Knight26

I think Kin might be right, no reason to completely reinvent the wheel here. So I have scrapped the full redesign and instead am now going on a design optimization course. To that end, and to make my life easier, I have started redoing the ship, just using faces instead of elliptical cylinders everywhere. In this way it will stay true to the original concept, but will make detailing far easier. Here is the first render of the new concept. Something I am considering is eliminating the aft dorsal engine hump, keeping the ventral hump though, any thoughts? I'm also going to rearrange the weapons a bit and redesign them a bit as well. COmments, thoughts, opinions?

recon buzzard, I will replace the EPCs with sensor pods and the missile hardpoints with a large recon package.

Recon model preview.

buzzard shot

Combat model, very old and dirty one.

preflighting the MSPs

Buzzard

Someone hand me the fork, except for proper squadron markings and adding the recon equipment to the recon model this baby is done.

Very nice, did you color the picture or did you get your hands on the model and make textures?

The originals or the redesigns?

Well since the loss of the last model I've cranked out a couple "thinking out loud" concepts, this one is the only one worth posting. Man this redesign is kicking my butt.

LOL, there was a point where I was considering redesigning all my fighters with a gerwalk mode, decided reverse thrusters would be better.

aaaarrrghhhh!!!! My stupid fragging work computer froze up on me, and when I rebooted all my progress was lost. Now I am always very conciensous about saving so I know I saved the drawing, but it is gone now, argh, I hate this POS computer.

SLightly different wing, more imbedded into the fuselage, if I go with a shorter shord type I will likely add a nice set of LERXes. Also, I found a thumbnail, could not find anything larger, of an old 50's saucer fighter concept, if anyone has a larger version I would really appreciate it. HERE

SHorter chord wing with the same span, and the missile packs added.

I am considering something like that Opus, I am also considering a mix of gunpods and fixed cannons. Anyway here is the first update, I've modeled a basic fuselage I kind of like, it still needs some refinement, I'm not quite sure I like the width. I've also played around with multiple wing configurations, trying to decide which one to go with, any thoughts?

Flying Squirrel?

Muscle car shot

Buzzard Shot

Viper Shot

Almost all the textures are completed, all that's left are the weapons, undercarriage and thrusters to go. I will finish those tomorrow and then start into the variants. Of course the first will be the combat variant, since it requires no reworking, the recon variant will take a little longer as it requires replacing the EPCs and missiles with sensor pods. I should also have the first solaar redesign concepts up tomorrow as well.

The Mk-3 is a the pure fighter of the trio and is introduced much later on. The anti-bomber role is taken away and using a common cockpit and fuselage a pure fighter was built. The outspaced engines help with manueverability and increase overall thrust and therefore accleration. It now carries exclusively anti-fighter weapons, six plaser cannons and eight missiles. SO I want to redesign these but I am stuck, part of me keeps saying to make them look like an F-16 fuselage with a disk wing, and another part to go for a more TIE fighter look. Then the a third part, well you get the idea... Any input is appreciated.

The Mk2. Basically the Mk1 could not dogfight, the weapons had too long a refire rate and it was not designed to take on fighters. THe Mk-2 is the first attempt to rectify this problem, by adding a pair of smaller rapid fire MDC's and more manuevering thrusters, while still keeping its anti-bomber capability. I am thinking for this redesign I will reshape the wing to give it a more "human" shape, starting to move away from the disk shaped wing, and maybe make it a two seater, as well as mixing up the weapons some more.

Yes the redesign kick is still on. This time it is the Solaar (not misspelled) family of fighters, the Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3. These pains in my keester and in the keesters of most confed pilots have continued to evolve over the years since I first sketched them. However they really pale in comparison to the last redesigns and the cockpits, which have always been a major pain in my keester have finally gotten to me. Of course redesigning the cockpits will require me to redo the Mosquito's cockpit but I do not mind that. Anyway I will start with the Mark-1 Solaar since it is the progenitor of the line. It's role is as a bomber interceptor, as such it carries only heavy weapons, large bore MDC's and heavy Plaser cannons along with cluster missiles and rocket pods. I would like to keep the salient features as true to form as I can, i.e. the disk wingm weapons load, and centrally mounted engines, but nothing else is sacred. The problem is I am having trouble visuallizing what I want to do, so I am asking for suggestions. These are craft designed by human's but with strong influences from their alien allies.

Small update, the MSP's are finished, any comments?