Knight26

No, it basically just uses blasting caps, all internal.

Very nice, almost looks like what a tomcat and hornet look like.

Very Nice, two thumbs up

It's a pirotechnic charge, fires once to throw the round out and again after it is released to pull the rod back. Rail fired missiles do the same in reverse with their hold back latch.

Ok, I am not normally one to ressurect old threads but I've made some developments to the weapons featured here. I realized I did not have enough weapon's diversity so have started making variants on the weapons. This one is the Heavy Repeating Plaser Variant, basically a future SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon). The Mass Driver is removed, the forward reciever modified, the back Plaser magazine mount removed. The interior is much different with dual Plasma exciters, one in the butt stock and one in the for grip. It also features a larger caliber longer barrel, with numerous external heat sinks. There is a second plasma injector in the forward barrel, giving the weapon some serious kick, enough to pierce lightly armored vehicles skin. The new forward reciever takes the larger dual drum PLASMA/Energy cell. I may go to a single drum, I have not yet decided. I'm going to make additional modifications, more heat sinks, gas vents, etc... Mostly in the butt stock. Let me know what you all think.

What Nike endorsement are you talking about? Heck I look forward to the day that I see a spacecraft launch with a big old nike swoosh or adidas tri-stripe on the side.

Exactly, private space flight is the way to go. Come on Burt get space ship one up to 100km as soon as you safely can, give everyone else a swift kick to the ass.

Guess what another update. I added the dorsal turret, it is one of the ball turrets, and four retractable anti-personnel turrets on the detachable bay. I also added a pair of doors to the front of the bay. I still need to add the upper docking mounts, lower iris hatches to the bay, and the bay interior, then the details and textures. I am also thinking about changing the shape of the forward engine mounts, make it so that the retro thrusters can be closed off during atmospheric flight. It is definitely coming along. I should have done this a long time ago considering how much of the books take place in these things. As for the name I am leaning towards either, Abominable, Ferine, or maybe Dromidary. Well keep the comments coming. Oh, and while a brick may be an effective weapon, it is not an effective weapons platform.

Who told you that? I know many vietnam veteran pilots and none of them said anything about doing something so blatantly stupid. Once a bomb is pickled off there is nothing holding it there, and with some ejector racks a plunger actually fires to push it away just in case one of the hooks fails to disengage. Releasing a bobm upside down would result in it falling off its rack onto the plane immediately. I think that what you are quoting is an urban legend based on observations by ground forces who didn't know what they were seeing.

I will consider the dorsal turret, however due to space constraints it will probably be similar to the chin turret, ball turrets need a lot more interior space. Either that or a smaller ball turret, probably mounted spine mounted, either in front of or behind the boarding tube. If it takes an EMP all of its electronics will be dead anyway and it will be unflyable. The craft is somewhat EMP shielded though, the most critical components anyway. I may look back into viewports under the chin but I doubt they will do much good really. While a level of redundancy past the loss of the SIS is a good idea, it may be too restrictive in the long run unless a cockpit redesign is initiated. THat might not be a bad idea though. That is still an idea I am toying with, the question just becomes a matter of where, maybe a pair of small antipersonnal guns on the front and back, they would en closed at all other times though. And yes, the bay will be detachable, but it will have only limited power and locomotion capability, it will not be able to be used as an assault vehicle. I would like to keep an adjective name, brick and mule may be good nicknames, but for an official ship class name an aggressive name would be more appropriate. Do you really think that any current aircraft really would have been appropriated if their unoffical nicknames were their official names? (Well maybe the Warthog, but that's it.)

Warrhead: The name will be changed, I have put together a list of possible new names to review, will post those at the end. The turrets will likely stay where they are, their field of fire is actually quite good when in space, when the wings are folded in (if they stay that is). In atmosphere they would be used for clearing the LZ, so being limited to a downward firing angle will not impact them to greatly. AS for the a glass floor, there is no need for that, the ships is equipped with and SIS (Sensor Imaging System), basically think the floor and side panels on the YF-19. These panels are integrated into the entire cockpit allowing the crew to "see through" the walls and floor. I was looking at putting an actual window in the floor, but it would have been very obstructed, so the SIS, which is on many other craft as well, was a good idea. The ship currently has an anti-personnel turret under the cockpit in a chin turret. Missile racks will be added to the main body, just have not determined or modelled their location yet. These missiles will be used for defense and LZ clearance. As for the aby doors, more will in fact be added. The front will recieve at least two hatches under the landing legs, not enough room on the side right now. The ramp will likely stay but will get some modifications. There will also be iris hatches in the belly of the bay module that will allow for drop deployments, basically shooting the troops out of the belly during a high speed pass. I will probably add additional anti-personnel turrets to the rear to protect the main bay entrance though, through which tanks, and APCs will be deployed. There will be multiple cargo packs, but I started with the largest one for carrying cargo so I could set the landing gears and their stance. A lower profile one will be used for human sized troops, expanding ones for construction, etc... Now back to the name issue, the dropship is designed and produced by ASF, the same company that produces the Feral Bomber, so I decided that a similar name should be employed. I have come up with the following list, what name do you think would be best from it, or that is similar? Man I wish I could add a poll here, lol. Anyway onto the names: Beast/Bestial:_____ Brute:_____ Corporeal:_____ Untamed:_____ Abominable:_____ Barberous:_____ Carnal:_____ Ferine:_____ Savage:_____ Lupine:_____ Predatory:_____ Relentless:_____ Vehement:_____ Voracious:_____ Fierce:_____ Vicious:_____

