F-14D Cockpit
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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
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If someone ask me to share LODs which can be exported from my MOD, is it allowed to share?
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Just said interesting…
I agree the article seems a bit biased but you just need to take the parts you want
I personally liked to learn a bit more about the Iranians Tomcats!
Pepe
you publish the pit as soon as you can I will tell you some thing( but not restricted or classified information because I don’t know them too :lol: :mrgreen: )
I know a F-14 Tomcat retired pilot of IRIAF .he dogfight with 13 Iraqi Aircraft & forced to push more than 11G( more than F-14 limit) to evade their missile (his Boots blow & his tummy Sprain(wrench) his both meniscus teared (both internal & lateral) both (him & RIO’s) helmets Flaw & …) and in Dog fight due to very low altitude dog fighting 3 of them crash to water & others escaped . this action is recorded( not as video as document) . he is ACE . from his words I figured that this F-14 currently flying in BMS is not correct. the real cat is much more maneuverable than this. now he Surgery his legs more than 13 time . now when he type some thing from his arms till palm of hands Numb & many other …. . Peoples see a pilot maneuver and do loops & … then enjoy and wish to be fighter pilot , they never see other side of coin . the painful & hard side.
Heydar
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you publish the pit as soon as you can I will tell you some thing( but not restricted or classified information because I don’t know them too :lol: :mrgreen: )
I know a F-14 Tomcat retired pilot of IRIAF .he dogfight with 13 Iraqi Aircraft & forced to push more than 11G( more than F-14 limit) to evade their missile (his Boots blow & his tummy Sprain(wrench) his both meniscus teared (both internal & lateral) both (him & RIO’s) helmets Flaw & …) and in Dog fight due to very low altitude dog fighting 3 of them crash to water & others escaped . this action is recorded( not as video as document) . he is ACE . from his words I figured that this F-14 currently flying in BMS is not correct. the real cat is much more maneuverable than this. now he Surgery his legs more than 13 time . now when he type some thing from his arms till palm of hands Numb & many other …. . Peoples see a pilot maneuver and do loops & … then enjoy and wish to be fighter pilot , they never see other side of coin . the painful & hard side.
Heydar
The current flight model (from some basic flight tests i made) seams to be more or less based on the official open source manuals. The problem is, it is modeled as that regardless of the current configuration. I.E. the big Turkey should be able to hit 800 knots at sea level, when in clean configuration or with 2 sidewinders on stations 1 and 8, even when full on fuel and with the TF-30 engines. However if you take clean Tomcat right now and dash the sea surface at most you can do is mach 1.16 which is the speed limit given for the 4XAIM-7 and 4XAIM-9 as given in the manuals. The acceleration magically stops there as if you had hit a wall. This is just one example. Another would be the AoA limiter, which didn’t exist as such on the A and B models. Even the D’s didn’t get digital flight control till the mid 90’s which restricted their alpha capability by a significant margin (not that it mattered since by then they were mostly moving mud). Even if you click Shit-C and disable the AoA limiter in BMS, the F-14 stalls above 32-33 degrees and although it does not go into a flat spin, recovering from this stall is sometimes an odd process. In reality the the transitional buffet did not start until 30+ degrees while in BMS it starts at 25. The airflow did not become fully separated well above 50 degrees, while here it does so around 35 degrees. Without an engine flameout or differential control input the plane would not depart even under these extreme conditions unlike in BMS. There is probably more, way more that can be corrected. Still, the model does some things right. You can pull more then 8g in some circumstances and the sim allows it.
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Lots of great info in a single post Mike, thanks a lot!