Yesterday, I reached a milestone in the development of my new twin-engine plane. The model is now uploaded to Second Life’s main grid and is on display at my airstrip.
You can visit it in Abbotts, Second Life. (click here).
New retro-styled twin-engine Terra plane now on display
Hi Cubey,
the Aeronaut Express will be issued on June 1st and I would be happy to publish anything you might wish to say about the New Twin Racer.
I have to say it is one very spiffy looking craft.
For instance.
Any hint when it may be released?
Care to share why you like the V tail so much?
Might you ever release a two place version?
Please feel free to add any ideas upon which you might wish to expound.
Regards,,
Jack Tracker
Hi Jack. Thanks. I’m always glad when somebody likes my designs. About the V tail and the design in general, I design from how somebody from the early-to-mid 20th century might imagine the future of flight. I think the term is “retro-futurist”.
Starting with leading designs of the era, I apply the retro-futurist aesthetic. I’ve used a classic teardrop shape where the mass leads from the front and tapers to the rear. The cockpit is as far back as possible to give the feeling that the pilot is being pulled along by the sheer mass and power in front.
For the tail, I wanted something unusual — not the typical horizontal stabilizers and single vertical stabilizer. V tails were an unusual innovation in the mid-century (Wikipedia notes that it was invented in the ’30s by Polish engineer Jerzy Rudlicki), so I chose them not because they’re better or more efficient, but because they look different.
This plane was originally intended to be a two-seater, but I let design aesthetics overrule practicality again. Maybe next time I’ll do a two-seater. Or maybe I’ll just stuff a passenger in the cargo hold.
When will this plane be released? Shortly after I finish it. I prefer not to rush my planes, and original designs take much longer than planes that copy existing real-life designs.
Thanks for the Reply.
The tail shape reminds me of a plane my Dad flew once or twice with a friend of his, it was a Beechcraft Bonanza.
We should never rush our work, it never helps with the end product.