Starfighter II
 

Whoops. . .not like a spaceship type starfighter!

I haven't been posting much work of late because I've been attempting to learn Rhino's deepest secrets embeded in the help files and tuts written for people who already know how to use it. I've probably discovered modeling techniques that everyone here probably already knows.

My hardest problem was making realistic wings--a simple loft of cross-sections never did the trick. Another problem, figuring out those pesky and tricky surface blends. Well those demons have been conquered and putting them to task I decided to make a rather simple jet fighter. I have always like the F-104 Starfighter. This of course isn't the Starfighter, but a plane of near like dimension and body style. This isn't supposed to be a futuristic or cutting edge design as it is as stealthy as, well, the F-104. Plans for a next generation cutting edge jet are brewing (like a blend of the YF-23, X-36, and Boeing BoP).

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII1.jpg

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII2.jpg

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII3.jpg

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII4.jpg

This happens to be both the first and the third attempt at producing the plane. The first model was experimentation. I started two new attempts, they sucked, and I went back to the first and modified it.
I scaled the fusalage to the general specs of the Pratt and Whitney F100 series jet engine. That info is on their website. The model engine is the same length but close. The AIM-9 is just a mock-up whose specs I found on the web. Its good for determining scale.

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII5.jpg http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII6.jpg

I didn't want the intakes to be dark holes going into the fuslage. This took some playing around with and envolved an outside surface that flows into the fusalge, and an internal surface that flows up to the engine. The external surface is not blended into the fusalage and the intakes remain one polysurface.

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII7.jpg

Yep, the flight surfaces move, a painstaking process in Rhino.

http://cargile.scifi-art.com/starfighterII/sfII8.jpg

Not too bad, but I think it needs some harder edges.
How are you going to handle the cockpit?

Impressive.

Soon, your skills will be complete, my old friend.

(I have recently built a computer capable of handling 3-D programs. Now I have to purchase a 3-D program and learn to use it. But I'll never be able to catch up with you!)

Cockpit, easy. I've played around with this approach.
I still have the cross-section curves and rail-curves of the body, so all I have to do is edit them and make a smaller polysurface that will fit inside. Then I will make a polysurface that seperates the canopy from the fusalage, make a copy of those and boolean difference and boolean intersect. That leaves a cavity for the cockpit, and a canopy.

The challedge now is the main wheel well. I've have problems with those at the moment.

this looks like a really great start Paul. the wheel wells shouldn't be that difficult, it would basically take a series of boxes to boolean the fuselage, copy the fuselage several times, though for each piece. boolean subtraction for the space where the gear goes. Intersection for the actual doors and you will need to make a few parts for the edges and so forth, but I know you can do it.