F-14D Cockpit
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“I love the fact that America was once capable of creating such a fine example of machinery along so many countless that followed”
This i can totally agree upon
On another cheerful note (also of topic until Mykinge comes back), 2 days ago i was shot down by a parachuter; flying my ACM guns only training scenario, an F-14A vs F-15C, one on one; we started at 20K level heads on pass, initial KIAS 350knots, 460 at the merge, i slightly dived bellow him to keep an eye on his vector as we separate, he pulled down i went up, kicked some flairs at the top of my egg, he pointed his nose on my so i followed suit. We merged in the vertical, he immediately went into vertical scissors but the dive gave me more energy so came on top, then he dived and broke hard right to about 15k but i instead of following his turn i displaced a roll to the lef and went high yo-yo on him, after which he split-s to bellow 5k and i followed him with another displacement roll followed by energy egg bringing me right on his six with a 200knots+ closure. This was when he pulled to the vertical and started zooming like there was no tomorrow and i followed him right up. At about 25k we both started loading the climb a bit, and accelerated the stalling process. He stalled about a second or second and a half before me, just as i got my gun on him. I pulled the trigger for 1/2 a second and all the rounds went right into his planform (at this point we were so close i could almost see the pilot inside the cockpit)….and he ejected. As his parachute started opening his direction changed and he went straight into my right intake! Another half a second later and i was burning with gentle woman’s voice in my headset…warning! warning!EDIT:
@molnibalage:???
Both F-14 and F-111F/EF-111 had variable sweep wings which emerged, it is a dead end in aviation. It has to much impact the life time of airframe and had to many issues.
The variable sweep wings may have an impact on the fatigue life of an airframe and yet it may not be what many people think it is. Life on the carrier is what makes airframes deteriorate faster IMO. The F/A-18A entered service a decade after the F-14A and most of them were replaced at the same time or earlier as the Cats. With the production of spare parts and new planes in the late 80’s, i often wonder how they managed to keep the F-14’s flying well into the late 90’s.
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With the production of spare parts and new planes in the late 80’s, i often wonder how they managed to keep the F-14’s flying well into the late 90’s.
Maybe AMARC could support it, the qty. of active F-14s were cut after end of Cold War. Similar example what happened with RAAF’S Varks. RAAF F-111Cs got wings from AMARC from ex. USAF AC. Regradless wings had to be retrofitted - on F-111C similar, larger wings were used what FB-111 had - it was worth. The youngest F-14 airframe which was scrapped as I can remember did not reached 4000 flight hour and 1000 landing on deck. A considerable part of F-14 fleet was not older than 20 years, all F-14D manufactured after 1987/88.
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SNIP
Look at the deck today, is there any role the 18 doesn’t cover? It’s ridiculous. This whole thing was killed by Dick Cheney while his wife sat on the Board of Directors of Boeing. And now take a guess which company these two invested almost all their money in…what a lucky turn when all these 18 orders came in. It’s so blatantly obvious it isn’t even funny anymore.
You know, I guess I never knew that about Dick Vader. Despite the corruption I precieve surrounding the A-12 program, and him killing that, it makes even more sense now considering that none of those assets would have been ones which would have benefitted his supporters. The F-14 is another thing that I never considered on that level, and now it makes almost perfect sense. Our last Administrations have really been crooked.
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Our last Administrations have really been crooked.
What was it that Dubya used to say: ‘You ain’t seen nuttin’ yet’
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Maybe AMARC could support it, the qty. of active F-14s were cut after end of Cold War. Similar example what happened with RAAF’S Varks. RAAF F-111Cs got wings from AMARC from ex. USAF AC. Regradless wings had to be retrofitted - on F-111C similar, larger wings were used what FB-111 had - it was worth. The youngest F-14 airframe which was scrapped as I can remember did not reached 4000 flight hour and 1000 landing on deck. A considerable part of F-14 fleet was not older than 20 years, all F-14D manufactured after 1987/88.
True that, but if you take a look at the original documentation and into demos, the F-14A was supposed to be replaced by B’s and C’s starting the mid 80’s. So the up until then they were flown with fewer operational restrictions. Yet, those same A’s continued soldiering on with most ranking more then 6000 flight hours. I was looking at the operational losses figures the other day and i still find it odd that despite the TF30 bad rap, the percentage of total loses (weather by flameouts or mechanical failures) is very low. And i could find not a single loss due to structural failure.
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considering there were only 37 new build F-14Ds ever built, you’re just wrong. The youngest F-14 was 164604. The reason it had so few hours is because it served its entire career with VX-30, never once going to the boat or making an arrested landing. Consider the F-14D, some of which were built in 1975. There is no arguing against the F-14s weight, there is also no arguing against its lift and wing loading (~56lbs/sqft when fully swept-remember, the wings stall before the body), there is no arguing against its pitch authority (much greater horizontal stab area than F-15 or SU-27) and no arguing its acceleration, especially if manual sweep is used. If you think the F-111 and F-14 are anything comparable, you might as well compare Cessna 172s to Boeing 747s. The engineers(no joke, while some have journalism degrees, plenty where geniuses like Boyd) who flew those planes will have no problem telling you of the benefits of the sweeping wing. The only bad thing about it is that it is another moving part which means more maintenance and cost and weight. Fixed wings with slats/flaps controlled by a FBW/advanced AFCS are just the easy way of doing things now. If money/maintenance where no object-designs would still show up with a sweeping wing.
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ON topic:
On another cheerful note, this thread has more views than any other in the MOD section. Also, after just having re-read all of the 766 posts plus the ‘F-14 dogfight capability’ thread I have to say that the discussions that inevitably arise whenever the Tomcat is the subject matter are an invaluable contribution to the F-14 legacy and the Falcon ‘project’ as a whole. Thanks to all involved, no matter what the outcome of this project which has already produced the most detailed, most realistic and best looking F-14 D pit of all time. Thank you Pepe!
There’s been much talk about flight hours etc. here…in the spirit of long serving airframes I think there’s only one thing that needs to be said: Christine.
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Now ain’t she a beauty! ::D
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One of the sexiest planes ever build, has much more charisma than a Hornet !
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One of the sexiest planes ever build, has much more charisma than a Hornet !
+1 here.
Nikos. -
I agree at full burn!! Pls keep going with the project, i am looking ffwd to taking off from the carrier with this beauty in a clickable pit.
I have been visiting Pensacola Navy Museum, and the gate guardian…. is an amazing f14A… The sexiest plan ever built, i agree!
Pvi_PanteSt
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I have been visiting Pensacola Navy Museum, and the gate guardian…. is an amazing f14A… The sexiest plan ever built, i agree!
Pvi_PanteSt
Nice, I was stationed at Pensacola in the early 80’s for my MOS training. Loved it. Great party town!!!
RAM22
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Bouncer = Tomcat
Town = Party
Location = FL
…I’m sold.
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Any progress mykinge? Very interested, and as many are, really anticipating a release
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I hope this one makes it to the next update, together with the hornet.
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bump
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Architectural development is time consuming job. First hand experience here…deadline, deadline, deadlines everywhere