Development > Artwork

Minor correction ideas for PHALANX existing crafts

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Rodmar:
Hello,

For now, PHALANX aircrafts seem to each have two UI models, one when at base ("atB"), and one when in flight ("inF"), except that... not all of them. In case it's not known by the team, I review them here.
Secondly, one of those models is displayed as the "Big Picture" of the corresponding UFOpaedia entry. Should it be the "atB" or the "inF" model?
Stiletto and Saracen are okay.


* Firebird
* "atB" model features opened lateral doors, horizontal nozzles, and no land gear.
- I don't know if such a craft should at least have landing pods to absorb the landing shock, a little like landing skis for polar crafts, except that they could retract a lot and be barely visible once the landing in over.
- Also, if the Firebird is deemed to be ready to take off, should its four nozzle be oriented vertically?
* "inF" model looks okay, but we could have 3-4 plates (or traps) on its otherwise green, bland, flat belly, that would represent its landing pods (just as with the other planes).
* Dragon
* "atB" model features a triangle land gear, but the rear traps look somewhat weird because they are at the exact engines' locations.
* "inF" model confirms they are meant to be land gear traps because when the land gear is retracted, the traps disappear! I'd suggest to either get rid of this traps in any case, or we could have these "traps" still visible while in flight, because they wouldn't be land gear traps and would help keeping the engines in place (like claws).
* Moreover, UFOpaedia tells us that the Dragon was named for its characteristic central "mouth", were are packed its heavy weapon bays. It's not so visible on the model. I know that we can't draw an actual weapon system (because we don't know if it's mounted or not), but we could at least have a kind of a huge, dark, evocative "air intake". Also, the "prongs" of the hull seems to be very bent inward for a plane that is "spitting" its payload fom its mouth. I mean that I'm not sure that a missile could pass through the narrow gap between the prongs. Perhaps  the inner edge of the prongs could be more straight.
* Starchaser
* "atB" model and "inF" model look the same (as it seems, a model is lacking).
* "atB" model could have land gear traps opened, and the wings' tips more vertical (like with some naval planes).
* "inF" model could have the land gear retracted, and the wings' tips more horizontal.
* Lastly, we can see several traps under its belly. I figure that they are for the weapon bays and the land gear, but it's not clear what is what.
* Raptor
* It's not clear that there are 4 engines, because the tail seems to hold a fifth engine. Isn't it a rear windscreen/cockpit, instead?
* "atB" model could have the two bi-engines oriented vertically, ready to take off. It could also feature an open bottom trap (the large one we see closed). All the other transports have their doors open when at base.
* Lastly, it looks like on the equip screen, the hull background picture is inverted: the weapons point to the right, as usual, but that means that they point backwards. Either the hull picture is flipped and we get the same disposal as with the other fighters, or the picture is flipped _and_ the laser canon is still mounted under  (or over) the tail section, to add some originality (?).
* Stingray
* "atB" model lacks an inner surface. It's visible when we you look from below: one of the land gear chambers is not drawn and we see the inside of the hull (in blue on the screenshot). Also, perhaps, the nozzles could be slightly turned downward.
- at base Firebird : no land pads/pods, horizontal nozzles
- in flight Firebird : no land pads traps.
- at base Dragon : weird traps
- in flight Dragon : no more traps

Rodmar:
- mouth Dragon: no such mouth?
- at base Starchaser (in flight is the same): closed traps with land gear out.
- at base Raptor: pseudo tail engine, horizontal engines
- weapons layout Raptor: inverted picture?

Rodmar:
- at base Stingray: missing inner surface (land gear)

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