Cessna 172R

It’s not like me to post pictures of something before it’s very nearly completed, but I felt frugal enough to do it with my latest little side project. Yes, the ever popular C172. I’ve got myself over 150 hours in this little gem of general aviation, and I have grown quite fond of the little plane indeed, to the point where none available for download satisfied my taste for detail and accuracy. Being a student at Ardmore Flying School, I have access to about 15 new-ish (mostly around 2003) Cessna 172Rs, and so have been afforded a great opportunity to build a great 172 for X-Plane. I took my camera down there one day, and shot the thing from every angle you could imagine (including every nook and cranny of the inside, and close ups of every instrument!), the end result is a very accurate shape (I hope ), and eventually, a detailed cockpit/cabin.

This is my first fully 3D plane, and thanks to it, I’ve become proficient in blender. It was originally planned to be no more than a tutorial for me to learn the ins and outs of blender, but it has turned into quite a nice little plane. I plan to release the first version, without an interior modeled within the next month or two, and the 3D interior version later when i get the time to build it. Now, rumor has it, that we will be doing payware planes, but this one be a freebie to all those who want it. However, the 3D cockpit version will probably end up being a cheap payware plane. With regards to development, it is halfway textured, but not yet in a presentable state, and after that I shall endeavour to learn animation and get everything from the control surfaces to the wheels, suspension, and spinner moving. Stay tuned to the blog for progress and possible ETA.

So, without further ado, I’m pleased to announce the Cessna 172R! (Click pictures for larger view)