Tom's Cat
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Modern day Tomcats were painted on the topside in NAVY Medium Gray. On the sides of the turtleneck and the anti-glare you can see the other two standard colors Light- and Dark-Ghost Gray. Although the paint is at 95% transparency up there and somewhat pre-shaded to compensate for the weathering which will usually add a more solid tone of gray this greenish/bluish tone is very close to the look most Tomcats had near the end of their service life with the USN.
As a stark contrast to the all light-ghost gray paintjobs today it does indeed add some ‘patina’ to the whole thing :).
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Final Panel Lines for Topside of Wing Glovebox (w/o rivets) and Wings (w/ rivets)…
Looking to get to horizontal stabs, vanes, canopy and windshield so the topside will be finished, can be mapped and adjusted for moving surfaces. With the fuselage front done, it’s really “just” the engine pods and fuselage underside that’s left :D. Pending adjustments of course…
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There’s an error on the airbrake. I found an info over at M.A.T.S. that Grumman opted for an airbrake with non-rounded edges due to cheaper manufacturing costs while maintaining equal performance. Will correct the shape asap.
Will post some reference shots tonight to share with ya’ll how I got to the shape of this most important element of the skin. I think it’s safe to say this is the most authentic digital recreation of Tomcat panels ever created for actual use in a 3d environment, Baby.
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I think it’s safe to say this is the most authentic digital recreation of Tomcat panels ever created for actual use in a 3d environment, Baby.
I think it’s safe to say that in fact this model along with the cockpit and your skinwork
is the most authentic digital recreation of Tomcat ever created for actual use in a 3d environment, … AT ALL.
(except for avionics for sure)Cheers,
LS -
I think it’s safe to say that in fact this model along with the cockpit and your skinwork
is the most authentic digital recreation of Tomcat ever created for actual use in a 3d environment, … AT ALL.
(except for avionics for sure)Cheers,
LS+1 here ;).
Nikos. -
Not sure about that…
The IRIS F-14 for FS has a damn great model inside and out. Most skins are somewhat sloppy but with great potential and the pit and external models are for the most part simply gorgeous although the model fails in the nose section - most Tomcat models do though. The beauty of our old model was that even with its low detail quality the proportions were perfect , literally.
The Third Wire Series also has a decent F-14 model in their SF2: North Atlantic and that has some beautiful animations of moving surfaces etc. When you see it in game for the first time it really is a ‘uh huh’ moment. Skins are also close to perfect on that.
Then there’s ChrisBV and his legendary F-14D cockpit which he finished and I have flown in it in Jane’s F/A-18 and it did look epic! He had some posts on FF and Frugals - both sites now closed.
Anyway…there’s been plenty of attempts but an integrated F-14 internal/external solution with AFM and operating in a true military simulation environment with even an option for a D pit (MyKinge) is pretty unique.
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stingray62 ain’t those free blueprints helpful on your process? I mean mainly for the lines and areas distinction like that:
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I like the high vis late 70s skins very much, like in that crazy movie with Kirk Douglas (Kirk the Douglas as cool as Robert the Mitchum or John the Wayne or Bud the Spencer )
The Final Countdown is not a “Crazy Movie” sir….
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I love it as well
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I guess you’re referring to my skins, unfortunately I never got this thing together. The 20th anniversary logo on the inside of the vertical stab is as good as unavailable and would have to be drawn by hand in order to be utilized. Due to the relatively low relevance of this skin I only put together the original VF-2 from the 70s.
They were deployed alongside VF-1 Wolfpack as one of the first two Tomcat Squadrons in the US Navy aboard CVN-65 USS Enterprise in Sept. '74. I guess I skinned a '76/'77 variant, not sure on that.
I thought you, or someone, had a whole list of skins for the Tomcat. More than just VF1 and VF2. I thought I remember something for FF at least.
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If we’re talking skins, for the F-14B we need VF-11 and VF-32, and if we’re thinking early 90s, then VF-211s F-14A+ scheme is the best low-vis paint job of any squadron. For the F-14A, a high-gloss, low vis(oxymoron) VF-1 scheme. (glossy white with grey markings), late 90s VF-14 and 41 or 211, and 2000 series VF-154. The F-14D would have all 3. Clean CAG skins for VF-2, VF31 and VF-213, and dirty main birds. Of course this is the request of a non-skinner……FWIW.
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The Final Countdown is not a “Crazy Movie” sir….
Crazy was not meant high nosed…in fact I also like it and just recently watched it again. The plot is slightly off the hook, but in a good way.
Some very immersive F-14A (and Zeke) shootage, plus a movie with Kirk Douglas can be considered kickass most of the time no questions asked.
Edit:
A crazy movie in a bad way would be Sabotage with Arnie. Recently saw it and men was that a bad written script. -
This is apparently an F-14A from VF-2, in that high vis paint. Its one of Dave “Bio” Baranek pics. Turns out he is the source of many classic tomcat pics.
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I quite like the yellow high-visibility Swordsmen tailfins myself:
Some other images which were a bit too large to attach:
http://aviadejavu.ru/Images6/MM/MM-14/0209-04-1-1.jpg
http://de.academic.ru/pictures/dewiki/70/F-14As_VF-32_1974.jpg
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That is exactly the Bird I was talking about. Before this gets OT guys let’s move the skin discussion to Tomcat skin thread
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Nothing to do with skins, but will this pit dual throttle capable ?
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Very nice, Nizmo ! Thanx
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What a beauty!