Tom's Cat
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Looks ace, Nizmo! Thank you for your hard work on these beauties :bowd:
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Hehe… Just looking for more F-14 cockpits, I came across this, which quite perfectly validates most of Nizmo’s cockpit, though it still has the old (and still very cool) HUD-on-foreglass display:
http://www.aviation-militaire.com/Galerie/NAS_Oceana_98/015_06P.jpg
…The principal thing I’m wondering about is when the B got the RWR unit… are there any other specific differences that are in there?
And then I found this old gem:
http://www.1701.com.tw/ebook/wg/military%20wallpaper/F14A+Cockpit.jpg
…Which apparently belonged to this bird:
http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-history-f14a-1x.htm
Cool stuff!
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F-14A+ always had an improved RWR suite over the A model from the get go as new builds and rebuilds. Is there a specific display or part of the system you are referring to?
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The first link almost looks like a F14B model, hard to tell though from that angle.
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It could be either an A or B without the Sparrowhawk HUD ( B upgrade) right? B upgrades didn’t make the front office different until the later 90s correct?
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I would love it if somebody would do high vis like this for this F-14 package:
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It could be either an A or B without the Sparrowhawk HUD ( B upgrade) right? B upgrades didn’t make the front office different until the later 90s correct?
Sounds about right, when the navy retired the A6, they needed another ground pounder. Thus the Bombcat was born.
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I would love it if somebody would do high vis like this for this F-14 package:
I remember there was a package somewhere for F14’s, but I think it was for FF. Had a lot of skins to choose from.
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I remember there was a package somewhere for F14’s, but I think it was for FF. Had a lot of skins to choose from.
It is also available from for BMS4.
https://www.benchmarksims.org/forum/showthread.php?7541-Tom-s-Cat -
For me, the most beautiful F-14 is the F-14AM!
Best regards,
Radium
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I like the high vis late 70s skins very much, like in that crazy movie with Kirk Douglas (Kirk the Douglas as cool as Robert the Mitchum or John the Wayne or Bud the Spencer )
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I would love it if somebody would do high vis like this for this F-14 package:
That is a beautiful retro 70s paint scheme from the late 90s I believe. Tom is ‘Bullet 101’ of VF-2, this is an F-14D. We’re dealing with A/B variations at the moment :).
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I remember there was a package somewhere for F14’s, but I think it was for FF. Had a lot of skins to choose from.
I guess you’re referring to my skins, unfortunately I never got this thing together. The 20th anniversary logo on the inside of the vertical stab is as good as unavailable and would have to be drawn by hand in order to be utilized. Due to the relatively low relevance of this skin I only put together the original VF-2 from the 70s.
They were deployed alongside VF-1 Wolfpack as one of the first two Tomcat Squadrons in the US Navy aboard CVN-65 USS Enterprise in Sept. '74. I guess I skinned a '76/'77 variant, not sure on that.
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For me, the most beautiful F-14 is the F-14AM!
http://theaviationist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/F-14-IRIAF.jpg
Best regards,
Radium
I think the modern sky blue scheme is pretty smexy myself - an Iran-Iraq war campaign would be most amazing, as would an Indo-Pak-China theater of operations. Unfortunately, the only really “fair” campaign that would feature the Viper would be the latter, and you’d be playing as Pakistan for that one. For the other parties involved, you’d be limited to F-16 avionics in the other airframes… though most of the current or upcoming aircraft would be glass-cockpit aircraft, so you’d likely not be too offended.
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That grayish blue does make it look aged!
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Modern day Tomcats were painted on the topside in NAVY Medium Gray. On the sides of the turtleneck and the anti-glare you can see the other two standard colors Light- and Dark-Ghost Gray. Although the paint is at 95% transparency up there and somewhat pre-shaded to compensate for the weathering which will usually add a more solid tone of gray this greenish/bluish tone is very close to the look most Tomcats had near the end of their service life with the USN.
As a stark contrast to the all light-ghost gray paintjobs today it does indeed add some ‘patina’ to the whole thing :).
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Final Panel Lines for Topside of Wing Glovebox (w/o rivets) and Wings (w/ rivets)…
Looking to get to horizontal stabs, vanes, canopy and windshield so the topside will be finished, can be mapped and adjusted for moving surfaces. With the fuselage front done, it’s really “just” the engine pods and fuselage underside that’s left :D. Pending adjustments of course…
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There’s an error on the airbrake. I found an info over at M.A.T.S. that Grumman opted for an airbrake with non-rounded edges due to cheaper manufacturing costs while maintaining equal performance. Will correct the shape asap.
Will post some reference shots tonight to share with ya’ll how I got to the shape of this most important element of the skin. I think it’s safe to say this is the most authentic digital recreation of Tomcat panels ever created for actual use in a 3d environment, Baby.