My first attempt at skinning; our squadron wanted something distinctive that wasn't too crazy:





(Running and hiding from the historically pure folks!)

I am sorry but what is with all the non historical skins? There are hundreds if not more great real life skins to be done. Funny how some guys gripe about how real a sim is or not and then put in a skin with a puppy dog on it.

Hey I as guilty of that as others,,,I did some skins from the Howard Hughes movie for a WWI sim awhile back,,,but now I really want to have only historical skins.

The answer is pretty simple.

For a lot of us it's uncomfortable to fly an accurate portrayal of actual, personalized aircraft.

One man's "honoring of the sacrifice" is another's "making their sacrifices into a game."

I realize there's some silliness in that statement, as one of the reasons we all like flight sims is in part an homage to them - but there's a lot of room on the scale. I wouldn't fly the skin of Fonck or Bishop or Udet because it smacks of hubris to me.

So I like a facsimile or near-historical set of skins.

Similarly, our squadron isn't historical in the purist sense. For IL-2 we fly as the 2nd Guards Composite, which was a real unit; however, it was the task force of several squadrons. Sort of like saying one is playing as part of 2nd Brigade of the 101st Airborne, but not saying which battalion of the 502nd one represents.

For Rise of Flight, we aren't reflagging the squadron. So as an indication of our IL-2 roots, a red star gets placed on the top of the wing - where many such things were placed. The green of the fuselage, which I wanted more olive drab than forest green, is similarly a prequel foreshadowing. The personalized nose art and numbers is continuity.

The idea is that our squadron will make its own tales and carry its own reputation within the context of a WWI simulation, and not sully the actual accomplishments of a real one.

It fits within the spirit of WWI, if not the letter.

The neat thing is that they're all optional!

Very nice reply Dart and I understand your opinion but I don't agree. I had a friend that most of us knew that flew P-47's and Mustangs in WWII from England. I, and others, have done skins of his planes and he loved them and used them himself. I even did a set of skins of his plane and others in his squad with his full cooperation. It is my opinion that if I now fly one of his skins I am honoring him in my own way as he is no longer with us.

I would just rather fly or fly against real life pilots than make believe. Also I am an old guy and I am allowed one crabby post a week, it's in my contract.

Your all right and make good points.
My reason for making a nohistorical skin would start with the make believe factor. If I was really flying back in those days what would MY plane look like?
Just one way of seeing it.
Anyway most of mine in the future will be historical because of the research factor and the fun! Fly on my friends.

lol,,well to be honest, most of my skins where hysterical rather than historical. There are some great skins here to be sure and the outlook is good for many more. I wish I could put some paint on these great models but time and too much repetitive motion has stopped that.

Usually I am with you Warbirds. I prefer historically correct, or in the case of "personal" skins for virtual pilots I like them to be at least "historically plausible". That said, Dart's Hello Kitty in the Ring did at least make me chuckle. It is an attempt to take something from a totally different era and put it in context. I mean FFS, it is a Hello Kitty in a period Army uniform, and in a ring like the Hat in the Ring boys.. I though that, for what it is, it was quite well done.

Also it is a tolerable pun on Hat/Cat in the Ring. My 4y/o would approve. (except that aerial combat is too sanitised, and she prefers Vikings pillaging monasteries, or Kings being beheaded).

Dart,
You are one heck of a good skin designer! Historical purity may have merit; your work has heart! Pilots put a lot of heart into their designs and individualized their machines to their tastes, when they were permitted to do so! From that point of view, your work is in the spirit of the historical aviators. A fine Nieuport 17! It will be nice to see these custom skins in multiplayer. It may not be historical, but it sure as heck is going to be great looking up in the virtual sky!
All the best,
MJ

Musicman, regarding your excellent Dr.I 152/17 skin: Since you already made a version with the red on the turtledeck that extends up to the cockpit, will you please make that version available, too? A photo of 152/17 shows that the turtledeck was overpainted in this manner, as you had the first version. If you'd rather not post two versions, may I please have one via email?

Also, can you rotate the Axial logos by 180 degrees? They are upside down on the propeller blades--not just with 152/17 but all the Dr.I's I've seen. When the prop is vertical the "upside down" Axial logo should be on the top blade; when horizontal, the peaks of the "A"s should point toward the hub. Incidentally, it looks to me that 152/17 had a Heine prop and not an Axial, anyway, but ROF is limited with that degree of detail.

Thanks for your time!

PS 152/17 works number is 1864.