Concluding the F4U, new models in Sketchfab, new updates for planes and Lavochkin La-7 (new project) - October 30, 2024
Hello everyone. It's me Antony, back with another Blog in 2024. We are now on October 30 - past the half of 2024.
I know. I've been absent without writing anything new here. Job, studies, playing video-games, watching some YouTube videos, listening to some musics and doing my chores at some moments decreased my spare-time dedicated to Blogs.
I'm now working on the new role as health community agent and now, my colleagues and I are visiting the families as part of our job to improve the health quality in our community and town. Things are looking good and we're enjoying in our new role.
The 8th semester is finished. Another thing I won't be bothered with. After the second university, I'll give a break for good.
And, again, new Nightwave chapter has been released, with new cosmetics, new mods, new Warframe slot, new weapons slots, rewards from the previous chapters and more. Damn. This never ends and I'm waiting for 1999 to be released (only in winter I guess). Man, I feel exhausted, but let's go.
For this Blog, I'm going to share you the new rendered images of the F4U-1A Corsair and some important things I want to share you.
First of all, the F4U-1A Corsair.
I decided to conclude the F4U project by adjusting the animation sequences and its textures. I struggled to adjust the animations for the landing gear links being retracted to the base, but I did my best by using the Scale aside from Rotation and Move the Bones while it is attached the Bone for the landing gear.
For the Bump texture, I had to update the wings point of origin to the center of the aircraft after I found out one side of the wing is not following the other one while I was drawing the lines according to the blueprints. At least it's good when things are in place.
Another small issue was the line in the wings leading edge. I noticed it didn't followed the middle of the leading edge. So I had to fix it.
Then I concluded the last corrections and the textures for the Metal, Specular and Weathering.
Alright. The F4U in its current appearance. It looks good in this navy blue shade. Interesting curiosity about the aircraft: the wings is made of a mixture of aluminum, plywood and fabric. The middle of the wing tip is doped fabric while the leading edge is aluminum and the ailerons are made of plywood (just like the elevators). I guess the inner flaps are made of aluminum.
Most 3D artists would recommend to paint decals and roundels in the main texture with Blender tools. However, this might come with disadvantages. The major one is trying to find the proper size for the respective decal to paint it in Blender and if I plan to create with different images this might not fit properly based on the previous model.
Different from what I'm used with separate objects, I could change the image in case I want to create textures for other nations that operated the aircraft, tank, vehicles, warships and others. The only disadvantage is creating several images for Bump, Metal and Specular for the roundels, which can take a good time to finish my projects. But the biggest problem is adjusting the Shrinkwrap modifier to fit the wings, fuselage or other components without making it too tight to the point where dark ribbons appear that can fool the Alpha (node that allows where it is not filled to become transparent instead of black) or that parts of the image are swallowed or sticking. I'll take more about it in a future Blog / video.
And, for fun, I'll share you two more images of the F4U Corsair.
Pretty cool, right? The F4U Corsair with its folded wings. It has been a fun project to do after a small request made by my brother. I plan to do the same for the F6F Hellcat and the F4F Wildcat (in the future) - capable of folding the wing tips.
After the last corrections on the main texture, this American naval fighter is now ready. You can visualize it in my Sketchfab:
Speaking on changes, based on what I did for the F4U, I did the same for my other aircraft - changing the decals that were separate objects into texture. The idea for this updates is to reduce the number of objects in order to reduce the necessary space to upload them to Sketchfab. The reason for that was met when I tried to upload the models for my Tiger I. My tank projects have many objects compared to my aircraft and guns. Because of that, I had to limit only tanks - removing tools, decals, spare tracks and wheels.
Back to my planes. I updated the Supermarine Spitfire Mk I and Mk IX, the Lavochkin La-5, La-5F and La-5FN, the P-38 Lightning and the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4. However I retained the uncensored fin flash for the German fighter as a separate object as the decal didn't look nice when I painted in the main texture. The UV Mapping was a little messed up. If I'd adjust it in order to have the fin flash with higher resolution might require to cut up a piece from the UV for that specific detail, but it would mess up the other textures. For that, I decided not to include it in the main texture - leaving it as a separate object. Plus, in case you want to censor it / remove it, that option is available after download by acquisition. I'll do the same for the FW 190.
As for the acquisitions, with the Sketchfab store closed, I'll start my store in FAB in case I want to sell my 3D models. I need to do some research for binding my bank account or PayPal (in case there's an option) to FAB so I can earn some income from the sales.
Another models that I uploaded to Sketchfab are my German tanks. I'll leave the links to the models here if you are interest to visualize it.
