The Firehawk Rises Again

[Knight26]

I just thought I would share this with you guys, I redesigned my old SPlicer-5000 design, again because of problems I saw in the old desing that just started to seriously bug me, hence the redesign. Now I just need to figure out how to fit it into the continuity. I have three ideas:

1) Cut it out entirely, it just ends up being something on blackboard, a concept design. (I'm not a fan of this one, as I like the design enough to keep it in the storyline, but not enough to make it the full production model.)

2) Make it the pre-initial production prototype. Basically they need the fighter out there right away, but can't deliver the final design for another couple years, so in the interim they upgrade the existing fighters with the tech for the new one. The new one then gets deployed a few years later, once the space frame and other systems are ready.

3) The company that makes the fighter cuts corners and produces the old version first using primarily existing parts. They sell it as saying that their chief test pilot, who also happens to be a war hero, contributed heavily to the design. However the design he wanted was the new one, and original was fielded first. Some design flaws cropped up, he got mad and with the rest of his initial design team points out the flaws and calls the company on them. The company is then forced by the senate and space forces to build the new design and replace the old one.

What do you guys think, which sounds most plausible, and like the best story?

I look forward to your comments.

[Lindem Herz]

Damn beautiful plane, man. Awesome.

I think the number two option is very plausible. It has happened a couple of times before (matter of fact, two of the most sucessful versions of the Spitfire, Mark V and IX, were interim designs, with the "full" versions they were supposed to fill for weren't as popular).

Then again, option three is not so unlikely. Something not quite similar but kinda happened with the Heinkel He 280 and the Messerschmitt Me 262. The 280 was supposed to be Germany's (and the world's) first operational jet fighter (orders for twenty pre-production planes and 300 production models were placed), but when it faced engine development problems, it was swiftly pushed away for the more advanced (and Adolf Galland's favorite) 262.

Problem was, since the problems with the 280's powerplants were common to all early turbojets, the 262 faced the same issues that pushed it's service entry for another year after the cancelation of the 280.

I pick two because of the kind of stories that could come out of it (an overworked design team, pushing things as far and as fast as they can, working on a dream machine that was needed for yesteryear and all the problems that came from that breakneck run) rather than the more political intrigue that three recalls.

Edited August 28, 2005 by Lindem Herz

[Knight26]

thanks for the comments LH, I am leaning towards the second story option right now, the third one i just came up with while texturing it, and I think it is the weakest. Of course there is always the fourth option, that somehow involves, A1, Duke Togo, Hurin, DH, Exo, a few others, a time machine, a broken prophalactic, a the swedish bikini team in a jello wrestling competition. But that one may have just been a fever dream. LOL

[Grayson72]

Hey that's a cool design, for those of us not in the know what story are you referring to?

[Agent ONE]

It looks a little nose heavy, do you think you could pull back the cockpit portion? I think it would look more balanced.

[ComicKaze]

It looks a little nose heavy, do you think you could pull back the cockpit portion?  I think it would look more balanced.

323961[/snapback]

I think it's nose heavy too. I'd rather pull foward the cockpit and reduce the nose with unifying the color scheme. Sorry for playing with your ship.

Edited August 28, 2005 by ComicKaze

[Knight26]

thanks for the comments guys, the but the design is pretty much finallized. I really don't see what you mean about it looking nose heavy, the nose is actually shorter then the original, maybe it's the more arcing canopy that does it. BTW nice composition Comicaze.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

It;s pretty good, I like FSW's with canards and 2 vert stabilizers...kind of like the Gijoe X-30 Conquest, and the S-37 Berkut.

Have you considered making a bubble canopy or one with good rearward vision>? I assume this may have a rear mounted camera ...so maybe it does not need a bubble canopy.

[Zentrandude]

shame its finalized, think it should be wider so its a side by side seat config instead of inline and the intakes for your grav engines (think thats what you called it) is odd looking.

[Lynx7725]

Option 2 is a simplification that can work if your story is not heavily into the economic aspects of an empire, but honestly I think Option 3 gives you more depth in your universe if developed properly, and can give your characters more facets if you do it right.

Even if it's not the main crux of the story, it gives more credibility when your characters discuss it in passing, thus establishing that there is much more going on in your universe than just what happens to the characters.

[Knight26]

Thanks for the comments guys, I guess I should have included you on the WIP, especially considering that even the guys on sci-fi meshes were somewhat close lipped. As for your suggestions, shortening the nose, I really don't think that would have looked good, besides I need someplace to put the targetting array, nose gear and thrusters after all.

@SDK7: I love FSWs, and the cruciform tail I thought was a good configuration, and I thought it out much more thorughly this time. As for a more raised bubble canopy, that is not needed on these. Basically the cockpit has a system in it much like that of the YF-19 in Macross Plus with screeen integrated into all the interior panels that lets the crew "look" through it. So, SDK you a Joe fan?

