Yeah, that kind of took me by surprise…… nothing on the horizon for years and then first for FSX and now DCS…
I hope this works out, we deserve a dedicated F-14 combat simulator
Latest posts made by Mike Metcalf
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RE: Tom's Cat
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RE: Tom's Cat
I know the F-14D project for DCS, been following that on some ED forums. Started in March '14, no proof of life since then. There’s also been some talk on some german forums about it, think it was the same project. Started out of a cancelled IRIS F-14D development. That (external) model looked good but was nowhere near completion…no idea if that team’s still around.
I guess Aerosoft demotivated lots of folks but they can still be had by folks who do it for free I’m pretty sure.
If my naming developer and other simulator’s names violated some rule I hereby preemptively offer my sincerest apologies.
I kinda doubt DCS will go for a dedicated Tomcat anytime soon, and even if someone makes an F-14D for that platform i get the feeling it will be a bombcat for all intents and purposes. Who knows though……
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RE: Tom's Cat
Yep, flying a fighter jet in FSX feels like painting with a sledge hammer. Crude and unwieldy. Good animations and cruise performance though.
As there aren’t any tables for Tomcat specific aerodynamic surfaces in the AFM (unless someone knows how to script them) the best we can do in this case would be for the 3D model guys to add animations for the control surfaces (like they did in the current F-14A with the glove vanes).
I stand corrected lads. I actually bought their F-14 and flew it over weekends for the last 2 weeks. As someone who read quite a bit on the subject while working the FM/AFM it looks to me like they did a very good work. More then good actually. I flew it along a friend of mine and the authenticity of it flight dynamics is staggering. She flies for an aerobatic team and is a good stick, but she found the big Turkey extremely hard to handle. I can tell you, this baby needs experienced hands to bring you back home alive. And i mean hands experienced in Tomcat handling, not these new fly by wire birds. I did get her on the carrier from the 3rd attempt, but i still struggle to make consistent landings. I used to catch the 1st wire constantly but recently i manage to trap 2nd and 3rd in about 50% attempts.
I took her up against weaving and randomly moving drones too (i bought the tackpack as well), flying both Phoenix/Sparrow intercepts and Winder/Gunzo “dogfights”. Those buggers are tiny and hard to hit, especially when doing their erratic weaves but it can be done. And if you listen to Hoser and pop your wings on manual, it can be done even above angels 30. You won’t even compressor stall your engines if you know what you are doing. I tell you, it feels good, both the handling and the flight model.
One thing i don’t like is the limited modeling of the AWG-9. It has the basic mods modeled (like RWS, TWS, PD SRCH, PD STT…) but it lacks manual antenna pointing feature. It also lacks the vertical scans for the “dogfight” mode. Overall though, it’s probably the best F-14 experience since the Fleet Defender. Pity it’s not a military sim, so there is nothing to fight really.
P.S. I mostly tested the F-14A block 90-100, as this is the bird i am most familiar with.
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RE: Tom's Cat
Completely agree it’s perfect for those things I just don’t appreciate its military simulation on any level. My first flight sim I put hours into was SU-25 stormovik, in 1992. That might have set the tone.
Yep, flying a fighter jet in FSX feels like painting with a sledge hammer. Crude and unwieldy. Good animations and cruise performance though.
@Mike Metcalf:
Might be of interest for the AFM, when speedbrake is deployed spoilers 3 and 4 are active with it. I presume 1 and 2 are inactive then…
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7500/15844585478_2a47d911e6_o.png
As there aren’t any tables for Tomcat specific aerodynamic surfaces in the AFM (unless someone knows how to script them) the best we can do in this case would be for the 3D model guys to add animations for the control surfaces (like they did in the current F-14A with the glove vanes).
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RE: Tom's Cat
I was playing with the idea of incorporating the glove vanes into an FM, but i’m not exactly sure how to go about it. It seams to me like they would actually work better as some sort of trim adjustment then a change in the aero-properties of the AC.
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RE: Tom's Cat
Yeah, i think there were TF30 powered “bomb” cats as well. Though i don’t know how long they lasted into the 90’s or 2000’s……
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RE: Tom's Cat
F11 is reduce Flaps which will lead to Flaps-Null in the final setting, F9 is ‘Set to Null’ regardless of where the Flaps are at the given time. F-11 is probably most equivalent to the cockpit switch I guess.
There is also the alt-flap key command, but i am not sure if this is the cause of the RDC warning. As the flight model is designed to take into account the auto-flap feature of the Tomcat (controlled by the flight computer), i would recommend flying it this way. Alternatively in future, modding a manual flap feature could come in handy for added immersion.
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RE: F-14 flight model
Doesn’t begin to work out with the F-16s numbers. The stages are different, as well as extra length in the F110 as installed in the Tomcat. The inlet differences develop large differences in performance when transsonic and supersonic.
The right work is from the real numbers.
True that. Even the TF30 performance in the F-111 and F-14A is not the same because of inlet geometry (even for the same engines)
They surely exist, but not online
There might be a few NASA articles on F-14 engines, I’ll have a look.
EDIT : for the F-110-GE-400 engines of F-14B, you can use the chart of an F-16 with F-110-GE-100 engines, you wont be far off. Air intakes and nozzle differ, but I cant find something specific to the F-14.
As for the TF30, check this out :
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/9780470117859.app4/pdfStill very good info on engine performance though. It may prove useful. Thanks!