Blargh

[Julhelm]

I'm trying to design a stylish-looking VTOL jet for my game, and here's what I have so far. Supposedly it has vents below that open for hover mode, and doesn't tilt the nozzle or anything fancy like that.

[Julhelm]

Maybe this revised underslung setup looks better?

[SebastianP]

The top one looks more workable, IMHO - I figure that the front stage of the fans would have some kind of reduction gear, so that it spins faster when the lift vents are open, and that there's a turbine deflector in the rear. It would be a little hard to do IRL, but for sci-fi physics not impossible.

Nice design, by the way - it looks like a cross between a Hornet and an YF-23...

SP

[Julhelm]

I think I'll go with the underslung one for the time being; it makes it look fatter and more cartoony, which is sort of the look I'm going for. Interesting you should mention F-18 and F-23, since the design I started from was an F-20.

Here's the beginning of the gear and I added some wingtip rails.

[Julhelm]

I added a couple of intake thingys to the top and some kind of exhaust to the bottom, but I need some suggestions on poo-poo to add to it (no cockpit tho, that'd break visual consistency with other models) as I'm at 1/3rd of my alotted poly-limit right now. Oh, and the nozzle now swivels 90 degrees down for hovering purposes.

[The Rat]

From a practicality standpoint the top one is better. If you decide to take-off or land vertically you don't want an intake on the underside that will suck in all sorts of debris.

[cthulhu77]

Perhaps a nice big bump on the fuselage in back of the canopy, and a larger tail for more ground control  I like it !!!!

[Ollie]

Move the nose wheel way from that intake, or you will ingest lots and lots of debris.

 

[The Rat]

Just realised that there's a problem with my choice of the top one - the engine intakes might be blanked off by those LERX's at high angles of attack.

The world is lucky that I'm not an engineer!  ^_^  

[Tophe]

According to me, there are not several bad designs in your collection: they are simply wonderful together, as a pleasant collection of dreams.
As far as I am concerned, I will not order the best nor fly the most performing, I just enjoy the designs, the shapes and ideas.    
Thanks for these posts, like a bunch of flowers.  

[cthulhu77]

Move the nose wheel way from that intake, or you will ingest lots and lots of debris.

How about splitting the intakes into a "Y" so that the front gear rides in the middle?  that would still leave them on the bottom, and avoid the ground effect.

[Julhelm]

I did that, but I think it looks hungrier and more sinister this way. Besides, it has the additional intakes on the top to deal with FOD-ingestion, much like the Mig-29.

[cthulhu77]

good call...the 16 has a huge mouth, and little problems.
    Do you think you might try to styrene this one too ?

[Ollie]

The F-16's nose wheel is behind the intake too.

 

[cthulhu77]

The F-16's nose wheel is behind the intake too.

Fudge.  What was I thinking...ah well.   How about  moving the nose gear then?