From what I have seen of JTL so far I will steer clear, sorry but I want another X-wing type game, not another freelancer, which this seems to be becoming. DOn't get me wrong Freelancer was fun, but there was no real flight to it, give me a stick, throttle and rudder pedals anyday over a freaking mouse to fly. As for XWA there is a project underway to try and revamp the game, they have done a great job so far, the XWAU, X-Wing Alliance Upgrade Project: http://www.xwaupgrade.com they are always looking for more modelers and texture artists as well. There are other related projects as well, one guy is converting all the Tie-Fighter missions to XWA, which when combined with the XWAU should be beauty. Fan missions, campaigns, new ships etc... always being made and inserted into the game as well, the community is pretty active becuase the game is so moddable, if it is more than a bit dated now. Also is it just me or does every screenshot from JTL show the Ties with only a single engine? COrrect me if I am wrong but TIE stands for Twin Ion Engine, and all cannonical evidence points to a twin engined fighter, not single engined, just what is Lucasarts thinking?

Well the name may change, just like the rest of the design, the name never fit, so the new name is up in the air, but penguin, eh, doesn't grab me. The extendable wings may or may not stay, as they are to be used primarily for atmospheric control, not for space flight, that is one of the reasons why they pull in. The other is pretty obvious the main space engine exhaust would impinge on the rear wing otherwise. I have yet to add its control thrusters but they will be added. Typically a craft using the hard docking point will not be going atmospheric. But I see your point, I am considering adding Fulcrum style intake shutters to the atmospheric engine intakes in order to accomodate that. The ship is a brick, but as a cargo craft it doesn't have to be sleak and elegant, the important thing for the design is armor and capacity. So, does anyone have any suggestions as to a new name for it?

Ok, I lied, one more pic, this one of a syringe making a forced dock to a GF Galaxy III heavy dropship.

One more for tonight, the main boarding tube, able to cut through a ships hull for forced boarding if necessary.

Another quick update. This time I am showcasing the dropship landed with and without the main cargo bay. The wide stance of the landing gear without the cargo bay is to allow the bay to be fitted easily. The ship can kneel though, retracting its landing gear enough for the crew to climb out with out an extendable ladder. I've also fitted the chin turret, which is equipped with dual medium caliber gatling Plasers, primarily for enemy troop suppression not for attack fighters. As for the cockpit, it may be updated further, but will not take on a hind like appearance, this is not an attack craft, more of a cargo ferry that can shoot back.

A quick update on the progress. I have hollowed out the main bay, added landing gear, doors, etc... I have also made it that the cargo bay will be a removable box, so I will add another set of landing gear to main portion of the ship. I also have to add doking hardpoints to the upper surface, access panels, etc... Here is a test render of the syringe in hanger dropping off a Confed heavy beam tank (old design, may be redone).

Are you going to mod the pilot figure as well, make her into a TV Millia?

Okay I can the resembelance to the Aliens dropship, and maybe a little of the halo dropship, though it is significantly larger than both. But where in the world do you see the batmobile in it? UCSB (Universal Confederation of Sentient Beings) I'm using AutoCAD 2002 as always. ANy comments on the actual design though?

And now the atmospheric configuration. As always any constructive critiscm is appreciated.

Here is the temporary textured undetailed version. The cargo bay is a little smaller, as is the whole craft, it is narrower for one thing and the whole length is not cargo bay like the original. I am liking how it is shaping up, the cargo bay is still large enough to hold a single tank or APC. I also decided to to give two different engine types, one for atmosphere, one for space. The main space engines are on the side and are shut off during atmospheric flight, when the wings are extended. It still needs detailing including a new chin turret, landing gear, bay interior, bay doors, etc... Here is the space flight configuration.

Well another old design is getting a total ground up redesign, I'm still working on the mosquito but I want to get some new ones started before my trip and I will detail them while underway. This time is the UCSB's heavy strategic dropship the syringe, designed for carrying large numbers of troops and supplies, or vehicles. The original was nice, but never was satisfied with it. It tried to find the original sketches and recreate it from there but those sketches have all been all but lost, bummed me out. Anyway I decided to start fresh and this new syringe is the product of that. Here is the original for a comparison.

Sweet, ever think of going 1:48 and selling the unassembled kits, people here would pay serious money for that.

I burn all my important data, models, texture maps, stories, images, etc... to CD (now DVD) at least once every 6 months, or right before I go on travel, then I put the disks someplace safe aweay from the computer. That way if the computer is lost due to fire, theft, flood, accident, etc... the data is someplace else and safe, usually at work or my Aunt's place, if not on my person.

Movies/TV -Battle of Endor (hey the biggest star wars space battle, gotta love it) -Death Blossum (LS) -Macross Plus OVA (openning and Earth orbital insertion) -The nebula battle in ST:WOK (terrible from a technical standpoint, but a great game of cat and mouse) -Macross DYRL (openning and ending battle) -New BattleStar Galactica Nebula Escape battle (mostly for the somewhat realistic physics and the desperation it showed) -THe battle for Earth (B5, again props for the realistic physics) -Colony Drop (Gundam 0083, just for the tactics used, the tech is iffy, but the tactics are an interesting study) Books (short list)- -Last Battle of Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) -Battle of Eltair Green Nebula (oops that's one of mine, lol) -Battles in the Concquers Trilogy (Tim Zahn) -Battle of Coruscant (X-wing Rogue Squadron, Mike Stackpole) -Battle of Kilrah (Wing COmmander FLeet Action, I think Mercedes Lackey) That's all I can think of right now.