Hmmm...just something I noticed....

[Stormtropper]

For some reason, I think the US Military's ATFs are designed in a way that it can't be copied...

...I'm working on one of them (no details yet...and can't say if I'll even make it FS compatable), and I noticed how I can get every dimention and angle down to 1/10,000 of an inch or degree, but everything will still be slightly off (not noticble to the average pilot or flight simmer, but enough to render the stealth feature un-useble)...

...any other modelers noticed that?

[Stormtropper]

BTW..."ATF" Advanced Tatical Fighters <<-- already had soemone ask...

[Hagar]

Surely this would depend on how accurate your plans & specs are.

[Stormtropper]

I have reasons to believe they're pertty darn accurate...

...and its comparing my model to the blue prints i drew it from...

[Hagar]

In my experience there's two ways of building something. Build a prototype first & draw up the plans later or draw up the plans first & build it from the plans. A good example of the first method is the legendary Tiger Moth. Whichever method you use the plans have to be accurate enough to make the parts fit. Conversely, the parts have to be made accurately enough to fit.

This would apply however complex the object is. Someone has to build it from the drawings whether it be a Tiger Moth or the latest military aircraft. I suspect there's an error in the drawings or that you made a simple error somewhere that throws it all out of kilter.

[Stormtropper]

I don't know...unless I made the same mistake 20 or 30 times...

...can the entire blueprint be an optical illusion?

(I'm not useing a NURBS based program like GMAX or FSDS, but a muti-thousand dollar precision modeling program...(KeyCreator)...)

BTW..and I just thought of this, the aircraft was designed during the height of the Cold War, so it would somewhat make sense to make the aircraft hard to replicate...

...after the lessons learned about the Rolls-Royce Nene and the Boeing B-29...

[Hagar]

BTW..and I just thought of this, the aircraft was designed during the height of the Cold War, so it would somewhat make sense to make the aircraft hard to replicate...

I can't see how that's possible. Someone has to build the thing from the drawings however complicated it is.

...after the lessons learned about the Rolls-Royce Nene and the Boeing B-29...

That's hardly a fair comparison as they were reverse engineered. This comes back to the first method in my example. Built first & drawn later.

[Felix/FFDS]

My question is more, how can you be sure that the *model* isn't stealthy?  

After all, IF you're working with a model in a virtual environment, your model is going to be as stealthy as your virtual environment allows it to be....


Your statement that the stealth feature(s) of your model of an ATF is disabled can only be discussed in relation to whatever virtual environment you have.

Basically, I don't think we have enough information with which to evaluate your statement (not that I'm disputing it, mind you, just that *I* for one feel that I don't have the necessary frame of reference to provide a semi-intelligent opinion)

Now, if you DON'T want a semi-intelligent opinion, but will settle for a completely uninformed statement, then I'm the expert you're looking for!  

[Stormtropper]

Well...I was more refering to *IF* you're gonna replicate the aircraft in real life...

...and most of the stealth features is based on the shape of the aircraft, and since I have found out that its difficult to accurately redraw the shape of the aircraft...

...and a few degrees and be the difference between night and day in the stealth world

[Hagar]

...and a few degrees and be the difference between night and day in the stealth world

And the accuracy of your model.

My question is more, how can you be sure that the *model* isn't stealthy?

I was wondering if they would design a stealth plane with invisible ink. The fact is that no matter how many stealth features it has it's a solid object made from ordinary components like any other machine. Otherwise it would be impossible to build it.

PS. It might help me understand the problem if I knew what this aircraft looks like. A search on Google brings up a game. http://www.3dgamers.com/games/atf/

[Stormtropper]

Meh...I'm reluctant to disclose any details right now...

...because I might acutally find a few guys and acutally put a complete FS package together...and the company that I'm thinking about publishing it through has a strick non disclosure policy...

I'll post info when I get the majority of the model done...

[Hagar]

Not even a photo or an artists impression? I don't need detailed plans, simply an idea of what it looks or looked like. Otherwise I have no idea of what the heck we're talking about.

[Stormtropper]

Its an aircraft in active duty with the USAF...

...thats all I'm saying tho...

I'll post screenshots in like 2-4 month's time...depending on how fast I can work...

[Hagar]

Suit yourself. If nobody but you knows what it looks like I fail to see the point of this topic.

[Stormtropper]

acutally...I was just wondering if any other modelers out there encountered something like this...

...but, meh, i guess not...FSDS and GMax uses a different system, which doesn't involve percise calculations...