Figured I'd just make one thread and post projects in it as they come along. Currently, I have several in progress. PB4Y-2 Super Privateer, JRM Martin Mars, P-61/F-15 Black Widow / Reporter. My primary focus however is on the PB4Y-2s for the moment. I will be updating the thread as I work on projects and just posting photos of whatever it is I'm working on. I tend to bounce back and forth between them as I work. I will post a few pictures of the other projects listed above over the next couple days if I can get around to it.
I've been working with tankerguy72 to re-release his 4Ys for P3Dv4+. I've been updating things to them to make them more accurate to the real aircraft, such as flight dynamics and sounds. I've also gone about adding texture enhancements and adding PBR. With the assistance of tankerguy72 he's also provided me with a previously unreleased model not from the original pack he wanted to release, but never got around to doing it. I've also added another model as well. The pack will come with the original 3 liveries he released, but I've updated them for P3Dv4. Plus I've also added 4 more, may end up being 5 by the time the project ends, but that's debatable at the moment. The pack is slated to have 3 different models and 7 or 8 total liveries. Progress has been good and I'm shooting for hopefully a release in November some time. One small flaw is the interior, it's fairly basic, but functional. It may benefit from a remodel, but that's above my expertise. Model merging an interior with another relevant aircraft may benefit it if people want to do that after for personal use, so be it. That's one thing I'm not super happy with. But, as I said, it largely looks and flies awesome.
Modifications underway with another user named, "Voodoo" on our Discord Server. This was permission granted to us by Dean Crawford (DC Designs) to mod his FSX/P3D versions of the P-61 Black Widow and F-15 Reporter to be transformed into airtankers. The P-61 was a unique and rare tanker. Only two I believe ever flew, and both were lost in accidents unfortunately. This project is also largely finished at this current time. It just has to be finished, and polished up essentially. You know, the stuff that usually takes forever is the last little bit.
Lastly the Martin Mars Project. This one is planned to be the tanker versions. But I will be including a version of Philippine Mars as she is currently. Sitting in her old USN livery. Mainly livery work is what's needed for this. The PBR work has largely been completed to the model. I plan on the USFS contract livery, seen here mostly. Hawaii Mars in both that livery, and her recent Canadian livery. Philippine Mars will also have her latest Canadian livery before being repainted in the USN livery.
Work has been slow, but productive on the PB4Ys. I added the last model late last week and am still not quite satisfied with it, but it's coming along. Just adding small things to the aircraft like more dynamic looking landing lights and some more cinematic views. The pack will hopefully be done by late November. At least that's what I'm hoping for. 5 model variations stemming from the nose and waist glass differences, And 8 liveries to represent across those versions, mostly consisting of Hawkins & Powers various liveries. It's a pretty large overhaul. As what started out with just the base conversion became much more involved as the interest increased with the project. Overall the aircraft will have updated flight dynamics to match the different performance of the Super Privateer over the stock PB4Y-2s, changed payload setup for use with FFX, dynamic landing lights, external views, updated sounds, texture enhancements (including addition of PBR). The only shortfall is the cockpit, as it still remains largely basic, but it is still 100% functional.
Work on the PB4Y-2s is slowly coming to the more tedious checks and adjustments. It's still on track to be released this month. Will start on completing the texture reworks for the 4K textures and other touch ups. In terms of the releases coming, it will be the PB4Y-2s followed by the Black Widow/Reporter Tankers, and lastly the Martin Mars pack. All will be P3Dv4+ models. Not sure I specifically indicated that before, but that's what these will be. The P-61 is going through additional texture enhancements as does the F-15. Also making canopy adjustments and cosmetic changes on both models to remove their associated military hardware and parts that distinguished them from their airtanker counterparts. The Mars project still sits mostly at idle currently. Once work on the Black Widows is more completed, I'll likely pick up work on them again. The Mars may be the last aircraft for 2021 I work on, or the first one of 2022. We'll see. Here's one photo of the Reporter thus far. Visually, none of the other projects look much different than the last update. I did however, make a small trailer video for the PB4Y-2s.
I will post a few pictures of the other projects listed above over the next couple days if I can get around to it.
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