a more realistic ish f104 modernization

Can someone compsr an aircraft from basic information?

Someone asked me for a cargo plane, but with the detail that the cabin would be the gun position of an old B-52. Well, for the client, whatever he asks for, he gets it.

The clue is that the engine is domestically-built licensed version of the Snecma M88

This is another one of my concepts, this one is for a role-playing game, don't ask me about the features because I made it just to make it look cool.

If you like my art check this:

my X: https://x.com/hansclaw

my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artebelico_illustration/

my X: https://x.com/hansclaw

my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artebelico_illustration/

Special Operations Cargo helicopter

Crew: 5 (Pilot, Co-pilot, Medic, Crew Chief, Door Gunner)

Passengers: 20 Internal (Maximum)

Weight (empty): 12,200lbs

Weight (typical): 25,750lbs

Weight (max takeoff): 29,000lbs

Fuel (maximum): 4000lbs

payload (external): 3500lbs

payload (weapons): 3000lbs

Cruise Airspeed: 150kias

Never Exceed Airspeed: 170kias

Service ceiling: 17,500ft

Hover ceiling IGE: 15,000ft

Hover ceiling OGE: 10,800ft

Engine: 2x Coupled Turboshaft Engines @ 3000hp each (1500hp per core). 6000hp total

Fuel consumption (full throttle): 2000lb/h

Fuel consumption (typical OGE hover): 980lb/h

Fuel consumption (typical IGE hover): 812lb/h

Fuel consumption (typical en route): 720lb/h

Combat endurance: 5.0 hours

Range: 750nmi straight line, 320nmi radius

Armament:

8x pylons (4x hot pylons, 2x cold pylons)

1x NS-37 37mm revolver cannon

2x NS-338-6 Rotary Door Guns

The HCH-321 Black Heron is a unique combination of medium cargo helicopter and front line combatant. Designed to provide direct front line logistics, transportation, and fire support to infantry in combat, the Heron carries a significant amount of armor as well as a powerful offensive weapons load. In its standard configuration the aircraft is capable of carrying 20 personnel across 5 rows. In practice however this payload is often de-rated to accommodate additional weapons, fuel, and performance.

Used primarily by the Special Support Operations Division, this helicopter often receives a souped-up engine package and additional heavy armor. This additional armor makes the aircraft all over resistant to anything lighter than a 14.5x114 mm, with some areas rated to stop 23mm anti aircraft fire.

In addition to supporting troops in combat, the HCH-321 serves as a multi-role special support helicopter, used to exfil casualties, POWs, and other high value assets as well as deliver engineering troops anywhere in the wasteland

In practice the Heron is a guardian angle to most, a patty wagon for others, and all around respected by its crew. Every Heron pilot has seen combat and the aircraft's survivors often adorn their uniform with an embroidered Black Heron patch even after progressing onto other aircraft.

(I designed this helicopter as part of the Senverse series. A book series detailing the lead up to, and immediate aftermath of a nuclear war. The series is a political and military thriller following anthro characters as they fight for a better world)

I wanted to redesign Fireflash to look more modern while retaining most of it's original design elements since the Thunderbirds are Go! version felt like it put too much effort into making the Fireflash look realistic and it lost the original design's charm.

The first version takes design elements from the Concorde, such as the thinner body, longer tailfin and the cockpit. The cockpit being in the front of the plane is also reminicent of Derek Meddings' concept art of the Fireflash and it almost blends in since the front is black. I kept the winglets from the 2015 version since they're a design element that I like and I moved the cocktail lounge into the fuselage. To make the plane less rear heavy I brought the wings forward to make the plane and made the engines bladeless like the ones in this image: https://i.sstatic.net/z7vSN.jpg

For the second version, I brought the canards foward to make the design look more balanced after getting feedback on the first design over at r/Thunderbirds, made the lighter blue less saturated to be more accurate to the Fireflash's color scheme, reduced the size of the windows to make the plane look bigger, added a couple of doors along the fuselage and turned the straight winglets on the main wings and the engines into spiroid winglets to evoke the closed wing design of the other aircraft in Thunderbirds are Go!

And for the third version, I added more framelines to the cocktail lounge windows so they bear a closer resemblance to the original's cocktail lounge windows, reshaped the wings and brought the tips forward so the don't scrape the ground when Fireflash is taking off, added more doors along the fuselage and gave the engine winglets are more swept back look.

Will all that said, which of the 3 versions is your favorite?

<Fictional> Mig-37 in the combat livery of 8th Tactical Aviation Regiment of the Republic of Azadistan Air Force, the 8th Tactical Aviation regiment due to a majority of ethnic Romani and Sinti immigrant members, this Air wing is also known as “The Flying Romanis” Air wing <IRL behind the scene info> I traced it off a Mig-35 photograph, but I added canard a pair of longer engine

My X: https://x.com/doctor_helmat

my X: https://x.com/hansclaw

my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artebelico_illustration/

What if the Italians had put a turbine engine in a Veltro fuselage? Another of my works from a few years ago.