mppd

Antenna seen on 25th TFS F-4Ds at Ubon - retained later after LORAN added to the spine also. This stuff is slowly coming together for me! (Ooops, had it on the wrong side...) Mike

Having a small problem creating a UVW map for a drop tank in 3dSMax. Followed Mustang tutorial verbatim, created UV map modifier for each side, view align for each side, type in identical values, export as 3DS. Net result opening up in Lithunwrap is that right side image is about 95% of left image...?? Can't get them identical for anyhing. (Makes aligning panel lines tougher). Any ideas what I'm doing wrong??? Thanks, Mike D.

Many types of aircraft were used to deploy sensors in LAOS to detect the movement of supplies heading south. Among these were F-4Ds of the 25th TFS at Ubon. A typical sensor was ADSID - a seismic sensor detecting ground tremors from moving trucks (or personnel?). The sensor looked like a camouflaged lawn dart with antenna sticking out the top made to look like foliage when buried in the ground. Looked interesting hanging from a Phantom MER!

Thanks for the hints. I could not resolve the problem, so I measured the difference in the two bitmap sizes, and made the right side map that exact percentage difference smaller - resulting in larger bitmap image. Roundabout way, but it worked. I wonder if I was not making the UV Map large enough to start with?? Tough to be a beginner and not know what the heck you're doing wrong...!! Mike

Just kidding about the Navy F-4 thing...but I have to say that I don't think that I have ever tried flying onto or off of a carrier in WOV yet!! But I will eventually. Hey, don't apologize for asking about the add-on parts. If the big guys don't come through in a little while, I'll be glad to try to make the parts for you (us). I wasn't proud about asking several folks to make some parts for me, but when everyone seemed to be busy and could not find the time, I figured that it was time to get into the 3D business myself. I used to be a technical illustrator in the old days when I had a real job, but the software for 3D modeling was really in its infancy in those days, and seeing what is possible now just blew me away, and the hoops you have to jump thru to learn the stupid program was pretty intimidating to be honest. I have lots of little parts I need for myself - TISEO, ADSID, SUU-7, the BLU-1s without the end caps, maybe a new CL 600 gal tank, ARN-101 on F-4E spine, and on and on. The possibilities now are virtually endless. Mike

I have version 8. I have not figured out how to use this feature, I have only been doing what I was shown. Lots to learn with all this... I ended up figuring out the exact difference in size then applying it when specifying the UV map for the opposite side, and it worked, but I'm obviously doing something backwards. Mike

Blade, Did the Navy fly F-4s also? Learn something new every day....I guess what I'm trying to do is a few stopgap items to carry us over until the guys who actually know what they're doing can finish their real products. The 3D deal is a steep learning curve for us old guys, I can tell you that was my experience. But it is a way to make all those little things that are bugging you if you are a bit of a perfectionist. Here are some new 370 gal MacAir wingtanks that I did - they are shaped a bit more like the real thing than the pointy tanks supplied in the sim. Mike D.

I created a new under-nose F-4C and an F-4D bulged RHAW housing (all black - no texture) plus the four small RWR antennas around the nose (on F-4Ds until 1969) as add-on parts. This goes a long way towards making an acceptable C and D until something better comes along from the MF with fixed L.E. flaps. I'll upload them later. Mike D.

O.K., one more tiny item to help make these Phantoms a little more real - APS-107 RHAW system housings on first F-4Ds to go to SE Asia. MPD

Looks great!! Mike

Thanks for the encouragement - I am really in awe at all of the 3D projects that all you folks have created. The thought of creating an entire airplane is just WAY over my head..I'm struggling with these puny parts for the F-4!! I created a bitmapt that actually wrapped on the part last week, but could not do it last night for the life of me! Back to the tutorials I guess. MPD

Mirage Factory is not interested - too many other neat projects in the works which are much higher on the priority list. They could come up with a SUPER C/D model... Mike

Also, now that I'm starting to figure out this 3D thing there are a few more items I need to make - small nose RHAW antennas that were on F-4D upper noses until removed in 1969 or so, plus a small antenna on 25th TFS F-4D spines (offset to right on mid fuselage). Also F-4E TISEO. Mike D.

Problem is that it will not be part of the base .LOD and would not have all of my tail marking decals cover it. There is a pirated (?) copy of the original 3DSMax F-4B/C/D/E source file floating around and no one wants to admit it exists. My bet is that several folks are flying a C/D visual model that is accurate in WOV but are afraid to release this to the general CA public. I'm not mentioning names but it isn't rocket science to figure out who probably has it. I have not petitioned TK to make the C/D flap fix, I would guess perhaps that if he did that it would open the door to a flood of similar requests from everyone to fix every other little inaccuracy in the sims. Someone should give an inch here to help us all out to have a more accurate Phantom. I'm trying to help us all out here, even though this is becoming an obsession.... Mike D.

