RKSL Studios - WIP Discussion

Awesome work as always mate.

Very nice as always Rock.... I dont know how you guys manage to make so many high quality models so quickly..

Thanks guys.

Consider me teased! Hot stuff!

The model, that is...not you. ;)

Abs

Awww and I was getting all excited for a moment then... :eek:

Very nice as always Rock.... I dont know how you guys manage to make so many high quality models so quickly..

I have no life (apparently) and Ive stopped playing Minecraft for the moment. Seriously though the F-35C has been a long - but slow - running project for a while. Ive spent a lot of time on it in the last week though.

And i promise i'll reply to your Pm ASAP.

Before anyone cries "what about the tornado and F16 and...and...".

Well the Tornado is driving me nuts with the unwrapping. I've had to completely rework the external UV's to get the sort of detail I wanted from the textures. The cockpits are proving equally difficult to texture but its getting there. in terms of modelling all i need to do is the in flight refuelling probe and the ejection seats. And of course the res LoDs. Which since I discovered the reduction tool in Modo are surprisingly easy to do.

F-16. Well it stalled due to frustration. Some of the blending etc was giving me problems. Well I'm still frustrated with it but I've picked it up again. I've managed to smooth/remodel parts of the mesh and the external unwrap should be done over the weekend.

But alas 1.6 seems to be causing me grief with the flares and some odd AI behaviour. More on that soon though.

No rush man.. I know how it is.... I've just unlocked my T-34-85 in world of tanks....

And still a lot of grevrobbing to do on skyrim

And Yuripetrovs Jayhawk needs more playtime

and and and... Oh yeah I guess there's work too ¬_¬

RAF? Forgive my typical ignorance, but I didn't realise that the RAF were replacing the Harriers with these, thought they'd rather invest in the EF?

(Hidden for potential embarrasment - I may have remembered this idiotically wrong, but wasn't the RAF role generally due to their ability to take off from... well... anywhere flat, thus giving them a unique tactical role should the Soviets had come rolling through Germany? Hardly applicable these days)

RAF? Forgive my typical ignorance, but I didn't realise that the RAF were replacing the Harriers with these, thought they'd rather invest in the EF?

(Hidden for potential embarrasment - I may have remembered this idiotically wrong, but wasn't the RAF role generally due to their ability to take off from... well... anywhere flat, thus giving them a unique tactical role should the Soviets had come rolling through Germany? Hardly applicable these days)

Yup, RAF and RN are sharing them. They (UK MoD) have completely ditched the STOVL B version And with the change in the CVF to a CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) its all the same C for the UK from now on.

It seems the UK defence planners no longer consider rough field performance a requirement. :eek:

Yeah, I recall the switch to CATOBAR (not sure how surprising that was, given ditching the 2nd CVF would essentially mean co-operation with other nations on the carrier front, so likelihood of our lightnings having to utilise other carriers would surely increase?) but never knew the RAF were also in on the game.

When you say sharing, does that then mean that the lightnings are all primarily carrier based, and its just a 'code share' (to bastardise an aviation term) arrangement, and pilots from both services operate off the carriers, or will there be traditional 'ground' based lightnings as well (this being the one that would surprise me the most)

It seems the UK defence planners no longer consider rough field performance a requirement. :eek:

Rough field was only so that our boys could heroically get mown down in West Germany as the Soviets rolled over the border. That threat's mostly gone now, along with the Harriers that faced it, so rough field isn't a priority.

Yup, RAF and RN are sharing them. They (UK MoD) have completely ditched the STOVL B version And with the change in the CVF to a CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take Off But Arrested Recovery) its all the same C for the UK from now on.

Well, we've bought one B that we can't get rid of (yet) - LM have already rolled it off the production line for us. Be interesting to see what becomes of that airframe in the long-run; whether it'll go to ETPS or something.

Incidentally, that aircraft has a production serial "BK-01" where the USMC's aircraft have serials "BF-0*"; so I imagine our CATOBAR aircraft will have serials "CK-0*" as opposed to the "CF-03" serial you currently have on the skin (IIRC CF-03 is the aircraft that performed the first catapult launch trials for the US Navy). No doubt the RAF/RN will apply their own serial numbers instead of these production serials in the end though.

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Ed:- (forgot to say) The model looks mega - the head-on view is a particularly nice shot.

looks great

bit off topic, wheres the gun? in AC:AH its attached underneath it..in arma it seems to be internally mounted

different models have it in a different place?

Oh my...

Its looking amazing! :eek:

Its in an external pod on the B and C versions...... How are you going to deal with the gun pod on yours rock?

Yeah, I recall the switch to CATOBAR (not sure how surprising that was, given ditching the 2nd CVF would essentially mean co-operation with other nations on the carrier front, so likelihood of our lightnings having to utilise other carriers would surely increase?) but never knew the RAF were also in on the game.

When you say sharing, does that then mean that the lightnings are all primarily carrier based, and its just a 'code share' (to bastardise an aviation term) arrangement, and pilots from both services operate off the carriers, or will there be traditional 'ground' based lightnings as well (this being the one that would surprise me the most)

From the start its always been a Joint Purchase hence the UK name of JCA (Joint Combat Aircraft). I've always assumed it would be managed in the same way as the Joint Force Harrier was. All the airframes "owned" by the RAF and shared with the RN (Which the RN FAA absolutely hated). Each having 2 squadrons but supported by a joint service team. But I believe that once the F-35's are delivered the RAF and FAA the two groups may separate again. But this time supported by a private industry initiative from Lockheed/BAE.

