Recently I've made some internet surfing to gather some info about my MiG-41 design influence and this was very interesting. I've knew that my old renditions start to pop up in different news, topics & youtube channels since Russian aircraft corp (OAK) announced the real MiG-41 (PAK-DP) development.
    Surely my design has nothing to do with it. First of all cause its a light-weight fifth gen. fighter concept and not a hypersonic heavy MiG-31 replacement. But some people still argue if that is real or not and some thematic resources illustrating future MiG-41 with my old and new renders :)
I've gathered some interesting links, as well as some fan-made projects about this design and will make a post about it soon.

   But today want to show you some pics of a RC model kit made by Aerotetris. The odd thing is that they sell it and I still didn't know about it :) Let's think they thought that I wasn't the initial author of Firefly design and made that based on some real Mikoyan project. It's ok with me but It would be much better if they send me one for free instead of royalty fee:)
The link: Aerotetris MiG-41S

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/aerotetris/?hc_ref=ARTorCmwitc-kNViv6FWeQT9fm4miG6XR-4xuzx4hUunbtohYPAkm9qOb0vGaOGWFw4&fref=nf&__tn__=kC-R  

   Original "blueprint" they use https://www.deviantart.com/renderdock/art/MiG-41-profile-187262027  Published: Nov 24, 2010  oh boy :) 

Btw they really manage to make it look very close to original. I guess the canopy shape looks even more  realystic. 

   Would be cool to see its painted in the sky

   Long time ago we used to survive as best we could. So yes there were times when Substance painter was not born yet and we used to texture in Photoshop. There were some more advanced tech but we used photoshop all the way and achived some results in it. Need to say that things got a lot simplier since 2014-2015. When I've just started my career in 2007 I need to wait for this day lot of years. But it still was fun.I recalled that cause my recent chat with one of RD team. He was very surprised that Photoshop texturing ever existed. 

This FG-42 was probably one of the latest 3d model textured by RD team for Noble Empire. And yes it's not a PBR render. Manual texturing in PS and then manually changind a diffuse texture in a spec & bumps to use it in V-Ray render. Boy what a pain in the brain it was to save the texture file and check how it looks in 3d view. And the way to fix the seams was not so intuitive as you can imagine  

Really interesting are there a lot of those here who remember how to texture in PS with your tablet?

Before publishing new big design & engineering projects have a need to do some retrospective of past years interesting projects. This Browning M2 machinegun model was made for Noble Empire's Guns Disassembly & World of Guns in 2014 (guess). Actually, it was one of most complicated models that I've created in six years of participating in NE. It’s still fun to watch how much tiny parts is there even if it's polycount is pretty outdated today. Still Have some desire to make an updated and pbr textured version of this M2HB for main portfolio from time to time, but to be serios need to take that efforts to much bigger and newer  projects.

Those awesome guys continue to delight with flights. This time, the MiG-41 EDF RC model, created according to my designs, makes a new flight against the backdrop of sunset. It was gratifying to hear that the plane is well controlled and perfectly in the air.

MiG-41 on Artstation

 

  

So finally new Russian stealth fighter design is unveiled.
Su-75 pinterest gallery
As it turned out, back in 2010, when I was just starting the project of initial MiG-41S Firefly, I was not far from the truth. The new fighter is really light-weight and single-engine, designed to occupy the niche previously occupied by the MiG-21. But It's not MiG, it's Sukhoi 

It is especially interesting in this regard that during the transformation of my early MiG-41S into the well-developed MiG-41KUB at one of the stages, I considered the scheme, which is now implemented in the new Russian Su-75. I even have test renders of October 2014, I will gladly share with you.Even more interesting is that in 2019 I was working on a variant of an unmanned fighter based on the MiG-41. It also had a similar design without horizontal tail and with a round nozzle. This was a forced measure, referring to the design of the MiG-21. Maybe I will return to this design in future :)

Alex Yartsev, RenderDock art director

  Upgraded MiG-41 version is already in WiP stage. Narratively it's called MiG-41M and got NATO corresponding name Fulmar-E+ or (unofficially) Super Fulmar. But I personally like to call it "Fulmar on steroids" :) This concept design is stil Work-in-Progress so the final version may differ from current. 

 Narrative:

   The aircraft was created to improve the combat effectiveness of the Air Force within the framework of the "Krechet" design and development project. The developer announced it as a 5+ generation multirole fighter. It has a lightweight airframe, high-strength polymers composite materials are more widely used, and there is no equipment for ship takeoff and landing. The airframe is reinforced to withstand higher G-forces. A more powerful TS-250-3 engine with a round nozzle was installed. The use of a round nozzle slightly increased the aircraft's radar signature  in the rear hemisphere, but allowed the use of all-aspect thrust vectoring control. The engine with a higher thrust and the use of a round nozzle significantly increased the thrust-to-weight ratio of the aircraft despite the increased weight. 3D thrust vector control system provided an increase in maneuverability in relation to the basic version

   The newest "Vizir-Air" counteraction system was installed, The aircraft can carry "Tarantula" electronic warfare system in containers on the wing tips. The area of the rudders has been reduced, the shape of the back has been changed also. 

   On-board computer "Pamir" is one of the main innovations of the project. An on-board computer equipped with AI elements, capable of controlling most of the fighter's functions, performing automatic take-off, landing and air refueling, as well as significantly speeding up the pilot's in-combat decision-making. It provides the capability to use the aircraft as UAV

   Additionally, the machines are equipped with conformal fuel tanks on the top of airframe, which increase the combat range by 50%.

