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Posted on 31/10/11 4:25:59 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply  |
Glider airmiss
I was asked a couple of days ago to produce an air safety poster. This one is aimed at glider pilots and is to illustrate the potential danger of an inadequate look out when pilots are concentrating too much on their instruments. This is image number seven of eight. In the first six the other glider is just a tiny dot in the distance which rapidly grows to number 7 ... number eight shows the view a nanosecond before it all goes dark and noisy. Any comments?  _________________ My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30am this morning, can you believe that 2:30am?! Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes. |
Posted on 31/10/11 6:46:25 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply  |
Re: Glider airmiss
Hello Gordon, I know you know rather more than me about planes! but the dome of the plane seems strange. Would you be able to see the lower edges like that? Or is it a windshield, in which case should that not have a thickness and more of a distortion of the background where it curves more? Anyway, attached a very rough shot in case it is a dome.  |
Posted on 31/10/11 7:29:02 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
Hi Deborah, Yes, it's a cockpit canopy. I could not make up my mind whether to have a stylised canopy where you could, simultaneously, see both outside and inside or just make do with the internal reflection and have no edge to the canopy. You wouldn't actually see this view in real life but I felt that it gave a better impression of being under a canopy. What do you think of this version ? This is more like what you would actually 'see' through the canopy. In fact, as the eye would focus at infinity, physiology means that you wouldn't see the reflections unless you focussed on them. 
I also toyed with the idea of a bit of distortion but decided against it as the important thing was to give the idea of an other glider looming large very rapidly. In theory (not necessarily, though) there should be next to no distortion from the canopy because it should be moulded without any ... in theory! I based the distortion on the reflections in the canopy but they didn't look good. I tried the ripple filter but then thought that it was getting to look too 'Photoshopped'. By creating this image I think I have just answered my own question ... I think I prefer this one. _________________ My neighbour knocked on my door at 2:30am this morning, can you believe that 2:30am?! Luckily for him I was still up playing my Bagpipes. |
Posted on 31/10/11 8:04:20 PM |
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Deborah Morley
Makeover Magician Posts: 1319 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
Hello Gordon, I agree your 2nd image works a lot better. Have you dismissed a reflection of the pilot. And just wondered if the horizon could do with a curve, just to help with the distortion/no distortion thing? |
Posted on 31/10/11 8:09:28 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
Funny you should ask about a pilot as he is actually in the reflection ... top right and top left are a pair of jeans. Just his knees are there but you can hardly make them out and they are quite distorted due to the curvature of the 'canopy'. _________________ You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. |
Posted on 31/10/11 8:17:02 PM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6987 Reply  |
Re: Glider airmiss
I agree - second version seems much stronger. The glider doesn't look that realistic, but maybe that's just what gliders look like? |
Posted on 31/10/11 8:24:24 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
This is what they look like in real life. A very nice toy.  _________________ Only one shopping day left until tomorrow! |
Posted on 31/10/11 9:12:55 PM |
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Nick Curtain
Model Master Posts: 1768 Reply  |
Re: Glider airmiss
I like the second Gordon. There would be no edges because you're effectively in a bubble. I Googled 'Glider pilots view' and found two images showing there is very little, or no distortion. However, what you have done looks good, but you may wish to tone down a little. My only critique would be that the reflections of the instruments are too far forward and I'd doubt whether you'd see them at all. Just a slight hint of brightness / reflection would be enough to tell the viewer that there is some glass there. Is GKB on the tail of the glider coincidence, or are you the proud owner? Nick 
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Posted on 31/10/11 10:17:49 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
Thanks Nick, Yes I might tone down the reflections a tad but I think I will go with that image unless someone points out the glaringly obvious that none of us has noticed yet 
This image is a screen grab from a piece of video that I shot in one of the club gliders with a Go Pro camera a few weeks ago. As you can see the reflections are quite noticeable. As you go around in an orbit the reflections change from being very strong to hardly there at all. It is entirely dependant on where the light is coming from. It was a problem that always plagued me on an air to air shoot under a bubble canopy. Surprisingly - and I am surprised at this - the reflection tends to suggest that you could actually see the instrument panel. And, yes, 'tis mine. It has been away having a new gel coat and will shortly have the cockpit re-furbished... just in time to fly it before Christmas 
_________________ You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. |
Posted on 01/11/11 08:30:46 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6987 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
Beautiful! Didn't realise you had your own plane. All you have to do now is fit an engine and I'll come for a spin. |
Posted on 01/11/11 09:45:05 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 3959 Reply |
Re: Glider airmiss
I would be happy to do that but, as it's a single seater, you might have to play the part of Kenneth Williams in Hancock's "The Test Pilot"
_________________ You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. |