Zhi-9 & Panther Helicopter Series

[nicoX]

Some sexy choppers. Let's get out of here! Come on, move.

[Red Feniks]

Nice, love the gauge!

[godfather_596]

Those are some really sexy models. Great work!!

[speedazz]

I will call for extraction a lot, just to see this nicely done helicopter I love that change, about anti tank missiles, no more spamming around targets, just good, solid hits Thank you dev's. I really enjoy playing this mod. And if one day PR standalone will be released, I would buy it.

[ShadowSix]

Strictly speaking all lights should be off for wheels up, with the orange light on only to signify gear travel between up and down.

It's a lovely model though, good job! My favorite helicopter, although I'm a little biased. I'm only wondering which I'll get to fly first; This version, or the BF4 version!

[ShadowSix]

P.S. Any chance of an SAS N3 skin?

[Rhino]

Strictly speaking all lights should be off for wheels up, with the orange light on only to signify gear travel between up and down.

Cool, didn't know that but can only really have two light settings with the way its setup so think we'll keep it the way it is even thou its not 100% accurate

Cheers for the info thou

It's a lovely model though, good job! My favorite helicopter, although I'm a little biased. I'm only wondering which I'll get to fly first; This version, or the BF4 version!

Cheers, and BF4 has a Zhi-9?

Also many players have already flown it in the Open Beta a couple of weeks ago

P.S. Any chance of an SAS N3 skin?

hehe, unlikely since the AS365 N3 Dauphin is hardly used by the Brits and we don't really represent SF ingame, as well as according to this site, its only really used in the UK: 8 Flight Army Air Corps

8 Flight AAC (Army Air Corps) is a little-known and rarely spotted fleet of 4 Eurocopter Dauphins and 2 Gazelle helicopters that support the Special Air Service.

Painted in civilian colours, the AS365 N3 Dauphin helicopters of 8 flight can blend in to normal civilian air traffic and thus allow the SAS to be transported quickly but covertly around the United Kingdom. In addition to covert transport, 8 flight Dauphins can also fly the SAS into action during Counter-Terrorism operations.

8 Flight is based at SAS HQ at Credenhill, near Hereford.

8 flight Dauphins are believed to be fitted with external threat detection, sensor and jamming pods, plus a set of antennas for secure radio communications gear housed inside the cabin.

[ShadowSix]

Thanks for the reply. It's not listed anywhere, and I'm not certain of the variant, but I spotted the unmistakable silhouette in one of the pre-alpha gameplay videos:



I've been away from PR for quite some time, since .957 according to my PC. Some videos popped up in my YouTube watch suggestions of the 1.0 Beta but too late for me I'm afraid. So I'm watching closely for the 1.0 release.

I'm fairly sure you've done all the development now on these so I'm late to the party as usual, but I fly the 365N3 on a daily basis at work so if you want any info/pics just ask.

The SAS thing was a bit of a cheeky joke... but they do look cool.

[Rhino]

Cool, ye that to me looks like a HM-1 Pantera (Brazilian version) since its got the long nose the Panther and Zhi-9WA have, but no weapons which pretty much excludes it from being a Zhi-9WA, and it looks like it has the steps the HM-1 Pantera has just under the doors:


But ye that's if EA/DICE have stuck with reality

And ye the development of this is basically done now but if you spot anything just let us know

[ShadowSix]

Well it's set up for the Chinese faction as troop transport, with side mounted door guns apparently. Think they're just calling it a Z-9. Hurry up 1.0!

[Rhino]

lol, I've never seen a Zhi-9 with door guns, and never one with a pointy nose other than the Zhi-9WA and some versions of the Zhi-9C (naval version)

[ShadowSix]

And ye the development of this is basically done now but if you spot anything just let us know

How anal would you like to be exactly?!

I noticed for example that the model is missing the intake at the front of the cowlings on top which feeds the oil coolers. The Panther cockpit is an odd layout, but you probably have pictures I've not seen, and I'm also not sure which variant you've modelled anyway. I also have very little understanding of 3D modelling, although I appreciate it must take a VERY long time, so you can tell me to take a running jump if you like. It's only little things. The models really do look great dude.

[Rhino]

Ye, I noticed the missing front intake only when it was too late to fix it without quite a bit of rework and ye, the French cockpit is based on this one which is part of an upgrades package the French are undertaking on their Panthers:

[ShadowSix]

That's a very interesting pic, thanks for that. Just realised you have a whole research thread on it some time ago. Doh. Is the Panther variant you've modelled armed at all?

I do find it strange that that pic has an older electrical systems panel (under green targeting screen). That suggests old cockpit to me. Newer N3 based Panthers would have something similar to this I would have thought -



It's a tiny pic, but that's from the Eurocopter web site. That may be the utility model, but avionics wise that the latest cockpit.

Bigger pic: This is our fairly sparse looking N3 cokpit, with the electronic control panel running along the bottom of the image:

[Rhino]

Ye I have that pic to but I'm not sure its even the naval version since it dosen't have the big radar screen in the top right? Here is the current/old cockpit from the AS565MB Panther:

[ShadowSix]

That cockpit there is N/N2 style, which would suggest 565UA rather than UB. You're probably right though, that Eurocopter picture is probably the utility version, but the key with these models I think is the platform on which they're based... wikipedia lists them here:
Eurocopter AS565 Panther - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Base model cockpit panels:

365N/N2



365N3



Most notable visual differences are the electrical systems panel as mentioned, and the protruding upper console section mounting the warning light panel.

I could probably summarise by saying, who's actually going to really notice anyway haha!

[camo]

No i think it's good that you pay so much attention to detail and are in the know and willing to point it out to people. That's what makes PR so great. Because chances are someone out there will appreciate it.

[ShadowSix]

Well it's a cracking community here that's for sure.

Curious to know what it sounds like... did you get some Dauphin sound files?

[Rhino]

Anders has done a pretty nice sound for it, don't think they are from an actual Dauphin but they sound right

[ShadowSix]

Looking forward to seeing/hearing it!

Having said that, I got back into things last night with a bit of .981... I'd forgotten what a horrible helicopter flight model BF2 has. Truly awful.