Tom's Cat
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That helmet’s star (see the red point coming down), along with the dark shape above it (I’d put cash on it being the wing of an eagle), along with the scheme, seats, and cannon vent tells me this is a VF-51 F-14A post-1989.
Edit: In fact, I’ve confirmed it through squadron history- that’s F-14A NL106 on the 1992-93 Westpac cruse; LT Rich Coombs was with VF-51 on that tour, and the the name in the RIO seat would be LT Hugh Ahn.
Not the B as being worked on, but a nice shot nonetheless.
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Don’t get me wrong, I am a hard core F-14 fan and as mater of fact F-14B vs F-15C in WVR arena is my favourite topic. I have spoken to some F-14 pilots and when it comes compeering the Tomcat with F-18’s or F-16’s they speak whit certainty that they can come out on top whit them quite easily (for example F-16 or F-18’s performance suffers notably when they are loaded with external stores, and if they are clean, that they can run them out of fuel quite quickly), but when they speak about F-15’s … well … they are like the RIO form the article. I know this is not the place to talk about this (by the way great work Nizmo) but from what I know I think that F-14 would dominate at altitude up to 10000 ft and at airspeed up to 350 kts and only in the horizontal plane. Every other situation goes in to F-15’s favour, or am I wrong? From what I know F-15 can out accelerate, out climb, has a higher T/W ratio, beater sustained turn performance at all altitudes. On the other side F-14 has a higher instantaneous turn rate, and superior low speed handling, higher AoA, the variable swing wings help allot and it also benefits from a lifting body to compensate for the lack of adequate trust. I understand quite well that if you fight the F-15’s fight you’re toasted and the other way around. It’s like you sad a “skilled” F-14 pilot won’t have trouble fighting an F-15, but in my opinion a skilled pilot in A-4, F-5 or F-4 won’t have also trouble fighting any of the 4 gen. fighters, of course if they are flown by an average Joe. Yes pilot makes 90% of the plane, but I am interested more about the performance of the two jets regardless of the pilot skill. I see F-14B vs F-15C similar like F-86F vs MiG-15bis. There is not enough info available on the net about F-14 manoeuvrability. I guess it is still classified. I cant seem to find nothing more than a mere speculation on what is the F-14’s turn rate at slow/high speed, and low/high altitude. I read once on some forum that the turn rate is comparable to a F-16’s. So the best thing we have at the moment are the formal F-14 pilots experiences and stories, and some civilian EM charts that some guys understands (but not me :D). So… when a F-14 pilot is like… F-15 has a great engine, out of this world t/w ratio, great acceleration, lighter weight, 9G airframe, thank god they are on our side , myself being a long time F-14 fan-boy, am like Whaaaat … but … did he forgot to hit the brakes so the F-15 could fly by… did he spoke with his colleagues form VF-84 on how they once splash the Zeros… :D, and then I get like this :shock:
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My little 100 yens, but…
In the late 70"s, Mirage IIIE of French Air Force 2nd Fighter’s Wing succeeded to beat USN F-14 during an exercise…
During Red Flag 89-2, French Air Force Jaguar A of 7th Fighter’s Wing often beat USAF F-16 in Dogfight, while Jaguar doesn’t have a radar neither F1 capacity…
So, I guess, drill testimonies referring to balance of power also have a very weak relevance…
Best regards,
Radium
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end of AIMVAL/ACEVAL Hoser and Pentecost and their RIOs took two block 90 F-14As against to top F-15A drivers-two dead Eagles in 90 seconds, picture of the gun pipper imposed on the cockpit to prove it. The F-15 is a better jet WVR for most pilots, but the F-14 can beat it, reliably, it just depends on the driver( think I’ve heard that somewhere before….). I’m sure it was the same for WWII pilots flying the Hellcat and the Corsair.
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Not in a dogfight- the Jaguars would win by sneaking and bouncing the CAP flight. Reports of exercises aren’t worth jack squat. The exercise in India with indian SU-30s versus F-15s was staged, and nobody used radar, strangley this all happened while the F-22 was being debated. The VF-32 F-14B versus Israeli F-16s was reported very heavily in the favor of the Israelis- reason being is the Navy sent to nuggets out to get their experience, a Veteran driver had no problem fighting an unloaded Israeli F-16 to bingo fuel for the F-16 in WVR. Only point here is that exercises have a point other than “rack up the kills”. Those are just bragging rights at the end.
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BTW Nizmo, the large white rectangular object on the forward R/H side of the canopy frame rail is the compass correction card.
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My little 100 yens, but…
In the late 70"s, Mirage IIIE of French Air Force 2nd Fighter’s Wing succeeded to beat USN F-14 during an exercise…
During Red Flag 89-2, French Air Force Jaguar A of 7th Fighter’s Wing often beat USAF F-16 in Dogfight, while Jaguar doesn’t have a radar neither F1 capacity…
So, I guess, drill testimonies referring to balance of power also have a very weak relevance…
Best regards,
Radium
These unique cases means nothing…
http://theaviationist.com/2010/05/13/mb-339cd-kill-markings/Does this mean that MB-339 is the best fighter in the world? Of course not. Extrapolating from some unique cases is misleading. The lessions of AIMVAL and ACEVAL is still ture. THat is all, no more…
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Blah blah … F-15 is better than blah blah blal … no blah blah F-14 is but blah blah …
These unique cases means nothing…
This is precisely what Raduim is saying. :roll:
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The real best fighter/bomber in the world is a yellow F-16 with Doug Masters inside , and way better than a F-14 with Pete Mitchell because Doug can fire “Maverick” while still on the ground.
Go Doug go …
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I am even sure, a legacy Mitsubishi F-1 :
Could kill a F-22 in some conditions…
So, IMO one single story or single testimony is totally unrelevant…
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I’ve seen many exercises where they have limited the ability on certain aircraft to either give the opponent a level playing field or totally hamstrung one so that the other wins. All down to rules of the exercise in progress. Real world tells all. Never has an F-14 had to kill an F-15 and visa-versa. So it can all only be speculation based on flight rules etc.
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I think all we can be sure of, is that shes lost that loving feeling…
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No she hasn’t….I hate it when she does that!
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That looks just pure awesome!
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I see a future Falcon online session where the strikers and bombers carry AIM-9s or AMRAAMs just to hang something on their wingtips, and the radio is full of FOX THREE, LONG followed by PITBULL, 2 minutes later.
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Molny come on… Give the man a break… It looks super ultra perfect.
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Wil the marked section get higher res. texture. They seems to me much lowres comparing to rest of cockpit.
You do realize that you don´t even see this part when the canopy is closed?
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I have added all the panels. I have made the HUD as well, its not completely finished, and I still need to make the pilot armament system. Some High-Res screens:
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/538/6VfIxw.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/674/j5Vh6D.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/631/qSGWvY.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/673/6hUggW.jpgSUPERB!! I’d marry the thing! Hands on stick 24/7