New updates for: F4U Corsair, Bf 109 E and Fiat G.55 Centauro (new project) - April 7th, 2023
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another Blog here to start 2023.
I'm still waiting to be called to work at the public health center by the selective process exam for the attendant vacancy. At least this is good news as my former employers informed me they will resume the calling. As far I remember, the other candidates in front of me in the classification are from other cities and some may be employed - which will speed up the calling to reach me. Until then, let's wait.
In the meantime, I'll resume my studies for the civil service exam scheduled on May of 7th of this year. I paid my subscription in case I'd try, again (if I failed, it would be another civil service performed, with my money being spent for nothing). And I'm still waiting to be called to work as a teacher by the Government's selective process I assigned for a while. Both are great in case I'd receive some payment for my services and skills.
Putting my personal news aside, let's go to the important thing here in this Blog. For today, I'm going to show you the new images of the Vought F4U-1A Corsair and the Messerschmitt Bf 109 'Emil'. Although the German fighter is still in development / correction, the changes were quite minimum. Yet, I plan to work on it and bring more updates along the videos.
For the time being, I'll show you a small texture comparison.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 'Emil' (E-1, E-3, E-4 and E-7):
Interesting. While I was looking at some photos, I decided to try more colors in order to get the closest thing to Marseille's 109 'Emil'. The first model I used a mild de-saturated green with a blue dark-gray - all selected from a build-up model or a toy I found in images. The second one, I used the original colors based on the RLM (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) painting patterns. Normally the original colors by the RLM are: RLM 04 Gelb (yellow or canary yellow), RLM 02 Grau (gray), RLM 65 Hellblau (light blue) and RLM 71 Dunkelgrün (dark green). The third one was my old texture using gray and dark-gray. And the last one, the original colors from the first render, but a bit darker. IDK about you, but, I think I'll take the first model in case I'd remake the Bf 109's texture. The second model might be used for some 109s from different squadrons.
The texture will be made after the final adjustments on the Bf 109's flaps and adding the aft light on the rudder.
Vought F4U-1A Corsair:
The Corsair received the landing gear from the P-40 Warhawk in order to speed up the development. The aerial attachment was made from scratch to connect the rudder with the forward antenna. In addition, the Pitot tube and the aft light were made.
So far, this Corsair is looking good. The next components to make are: the fairings from the wings and one portion of it folding, the landing gear doors from the plane's tail, the cockpit's internal components, the flaps and the hook.
Before concluding this Blog, one last thing. Again, my habit of starting new projects while I have 'thousands' of undergoing projects to conclude is quite interesting. For the new project, I decided to start the Italian Fiat G.55 Centauro - one of the finest planes built for the Regia Aeronautica and the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. In case you want to learn its story, The Fiat G.55 Centauro (Centaur in Italian) had its origins in the Fiat G.50 Freccia (arrow in Italian) - developed by Giuseppe Gabrielli as most of the Italian factories were developing all-metal monoplane air fighters powered by in-line engines to surpass the radial engines like the G.50, the Reggiane Re.2000 and the Macchi C.200 Saetta (lightning in Italian). Highlighting the license-version of the German Daimler-Benz DB 601 and the DB 605 being produced in Italy, Fiat developed what would become the G.55 in 1942. The first prototype flew on 30 April 1942, piloted by commander Valentino Cus, immediately showing its good performance and flight characteristics. During the flight test and dogfight simulations in Guidonia, the G.55 faced the Macchi C.205V Veltro and the Reggiane Re.2005 Sagittario (Sagittarius) - both powered by the Fiat RA.1050 R.C.58 Tifone; making the Centauro the 2nd best Italian fighter. The C.205 was good at low and medium altitudes, fast and with good diving characteristics but its performance dropped considerably over 8,000 m (26,250 ft), particularly in handling. The Re.2005 was the fastest at high altitudes and best in dogfights, but suffered from a vibration which turned out to be a balance problem - which was corrected, yet it was the most technically advanced, intricate, and therefore time-consuming of the three to produce, which made it unattractive at that stage of the war. The G.55 was chosen for mass production, along with the C.205. It was armed with one 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon with 200 rounds of ammunition, installed in the forward fuselage and firing between the cylinder banks, exiting through the propeller hub. Other armaments were four 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns - two in the upper engine cowling, two in the lower cowling/wing roots (300 rpg) in the Serie 0, but replaced by two 20 mm (0.79 in) MG 151/20s wing-mounted (200 rpg) and two 12.7 mm (0.