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[WxTech]

I've see *very* recent YT vids of 4.13 content that shows there still remains a lot of old modeling that, to put it plainly, sucks. For instance, take the Hurricane. (Not only is the stock plane's forward canopy wrong, so it is for all recent mods I've seen.) The armored glass frame's surrounding rim that supports the perspex is missing. And so we have a too-wide and too-simple forward windscreen. (Years ago I re-modeled the forward canopy, but did not release this incomplete work.)

The Hawk and P-40B/C canopy has the upper canopy tapering too strongly to a more parabolic peak, which moreover is not high enough. The real canopies have the upper arch as essentially a perfect circular arc, and the horizontal frame bars are more widely separated for more horizontal head room. (I'm currently fixing this.)

The P-40E/M canopy is also not high enough. But unlike the early P-40 the upper canopy is flattened at the peak; it should also be perfectly circular. (I'm currently fixing this.)

Hopefully you all have downloaded my fix for the Wildcat, whose canopy was--like the later P-40--too flattened, among other problems...

...as found for so many others, this being framing as being made too wide and/or too thick. A number of the RU plane canopies are modeled as to give the impression of having come from tank parts, they are so 'beefy'. In so many instances, our '46 game canopies unnecessarily block our vision because of this. Real canopies for the most part were rather more 'delicate' in their frame thinness.

It drives me a little batty to see all the marvelous new content, and even the great 'pit repaints, but the retention of such awful original crudeness in canopy construction. As a simulator, the canopy is a most important part of the experience. It should not be given short shrift. And merely giving the angular outlines a smoothing via a polygon increase is not nearly good enough if the basic too-fat framing is retained. Pretty does not necessarily make accurate.

[max_thehitman]

I agree !

[Knochenlutscher]

Agree too, Canopies are a pixeled nightmare.
Your remodelling helps to have it better.
Thanks for your work Mate.

Here, huhu, Avenger, Hehemm, Huhu, not pointing or waving 

Kind Regards
Tobias

[WxTech]

The work on the P-36/Hawk-75 canopy is coming along nicely. And it'll serve for the Hawk-81 and P-40B/C too, as the dimensions are largely similar enough.

The sides have been made a bit more vertical (not sloping inward so strongly), which widens the upper part and so has the eye-height horizontal bars more widely separated for more head room.

The top has been made more circular in cross section (instead of somewhat pointed.)

The height has been increased by about 3cm. The aft bulkhead has been raised accordingly. The rear view scalloping is made effectively larger, due to the increase in upper canopy width (along with increased height, of course.) The fixed, aft vertical bars which outline the aft view scallops are made about 1/2 as thick, which further improves the rear view.

The forward, fixed canopy's rim that runs along the coaming and supports the lower edge of the perspex has been cleaned up.

The fixed and sliding canopies have stiffening plates, or rims, at their meeting faces.

A proper tubular bar, with flattened ends, has been added across the upper arch on the forward fixed canopy.

The stiffening gussets at numerous of the perspex corners on the sliding canopy have all been made triangular.

The padded headrest will be enlarged.

The seat attachment frame of tubular metal will be added.

Already when dogfighting the overall improvement in appearance and views is noticeable, even with the temporary monochromatic texturing. Going back to the other original Hawk/P-40 'pits is the pits.

[WxTech]

A request...
Might someone post one or two screenies of a recent P-36 or Hawk-75 cockpit that's NOT original stock? Because I'm still languishing in the Stone Age with 4.08 I can't avail myself of much in the way of new planes.

The reason I ask is to see if there's already any good cockpit for these birds (as well as the Hawk-81 and P-40B/C, which share so much in common). If so, I need not knock myself out by packing up a mod for you lot , who will already have (or have access to) an existing decent 'pit.

[henkypenky]

Morning, on the left here's a screenshot of the cockpit from the P-36A-4 from BAT:

 

Don't know who made this, think it have to do something with the Finnish Hawk's as the reading on the gunsight is German. In my Modact install there's another version, that's on the right.

Not sure, but I think this is 'Corrected_Panel_P-40B&C by Hawk', still have this one on my HD if you want it.
BTW I have sended you a PM on the LA cockpit

[WxTech]

henky,
Thanks for the quick accommodation!

The P-36 'pit is definitely a step in the right direction. You show the Finnish flavour due to the early REVI sight.

The second pic shows the stock model for the Hawk-81 and P-40B/C, which was used as well for the first flyable P-36/Hawk-75. Given that it's still being represented so poorly, I guess I should adapt my 'pit for those birds. And who knows, *in some respects* my own P-36 version might be better than the fine model you've shown and which is now in use. I've put a lot of attention into framing proportions, and the realism of the views through the canopy.

Still in development; I should soon post some progress pics...

In the meantime, would you be so kind as to supply a couple more views for the new P-36; one looking out the side and another looking back over your shoulder. (I'm also curious to see if the headrest has been realistically enlarged...)

Thanks again!

[henkypenky]

Here you go, all from BAT with FOV 120°:

   

If this is the Finnish version as I think it is, its at https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,16787.0.html

Are you planning different versions of this repaint, French, US etc. or is that not possible?

[WxTech]

henky,
Thanks again. I see that in the main most details of the real thing are adhered to with decent enough fidelity. But I'm surprised to see a lack of the sliding canopy's uppermost, central frame bar running fore-aft. Now, it might be possible the Finnish version was made without, butso far all the online photos I could unearth show this bar.

As to nation specific repaints, of course this is possible with decent enough reference material to hand, particularly for the modder not conversant in the language being represented. Another issue is the differing units some gauges will/might be calibrated to, such as the ASI, VSI, etc. If the needle rate is not the same, and if one did want to present the correct gauge face, it would require to make a new version of the classfile. Otherwise simply making up a gauge that's scaled to suit the existing needle rate could be done, but that's unrealistic.

[Fresco23]

WxTech, Id like to thank you for your continuing work in this area.

Unless I've Missed one, I believe I have your whole collection! I've packed them all together, and it's a key part of each of my IL-2 Builds!

[WxTech]

fresco (and all),
Thanks for your kind words; one could hardly hope to recieve better and more encouraging compliments! I'm inspired to forge on, knowing that I do this for more than little ol' me.