Modeling Bottom Fuselage (2)

Sometimes the relatively simple shapes may require some substantial amount of work. In the previous post I created the basic shape of the bottom fuselage. It occurred quite complicated, because I decided to recreate the opening of the bomb bay “in the mesh”, instead of using the Boolean modifier. In this post I will complete the remaining details, enlisted in Figure 28‑1:

Figure 28‑1 The details on the bottom of the SBD fuselage that I will recreate in this post

Modeling Bottom Fuselage (1)

The designers extended the SBD Dauntless fuselage below the wing, creating there a kind of the bomb bay. However, it was too shallow to house even a 500lb bomb (see Figure 27‑1a). (The ceiling of this bay was formed by the skin of the center wing). There was a single mounting point inside, and the bombs were always partially hidden in the fuselage. When the airplane was not carrying any payload, the bomb bay was closed by covers (as in Figure 27‑1b). They were bolted to the flanges punched in the fuselage skin along edges of this opening:

Figure 27-1 Bottom part of the SBD fuselage

I suppose that in the future I will have to make some close shots of this area, thus I decided to recreate this detail “in the mesh”. This decision means that I cannot use the Boolean modifier to recreate this opening. In the effect, it will require much more work than similar details (like the landing gear bays) which I made in the wings. I will start working on the bottom fuselage in this post, and will finish it in the next one.

Modeling Wing Root Fairing (2)

In this post I will recreate the forward part of the wing root fairing. Basically, it is a variable radius fillet. It starts just at the wing leading edge and transforms smoothly into the cone of the rear wing fairing (Figure 26‑1):

Figure 26-1 Forward part of the wing root fairing in the SBD Dauntless

Modeling Wing Root Fairing (1)

In this post I will finish the rear part (the most difficult in this aircraft!) of the wing root fairing. I started this fairing in the previous post.

I previously formed the basic cone, up to the trailing edge. I created it as a separated object, to easier modify its topology. Now I copied into this mesh the further fragment of the fuselage, above the fairing (Figure 25‑1a):

Figure 25-1 New elements of the fairing mesh

I also created a small rounded edge along the trailing edge of the wing (Figure 25‑1b) (more precisely — along its closing wedge, as in Figure 25‑1c).