@ZD: I really don't like side by sides on a fighter, its more appropriate on attackers and bombers, like the 3000 model. What do you mean the intakes look odd, is it the reverse thrust nozzle, or just the shape of the forward openning?

@Lynx: I will probably go with a combination of options 2 and 3, though I am still thinking that option 4 might make a brief appearance, jk. Also this will not be a major crux of the main storyline, but it will be more of a side story, either represented in a short story or told in introspection. Right now I am leaning towards a short story.

I appreciate any further comments you have.

[Zentrandude]

mainly the dead space between the intakes and the fuselage. it looks like something was there but it was chipped off. also the angle on the outer intake seems bit steep, maybe if it was like 45 to 55 degrees instead of what looks like 70 or 80 degress if might look better.

[Knight26]

I;m still not getting your meaning ZD, the intakes go almost right up against the fuselage, do you mean those two spots above and below the center line of the intakes? ALso, the intakes are chopped back at about 45 degrees, or are you referring to the front inner mouth? ALso remember I have never drawn the s-5k in the original configuration, instead this is with the gravity engine installed, the original Ion Drive would signficantly change intake area, closing it off. I supposse that one of these days I will have to put that design together.

[Zentrandude]

could be the angle of the pics but the intake seems realy angled out exposing the sides of that axle which might be fragile in your universe. but for the dead space between the engine also includes those spots above and below (the lip between you can get away with but those spots above and below just have a odd out of place look of it. like say add like a wedge to make it more streamline to the fuselage.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Thanks for the comments guys, I guess I should have included you on the WIP, especially considering that even the guys on sci-fi meshes were somewhat close lipped.  As for your suggestions, shortening the nose, I really don't think that would have looked good, besides I need someplace to put the targetting array, nose gear and thrusters after all. 

@SDK7:  I love FSWs, and the cruciform tail I thought was a good configuration, and I thought it out much more thorughly this time.  As for a more raised bubble canopy, that is not needed on these.  Basically the cockpit has a system in it much like that of the YF-19 in Macross Plus with screeen integrated into all the interior panels that lets the crew "look" through it.  So, SDK you a Joe fan?

@ZD:  I really don't like side by sides on a fighter, its more appropriate on attackers and bombers, like the 3000 model.  What do you mean the intakes look odd, is it the reverse thrust nozzle, or just the shape of the forward openning?

@Lynx:  I will probably go with a combination of options 2 and 3, though I am still thinking that option 4 might make a brief appearance, jk.  Also this will not be a major crux of the main storyline, but it will be more of a side story, either represented in a short story or told in introspection.  Right now I am leaning towards a short story.

I appreciate any further comments you have.

324080[/snapback]

Yep pretty big joefan man, I loved most of the joe and cobra planes(still miffed that my dumbass neighbor back then broke my Night Boomer(Black skystriker), phantom X-19, and many others...and for me not buying the ghost striker X-16 for x mas in 93(the gijoe F-16D).

I did take pics of the BBI A-10 warthog and the Gijoe F-22 thunderwing...and of the pilot slipstream...let me know if you still want to see them!

[Knight26]

Sure that would be interesting to see. I finally did see the BBI A-10 and was quite underwelmed, though I was tempted to buy it, with some TLC, and a lot of plastic and hack saws, it could be made true 1:18 scale, lol.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Sure that would be interesting to see.  I finally did see the BBI A-10 and was quite underwelmed, though I was tempted to buy it, with some TLC, and a lot of plastic and hack saws, it could be made true 1:18 scale, lol.

325135[/snapback]

Its really not too bad. Exceptionally fun to play with....had the vertical stabilizers been bigger I have no doubt a lot more people would have liked it.

The chap mei one does have better proportions...but I have not heard anyone ever finding it in the USA...ever since last year when it was seen overseas.

For what its worth the BBI plane is better than quite a few of the gijoe planes. Its more "accurate" to its "base" plane than the other toys, and the figures look like they are actually sitting in a plane. I'll post it later on to show you...it shows comparisons with the recent gijoe thunderwing.(now the thunderwing...fun and awesome it is, but hasbro did worse than BBI in the respect that the thunderwing looks like a bloated 2 seat F-22 with conventional engine nozzles slapped onto a rectangular rear end....the A-10 has ton better proportions).

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

Sure that would be interesting to see.  I finally did see the BBI A-10 and was quite underwelmed, though I was tempted to buy it, with some TLC, and a lot of plastic and hack saws, it could be made true 1:18 scale, lol.

325135[/snapback]

Ok here we go with the pics.

As you can see the thunderwing is a lot less in proportion to its real life counterpart. Slipstream(the former X-30 pilot who know is in the thunderwing) is one of the best gijoe sculpts I have ever seen...definitely the best pilot sculpt!

*BTW the gijoe Ace figure is in the BBI A-10 cockpit....the BBI combat command pilot only has 4pts articulation so I threw him somewhere and let Ace steal his ride lol*

[Lynx7725]

Ok here we go with the pics.

325275[/snapback]

Shin, if you can motion blur this pic, we'll have a winner!