That Commonwealth cutter does indeed look like something out of Thunderbirds, and I to can live with that. The colour looks good as well. Another version of the US cutter! What is this, the third, fourth version?
I agree with Stonecold the CEGD cutter could be a variant of the old E-3.a design.
I love it when we do stuff in Sketchup and people say... " You did THAT in Sketchup?!"
kind of waiting for that moment myself.
great work on the raf rescue cutter, using the current air-sea rescue colour scheme is a great excuse for the striking yellow hull. can we see it from some more angles.
@Tombo; nah, just the second. Thinking about changing the engines to something more Saturn V looking. I totally forgot about that imperial shuttle, going to see if I still have it around.
@Spacefighter; when it's all done I'll do a couple different angles.
Should have the uc cutter and corsarski sheets done by the weekend. Worked a bit on the US cutter... makes me want to go on the Rocket Jets at Disney World back when Tomorrowland was still cool.
Nah. Looks more retro than that. TBH, it looks a lot like the model rockets I used to build and fly back in my younger days - kind of a cross between the Centuri LaserX and the Estes Mars Snooper (both kits from the early-to-mid 1970's). Of course, the kits were much longer and more slender than this though...
That telescopic landing undercarriage looks legacy as hell. Just like it came straight from old soviet cartoon. Not that it is a bad thing. Well, great design, no matter how I look at it!
Those are pretty interesting Stonecold. Sorta makes me feel like I'm tripping balls on peyote!
Here is an update on the retro-rocket (see what I did there).
And this is a rough up of what I'm thinking for the CEGD cutter. Going to make it more angular I think, as it's looking a bit too 'Prequel trilogy' to me :nono:
Well, you hit the right feeling of "retro-sci-fi" with that cutter. Same as it was with "MiG-21 in space". It just looks "legacy hardware" even if it is supposed to be the future. Unique feeling of your designs, I must say. Sa for CEGD cutter, it looks cool, but try to do something with that polished material. "Star wars royal shuttle" was the first thing that comes to mind And mainly just because of that mirror-like surface.
Here is the final WIP of the US cutter. Model's done and am strating to paint it. Wish I had a pic of the CEGD cutter but coming up with a shape I like is giving me fits!
Always liked your designs, and the renders look photorealistic. Well done. The cutter reminds me of The last Starfightter and the atmospheric Star Fury from Babylon 5.
Oh wow looks like that landing gear is about to snap under the weigh ^^ A little bit too obviously "retro-future escaped from the sixties" for my taste, but i have to admit this is still a finely modeled ship.
Btw did you ever finish the russian super low-tech passenger transport? I really looked forward to see more of it.
the cutter is quite good though i must say some of that retro stuff could be made to seem more modern and the design improved by having it as a space only craft without those all too retro landing legs.
Well, I'm doing the final render with the landing gear up, I just did it to see how it would land. I've put the CEGD cutter on the backburner as it moved from 'challenging' to 'frustrating'. Started work on the Soviet cutter instead;
and here is where I'm going with the US cutter color wise, going to redo the badge on the front.
Yeah, it looks odd because of the way the nose wraps around and above the forward airlock(?). Still looks like a good, solid design though. Is it tailless?
tailless seems fine to me, several of the current(and historical) ssto craft designs used little fins on the wing tips rather than a true tail. the "rib" structures seem a bit big though.
I still think that the nose is strange. Can`t imagine how this thing, with flat docking port on the nose will perform re-entry. Maybe some sort of aerodynamic cover over the port will do the trick?
I still think that the nose is strange. Can`t imagine how this thing, with flat docking port on the nose will perform re-entry. Maybe some sort of aerodynamic cover over the port will do the trick?
Yeeaaaah well, bbzw2, that might be the perfect time to make use of the space magic trick i told you about, don't you think? ^^
Tailless looks really fine.
what "space "magic" trick" is that?
p.s. the use of those v2 rocket like chessboard pattern on the motors of your american cutter look too cartoonish, although the stripe round the cockpit area is a nice touch. just wondering if there is anything you could do so it lands belly down rather than as a tail sitter.