From what I understand either way the intention is to continue rotating RAF aircrew through a ship based tour at least once every 2 years to build and retain carrier ops experience. Although if the reported inter service feuds continue some of those tours might be with the US Navy :p

Rough field was only so that our boys could heroically get mown down in West Germany as the Soviets rolled over the border. That threat's mostly gone now, along with the Harriers that faced it, so rough field isn't a priority.

It was a key requirement right up to the switch to the F-35C model. After which it vanished together with some pretty interesting list items. eg the internal carriage of Brimstones etc.

Well, we've bought one B that we can't get rid of (yet) - LM have already rolled it off the production line for us. Be interesting to see what becomes of that airframe in the long-run; whether it'll go to ETPS or something.

According to F-16.net's database we've got 4! I read somewhere we were going to keep 2 to continue the flight model expansion and system integration though. My own guess would be the same as yours. ETPS.

Incidentally, that aircraft has a production serial "BK-01" where the USMC's aircraft have serials "BF-0*"; so I imagine our CATOBAR aircraft will have serials "CK-0*" as opposed to the "CF-03" serial you currently have on the skin (IIRC CF-03 is the aircraft that performed the first catapult launch trials for the US Navy). No doubt the RAF/RN will apply their own serial numbers instead of these production serials in the end though.

The serial is actually a hold over from the USN marking i have in the template. I just hadn't switched the layer off.

I'll do better next time Mike i promise.

looks great bit off topic, wheres the gun? in AC:AH its attached underneath it..in arma it seems to be internally mounted different models have it in a different place?

Its in an external pod on the B and C versions...... How are you going to deal with the gun pod on yours rock?

@Slatts - ^ Wot he said. :)

@Wolfbite - I am going to make it an optional pod just like the dummy rocket pods I use on the Typhoon.

Looks good Rock.

Maybe you could use the BIS flares until you get the RKSL flares sorted?

Looks good Rock.

Maybe you could use the BIS flares until you get the RKSL flares sorted?

No point. The thing in 1.6 thats broken the flares has broken other things too. I'm waiting for the next bis fix before making any decisions.

It was a key requirement right up to the switch to the F-35C model. After which it vanished together with some pretty interesting list items. eg the internal carriage of Brimstones etc.

Are you suggesting the rough field requirement was ditched not because the threat went away, but because we couldn't actually service it?

You are such a cynic! :D

---------- Post added at 12:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:05 PM ----------

. My own guess would be the same as yours. ETPS.

Jesus! Don't give it to Qinetic (I hate that word). They'll bugger it up completely within the first week.

Jesus! Don't give it to Qinetic (I hate that word). They'll bugger it up completely within the first week.

Haven't QinetiQ been privatised? Wouldn't that mean it is legals impossible to give them any? Apart from being morally wrong, obviously.

It is a private firm now. But its still pretty much a government agency. 90% of its income is from the UK government. And they already have a large fleet of aircraft. And they previously operated Tornados, Jaguars and every marque of Harrier. QinetiQ and especially ETPS have already contributed to the F-35B flight model development via the Harrier VAAC programme so its not a leap of logic to guess they will be continuing with the Flight model expansion and system development.

Any Update? i want a tornado! LOL :)

Any Update? i want a tornado! LOL :)

Don't we all shipmate!

Don't we all shipmate!

Well lets see...

1. I've remade some of the cockpit to make it easier bake form hight to low poly.
   
2. I've completely re done the UV map. Again to make baking easier and to allow for more detail in the normal and diffuse maps
   
3. I've rebuilt and improved the system management scripting. Wing sweep vs flap and spoiler usage.
   
4. Improved the Bitching Betty and new sounds etc.
   
5. Working on customised engine sounds etc although i suspect i may end up reusing some of Rexeuk's stuff if hes amenable.
   

But I have some commercial stuff to finish first so you wont see it for a while just yet. But the new remapping does speed up my workflow so things will move faster after this new project is over and done with.

Well lets see...

1. I've remade some of the cockpit to make it easier bake form hight to low poly.
   
2. I've completely re done the UV map. Again to make baking easier and to allow for more detail in the normal and diffuse maps
   
3. I've rebuilt and improved the system management scripting. Wing sweep vs flap and spoiler usage.
   
4. Improved the Bitching Betty and new sounds etc.
   
5. Working on customised engine sounds etc although i suspect i may end up reusing some of Rexeuk's stuff if hes amenable.
   

But I have some commercial stuff to finish first so you wont see it for a while just yet. But the new remapping does speed up my workflow so things will move faster after this new project is over and done with.

Only jesting mate. I know its done when its done!

Good news on the remapping speeding things up. A Pinz to pull some light guns would be quick and easy to push out then? Haha

Good to hear things are getting more streamlined for you. Looking forward to seeing the fruits of your tedious labor. :D

Also, is that a Sea King I see in your sig?

I'd wait till the end of the world for your mods!

Only jesting mate. I know its done when its done!

Good news on the remapping speeding things up. A Pinz to pull some light guns would be quick and easy to push out then? Haha

If I could find who ever it was made the Pinz for duala and pracs I would attempt to retexure it but iv ebeen sent round in circles with it.