DCS: AH-64D Livery Competition

[Wilmeister]

   AH-64A - South Carolina ANG 151st ATKHB - USA

Includes South Carolina Army National Guard pilot/CPG, handmade decals, custom M261 pods, custom Hellfires, and custom 230 gallon fuel tanks.

Variant 1 (2004): https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322008/

Variant 2 (2007) w/ Black Trim (2007): https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322025/

Edited April 25, 2022 by Wilmeister

[carss]

6 hours ago, badger7966 said:

Id llike to see an Egyptian example!!!!

I 100% agree, but they're super hard to come by! I don't think I've seen a single pic of an Egyptian Apache

[Phoinx]

Hello friends Apache
Kuwait Air Force

Partnership in the Yemen war

Operation Decisive Storm

against hope

Interstate exercises:

Gulf Shield

 

1. Promise of the North

    

Northern Thunder Exercise
Thanks For Khalid
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3321448/

1.  

    

Edited April 22, 2022 by Phoinx

[Siili]

Fictional Finnish AH-64 based on the NH90 currently in use in Finland.

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322001/

[BIGNEWY]

looking good, thanks

[whisky.actual]

RCAF 438 Tactical Helicopter Squadron AH-64D

This is the squadron that is based in my home city, so I had to do it. Would have been fun to see some Apaches with our CH147 and CH146. I've based this texture on the RCAF Griffons.

• RCAF camo with 438 squadron emblem
• Female pilot texture
• New CPG texture
• Custom uniforms with patches
• Custom helmets

Link : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322035/

Edited April 24, 2022 by whisky.actual

[ebabil]

I am in shopping some good desert liveries but couldn't see any

[sadjad-vosoul]

Greetings

This is Desert Camo for Iranian Aviation Army , based on Real Iranian AH-1J Twin cobra (Sea Cobra)  Real Picture link 1   Real Picture Link 2

Skin Download Link : I.R.I.A.A.  https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322023/

Skin Download Link : I.I.A.A.    https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322022/

[agamemnon_b5]

On 4/21/2022 at 6:21 PM, Wilmeister said:

   AH-64A - South Carolina ANG 151st ATKHB - USA

Includes South Carolina Army National Guard pilot/CPG, handmade decals, custom M261 pods, custom Hellfires.

Variant 1 (2004): https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322008/

Variant 2 (2007) w/ Black Trim (2007): https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322025/

 

The pilot in this picture has an Air National Guard patch.

[Wilmeister]

11 minutes ago, agamemnon_b5 said:

The pilot in this picture has an Air National Guard patch.

Yikes. I had that in as a placeholder and forgot to drop in the South Carolina Army National Guard patch. Will re-upload tonight. Thanks.

[agamemnon_b5]

2 hours ago, Wilmeister said:

Yikes. I had that in as a placeholder and forgot to drop in the South Carolina Army National Guard patch. Will re-upload tonight. Thanks.

Maybe save it for a US Air Force What-if Apache livery?  

[EricJ]

4 hours ago, Wilmeister said:

Yikes. I had that in as a placeholder and forgot to drop in the South Carolina Army National Guard patch. Will re-upload tonight. Thanks.

Good because I may download this one.

[Wilmeister]

16 hours ago, agamemnon_b5 said:

Maybe save it for a US Air Force What-if Apache livery?  

Not a bad idea!

15 hours ago, EricJ said:

Good because I may download this one.

Glad to hear it! Both variants were updated last night. Updated the original post if you want to see the new patches.

[EricJ]

t

1 hour ago, Wilmeister said:

Not a bad idea!

Glad to hear it! Both variants were updated last night. Updated the original post if you want to see the new patches.

Thanks, I'll download them ASAP.

[Swamp_Fox]

So.

I was about 85% done with my own South Carolina National Guard livery when Wilmeister posted theirs here. Figured I might as well finish it off, be a shame to do all that work and then just abandon it.

I'll attach the user files link as soon as it's available, but for now, just the pictures.

Contains 4 skins; two generic ones (one with the drab gun and partially drab TADS that seem quite common on gray Apaches, one without), as well as two specific aircraft, 40331 and 40332 in about 2004, when the unit was in Iraq. Of note is that, due to using common textures to save on space, none of the skins will work if the gray generic skin isn't present, and 40332 won't work if 40331 isn't present. That can of course be changed if need be, though the file size will approximately triple.

Reflecting that they deployed to Iraq with these liveries, the combat patch on the right arm is that given for the Iraq tour, and the patch on the left arm is, of course, the SC ARNG patch. The patches have their own custom roughmets and normal maps, and most of the aircraft has custom roughmets as well. There's also custom textures for the M261 rocket pods and the fuel tanks.

There are of course some differences between the AH-64A and AH-64D that made it not an exactly 1 to 1 representation (mostly the exhaust shrouds and the side pods; the top half of the shark mouth in particular goes noticeably further forwards, since the sidepod goes further forwards, and making it the "correct" size resulted in not being able to see much of the mouth from the front).

Edited April 24, 2022 by Swamp_Fox

[chromium]

Adding here the fictional italian army livery inspired by the AVES (Aviazione dell'Esercito) AW-129 Mangusta livery, post 2012: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322053/

Also, in the bottom of the post, the links for 8 "single tail number" helicopters in the same livery with pilots patch of the 7° regiment "Vega", 48° Group "Pavone" (not for the competition). I made this pack to allow those groups or friends who want different tail numbers to have them, while I'll update the main generic livery if bort numbers become available.

