Willys Jeep Circa 1944

Last crawled date: 7 years ago

I've been extremely busy with work, and so I haven't uploaded a new model to Blend Swap in over a year. Work is slowing down now (and at 70, I'™m slowing down a bit myself), so I should be able to spend more time with Blender in 2016.This model also represents a Challenge to the Blend Swap community. I've done the modeling, unwrapped of all the major parts, and I've done some basic texturing. I'd™m not very good at texturing and so I challenge you to improve on this model individually or collaborate with your friends (no additional modeling needed).Or I challenge you to create a realistic WW II scene for the model. Or I challenge you to create a new version such as a medical jeep, a radio jeep, wire-laying jeep , add a .30 cal or .50 cal machine gun, create a version with the canvas top in the up position, or do some research and create the Soviet version. Or for a real challenge, create a winter scene with realistic snow, tire chains, icicles, etc. (additional modeling required) Or convert it to a Navy, Army Air Corps, or Marine Corps jeep. You get the idea. Your challenge is to see how much you can improve this model.The only rule is that you must do research and all modifications must be as WW II accurate as possible. Bonus points for including some background history about your version.During World War II, Willys produced 363,000 Jeeps and Ford some 280,000. Another 51,000 were provided to the USSR under the lend lease program.The term "œJeep" has two possible origins. A common assumption is that Jeep is the phonetic version of "GP" which in the US military stands for General Purpose. However, the more authoritative explanation is that it was named after Eugene the Jeep, a character in the Popeye comic strip and cartoons created by E. C. Segar as early as March of 1936. Eugene the Jeep was Popeye's "jungle pet" and was "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems." Since the Jeep seemed it could solve impossible problems, it adopted the name of the cartoon character.General George C. Marshall described the Jeep as "America's greatest contribution to modern warfare."In creating the model, I reviewed hundreds of reference photographs and blueprints. Everything is historically accurate including the gauges and knobs on the dashboard, gear shift, the pedals, various floor plates and the location of the screws, nuts, and bolts. There is even the chain that attaches the gas can lid to the gas can.I originally had a number of modeling and historical notes to include, but the Blend Swap limit is 5,000 characters and so this is all you get. Bummer.Overall, I'm pleased with the model. The texturing could be better. I didn't want studio lighting so the lighting is either early sunrise or sunset to cast some shadows. There were a number of very small details that I would have liked to have included, but there comes a time when you have to call it finished or it will never end.As are all my models, it is CC-0 so you can use it any way you like.May everyone have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2016!!