Nakajima Ki-44 CGI Project

[Shinpachi]

Thanks for kind comments and good question, David and Thor!

This work is just for my fun simply because few have ever tried to visualize the structure in 3D CGI or CAD.
In fact, I have been searching for business chances since 2004 to understand that digitized data can be easily copied unlike actual aircraft or scale models or printed books.
My dream is to reproduce those vintage planes lost in time

 

[ontos]

Great history lessons to go with your great work Shinpachi. What a noble path you have picked to follow and I am sure your reward is waiting at the end of the journey.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks, Merv, for such warm words again.
Let me wish you and your family good health and happiness in 2015

 

[Wuerger190]

Great work on the landing gear!

 

[Shinpachi]

Hello and Thanks for your kind comment, Wuerger190!
Modelling the Ki-44 is frankly tougher than I expected but the tail landing gear will also be coming up soon.
Please keep in touch

 

[vikingBerserker]

Brilliant!

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks David
This is the design sheet with which I am currently struggling.

 

[Wayne Little]

Dam fine work my friend...

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Wayne

Complication of this design sheet is that directions like forward/backward or right/left are not necessarily unified or clarified.
With no actual parts anymore, it takes time to understand

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far shinpachi!

 

[ontos]

Fantastic work my friend, she is coming along nicely.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Merv and every one for kind comments!
It looks as if I'm only repeating errors and corrections but slowly going on

 

[Gnomey]

Excellent work so far shinpachi!

 

[fubar57]

That is so cool.

Geo

 

[nicknack]

Hi Shinpachi,

Just came across your wonderful work on the ki44. I've seen the fuselage cross sections drawn in the manuals documents from JACAR. Do the drawings and dimensions in there match well to the wind tunnel model?

This is my new CGI project for the Nakajima Ki-44 single-engined interceptor to build up its all structure.

As a first step, I have been struggling with its outer skin to decide its accurate airframe shape for a couple of months as the 3-view drawings introduced in aviation magazines like Maru Mechanic and FAOTW are pretty different each other.

After several attempts of tracing them, my conclusion was to forget them once and rely on the photos showing original state of airframe like the wind tunnel wooden model which was made by Nakajima Aircraft in 1938 and many other old times pictures as well as IJA operation manual which shows measurements and is available at JACAR - Japan Center for Asian Historical Records. I think I have cleared the first step now.

It would take more than a year for me to complete all work but your kind and good patience would be highly helpful and appreciated. Thank you very much.

Photos and images of my work till I decided the airframe shape which I believe is most accurate one available at the moment.

1. Original wind tunnel model of the Ki-44
2. Tracing the model in 3D processing
3. Reproduced image of Ki-44 in CGI
4. Montage image
5. Comparison with the tracing of Maru Mechanic magazine
6. Comparison with the tracing of Famous Airplanes of the World magazine.
7. Comparison with the tracing of actual Ki-44-II photo

View attachment 277121View attachment 277122View attachment 277123View attachment 277124View attachment 277125View attachment 277126View attachment 277127

 

[Wurger]

This is the top work Shinpachi-san.

 

[Shinpachi]

Thanks Hugh, Geo, nicknack and Wojtek!

Do the drawings and dimensions in there match well to the wind tunnel model?

Measurement value shown on the manual have no problem but illustrations are too inaccurate to trace and use them as they are.
I only repeat the errors and corrections till completed as I find no better way.

 

[nicknack]

Hi Shinpachi,

Wonderful work. By the way just as another source of photographs for reference, the san-diego NASM archives are good and the museum has uploaded a bunch of photos. Perhaps you are aware of them. In any case I've attached a sample link

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasm...fwfqG-aJyQEZ-hPNdFK-xuVHh-atah96-yzsBK-4A3o2D

nick

Thanks Hugh, Geo, nicknack and Wojtek!



Measurement value shown on the manual have no problem but illustrations are too inaccurate to trace and use them as they are.
I only repeat the errors and corrections till completed as I find no better way.

View attachment 284385

 

[ontos]

Fantastic work Shinpachi, I always look forwared to seeing your progress, maybe you can use a 3D printer and make one 8)