Another O-Wing fighter design

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-08-30 10:10pm

OK, this is the most overtly Star Wars board I visit, and since I've finished Rob Wilsons O-Wing I though I might have a bash at designing my own O-Wing fighter. It's more directly reminiscent of the classic SW fighters, borrowing a fair bit from the X-Wing of course, but be assured the guns on this 'clay' prototype are just temps until I make my own chunkier versions. Comments and ideas always welcomed, abuse I can get anywhere...

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2003-08-30 10:58pm

I like it, it feels more Star Warsy than the other one, IMO. The other feels more Babylon 5 to me for some reason.

CorSec · Post by **CorSec** » 2003-08-30 11:37pm

I like the shape it's taking.

Serious-ish comment: Is there going to be an R2 unit?

Not so serious comment: I feel more comfortable calling this the E-wing. (Firstly because I don't like the design of what's called the E-wing now.) Not because it looks like the letter E particularly but because it would be short for Elipse-wing. (Just a stupid random opinion.)

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-08-31 12:11am

I like it a lot. My only complaint is that rearward view would be absolutely abysmal. But then, its that way for most SW fighters for some reason.

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-08-31 06:42am

Howedar wrote:I like it a lot. My only complaint is that rearward view would be absolutely abysmal. But then, its that way for most SW fighters for some reason.

To Qoute Oobey Doobey in 'Thumb Wars', "Use the instruments, Luke. That's what they're there for!"

No one ever complains about the lack of rearward view, or indeed the long nose stopping you looking down in the X-Wing fighter simulation games. I think the fully 3-dimensional sensor, targetting and warning systems take care of that for you. Also keep in mind that long noses and suchlike never stopped WWII fighters from kicking ass, things like the Mustang and especially the Corsair had enormous noses and crap rear vision, but still went on to produce an amazing number of aces. Of course landing or manouvering on the ground was a bitch, but you can't have everything.

Warspite · Post by **Warspite** » 2003-08-31 07:23am

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:... and especially the Corsair had enormous noses and crap rear vision...

According to Corsair pilots, the nose was there to help in targeting. (Hey, it helps to have 11 ft of nose when you're bombing!)

On-Topic, isn't the nose sensor pack too extruded?

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-08-31 11:40am

Yeah, it's a little large for my liking as well, but this is the first draft and isn't frozen yet. This means I can still manipulate it with ease, so i can alter the size and shape of the nose before I finally freeze the shape solid for detailing.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2003-08-31 03:11pm

Looks excellent! I especially like the forward-swept aspect to the wings.

You're right about the gunz. How about you use my AK47X laser cannons on it?

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2003-08-31 06:32pm

http://www.axeman3d.com/posts/Owingalt2th.jpg
Code: Select all
It's a Scimitar! :o

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-09-01 12:00pm

Update: would have put this up yesterday but my bloody ISP died a death. Sorry. A Scimitar ground attack bomber, eh? I could add a couple of pods in the space between the engines and the nottom of the fuselage where the wing is removed, that might fit the bill.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-09-01 12:15pm

Y'know, you could fix the poor rear visibility problem fairly easilly by flipping the wings upsidedown, leaving the top of the fuselage exposed and putting a more solid surface on the underside (you could stick landing gear there or even warhead launchers if you're feeeling a need for flair).

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-09-01 12:23pm

I'm afraid that visibility isn't an issue with this thing, the sensors and suchlike take care of that. I've sat the camera inside the cockpit while I was making the interior bay and you can see pretty much the same as an X-Wing can, a little more even at the front. Visibility becomes less and less of an issue the more speed these things have, and it certainly never bothered me while playing the X-Wing games. As with modern fighters I think sensors and weapons technology are key here, not superb visibilty.

As for weapons pods and landing gear, that's why I left the gap in the wings on the lower section. I thought I might stick some stubby ground-attack gattling weapons or some sort of missile launcher there, or maybe just the landing struts. I also need to design weapons for the wingtips, although with a little modification Einey's laser cannons might look 'chunky' enough. Something like the A-Wings cannons might look the part too.

Bob McDob · Post by **Bob McDob** » 2003-09-01 03:48pm

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:A Scimitar ground attack bomber, eh? I could add a couple of pods in the space between the engines and the nottom of the fuselage where the wing is removed, that might fit the bill.

No ... a Scimitar ...[/url]

Post by **Rob Wilson** » 2003-09-04 05:36am

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:Update: would have put this up yesterday but my bloody ISP died a death. Sorry. A Scimitar ground attack bomber, eh? I could add a couple of pods in the space between the engines and the nottom of the fuselage where the wing is removed, that might fit the bill.

You finished the O-wing? YAAAY. I'll go hunt out the thread (not getting E-mail updates

).

On this one, I loved the weapons placement on the first rendition, and the forward swept wings on this are nice. The only thing I'd really change shapewise is the end of the wings, instead of an up/down joining, I'd have thought an angle to mirror the angle of the engine mounting would look better and allow you to mount the guns in the stepped fashion of the original design.

Are you going to enlarge those engines a bit? they look seriously small against the rest of the fighter.

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-09-04 06:39pm

I'm no longer enamoured with the design, it looks too X-Wing for my tastes now and I've kinda lost the whol O-Wing feel now. Your suggestions about the wing joint are good, I might give that a try and see how I feel about it, but not sure about enlarging the engines. I did think about it, but as they're quite long I might get away with it anyway. They would bulk up as I add details and inlets/nozzles etc anyway. I've already added a shitload of panel detail to the upper wings and body, but I'll see what I can come up with at work tomorrow.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2003-09-04 09:50pm

The nose at least looks a lot like the X-wing, so I think changing that will probably solve the uniqueness problem. You could try making it shorter and broader, and use that as space for larger sensors and weapon systems or such. Anywho, you could try looking over other SW (or real-world) fighter designs and sketches maybe you'll think of something.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-04 10:57pm

Nice design. If you want to keep the basic design I have a few suggestions:

Add a short pylon between the two wings. It'd give them a more O like shape. And bring the engines in close the fuselage, sort of like the intake on an F-16.

And shorten the nose while flattening it out. More a shovel nose design.

Post by **Rob Wilson** » 2003-09-05 04:07am

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:I'm no longer enamoured with the design, it looks too X-Wing for my tastes now and I've kinda lost the whol O-Wing feel now. Your suggestions about the wing joint are good, I might give that a try and see how I feel about it, but not sure about enlarging the engines. I did think about it, but as they're quite long I might get away with it anyway. They would bulk up as I add details and inlets/nozzles etc anyway. I've already added a shitload of panel detail to the upper wings and body, but I'll see what I can come up with at work tomorrow.

Well if not this one, how about the original model you floated in the other O-wing thread? That had a nice body blended element to the engines and the whole thing looked the business, with just a few elements from this model as well and you could be onto a serious winner.

Kenny_10_Bellys · Post by **Kenny_10_Bellys** » 2003-09-05 05:12am

Yeah, fuggit, I'm ditching the pseudo X-Wing and going with the blended body design of the original instead. I ditched it because I thought it looked too un-Star Wars for it's own good, but it's definitely the better machine. I'll fiddle with it during work today and see how it goes.

Post by **Rob Wilson** » 2003-09-05 06:24am

Kenny_10_Bellys wrote:Yeah, fuggit, I'm ditching the pseudo X-Wing and going with the blended body design of the original instead. I ditched it because I thought it looked too un-Star Wars for it's own good, but it's definitely the better machine. I'll fiddle with it during work today and see how it goes.

Excellent, I lok forward to seeing how it turns out.