A-17 Broadsword

Howard Day said:
Do'h! I forgot a step. The wear and tear on the paint itself - I completely blanked on that. My apologies - here are some updated versions:

Concordia:
http://www.hedfiles.net/ccdabs01.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/ccdabs02.png
http://www.hedfiles.net/ccdabs03.png


Enjoy!
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You're dead right on the saturation thing, Howard. There was something that looked..."less than realistic" about the original concordia colours you had shown. The reds and blues just stood out too much. I incorrectly picked it as a saturation issue but with proper wear and tear added and the saturation exactly the same, it looks "right" to my eyes now. Beautiful stuff man. :cool:
 
Man, I'd give an arm and a leg to be able to produce models like this!

Well, not an arm, as I wouldn't be able to use a mouse and keyboard at the same time... And not a leg, as I like being able to walk and all... But you get the drift...

What I really like about your models and texturing is the physicality to them. They just look and feel real. Maybe it's because they haven't got that plastic "shine" that a lot of lesser quality CGI suffers from?
 
Great design yet i still find the placement of the sideturrets illogical, you can shoot your own wings off. Why are those winglets present anyway? :confused:
 
According to the Broadsword's backstory, it was originally designed to be a platform for supporting assaults on space stations or ground installations (hence the A-17 designation instead of a B for strategic bomber). It was only after the war started that the Confederation had torpedoes that could destroy capital ships. Thus, I would wager that the wings were intended for improving its in-atmosphere performance. Also, the lack of dorsal turret coverage supports the idea that most anti-bomber fire was expected to be coming from the ventral side, as in an anti-ground mission (note that the side turrets can fire downward but not upward).
 
These are beautiful, but have you ever thought of putting the WC3 5-pronged Star with the Sword on the Broadsword?
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I'm not sure this would be appropriate; there's a reason you don't see it on spacecraft in Wing Commander III -- it's not a roundel.

(hence the A-17 designation instead of a B for strategic bomber).
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I don't know -- all of the carrier-based bombers we see in Wing Commander are designated this way.
 
The Longbow is an F/A designation, meaning a fighter-bomber. The only other "A" designation that we are given a model number for is the Crossbow.

Generally speaking, the abbreviations are meant to represent the following:

F = Fighter
F/A = Fighter/bomber
A = Close Air Support craft
B = Strategic Bomber
TB = Torpedo Bomber (i.e. optimized for attacking capital ships rather than static installations like the Close Air Support craft)
 
However, I don't think the TB designation never existed alongside the A designation in the same organisation, historically - IIRC, it's one of the many designations that got dropped when the USN and USF designation systems were overhauled and merged in 1962.

Does this have any bearing on Wing Commander? Yes - it serves to remind us that designation systems change, and a ship designated A in 2664 may serve the same role as a ship designated TB in 2681.
 
The Longbow is an F/A designation, meaning a fighter-bomber. The only other "A" designation that we are given a model number for is the Crossbow.
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A-15 Gladius, A-20 Banshee...
 
Ijuin said:
F = Fighter
F/A = Fighter/bomber
A = Close Air Support craft
B = Strategic Bomber
TB = Torpedo Bomber (i.e. optimized for attacking capital ships rather than static installations like the Close Air Support craft)
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Actually, the modern definition for A is Attack (or Attack/Light Bombardment in WW2). "A" designated aircraft aren't limited to CAS. In fact that's only a small portion of their greater purpose of blowing up anything that's on the ground. Also, B has never been tied to strategic anything. It just means Bomber (or Bombardment in older terms).
 
Sorry, I meant "strategic bomber" as in dedicated bomber craft (as opposed to hybrid fighter/bomber that is made to dogfight as well as attack surface targets)--big, heavy planes like the B-17 whose reason for existing is to deliver heavy ordnance rather than to fight enemy aircraft (for which they need escorts).
 
To the best of my knowledge the Thunderbolt II hasn't been featured in any WC game, fan or official. :p
 
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