BoNidle

;)

A quick one I've done to experiment with a gloss black effect. It was an F/A-18A++ assigned to Col HH Hobson USMC. Uploaded just to User Files. The real aircraft for those not familiar with this colour scheme. (Photo credit to airwingspotter.com)

Thanks TigersharkBAS. Whilst I do appreciate the offer I will have to decline. I used to "skin" a lot for "IL2:46" and I committed with someone else to recreate Mustang groups of the 8th USAAF. I found it a bit too binding and did not really enjoy it, which is the point of why we do this afterall. I prefer to bounce around looking for different schemes to maintain my interest. I have no plans to do anymore from VFA-195, trying to get the nose art to work for this one did my head in so I don't intend to do "Chippy Ho! II", so I'll leave that squadron in your capable hands. But thanks all the same.

I have now updated this skin to include the name of one of the ground crew on the port nose gear door. I also corrected a few things including the fact that I put the underwing insignia under the wrong wing, I dont know how I missed that!

Well I got tired of waiting for someone else to do what must be the most dramatically decorated Hornet ever, so I decided to have a go. I have attempted to depict "Chippy Ho!" as it appeared in June 1995 aboard the USS Independence flown by the CAG Capt Brian Calhoun. Its far from perfect and I'm sure someone will do a better version, but good luck because the nose-art is a bit a nightmare. I have used a little artistic licence here and there. For example the "throats of the birds had to manipulated a little to meet neatly, and the Eagles talons on the tanks were redesigned to give a more neutral grip rather than the left handed grip that would have been other wise repeated on other tanks giving an unbalanced look to them. Photos of the real aircraft I studied give the impression that the radome is actually white, others seem to look as if its the basic FS36375 colour. I decided to sit on the fence and went for a lighter shade of FS36375. Anyway, its uploaded to User Files so it should be up soon.

LOL!! Nice to be remembered. It was a good learning experience back in the day. Although the Hornet is making me learn a few new things too.

Thanks. If I can find out the names of the ground crew I'll amend the skin. I have the other info its just their names. Both are SSGT and one is from Fort Walton Beach FL and I think his name is "Stadon", while the other is New Orleans, LA but his name is pretty long and I cannot work out what it is from the images I have. There are a few more corrections to do now that I've studied it a bit more: I think some of the stars are still slightly too big, the flap numbers too small and the unit number on the side of the fuselage too big. So they may be fixed in the fuuture but I'll do it all at the same time.

Created in Paint Shop Pro 2018. Drawn, shaded, stars individually sized, angled and distorted by me. Once the flat red and blue design was drawn to my satisfaction, (a task in itself due to the tails ecm and light housings requiring the edges of the red be individually aligned, plus the rudder gap to bridge which misaligns designs considerably), I created a star and then resized and distorted each one to try and match the real design. I then copied and pasted the finished group onto the other tails. Shading was done by using the airbrush tool to spray areas of black and white along the areas where the design appears to bulge and dip. This was then Gaussian blurred and the transparency reduced to give the effect of highlight and shadow. Originally the blue was lighter making the dark shadow more pronounced, but this was not the right shade so although the effect looked good it wasn't accurate so I had to adjust the shade and lightness of the cyan in the blue to make it darker. Unfortunately this lost some of the shadow effect in the blue areas but had to be done. It was a challenge but I think it worked.

Is this what you had in mind? Just uploaded it and it should be up at User Files tomorrow:

Should read "VMFA" not "VFMA". Im tired. Bit the bullet and built the tail art for what must be one of the coolest looking CAG Hornets ever IMHO. If anyone knows the crew names that should be on the nose wheel doors for this aircraft I'd appreciate the info and will update the skin later. I found various incarnations onf this design whilst researching. Some had the anti glare panel stopping at the guns, later photos showed it had been extended onto the nose. Some photos showed this aircraft without the distinguishing C type "blisters on the spine whilst later ones showed they had been added. There were several designs applied to the airbrake panel over time. I have chose the "Silver Eagles" emblem. Yes, the tail art was a pain, but Im quite pleased with the result. Just uploaded it to User Files and will post the link when its up.

Finished and sent to User Files earlier today. Should be available soon.

Not a lot of info available on this FA-18A+ but I like geometric "Ferris" type schemes so this should be rolled out over the next couple of days.

Download link: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3301007/

Thanks STORM. Now complete and uploaded to user Files a few minutes ago. I have also included a generic skin for flight numbers.

Camo still to be tweaked and markings are in-game place holders but should have this done soon. Quite a headache learning a new template after all those Sabre's, especially one as complex as this.

I have a JASDF pilot skin you can use, white helmet and orange flightsuit. If you download one of my old JASDF skins you'll find it there. (I haven't got round to updating them yet). As for the font? I don't quite follow? Do you mean a font close to the one used for the numbers on the actual team aircraft? The font I found to be closest for JASDF was "Airborne Pilot II". Hope that's of assistance.

I'll definitely second that. I'd love to see a 1950's Korea map. I'd pay for it no problem. With the world situation they could also release a modern Korea version and give everyone a new place to play. Releases like the F-86F and the MiG-15 complemented each other with the oportunity for a period specific theatre map to be developed rather than just suspend disbelief over the Caucasus. With the recent WW2 assets and the P-51D (even though it was the lesser known variant, with two aerials, for reasons I'll never understand) the scope for a proper campaign is huge. It could be the new "Mig Alley" (if you remember the original "Mig Alley" sim then you're officially old:D). But I've always felt that DCS has tended to lack a certain sense of direction in terms of the aircraft it releases and especially with the terrains...or lack thereof. I understand that its origins are rooted in LOMAC that had a storyline based around the Caucasus region and the aircraft were appropriate to that campaign. But as it expanded DCS has tended to be rather haphazard in its aircraft choices. e.g. The Viggen and Aviojet C-101, :huh: when the community was screaming for an F-16.:doh: And with regards to terrains it has become not so much haphazard as slow off the mark.

Thanks chaps. "Paper Tiger" was.....challenging.

"Paper Tiger" is now up at User Files, "Miss Tena" and "The Georgia Peach" are pending.

The Paper Tiger

One thats been on my "To do" list for a long time. Capt Harold Fischers "The Paper Tiger". It has the other artwork "Heavens Above" on the starboard side. I'm also experimenting with a new spec layer for the metal. If I am satisfied I will be updating all my previous skins with it, as the recent lighting change seems to have "washed" the finish off some.

Thanks for that Bob. Missed your post until now.

Nice work, the pilots helmet is a very nice touch too.