Oh brother, it just dawned on me - use the F-4C .LOD for the base and that will get rid of the bumps on the nose. Now has anyone had any success hex-editing the .LODs? All we need is an F-4B.LOD with the tail RHAW antenna like on the F-4C/D. Then I'll be happy until something better comes along. Mike (Hey Frank, you're still alive out there!!)

Try my package for the A-1H: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?autoc...p;showfile=5156 I have a fuselage decal for the small USAF star and bar which overlaps the speed brake and fuselage. Mike D.

O.K. - This is what I came up with - I have created a new 3D housing which fits on the nose. I have now have two choices: 1. An F-4D made from the stock F-4B - correct L.E. flaps, correct nose RHAW housing, but no vertical fin RHAW antenna and no wing bulges and with narrow Navy tires. 2. An F-4D from the stock D model - incorrect inner L.E. flaps, plus slight bulges in nose RHAW housing which show up in some close-up angles, but has tail RHAW antenna and nose looks pretty good from most angles. I tend to go with the first choice, since the wing/tire issue is not very noticeable to me, and perhaps I can live with the tail RHAW antenna missing. I can build one, but it won't reflect fin tip colors. Anyone interested in this as a release to CA, or even better - a fix by someone??? Mike D.

O.K. I give up - I just noticed that the RHAW antenna housing on the vertical stab is missing on the F-4B.LOD - even if added it could not be changed in color with each decal (as it is not part of the base .LOD). Unless someone knows a way to successfully hexedit the .LOD to make moving inner L.E. flaps, I'm done. Thanks for everyone's patience and help with this lunatic idea. Mike D.

The bulged wing to accomodate the increased thickness main gear tires is visible on the upper wing, and also on the bottom wing. When the gear is retracted, the underside of the wing shows increased thickness starting in the gear doors and extending aft into the speed brakes under the wings. This is all pretty minor in my opinion - it can be simulated by textures. Even the upper wing bulge is not that apparent - and I'm not sure that I can match my textures with a new texture for those parts. That leaves really the nose differences. I was planning to add them via the pilot-technique in the data.ini that we used for the LORAN antenna. All of this is a round-about way of working around the correct L.E. flap movement of the F-4B. Wish we could petition TK to simply fix the F-4C and D .LOD to have the same moving inner L.E. flaps of the B-model! But this is of little interest to most everyone...but it is so blatantly apparent in any photo with flaps down on C/D model Phantom. I would welcome anyone's ideas to fix this..? If a mysterious annonymous new visual model were to appear in the new files section of the Forum here, I sure wouldn't ask any questions.... Mike D.

Not a chance, I can live with the underside and gear doors flat as a board. I was living with the upper wing bulges missing until I started this 3D stuff... Agree with you about the RHAW housing bulge shape, I took a bunch of measurements and close-up photos of the D at the Bradley Air Museum, but as a beginner am having trouble getting the subtle shapes correct. Anyone want to step in here and show the new kid how its done, O.K. with me...??

The wing leading edge flaps as depicted on the F-4C and D are incorrect as the sim presents them, the inboard flap is fixed in place (as on the F-4E). The 3-piece L.E. flaps are correct on the F-4B visual model however and should be the same for the C and D also. The bump under the F-4D radome also is of the very late type (80s) and looked different for the service life of the D model while it flew in Vietnam. If anyone can beg, borrow or steal the original 3dSMax file for the F-4B and can add the changes required to look like a USAF C/D, or obtain the C/D files and fix the inboard flap to move as per the F-4B, I for one will be VERY appreciative....! Mike

I know very little about the history of the SFP1/WOV 3D models! I was hoping that the Mirage Factory would release correct F-4C/D models as the ones already released look great, but I was told not to hold my breath for them anytime soon. And, there is also rumor of another early F-4 version floating around. I tried to stir up some interest with those who already know how to do this, but no one else seems to have very much interest in this except me, so I jumped in to start to figure out the 3D-aspects for myself. I'm an illustrator not a 3D-modeler. Learning the 3D stuff is not easy for the beginner, and NGHENGO has been helping me figure out all that I'm doing wrong. Whoever has the original source files for these is not sharing them, I can tell you that... Mike D.

Kevin, This looks great! As much as I am a USAF F-4 enthusiast, every time I troll thru the Internet looking for photos, the Greek F-4 schemes always pop out at me. This was a great idea and a needed add-on for WOV. Very nice work. Mike D.