   For the first time, the MiG-41M received the latest R-200 ultra-long-range air-to-air missiles capable of hitting targets in near space, as well as containers with small guided missiles LMT-A "Minoga" designed to destroy light UAVs, cruise and even air-to-air missiles.  

   In total, 230 aircraft were ordered for the Russian Aerospace Forces with a delivery time of up to 2037.

   The artist’s approach for the collection, sorting and implementation of references can say a lot both about his professional qualifications and about his general philosophy. However, my experience with contractors shows that a lot of beginners (and not only) are very superficial about the collection of information, which entails superficial execution. As for me, I'm sure that proper collection and processing of reference images and text info  is one of the most important parts of professional 3D artist work. 

Colt Walker. Model by Noble Empire. Rendered by Alexander Yartsev. 2013 

   It is a common mistake for beginners to think that reference collection is not so important. 

   The customer may well ask why the performer made this or that decision when creating the model. If, in support of his work, the performer provides a detailed well-structured document with references, this can not only convince the customer, but also show that there is a good, responsible specialist in front of him. 

   The client may well ask why the performer made this or that decision when creating the model. If, in support of his work, the performer provides a detailed well-structured document of references, this can not only convince the client, but also show that he has is a professional, responsible artist in front of him.

   Along with all this, collecting, analyzing and sorting references - is a separate part of work. It is important for 3D artist to regard this not an annoying inconvenience but a necessary part of the task.

   Always coordinate the list of references with your client. This will avoid misunderstandings in the process of work and in its end. It will also show your responsible attitude to work. 

   Careless, superficial approach to collecting information leads not only to low product quality, but also shows the client that he is facing an artist with dubious expertise.

   So where do you get references for such detailed modeling?

Milkor MGL. Created by Alexander Yartsev in 2012 for Noble Empire's World of Guns

   The question here is perhaps not where to get them. The most popular search engines have all known addresses. There is no secret here. It's all about the approach to search and experience.  Personally I prefer to divide the preparation stage (reference collection) on two paces. 

   The first is to find general diagrams and photographs of weapons (or other items from the task). At this stage, it is advisable to understand what parts the weapon consists of and what you need to pay the most attention to. Great luck is to find the owner's manual in this case!

   After that, work  on the overall blocking of the weapon usually begins, in order to understand its dimensions and main components.

   Specific queries in the form of "HK7 trigger" or "AK bolt" direct you to online stores, where you can find detailed photos of one or more weapon parts. 

   In addition, with your experience grow, you begin to notice what others usually do not see in ordinary photos. Such is the magic.

   Functionality of the part for which we could not find enough references can be restored from indirect data. Knowing how and that works, what functional load it carries, we can assume the appearance of some nodes. Or its main parts at least.

   The understanding of how the part was manufactured is especially helpful. Manufactures are very rational guys and will rarely come up with additional problems for themselves. All what they do is primarily for the sake of functionality, weight loss and ergonomics. Of course, understanding all this takes a lot of experience.

   To finish - a small example of how the references of a pro 3D artist may look like. Cheers 

Alex Yartsev, RenderDock CEO LinkedIn
3d artist since 2007
   
   "Have been working on the World of Guns 3d library of firearms for a pretty long time. It was also called Guns Disassembly 2 at some point. For the first time I worked as an animator and integrator of ready-made models into the application engine. Later I found myself as project lead from the beginning of development to the final release of a gun. That allowed to gather invaluable experience in blueprints & references collection, 3D modeling, UV, animation, texturing, product cover renderings.

   I always tried to make each next model better than the previous one in order to get rid of the routine. A landmark model in this regard for me and the project as a whole was the AK-47, released in 2013. In terms of elaboration of details this model was an order of magnitude higher than anything that was in the World of Guns library before, even despite the old 3D engine limitations. Although there are certain inaccuracies in the model (caused by some inexperience at that time) they were corrected in subsequent models of the AK series. Subsequently the Ak-74 with the PSO-1 sight and the GP-25 launcher, AKS-74U, RPK-74M, PP-19 Bizon, VSS Vintorez, AS VAL, GSh-18 pistol were reeleaced with an accuracy that made it possible to print a prefabricated functioning model on a 3d printer. And much more.

   Since 2015, Ivan Filipchenko (future RenderDock co-founder) joined the project and the library of the weapon models we created began to grow rapidly.

   Naturally, we gladly accepted the offer from David Rosen to work with Wolfire Games on their Receiver game sequel. In addition to the fact we supposed to do what we know best, this work assumed a transition to a qualitatively new level of photorealistic PBR modeling and texturing that was new for us at that point.

   I was asked how many models of weapons we have made in recent years from time to time. I myself was interested in answering this question accurately enough. So decided to make a list and close this question (for some time I guess).

   There are already 128 models on this list as of mid-2020. That we know to the cog. Most of them were done by me and Ivan Filipchenko. Some were created from start to finish (marked as F), some we just UV made, baked & textured (Tex)"

Decided in one post to immediately answer the incoming questions about where you can see or download individual images of the MiG-41 from the workbook.
Gradually adding pictures to my old deviantart account: RenderDock on Deviantart
And pinterest:   Pinterest MiG-41 gallery

Have a lot of new pics ideas at the moment. Hope to implement this in the near future. Also will add some info about new aircraft and space design projects. 

Thank's to all foollowers  for your support, likes and comments! :)