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| Panzer IV Ausf. F2(G) https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/panzer-iv-ausf-f2g-e1f826e5fd294495b2fb4f58f7715b29 |
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| Tiger I Ausf. E https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/tiger-i-ausf-e-609f7d787e674c92b5aa3de46a7efaca |
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| Panzer III Ausf. J1 https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/panzer-iii-ausf-j1-712fd410856048abb63a32ebf423435a |
Amazing, huh? Even if I'm still working on these models, my German tanks look good. I may do some adjustments to reduce the great amount of vertices, edges, triangles, faces and modifiers.
There's a guy I might recommend you in case you want to make your 3D replicas of WW2 tanks. Not one. Two guys.
The first one is this guy:
And the second one:
The name's The Roaring Newt. Link to his channel is down here:
I hope you like these two channels. Their videos will greatly assist you in making tanks and other things.
Before concluding this Blog, one more thing: I started a new project I started recently. I said I won't start another one while I have lots of them to finish. Again, my habit of starting new projects projects spoke louder. The aircraft of choice is the Soviet Lavochkin La-7.
As always, I like to share the story of planes, vehicles, ships, weapons and more.
The La-7 was an evolution from the La-5 and the La-5FN. During WW2, the La-5 along its variants the La-5F and the La-5FN were introduced in 1943, facing the modern versions of the Bf 109 (the F series) and the Focke-Wulf FW 190 with equal conditions. Yet, Semyon Lavochkin felt that the aircraft could be improved and refined for better aerodynamic characteristics. In mid-1943, an La-5FN aircraft was selected for redesign, with the wing center section being rearranged to accommodate the oil cooler, a complete sealing of the engine cowling to solve the problem of gasses invading the cockpit and the air intake being reallocated from the top of the cowling to the bottom to improve the pilot's view. The power plant remained the same from the predecessor: the Shvetsov ASh-82FN radial engine, providing 1,380 kW (1,850 hp) and equipped with direct fuel injection system - capable of reaching 661 km/h (411 mph, 357 kn) at 6,000 m (19,685 ft); and the armaments consisted in two 20 mm ShVAK cannons with 200 rounds, with some models being equipped with three 20 mm Berezin B-20 cannons with 100 rounds - both firing through the propeller. The aircraft was built in duralumin alloys with few components built in wood as the Soviets were supplied with aluminum and metal alloys from the Allies. This increased the aircraft survivability and aerodynamics, with the first flight occurring on February 1st 1944 and the first combat trials in mid-September 1944 with positive results, although few aircraft were lost in accidents. The first combat engagement by the La-7 occurred in September 1944, with few La-7s lost due to engine problems. This issue would cripple some units delivered to the frontlines from 1944 to 1945. Still, the plane was superior to the Bf 109F and was equal compared to the FW 190A-8 and the Bf 109G in combat. Among the pilots to fly the La-7 was the famous Soviet ace Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub. One of his incursions, Kozhedub downed the advanced German Messerschmitt Me 262 - making the Soviet ace one of the first to take down the modern jet fighters in World War 2. After the war, production of the La-7 ended with 5,753 plus 584 La-7UTI trainers. It was replaced by the modern La-9 and the La-11 while the majority of La-7s were delivered to Czechoslovakia, although few reports pointed that China and North Korea received some planes, often misidentified as La-9 and La-11. The British test pilot, Eric Brown, was given the chance to fly an La-7 at the former Erprobungsstelle Tarnewitz Luftwaffe aircraft test station on the Baltic coast, shortly after the German surrender in May 1945. He described the aircraft's handling and performance as “quite superb”, although the armaments were described as “below par”, the “wooden construction would have withstood little combat punishment” and the instrumentation was “appallingly basic”. Two La-7s survived the war and are stationed in museums: one in Prague Aviation Museum in Kbely, Prague, with designation 77; and one that was flown by Ivan Kozhedub (with designation 27) at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino, Moscow.
Here are the images of the La-7:
Alright. The Soviet Lavochkin La-7. Looks good, huh?
(Man, you never get tired of starting new projects.)
Easy, man. I know there are tons of undergoing projects. The La-7 has been started as a midterm project while I was working on the Lavochkin La-5, La-5F and La-5FN. All I did is reusing the fuselage and wings from the La-5FN while removing some things like the air intake from the top and bottom of the engine cowling while making a new one located on its belly. Something similar to the P-51 Mustang, Ki-61, G.55, C.202 and C.205.
The wings received some minor adjustments, especially the wing root to the middle section of it. If you compare with the La-5, the wings look different in the middle while the tip remain the same. The textures for the La-7 received some minor changes, like the replacement of wooden textures with aluminum and the roundels were made in a similar way to my other planes: painting them in a separate texture, then adding to the main one.
I can conclude this Soviet new fighter by adding the landing gear inner fairings and adjust the Bump texture after a small rework on the wings. Other than that, a minor change for the ring located next to the engine cowling flaps.
For fun, I'll share more images of the La-7.
Well, that's it for now my friends. I hope you like this Blog. Let us hope this year bring us new content and something different from the usual. 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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