A-7E Corsair II – Digital Combat Simulator

Task: Photogrammetry & Modeling
Purpose of creation: DCS (Digital Combat Simulator)

In 2023 I was approached by FlyingIron Simulations, with a request to model the entire A-7E Corsair II.
I joined the team and realized that the project was already 4 years in development, and they were on the second revision of the model. Yet, the model still had wrong proportions and shapes due to blueprint inaccuracies.

It was clear to me, that no re-works would fix the existing model. The entire 3D model had to be modeled from scratch. There was no more space, budget, and time for errors. I knew from the start, that the only way to achieve accuracy was through photogrammetry. I began scouting the internet in search of the perfect candidate inside Europe. I found her in Portugal, and after getting in touch with the museum I established communication with Anabela. Based on my request, a photogrammetry shoot was organized in three museums (Alverca, Sintra, and Ovar). It was achieved thanks to Anabela and the museum’s crew.

While I was still negotiating the shoot with the museum, I began researching and purchasing all the necessary gear that my wallet could afford. It was somewhat basic but good enough to get the job done. Dates were set, I packed my gear, and I had five days to visit three museums across the country. I had to shoot two exteriors, and two cockpits, crawl inside the engine intake, and shoot internals.

The shoot was intense! On a daily basis, I shot approximately 3000 pictures a day. After the shoot, everything had to be triple-backed up, gear cleaned up, and charged for the next day. The schedule was like this – Travel, shoot, shoot, then travel, shoot, and travel again, shoot, shoot, and travel once again.

Upon my return home, I began to process all the data and set up a whole new structure and efficient workflow for the entire “Art – part” of the A-7E project. I began to model the exterior first, and after an updated plan I moved on to the cockpit. The A-7 we shot was a “D” version. Because of that some panels were different, and required a custom modeling approach through reference, which I’ve been able to harvest on the internet.

A-7E Corsair II is truly a flying transformer. Wireframe renders are below.

In the end, the A-7E Corsair II began to shine with quality and accuracy!
I am very proud & happy with what I’ve been able to achieve, and the results speak for themselves!

You can read more about my part in this project, here:
https://flyingironsimulations.com/blogs/news/dcs-a-7e-development-update