese war that started in 1937 and gradually developed into WW2. I have mostly completed 3D models of six aircraft used by China and Japan in the 1937 Shanghai campaign and plan on continuing through the Dutch East Indies and Burma campaigns of 1941. I suppose you could describe the theme as Wings Over Asia. Some "Darken The Skies" shots below:

Very nice!

Thanks. The plane is the IJN's standard horizontal and torpedo bomber of the late 1930s - the Yokosuka B4Y "Jean". It was replaced by the better-known Kate around 1940.

Good point - currently I'm using the most complex LOD 0 versions. Being highly detailed biplanes, they use a lot of polys (see below). It looks like the solution would be to use simpler LOD1 or even LOD 2 aircraft? I have another question about AA gun mounts. Are they completely static, or should their pivots be set up so they are usable? Thanks ahead of time.

I'm devoting some time to some Japanese ground objects, and that has led me into an area I know little about - carrier operations. Because the IJN conducted extensive carrier ops in the early phases of the Sino-Japanese war, it looks like an early IJN carrier - such as the Kaga - is needed. I made a quick and dirty Kaga, and then sprinkled some aircraft across the flight deck. The newer TW releases (FE, WOI) allow aircraft to take off line abreast so the layout shown below is feasible? Are there any restrictions or problems that would prevent such a concept from working? Any comments would be much appreciated before I put much time into a carrier.

I'm posting progress shots on the "Just A Thought" thread, as it is discussing WW2 ship construction. Had some fun in Max with the Kaga WIP:

This is rolled over from another thread where I asked some old hands about the feasibility of large numbers of launchable aircraft. In a classic case of "too dumb to know better" I've started work on a Kaga as part of my 1930s ground objects effort. Working in Max, it appears that the biggest hit to the game engine will be the large number of aircraft, not the ship itself? As I am NOT a ship guy, any advice you may have would be greatly appreciated.

I have 3dsMax9, which can make the TCB animations that TW sims use. I'm experimenting with a few figures, such as a fuel guy and AA gunners. I've run through a few tutorials and the results were OK - for a first time. With practise, I'll get better so lets put that on our list of stuff to do. First, I'll get the carrier built - the info I have is for the WW2 version, but any differences are minor if the ref I linked to above is accurate.