This skin has been a journey for me, I wasn't making liveries since... maybe 10 years. In fact, I wouldn't be able to do that without my squadron mate _NightWolf_, which share with me the skin work: I made the helicopters textures, and he made the pilots. Quite a fantastic teamwork. Also, with the help of EL_LEJI, who provided a lot of help in the process.

To be as close as possibile to the real counterparts, we used the template taking advantage of both roughtmets layers and text masks. The livery feature:

- base diffuse colours and roughtness tryng to match the correct colours in different lightning conditions

- customized text to reflect the AW-129 markings, like very low-vis text but more reflective paintings, and conversion of fuel volume from gallons to liters

- customized pilots camo and details (using the italian "vegetato")

- customized pilots patches (we used the "high-vis" cause we didn't find too many references pictures that shows low-vis italian flags)
 

 

 

 

 

Here's the link for the unique tail numbers livery (not for competition)

EI 969 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322054/

EI 970 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322055/

EI 971 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322056/

EI 972 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322057/

EI 978 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322062/

EI 979 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322063/

EI 980 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322064/

EI 981 : https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/it/files/3322065/

(I'm "reserving" some tail number cause if I find sufficient materials on pilot's paches I might add the 5° regiment "Rigel" 49° Group "Capricorno" helos)

Edited April 26, 2022 by chromium
updated photo and images

[Wilmeister]

4 hours ago, Swamp_Fox said:

I was about 85% done with my own South Carolina National Guard livery when Wilmeister posted theirs here. Figured I might as well finish it off, be a shame to do all that work and then just abandon it.

If only we had known we could have split the work! Great job dude!

[BIGNEWY]

14 hours ago, Swamp_Fox said:

So.

I was about 85% done with my own South Carolina National Guard livery when Wilmeister posted theirs here. Figured I might as well finish it off, be a shame to do all that work and then just abandon it.

I'll attach the user files link as soon as it's available, but for now, just the pictures.

Contains 4 skins; two generic ones (one with the drab gun and partially drab TADS that seem quite common on gray Apaches, one without), as well as two specific aircraft, 40331 and 40332 in about 2004, when the unit was in Iraq. Of note is that, due to using common textures to save on space, none of the skins will work if the gray generic skin isn't present, and 40332 won't work if 40331 isn't present. That can of course be changed if need be, though the file size will approximately triple.

Reflecting that they deployed to Iraq with these liveries, the combat patch on the right arm is that given for the Iraq tour, and the patch on the left arm is, of course, the SC ARNG patch. The patches have their own custom roughmets and normal maps, and most of the aircraft has custom roughmets as well. There's also custom textures for the M261 rocket pods and the fuel tanks.

There are of course some differences between the AH-64A and AH-64D that made it not an exactly 1 to 1 representation (mostly the exhaust shrouds and the side pods; the top half of the shark mouth in particular goes noticeably further forwards, since the sidepod goes further forwards, and making it the "correct" size resulted in not being able to see much of the mouth from the front).

 

Still submit if you wish to, there is no problem with duplicates, the team may pick one over the other. 

Thank you to everyone for the submissions, looking great

[Swamp_Fox]

10 hours ago, Wilmeister said:

If only we had known we could have split the work! Great job dude!

Most of the really tedious work was something I was doing for a commission, actually, so that probably wouldn't have really helped much (be kind of a dick move to split work on something only one person is getting paid for). Yours isn't too bad itself, though; best of luck!

 

1 hour ago, BIGNEWY said:

Still submit if you wish to, there is no problem with duplicates, the team may pick one over the other. 

Thank you to everyone for the submissions, looking great

I was under the impression I just did. Is there something more to it that I'm not aware of other than just adding the user files link once it's approved?

[BIGNEWY]

7 minutes ago, Swamp_Fox said:

Most of the really tedious work was something I was doing for a commission, actually, so that probably wouldn't have really helped much (be kind of a dick move to split work on something only one person is getting paid for). Yours isn't too bad itself, though; best of luck!

 

I was under the impression I just did. Is there something more to it that I'm not aware of other than just adding the user files link once it's approved?

Ok, yes I did not see the links. Please ping me when you have them so I can add to my spreadsheet

thanks

[Swamp_Fox]

7 hours ago, BIGNEWY said:

Ok, yes I did not see the links. Please ping me when you have them so I can add to my spreadsheet

thanks

Link is now up at https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322060/

I also updated the patch on the right sleeve to be that of the 25th infantry division, as apparently the Iraq combat patch was more for higher ups, and the 151st operated in support of the 25th infantry division during that timeframe.

Edited April 25, 2022 by Swamp_Fox

[BIGNEWY]

thanks 

 

[71st_Mastiff]

3 hours ago, Swamp_Fox said:

Link is now up at https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322060/

I also updated the patch on the right sleeve to be that of II MAW, as apparently the Iraq combat patch was more for higher ups, and the 151st operated in support of II MAW during that timeframe.

 

is this the same download; I got this morning?

[Swamp_Fox]

3 hours ago, 71st_Mastiff said:

is this the same download; I got this morning?

If you were one of the first 25 people or so it's not the exact same file, since I did update the skin to have the 25th Infantry Division (not II MAW like I originally said; forgot which of the two I ended up going with over the Iraq combat patch), but it IS the same page on user files, https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322060/

Edited April 25, 2022 by Swamp_Fox

[Akiyama_Ykari]

 

 

Created a battle-scarred surface for backup. I'm still thinking about the theme, I feel that everyone has already done all the Apache camouflage, so anxious ,It's my first time to participate in the creative competition, everyone is amazing .