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns mounted in the upper engine cowling for the Serie I. During the Italian Campaign in 1943, the G.55 proved to be a fierce adversary to Allied fighters like the Spitfire Mk V and Mk IX, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning and the P-51D Mustang; and a dangerous foe for the bombers that caused havoc the Italian industrial capacity. However, due to limited numbers, few G.55s were produced for the Regia Aeronautica, with production resuming in the Northern Region for the new Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. The Germans saw interest in the Centauro. After a dogfight simulation between an Italian Fiat G.55 with a German Bf 109 G-4 and a Focke-Wulf A-5, Hermann Göring - the Luftwaffe Minister; and some German officers expressed interest in producing the Italian plane in Germany and with a more powerful Daimler-Benz DB 603 engine - receiving the designation G.56, with only two prototypes being built and tested with the Bf 109G, Bf 109K and the FW 190A - showing the Italian fighter being the best of all. However, Kurt Tank - creator of the FW 190 and who tested the G.55 in Rechlin, stated the plane would require about 9,000 man-hours - an estimated number if the production could be optimized as the early models would require 15,000 man-hours; while the well-practiced German factories were able to assemble a Bf 109 in only 5,000 man-hours. This led to the abandonment of G.55 and G.56 development in Germany. The DB 603 were instead to be used in Tank's own Focke-Wulf Ta-152C. After WW2, production of the G.55 was restarted in 1946 with two models: the G.55A (the single-seat fighter) and the G.55B (two-seat fighter for training new pilots). However, as the stock of DB 605 engines were running short, the engineers had to redesign the aircraft to receive the British Rolls-Royce Merlin engines - designating the new aircraft as Fiat G.59 and was also configured to G.59A for single-seat fighter and G.59B for two-seat fighter for training. The G.55 and G.59 had in total 349 units built (274 in wartime and 75 postwar). Some units were sold to Argentina, Syria and Egypt - with the last two countries operating the G.55 and G.59 in their air forces and saw combat in the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 against Israeli Spitfires and Avia S-199s.
Here's the images of the G.55 Centauro:
Interesting. Don't you agree? The G.55 may look similar to my first Italian planes like the Macchi C.202 Folgore and C.205 Veltro. At first I thought of reusing the entire models, adjusting some components to fit in the blueprints. Instead, I started the fuselage, the rudder, the elevator and the wings from scratch. The propeller, the canopy hatch, forward canopy framing, the antenna and the 'bulge' were imported from the Veltro. The engine exhaustion outlets were imported from the German Bf 109 since it is powered by the license-built Daimler-Benz DB 601 / DB 605 in Italy.
The big challenge I met was fitting the landing gear spacing I made from the fairings into the wings. I had to reduce lots of subdivisions in the mesh after some divergences met from joining two different objects. With that done, it looked good.
The plane is using the ANR's roundels. I may include the original Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe markings. Oh, in case you ask, I added a blue knight from chess on the fuselage. The idea was: one of the G.55 was piloted by an OC (original character), whose his 'nickname' / code name was Il Cavaliere Blu (the Blue Knight in Italian). I probably plan to include the original Asso di Bastoni (Ace of clubs), Il Diavolo Rosso (the Red Devil) or the 1st Squadriglia 11st Gruppo di Caccia (the one with three birds and a palm tree).
Another interesting detail is the temporary material. I tried to add some brown spots with the green material via Noise Texture nodes. Although the results were too plain, my brother helped me later.
Nice. The G.55 has some brown spots and waves to fit in the green surface. Although it is going to be a temporary material, I may reuse it for different G.55s. The main texture is a mix of green, brown / red vine and beige.
The next components to make are: the landing gear (I'll import from the C.202 / C.205), the aerial attachment, some bulges on the nose and fairings, the navigation lights (the aft light was made), the ailerons, the flaps and the hard points for bombs and a naval torpedo (some G.55 were converted into torpedo bombers - designated as G.55/S), a nice texture and rigging it.
Before I planned to start the G.55, I have plans for future WW2 planes. Two in mind are:
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| The Japanese Nakajima Ki-43 'Hayabusa'. |
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| And the British Gloster Meteor. |
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you enjoy this Blog. In case I have some spare time to enjoy, I'll be working on other things aside from Blender projects and my personal things. Until the time comes, you will be surprised to see them. See you next time.
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