Gliese

[kborak]

ok here we go the landing gear have begun. This is what I have for the front skid. Yes I am going with skids and yes it will have V-TOL as well.

[star_creations]

I just said this to you on Yahoo, but I want everyone to see it...

I quote, "well....to be honest here...and I am being full honest, for a person that is still new to 3d art and special affects, you are actually better then I was at first....and your catching on even faster then me, thats my honest answer..."

[Meph]

I'd beef up that foot faat a bit, a little bit longer, a tiny bit wider, a tad higher. Perhaps a little bit more of an angle for the 'toe' bit and something to beef up the joint between the leg/pistion and skid/foot a joint perhaps, doesn't that thing need to fold up when being retracted?)

[Monkey Boy]

My first thought was definitely, curl up the toe a little.
I'm not sure it really needs a lot of beefing up though, as provided that it is VTOL, the pilot can set down fairly gently, so industrial strength landing gear is not essential - current airforce jets tend to have relatively spindley landing gear as they land gently on prepared strips, where-as navy jets have big string gear because they slam down on carrier decks, this will be the former, a gentle (perhaps computer-controlled) vertical set-down as smooth as a baby's bottom.

One question? Is this intended to fold up, or do you intend it to telescope up, with the foot itself then becomming it's own landing gear door? The depth of the fuselage behind the cockpit is such that you would have room to have it retract straight back up like a reverse periscope, and this would save on excess articulation of the foot.

The other question remains, how is it towed around on the ground or on a space carrier deck? Will there be one or two small wheels incoporated into each foot, or a kind of catapillar track on each foot, or will carrier decks have some kind of magnetic-levetation system to allow these planes to be shifted around?

[kborak]

Ok I really couldnt make the skid any beefier than it is due to where it is positioned in the craft. But I did add a few more hydrolics and a pivot point on the foot so they have a reason for being there. I also put in some hydrolic cables, added a mounting block for the join connectiong the telescoping arm and the skid, for support. I also started putting the rear skids together as well.

As for how they are getting around monkey, I was leaning towards tow jacks. However the thought of magnetic-levitation is very interesting. It would also open up another area of plot devices. It would also be able to serve as a cushion for the skids incase of a hot landing, where a computer controlled landing wouldnt be the best choice.

[Berkut]

Interesting, I don't see the benefit of this system over wheels, but I guess its scifi. Some advice: put a smooth modifier on the skid and make those cables thicker, like a lot thicker. They are practically invisible when you make images of the full fighter.

[kborak]

@Berkut the only real benefit is found when you have a V-TOL craft, yes i could use wheels, but as you said, its scifi!

[kborak]

Did someone request thicker cables?

Any other suggestions before I move on to texture the front gear?

[kborak]

ok I finally have an Emblom that I am going with!

[Berkut]

nice, the gear looks better now. Great job on the logo, looks really cool