Building digital models of historical aircraft
There are dozens forged or cast parts, like the one below, in an aircraft. Forming their shapes with polygon meshes and Bevel modifiers is difficult, because of their complex, rounded edges. Usually it takes many hours, in the worst cases – it is impossible. (For example: in 2018 I could not model in Blender this Continue reading Modeling a Forged Part
In the previous post we projected scale plans onto 3D model surface: In this post we will use so-called “texture baking” method to unwrap this image into the UV space. This way we create an accurate reference image for various textures: (This is the continuation of the tutorial from the previous post.) The scale plans Continue reading Baking Reference Image for Textures
To work with textures, you need to unwrap your model surfaces in the UV space: However, when it is done, you face another problem: how to obtain an accurate reference drawing of the aircraft skin, mapped onto these unwrapped mesh surfaces? I mean an image like Figure 126‑2b): We need such a reference to draw Continue reading Projecting Reference Images onto Model Surfaces
In the previous post in this blog I described the state of my P-40 model at the end of 2020. In that time, I was missing information about its propeller blades. Ultimately I identified the two propeller variants used in the early P-40 (up to the P-40C version): first batches used hollow steel blades, while Continue reading Curtiss Propellers of the Early P-40 Variants (2)
The classic metal propeller blade resembles a thin, twisted wing. Unfortunately, you can seldom find any detailed drawing of their geometry. Many scale plans, even those of high accuracy, often skip this detail. For example, there are accurate P-40 drawings made by Jumpei Temma. They are based on the available Curtiss blueprints and photos of Continue reading Curtiss Propellers of the Early P-40…
I am still working on the aircraft modeling guide. Since yesterday, its vol. 3 (of 4) is available in the web shops (645 pages, 1076 illustrations): It teaches you how to paint a computer model. The course starts from the absolute basics, then in the subsequent sections we gradually enhance the initial visualization, until it Continue reading Writing Progress: Vol. III Published!
My new book on modeling historical aircraft is already available in the web shops. This is the second volume of the new (fourth) edition of the “Virtual Airplane” guide: Here is the link to this project page. Below you can see a screenshot of two sample pages from this book: A longer preview, including the Continue reading New Guide about Modeling Historical Aircraft
In this post I will complete the 3D reference that I started in the previous post. Here is a link to the Blender file that contains 3D reference skeleton of the long nose P-40, described in the text below. It was compiled from all available blueprints. Studying the dimmed blueprint scans, I was not able Continue reading Recreating the P-40B: 3D Reference of the Fuselage (2)
At this moment I am working on second volume of my book about 3D modeling. It describes building a 3D model of a WW2 aircraft on the example of the P-40B. Preparing for this work, I discovered that the original documentation of this early P-40 variant (also known as “long nose Warhawks”) is missing. On Continue reading Recreating the P-40B: 3D Reference of the Fuselage (1)
I decided to upload the Blender file in which I reproduced in the 3D space the original ordinates of the SBD fuselage and wing. (I described creation of this 3D reference in my previous posts). I think that in this form they can be useful for other modelers, who would like to recreate the geometry Continue reading Original SBD Dauntless Blueprints: Ordinates