3D Projects from 2008 through present
All modeled and rendered by Mike James, using Luxology's "MODO" application

Here are individual renders from some of my past MODO projects. (The projects themselves, with all the text, can be found at the top of this page, in the "Articles" menu.) Click here for my Animation Gallery. For those of you who would like to see more of the "process" end of these things, but without the text, scroll to the bottom of this page, where you can download zipped image archives, each containing all the renders for a particular project.

Click any image for the full-size version.

Zipped Project Render Archives:

For those of you who are more interested in the process, rather than just the "beauty shots", (3D modelers, for example) here are downloadable archives of all the renders done for each project. (No commentary, just the images) For major projects, these typically show the whole process from beginning to end.

These are the higher-quality .png images, rather than the jpegs I typically post on my site. Some have not been posted elsewhere. The archives range in size from just a few megabytes to nearly half a gigabyte, so depending on your connection speed, they may take a few minutes to download. You're certainly free to use these for your own personal, non-commercial use, but they all remain ©Copyright by Mike James. Enjoy!

Click any image below, to download the particular image archive.

Museum-scale Cessna 310K, modeled after an existing aircraft - It includes the structural parts, cabin liner and external skin, fully-animatable control surfaces, retractable landing gear, engines, and a complete interior, including a detailed cockpit and instrument panel. It has an animatable interior and exterior lighting system. The cabin door, baggage door, and engine nacelle locker doors are also animatable. In January of 2012, images from this project were used by Channel 5 in the U.K., on an episode of "World's Scariest Landings".
(File size: about 77.6 MB)

Modeled in the year of it's 50th anniversary of service with the USAF, the T-38 model features animated control surfaces, retractable landing gear, opening cockpit canopies, and a functional lighting system.
(File size: about 176.1 MB)

Burt Rutan's "Long EZ" in it's "Berkut" form (retractable landing gear, etc.) - Modeled from engineering drawings, using MODO's spline cages. A 1/3rd scale version of this aircraft that I designed, built, and test-flew, was used by Northrop-Grumman, for testing during the MTHEL program. (airborne laser)
(File size: about 81.6 MB)

Museum-scale model of Cessna's T-50 "Bobcat", modeled after a restored aircraft, using Cessna drawings. Like the Cessna 310K above, it includes the structural parts, cabin liner and external skin, fully-animatable control surfaces and retractable landing gear, scale radial engined and props, and a complete interior, including a detailed cockpit and instrument panel. This one even includes the cable-and-pulley control system used on the actual aircraft. Two renderings, and some nice comments, regarding my Cessna T-50 project, appeared in the November 2009 issue of "Scale Aviation Modeller International magazine.
(File size: about 116.8 MB)

Boeing's original 727-100, with landing gear detail, operating control surfaces, operating "air stair" door, and external lighting system. It also includes a complete interior, from the air stair door, whose steps lead up to the aft galley and restrooms, the cabin interior and seats, and a moderately-detailed cockpit. There is interior lighting in the cabin and cockpit. This model will be featured by Macina Digital Film Gmbh & CO KG, in a film reenacting the 1972 Munich hijacking. - Final production in 2012
(File size: about 486.8 MB)

Boeing's first version of the 787 "Dreamliner", with a large amount of exterior detail. and a highly-detailed "glass cockpit". The General Electric "GEnx" turbofan that powers this aircraft is a separate project, below.
(File size: about 175 MB)

Raytheon's Super King Air B200, modeled from Raytheon drawings, with interior and cockpit - The model and it's cockpit are fully animatable. The client-proprietary version of this model has been used in FAA-approved pilot training, detailing cockpit procedures, by Flyright, Inc.. Another version was featured in three issues of "King Air Magazine", for Davis Aviation, in 2011.
(File size: about 284.5 MB)

Piaggio's brilliant design, the "Avanti II" P180, modeled from Piaggio engineering drawings - It features a detailed exterior, including landing gear detail and a lighting system, and a complete interior, and detailed cockpit. The first 3D model I did of this aircraft, (built in Carrara in about 1996) has been in the Viewpoint Digital catalog for many years. This version is all new, completely rebuilt from scratch, in MODO, with better accuracy and much more detail.
(File size: about 31.6 MB)

A detailed model of General Electric's "GEnx" turbofan, the engine used on the 787 "Dreamliner" - This model was constructed so that one half can be turned off, giving the "cutaway" effect. Hint: These are easier than you'd probably think.
(File size: about 29.2 MB)

My original F-22 model, created from Lockheed-Martin drawings and (many) other references. This is Part One, done in "Carrara", many years ago.
(File size: about 15.7 MB)

Part Two of the Raptor project has me completely rebuilding the model, when I transitioned to "MODO", in 2008.
(File size: about 59.6 MB)

This huge file contains individual archived folders of the various 3D work I've done for artist friend (and genius) Sheila Wyne. Photos are also included of the actual fabrication and installation of the pieces.
(File size: about 153.7 MB)

As a lifelong drummer and owner of some "Radio King" drums from 1938, this seemed like an obvious model to make. It's built to scale, using my own drums as references, and is a reasonably-accurate model of the Slingerland "Radio King" drums used in the 1930's and 1940's by Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, etc.. Buddy Rich went back to playing these drums in the last few years of his life, and loved them.
(File size: about 6.2 MB)

This is what happens when you have great 3D software, and a little time to kill, between projects. Here are the whimsical, fictional, daydreaming projects I sometimes do to learn a new skill, and some that are just for fun, and largely for my own entertainment. A few animations are also included.
(File size: about 70.5 MB)

 

Thank you for visiting!
- Mike James