Rigging Jet Engine Nozzles in Blender

Learn how to rig a model without using armatures in this new CG Cookie Blender tutorial.

Using just empties and constraints, this tutorial will teach you how to model and rig the exhaust “cone” on the back of a jet engine. This particular mechanism is typically found on modern fighter aircraft (such as the F-18 Hornet), though it has other applications as well. The tutorial assumes a familiarity with the Blender interface, and an ability to do basic modeling.

This technique is quite straight forward. After modeling the individual blades, rigging is done using Empties, parenting relationships, and the “Locked Track” constraint. No armatures are used. Once everything is said and done, the nozzle is easily animated by scaling a single control empty.