EC120B Colibri

[GrubbyFingers]

Looking wonderful, Gamary. I am having withdrawal symptoms! Must draw choppers!!!!

I reckon rotating the rotors 2-3 degrees would not visually affect the rotor head (ie: no redrawing), and it would give added depth.

With the rotor shadow (Don't go there! I hear evryone scream!) my thinking says that if the rotor blade was at right angles to the body, that shadow would be straight. As the rotor blade is swept back, the shading should be curved around the contour of the fuselage.

Bear in mind, too, regardless of whether a curved or straight shadow is TECHNICALLY correct, a curved shadow does an enormous amount to show off the shape of the fuselage. A straight shadow just makes it look like a tube or, worse still, a block!

I love your work, G.

Grubby.

[Vacajun]

Totally agree with Grubby. The swept rotor blade will cast a curved shadow down the fuselage. GM, why didn't we catch that?

[Baron]

Totally agree with Grubby. The swept rotor blade will cast a curved shadow down the fuselage. GM, why didn't we catch that?

have a look at post #35

The shadow must be curved, not just because of the swept rotor blade. Also because of the curve the blade makes because of weight. If the base where the shadow langs is a flat base it doesn't mind if the blade is 90° to the fuselage or 20°. Shadow will always be a straight line. If the blade is curved because of the weight, shadow is also furved. Have tested that. If the base where the shadow lands is a complex base (like the fuselage of a plane or heli) the curved shadow is really hard to paint.

Examples for the curved shadow:

http://www.capri-helicopters.com/images/ec120_g.jpg
Eurocopter EC 120: Hubschrauber / Helicopter
Eurocopter EC120 Colibri - Hubschrauber der deutsch-französischen Firma

BTW: If you show the blades rotating you wouldn't have these crazy problems we are talking about!

cheers,

[Vacajun]

Baron, totally agree on the shadows and the effect of drooping blades. Also agree that if shadow falls on a flat surface it will be straight.

The effect I'm talking about is that when a swept-back surface (a wing or rotor blade) casts a shadow on a curved surface (side of curved fuselage) and the sun angle is forward and high the resulting shadow will be curved. The more sweepback, the stronger the effect. And lest we forget, if the wing is swept forward the shadow curves in the opposite direction.

Maybe GM should have shed the blades completely like so many helicopters do!!

[gamary]

Alright, here's the modified version:


Blades were turned about 15°. Fortunately, some simple trigonometry and a good reference picture made the job easier.

I totally agree with Joe about the curved shadows, although I think it's a lost cause here. The non-believers don't want to see the light, Joe. Let them remain in darkness.

[Ugo Crisponi]

definitely better

[gamary]

Thanks!