RAF_Louvert

SWEET! :yes:

I am just about finished now with the RAF 139 Squadron's Bristol F2b and will be posting it for download soon. Here are photos of the actual plane and of the new OFF paint for comparision: I repainted the underside of the fuselage in the clear doped linen and dirtied it up a bit, and redid the wheels as well to match the actual plane. Cheers! Lou

Oh can I feel your pain Widowmaker. I did the same thing a number of years ago and it snagged me so hard it put the hook all the way through the side of my finger, (but missed the bone). Had to have the barbed end clipped off with a wire cutters so the remainder of the hook could be pulled out the same way it had gone in. Then I got a tetanus shot after which I sat there whilst the Doc slipped a blunt needle through the puncture wound so he could pull a string coated with antibiotics through the hole in order to clean it out and keep it from infecting. A bad day in Red Rock. Cheers! Lou

Olham wrote: Yuppers, I'm hooked, but then I have been since RB3D. I spent many many hours painting up all the birds in Red Baron. But these OFF kites are SOOOOO much more fun to paint because of the size, detail and non-mirrored skins. Stumpjumper, I love that HP you're escorting Sir. I'd like to not only fly that but also create a skin or two for the beast. Cheers! Lou

Commander Nels Albertson and his gunner had to make a forced landing on the wrong side of the mud some time back, and Nels was captured. He set fire to his plane and created a diversion long enough for Sgt. Shewtum to slip back across the mud, but the Commander was not as lucky and was taken prisioner. However, we have learned that he managed to escape after four months of captivity and is currently on his was home from Switzerland. After a brief respite in England he will be back at the front. Cheers! Lou

Those shots are outstanding Jimko! They would make beautiful screensavers. Cheers! Lou

Olham, your "Stropp" Alb looks fantastic Sir! I look forward to loading it up and flying it about in the OFF skies. And as I mentioned in a recent post, I began work on my next skin as well, and it is an historically accurate one this time. Here is a teaser of the project so far; Bristol F2b #D8084 of the 139 Squadron, RAF: I still have the top wing white and black longitudinal stripes to do as well as some final adjustments, but it is getting close, and I will post it for downloading when it is completed. Cheers! Lou

Agreed! The sounds in this sim, like all other aspects of it, are outstanding. Cheers! Lou

Hans Böhning's Alb is a beautiful craft. I did a wrap of his plane for RB3D a year or two ago. Deadhead, I checked out your kit and it is very nice Sir. And I agree with Olham, you need to post a few screenshots of it here for everyone. Cheers! Lou

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Easter. I know I did. I even had some time this evening to work a bit on my latest paint skin for the Strutter 1 1/2. Here are a few screen shots of "L'Elephant de vol". Cheers! Lou

Morning Sinbad, Riketycrate asked the same question about this skin, and while it was not taken from any particular WWI graphics scheme I tried to give it a very authentic feel to the point of beginning with a vintage image from a French cigarette package for the elephant, which I then altered to fit this project. I also took various graphic design ideas from actual Great War aircraft to help maintain that "genuine" feel, and used colors that are appropriate to the time period. And thanks again Widowmaker. I have my next project already in the works and this one will be an historic scheme based entirely on a specific WWI kite. Cheers! Lou

File Name: 1916 Strutter 1 1/2 "Elephant of Flight" File Submitter: RAF_Louvert File Submitted: 13 Apr 2009 File Category: Aircraft Skins 1916 Strutter 1 1/2 "Elephant of Flight" Click here to download this file

Actually Jug, I started with a logo from a WWI era French cigarette box. But it does look a tad like Alabama's mascot in that they are both elephants. Cheers! Lou

I placed the file for my Strutter skin in the download section. Please let me know if it works for you. 1916 Strutter 1 1/2 "Elephant of Flight" Cheers! Lou

For a clearer illustration I thought it might be helpful if I posted an image of the Strutter skin file I built so you can see the odd adjustments that had to be made. Please note: a. The asymmetrical stagger of the diamonds at the elevator joint. b. The odd shape of the wing diamonds. c. The closer spacing of the right wing stripe to the roundel and the wider aspect of both when compared to the left side. d. The shift off-center of the fuselage top diamond. e. The narrower width of the elephant and name on the right side of the plane. f. The fact that the right side elephant is not reversed yet the name is. As you can see it gets to be a challenge to end up with everything looking the way you want it to when the skin actually wraps around the 3-D model. Cheers! Lou

Yes Widowmaker, as I mentioned in another recent post about the Strutter I painted, it can be very tedious to sort out the adjustments for the wrap distortion. I used the same basic idea that Olham outlined here with a grid overlay and screen captures, but even with that you will get down to moving certain bits and pieces a pixel at a time to achieve the final "perfect" alignment. One of the issues is that the distortion changes exponentially as you move away from or towards a certain point, so even the grid system won't get you dead on, but it does help. That's why you need to work in many layers that allow you infinite adjustments of all the pieces you need to work with in order to get the final results you are going for. My Strutter project ended up with 23 separate layers, but it was worth it, and was a very educational experience. I am sure my next OFF skinning project will go more quickly, or at least I hope it does. Cheers! Lou

Very neat Widowmaker, and apparently checks are in this year. I hear they're the new black. Cheers! Lou

Thanks Beanie. Yes, I will be uploading it soon. Cheers! Lou

Very true Wels, the EIII outclassed the BE2c in all regards, and unless the Einie pilot was foolish enough to allow himself to fly into the gunner's arc on the BE, there was really no danger. Unless of course several BE's were flying together and went into their circle tail chase defensive tactic when the Einies approached them. Then the Hun would have a time of it trying for a clear shot without getting shredded. Cheers! Lou

Absolutely Luiz. The more unstable the plane is the better fighter it makes, (to a point). It is its very instability that allows it to be so nimble, when and if you sort it out before it kills you trying. The big, docile B/R planes were very stable and a good platform for recon work and bombing, but about worthless in a dogfight, which is why they needed gunners for protection. Cheers! Lou

Very nice Rooster, good work. I really like that shot where it's coming right at you. Cheers! Lou

That is a frightening visage Beanie. Well done. I agree with Olham too, it would really pop on a white Alb with a red nose. Perhaps a forward-facing pitchfork design on the top wing as well. Cheers! Lou

Sweet plane Chris, I'd like to give that one a fly. And for some reason I have a sudden craving for a good pizza and a bottle of vino. Cheers! Lou

Beautiful plane Olham! And nothing wrong with keeping it clean, shows pride of ownership. But about that comment on a messy kitchen and British ancestry...FOWL! The Brits like to have things neat and classy as well. Now, where did I set my plate of bread and drippings? Cheers! Lou