B-17 G Hires updated # 2 version for European Air War.

This skin represents an un-named B-17 G-50-DL, S/N 446388, from the 96th BG, 337th BS, based at Snetterton Heath, February 1945.  

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It's nearly two years since I did my first (and only) bare metal HR B-17 G, so this one provides another variation.  The bare metal effect is speculative, as everybody seems to have different ideas on how it should look, and can be hard to get right because the effect is static.  Well, this is just my interpretation!  I have used a modified 'blue' palette to try to get a better metallic reflective effect, and while this has caused no problems on my rig, it MAY do so on other computers, so let me know if you have any palette related problems.

This is the latest update for the High Resolution B-17 G.  The last HR B-17G mod I made had non mirror patches, which always pissed me off because inevitably the NM patches never covered the area I wanted, which meant doing most authentic B-17 skins was impossible, and some of my B-17 skins were thus abandoned.  +mia enquired about the possiblity of some 3dz changes for on of his projects, and things got back on track again.  Changes to the model include :-
- Engine shutdown bug now cured!!!
- Fully non mirrored fuselage
- "Illu" type radio wires
- Transparent shadow.
- Staggered waist guns.
- Chin turret at last!

As it is a mod of the HR B-17 F, it inherits some of it's RS problems, plus a few others I added while painfully getting the chin turret RS to work again!  In order to free up a 3dz to allow total non mirroring, I had to shift the Ball turret's textures from the B.3dz on the F.3dz.  This has worked out OK but there are still some minor rendering problems with the ball and chin turrets.  Hopefully you can put up with them.  Note that this model still has the prop shutdown problems associated with the original HR-B17.

Instalation.
Extract all the .tpc and .3dz files to your EAW folder, or if using a skin/file manager, refer to it's instructions.  A Stabskin.ini has been included for EAW Stab users.  For OAW use, in your OAW/Skinfolder, create a new "A-06 96th BG" folder, and extract the contents of the zip into it.  Rename "stabskin.ini" to "contents.txt" and "96thBG.jpg" to "skinpic".

Extras included but not needed for instalation -
I've included both the batchfiles for PCX to TPC, and TPC to PCX for any prospective skinners out there, and a screenie.  To use the Batchfiles, just place the files you want to convert, the Batchfiles, and the Picpac / gpmtpc2pcx.exe's all in the same folder, and double click the batchfile.  If you don't have the Picpac or gpmtpc2pcx.exe's, they are available at my Ad-ons page at Sandbaggers.

Credits -
Thanks to Col. Gibbon for the original HR-B-17 3dz, some of his textures are also used.
+mia for the use of some textures, and the BUMP I needed to finish this.
Paulo Morais and Binni for the original work on the chin turret.
Mosi for another timely BUMP,
Illu for the radio wire idea,
Charles, Andy + Pobs for the transparent shadow idea.
Sandbagger (in advance!) for hosting the skin.
Migge and Ghostboy for the MEX file which is mostly their work.
Mr. Johnson for discovering how to fix the engine shutdown problems.
3dz mods and skin done by myself.

References-
"The Mighty Eighty" by Roger A. Freeman.
"B-17 Flying Fortress" by H.P. Wilmott

If you have any problems, questions, comments or hatemail don't hesitate to contact me, either at the SimHQ EAW message board, or by Email.
Enjoy!

John "Chompy" Masters,
3rd July 2004.
jdmasters@ozemail.com.au
http://www.sandbaggeruk.com/chompy.html