And Khay was joking around with me about 'french perch effect' of blunt nosed objects.
Landing on the side would be entirely impractical. The stripe on the nose is directly cribbed from the US Coast Guard.
Took some time to 'up-detail' the existing model of the Intrepid carrier;
Busy week for me with work so I don't know how much time I will be able to devote to VIA for a few days.
I have to say a couple things about the "checkerboard" paint patterns. First, they're called "roll patterns". The reason they are used is to determine the roll rate of the rocket during flight, or as targets for the cameras so that later analysis can determine which side of the rocket was in view at the moment. That's especially true of the V-2 rockets captured from the Germans and used at White Sands - most V-2s had a different pattern on each quarter of the rocket. Same thing with the service module section of the Little Joe II LES test rockets. Also on the Saturn 1B at the fins.
After years of building scale model and high power rockets, I have roll patterns almost ingrained in my DNA.
Much as I hate to say it, the use of roll patterns on your cutter are more to just look cool than to have any sort of function, since they don't help determine roll direction or speed. Now if each booster had a different pattern on it... But in the end, it's your design and you can do whatever you want with it. TBH, I'd leave it as is, because it looks cool:thumb:
Posts
I agree with Stonecold the CEGD cutter could be a variant of the old E-3.a design.
great work on the raf rescue cutter, using the current air-sea rescue colour scheme is a great excuse for the striking yellow hull. can we see it from some more angles.
@Tombo; nah, just the second. Thinking about changing the engines to something more Saturn V looking. I totally forgot about that imperial shuttle, going to see if I still have it around.
@Spacefighter; when it's all done I'll do a couple different angles.
Nah. Looks more retro than that. TBH, it looks a lot like the model rockets I used to build and fly back in my younger days - kind of a cross between the Centuri LaserX and the Estes Mars Snooper (both kits from the early-to-mid 1970's). Of course, the kits were much longer and more slender than this though...
Love the "short Atlas" wingtip boosters.
This was my inspiration BTW;
RocketJets388x432.jpg
(*from where I was dropped on my head as a baby )
Here is an update on the retro-rocket (see what I did there).
And this is a rough up of what I'm thinking for the CEGD cutter. Going to make it more angular I think, as it's looking a bit too 'Prequel trilogy' to me :nono:
Any way - swesome amount of details and really good and solid concept.
Btw did you ever finish the russian super low-tech passenger transport? I really looked forward to see more of it.
and here is where I'm going with the US cutter color wise, going to redo the badge on the front.
OTOH, I like the US cutter color scheme. Adds to the retro feel, and reminded me right off the bat of the Hawk from Space: 1999.
And thinking about leaving this one tailless
Yeeaaaah well, bbzw2, that might be the perfect time to make use of the space magic trick i told you about, don't you think? ^^
Tailless looks really fine.
p.s. the use of those v2 rocket like chessboard pattern on the motors of your american cutter look too cartoonish, although the stripe round the cockpit area is a nice touch. just wondering if there is anything you could do so it lands belly down rather than as a tail sitter.
us_space_and_rocket_ctr_huntsville_al_usa_photo_al_tourism_dept2.jpg
gemini-1.jpg
Plenty of precedent for checkerboard patterns.
And Khay was joking around with me about 'french perch effect' of blunt nosed objects.
Landing on the side would be entirely impractical. The stripe on the nose is directly cribbed from the US Coast Guard.
Took some time to 'up-detail' the existing model of the Intrepid carrier;
Busy week for me with work so I don't know how much time I will be able to devote to VIA for a few days.
After years of building scale model and high power rockets, I have roll patterns almost ingrained in my DNA.
Much as I hate to say it, the use of roll patterns on your cutter are more to just look cool than to have any sort of function, since they don't help determine roll direction or speed. Now if each booster had a different pattern on it... But in the end, it's your design and you can do whatever you want with it. TBH, I'd leave it as is, because it looks cool:thumb: