Civil service exam and new updates for: Tempest Mk V, Ki-43-I and M3 Lee (new project) - November 4th, 2023
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another blog in 2023. We are now on November 4th - approaching the end of 2023. Now that I'm working and my 7th semester has started, my time for Blogs decreased to some occasions. At least it is good to be back at work.
Yesterday afternoon, my family and I were left without internet due to the storms and windstorm. The internet provider contacted us, informing us that they were carrying out maintenance and that it would return to normal after noon. The fiber optic cables broke due to the storm that occurred in the city of origin in those days. At least it's good to have Internet back. Not only for games and videos, but also for studies, job and more.
Speaking in job and studies, I recently learned the town hall announced the opening of registrations for the civil service exam. Registration will open until November 17th, with the tests scheduled for December 3rd, 10th and 17th at different times.
As always, I'll have to lay low with Blender and my personal stuff in order to dedicate myself to the exams.
Still, let's go for the important. For today, I'm going to share you the new rendered images of the British Hawker Tempest Mk V and the Japanese Nakajima Ki-43-I 'Hayabusa'.
Hawker Tempest Mk V:
After the last Blog I brought the first images of the Tempest, I made the fairings aligned with the landing gear - appended from the P-47; and the antenna. Also, I made the doors to the retractable landing gear on its tail and the navigation light. The cockpit interior components has been imported from the Spitfire and the letters is using a proper font I found on Google for WW2 British planes. At least this Tempest is looking good.
After these renders, I made some changes on its canopy and forward framing. Other changes included was the Croix de Lorraine (Lorraine Cross in French) for Clostermann's Tempest. There are other decals I plan to include before making its texture and rigging it in order to conclude this aircraft.
Nakajima Ki-43-I 'Hayabusa':
The Ki-43 received some minor changes related to its landing gear and fairings. I reused the components from the Ki-61's undercarriage to the Ki-43, while I separated a portion of its fairings and adjust its rotation according to the wings and wheels. So far, looking good.
Unless I plan to include the pilot seat, the instrument dashboard, the stick and the reflective gunsight (for the Ki-43-II and Ki-43-III), this Japanese aircraft is ready to receive a nice texture and rigging.
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 American M3 Lee - the famous medium tank developed during WW2 as an interim tank for the famous M4 Sherman. The M3 tank was named after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee and Grant by the British after Union general Ulysses S. Grant; and the basis for the M4 Sherman. When WW2 started, the United States lagged behind other nations in design and deployment of tanks on the battlefield. The main armored vehicles were the M2 Light Tank and the M2 Medium Tank - both obsolete due to its 37 mm cannons, a very high silhouette and light armor plating. After the fall of France in 1940, American engineers were assigned to develop a new tank, capable of housing a 75 mm gun. The British requested new tanks to supply their armored forces, with few M3 and M3A1 Stuart being shipped to England. While these American tanks could compete with the German Panzer III and Panzer IV in combat, a new medium tank emerged in August 1941 in the form of the M3 Lee. It had a high silhouette and was armed with two cannons: the 75 mm gun located on a sponson at the tank's right side - forcing the crew to rotate the entire tank for better aim; and a 37 mm gun located on the top turret; and 2 to 4 Browning M1919 machine guns for defense. This gun design was due to rushed development and a lack of experience in producing a turret capable of accommodating the main gun. In addition, the tank's armor plates were fixed by rivets - dangerous for the crewmen if the rivets could pop off in a violent ricochet by non-penetrating round hits and one of the crew could be fatally injured; while the turret consisted in a cast steel component. Aside from these downsides, the M3 Lee proved to be an ideal platform for tank warfare after its introduction among the British and American forces - facing the German Panzer III and Panzer IV and the Italians Fiat M13/40 and M14/41 tanks at safe distances. During his time with the Afrika Korps, General Erwin Rommel noted: “Up to May of 1942, our tanks had in general been superior in quality to the corresponding British types. This was now no longer true, at least not to the same extent.” However, the 88 mm Flak cannon was the only thing the Germans had to take down the M3 Lee at great distances and soon it was slowly being withdraw from combat as the Americans designed it as an interim for the upcoming M4 Sherman - the most produced medium tank in the United States for its army and its allies. The British version of the M3 Lee - aka M3 Grant consisted of the removal of the top turret's cupola and the Grant Command (used by few British officers, with Bernard Montgomery being one of them) having the 37 mm gun replaced by a dummy and was fitted with map table and extra radio equipment. Other nations included the Soviet Union - with 1,386 units being shipped from the US through the Lend-Lease program. Yet, as most of the German tanks had improved weapons and the M3's petrol-engine had the high tendency of catching fire, the Soviet crewmen nicknamed it "the grave for six men" - making it unpopular and soon was relegated to quieter-to-less-action fronts as the T-34 emerged in great numbers. The Brazilian Army also received the M3 Lee during the Italian Campaign in 1942 to 1945 along with the M3A1 and M5A1 Stuart and the M4 Sherman.
Here's the first images of the M3:
The M3 Lee initial components were recycled from the M4 Sherman, with the main turret disabled and the middle chassis redesigned without the Subdivision and Bevel modifiers. The 75 mm gun has been relocated to the right side of the tank, with the base for the sponson.
The M3 Lee received a nice rear section of the chassis, along the gun sponson and top cupola for the Browning MG. Minor changes were made for the forward lights, the antenna, the wheels and the middle chassis.
The M3 is using a yellow star on its turret and left side of the chassis. I don't know exactly when the Americans adopted it as the main roundel, but I'm pretty sure it was around 1940 and 1941.
I added more cubes for the rear side of the chassis, joining it and connecting its vertices to the original piece. Then I made the 37 mm gun mantlet. So far, so good.
The M3 Lee looks nice, but I need to adjust its chassis and add other components like the engine exhaustion outlet, the link for the wheels, the driver sights, the hatches and the bolts.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you like this Blog. I don't have updates from my original works to share you. 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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