In my last post about my profile art, I mentioned the release of edition-1 of my KC-135T profile illustration.
Today, I'm working on edition-2 which features the KC-135 Stratotanker flying with boom extended. This isn't merely just a copy of the previous piece with the boom lowered. There's quite a bit that I need to develop for this second edition.
For instance, the wings on large aircraft like the KC-135 flex when flying and so I have to consider this when developing this next part of my profile art of the KC-135. The KC-135 has a significant wingspan of 130 feet, 10 inches. Wing flex is designed into the wings of aircraft like the KC-135 and many large military and commercial jets. Wings are designed to flex to improve aerodynamics, reduce stress on the aircraft structure, and provide a smoother ride for passengers. This flexing is a normal and designed-in feature of aircraft, allowing the wings to adapt to changing airflow and turbulence.
In addition there are areas behind the wing in my profile art that I need to create that weren't visible before. I had to develop the dual APU exhaust area more as the outer wing flexing upward would reveal more of this area.
For the boom area, I needed to cut and reposition areas where the boom pivots downward during a aerial refuel operation. This is an area that I had to inspect quite a lot during my days as a crew chief on the KC-135. I also need to create the boom shock absorber and the cable that lowers and raises the boom from the fuselage. Where the boom is extended, I need to create the fuel nozzle and the fluorescent markings that are seen on it. These markings are illuminated by two small black lights that are housed up in the shroud area at the end of the boom.
For now in this work in progress update, I have begun to illustrate the flexed wing and I've hidden the gear for flying mode. I've also cut and repositioned the boom for refuel ops. This is a work in progress at the moment, so the refuel shaft or pipe if you will is just a temporary block of grey at the moment. I also needed to reposition the ruddervators. On a KC-135 Stratotanker, ruddervators are small, movable airfoil surfaces located on the end of the refueling boom. They are controlled by the boom operator and used to precisely guide the boom into position for aerial refueling with another aircraft. The ruddervators are crucial for the KC-135's ability to perform its primary role as an aerial refueling tanker. Since they are, in essence, like wings, they do move or pivot on their axis in accordance with the Boomer's controlling them from the boom pod. They Boomer literally flies the boom in position for the refuel operation.
I am using both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to produce this profile art.
Below are some screen captures of my work in progress on Edition-2 of the KC-135.
