ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! Check this out... 🤯

I was messing around with Google AI (Gemini), and I wanted to see what it could do with my diecast Grumman F6F Hellcat.

➡️ Photo 1: My desk model.

➡️ Photo 2: What AI turned it into.

It literally put the plane on a carrier deck, spun up the prop, added steam, and fixed the lighting. The fact that it kept the specific markings (like the tail number) is wild.

What do y'all think of AI image tools? Is this cool or scary good? Let me know! 👇

Skip the Carousel

1 2

21 hours ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! Get ready for the weekend—I'm finally taking the Tier VIII British Carrier HMS Implacable out for a spin! 🇬🇧⚓

This ship is a challenge. She has a very small hangar capacity, so every plane counts. But when you get the strike off? It’s totally worth it.

➡️ Carpet Bombers: These things rain fire on battleships.

➡️ Attack Aircraft: The rockets hit hard and are great for hunting destroyers.

➡️ Torpedo Bombers: They are decent and a bit slow but are great for attacking large surface targets like battleships.

➡️ AA Defense: It’s a trap! She has poor long-range AA, but if enemy planes get into her Mid/Close Range aura, they just melt.

The real HMS Implacable lived up to her name (which means "unstoppable" or "unappeasable"). Commissioned late in WWII (1944), she was faster and carried more planes than her predecessors. She fought in the Pacific Fleet, launching strikes on the Japanese home islands, and later became famous for "Operation Magic Carpet"—bringing thousands of POWs and soldiers back home after the war.

Come hang out this weekend and watch me try not to run out of planes!

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4

1 day ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! I finally unlocked the Tier VIII British Carrier HMS Implacable! 🇬🇧⚓

While she can be challenging to play (that small hangar capacity is no joke!), I'm loving it for one main reason: The Supermarine Seafire.

➡️ A little naval history for you:
The Seafire was essentially a Spitfire modified for carrier ops. It was fast and deadly, but it had a reputation for being difficult. Because it still had the Spitfire’s narrow landing gear, landing on a pitching deck was a nightmare—lots of prop strikes and broken gear!

➡️ But in combat? It was a beast.
When HMS Implacable deployed to the Pacific in 1945, her Seafires were crucial. They were the best low-altitude interceptors the fleet had. They were fast enough to chase down and destroy Japanese Kamikazes (Zeros) before they could hit the fleet, something the heavier American Corsairs sometimes struggled to do at low levels.

It’s awesome seeing such a legendary piece of aviation history in the game.

2 days ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! 🤠 You know me for World of Warships and How to Train Your Dragon, but today I want to share something different—a huge passion from my childhood that I still love today: American Railroads. 🚂💨

Specifically, my all-time favorite line: The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O).

The C&O was famous for running absolutely massive freight and coal drags through the brutal grades of the Appalachian and Allegheny mountains in West Virginia. To conquer those grades, they built some of the most impressive machines in history. We are talking about legendary steam giants like the massive H-8 Allegheny, which remains one of the most powerful reciprocating steam engines ever built, designed specifically to haul coal over the mountains. Then you had the iconic Kanawhas (the C&O’s take on the 2-8-4 Berkshire, named after the river they ran beside) handling fast freight, the elegant Greenbriers built for speed on passenger lines, and the massive T1 "Texas" types that were the backbone of heavy hauling.

I’ve spent years looking at gritty black and white photos of these beasts in action, always wondering what it actually looked like in real life. Well, technology is getting wild.

Whether you love AI or hate it, the results can be jaw-dropping. I decided to test out Google Gemini's image tools to upscale and colorize a classic photo.

➡️ Look at the image below. 👇

This is a C&O T1 class (Engine No. 3039), a massive 2-10-4 designed for heavy freight, grinding up a grade in the Alleghenies.

The AI took a grainy B&W photo and turned it into this. It’s incredible—it honestly looks like a photo taken today with a vintage film camera. You can almost smell the coal smoke.

I am definitely going to be testing this out further on some other locomotives next.

What do y'all think of this restoration? Is it cool to see history brought to life like this? Let me know in the comments!

3 days ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! Just wanted to give you a heads-up for this weekend's video! I'm taking out the Tier VIII German Carrier Graf Zeppelin with a special setup.

I wasn't a fan of the Black Friday camo, so I swapped it for the Hunter Camo (it looks so much better, very similar to the Trumpeter model!).

I'm running a Full Secondary Build with Günther Lütjens, plus extra aircraft health. The result was absolutely chaotic and incredibly fun. You won't want to miss this one!

See y'all this weekend!

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! I had to share this because it might just be my all-time favorite edit of Viggo Grimborn.

Viggo is hands down one of the most complex and interesting villains in the entire How to Train Your Dragon universe. His journey from a ruthless dragon hunter to respecting them (and Hiccup) as equals is just masterfully done in Race to the Edge.

This edit captures his character perfectly. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3mV4A...

Where does Viggo rank on your list of HTTYD villains? Is he #1? Let me know in the comments!

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! I just watched this theory video, and honestly... it kind of blew my mind.

We all know Hiccup and Toothless have a bond unlike anything else in the franchise, but this theory takes it a step further. It argues that they literally share the same soul, split between two bodies.

The evidence is actually pretty wild when you think about it:

➡️ Mirrored Injuries: Toothless loses his tail, Hiccup loses his leg. They physically complete each other with prosthetics.

➡️ Instinctive Flying: They move as one unit without needing commands, something even Valka (who lived with dragons for 20 years!) had never seen before.

➡️ The Reunion: Even after being apart for years in the Hidden World, they recognize each other instantly—because souls don't forget.

You can check out the full theory here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVHDLD...

What do y'all think? Is it just a great friendship, or is there a deeper soul connection there? Let me know in the comments!

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! Get ready to hold the line! I've got a new Star Wars: Battlefront II video dropping this weekend, and it is intense.

We are defending a Venator-class Star Destroyer as the legendary 501st Legion. This is pure, cinematic Co-Op gameplay—no commentary, just the sounds of blasters and battle droids getting scrapped.

If you love that "Clone Wars" feel, you won't want to miss this one. FOR THE REPUBLIC!

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1

ThatEpicTexan

Howdy, y'all! I picked up something new during the Black Friday sale! I am now the captain of the Tier VIII Soviet Aircraft Carrier Chkalov B!

This is a really fascinating ship. Historically, it represents "Project 71B," a design intended to be a high-speed carrier that would allow the Soviet Navy to project power into the open seas. The project was canceled due to the outbreak of WWII, so she was never built in real life—but she is a beast in-game!

She is extremely powerful, fielding Tier X planes at Tier VIII. The coolest feature is the "Dive Bombers"—they actually function more like Glide Bombers, flying low to the target and dropping their payload without the steep dive.

Quick Note on the Look: I wasn't a huge fan of the standard Black/Chrome camo, so I swapped it out for the Home Front Fleet camouflage (Dark Grey). I think it looks much better and more authentic!

I'm currently testing her out and getting the hang of the squadrons, so keep an eye out for some gameplay coming soon.

Check out the screenshots below! 👇

Skip the Carousel

1 2 3 4

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 1