F-35 Lighting II - first screenshot

F-35A AA-1 over Fort Worth NAS (FSX - Scsney is MegasceneryX Dallas/Fort Worth)

As today is an unusually rainy day here in Genoa, I finally had the time to complete the main texturing of the F-35A model I am working on - so here is a picture. I'm posting just one image since the modeling is not complete (cockpit and weapon bays) and several parts are untextured yet (landing gear, part of the cockpit - and weapon bays of course). Basic animation is working - but it will be redone with custom sequences.

All the main textures are photoreal and up to 4096X4096 in resolution...this means you will have to modify the config file to allow for large textures....and this also means that the model takes a little longer to load.

For now, I'll stick with the AA-1 model (CTOL development aircraft). BF-1 (VTOL) and CF-1 (CATOBAR - rolled out few days ago) are not completely ruled out for now, but they are not scheduled so far. Albeit similar, those models differ substantially from the CTOL version...and unfortunately the differences are in critical areas for the 3D model... Besides, Iris Simulations is working on an F-35B...

I'll probably add a production model - provided that I will get reliable information on the changes planned to the AA-1 design (e.g. I know they are planning to change the nose gear door to a split one, and I think they are porbably moving the auxiliary exhaust nearby the engine nozzle from the top side to the lower one - my guess based on the fact that both B and C protos have in there).

As for a release date...it will be done when it will be done.