
As a test of the revolving art feature recently announced on AE forums (thread: "Scenario Design and Modding/Art Mods"), I have made up a small aircraft side art pack for my own use from the excellent Accurate Air Packs that Cathartes released for WITP a while back.  Doing the complete set will be a massive job, particularly if all the obscure types are researched properly.

However, just the early USN FloatPlanes make up a simple and useful sample of what can be done so I am posting this pack on the Matrix forums as I think a lot of people will find it a great enhancement in its own right.  

Install this pack and then just open the Coral Sea, Guadalcanal and Marianas scenarios and look at the USN patrol groups (or in the encyclopedia) to see the effect this has on the displayed aircraft sideart with no further action on your part.  Magic!!

Hopefully this will encourage the creation of other rotating art sets as it is so easy.

==============================================
Installation Instructions:

Just unzip the pack into your AE game folder - making sure you have the "Use folder names" option set.


If the install was successful, there will be a set of folders "AlliedPlanes", "AlliedPlanes42" etc in the ART folder.
===============================================

Once again, many thanks to Cathartes for allowing the use of his excellent artwork!!!

Reg
04Apr10
 

Quotes from Cathartes Accurate Air Packs:
=========================================

Dec41_Feb42:  [NOTE: this the default Art Set!!!]

 This layer or Allied planesides is historically appropriate for December 1941 through February 1942.

 US Navy aircraft are approximately represented in historical navy camo schemes during this timeframe #12 Blue Gray, #10 Light Gray (pre-ANA color designations). Weathering often faded paint dramatically, so some colors are meant to vary slightly. US Army aircraft appear in olive drab upper surfaces, most looking somewhat faded as they might after exposure to the tropical conditions of the central and southern Pacific.

 US insignia is the white star with the red disc. Navy planes displayed the red/white stripes on the fins. Army aircraft did not typically adhere to the fin identification, except in the Hawaiian Islands.

June42_Oct42

Big change in US insignia ordered in mid-May 1942. The red disc in the center of the white star was eliminated along with the red&white rudder stripes. Older aircraft that the player is likely to upgrade from, e.g. the P-26, will not have the new US insignia.  

July43_Sept43:

  Significant change in U.S. aircraft markings. The plain white star on a blue background was replaced by the "stars and bars" with a red boundary. The order was issued in late June 1943, but implementation was slow and imcomplete before another change was issued in September 1943. Furthermore the red border was not popular because it was the color of the enemy. Some units in the Pacific may never have painted on the red border at all. Not all US aircraft were altered from the plain white star in this art set, e.g. older models probably not used much in front-line use by this time. The P-40B, B-18, F4F-3, etc, were not upgraded to the new insignia, this decision was somewhat arbitrary for older aircraft/variants.

  And finally we have the US Navy Tricolor camouflage scheme prevalent by summer 1943. Colors were non-specular/semi-gloss Sea Blue, non-specular Intermediate Blue, and non-specular Insignia White. A new color specification for the US Navy Aircraft went into effect February 1943, though it was some time before new aircraft reached the front, or older aircraft were repainted with this scheme.

Oct43_Dec43:

 Another significant change in U.S. aircraft markings: The red boundary surrounding the stars and bars was replaced with an insignia blue boundary. This would be the standard U.S. insignia through the rest of World War II.