An option for a new cockpit and a new canopy glass?

biggest problem i see exists between the stick and seat

We did just add support for custom cockpits though, so hopefully we can rely on the fantastic modding community somewhat on this!

This is great to hear, could we hope for this to be added in the next open beta ver. already? In any case thanks, I love all my community cockpit mods!<3

No, no! Heatblur should include dynamic cockpit smells too. The cockpit should smell worse with use, including sweat, paint touch up, canopy polish, denuded ham sandwiches dropped under G under the RIO's seat, lots of vomit and even a little blood here and there...

^^^^^^^^^^

This guy....My favorite Brown Shoe that I never drank beer with!!!

I wish there was a keystroke for "USE HAND TO SHADE DISPLAY" because sometimes, whether the display is clean or not, if the sun shines on it, I can't read it, and I would be able to if I shaded it with my virtual hand!

Suggested that months ago because it's literally impossible to read anything on the Hornet's DDIs half the time, got a bunch of +1 there. The Tomcat doesn't even suffer as much from that, but as a general DCS feature, I still feel the need.

Who else wants to have the option on F-14 to choose between a shiny new plane, (new cockpit, clear glass) and what we have now (a battle hardened museum highlight of the year)?

+ 100000 :thumbup:

In the real world they are never new or clean.... So good job for me by HB.

 

Inviato dal mio BLA-L09 utilizzando Tapatalk

Actually during my career as an Avionics Tech in the Canadian Air Force who worked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line maintenance, including deployments there is zero chance an ancient CH-124 Sea King which had been flying since 1963 would ever be in remotely the same condition as the HB F-14B.

All the nicks and chips on the instrument panels (which are clear plastic with black paint on top and small lightbulbs screwed into them) would be painted. Any indicator which was not easy to read would be deemed unserviceable and replaced. That the caution panel is unreadable would lead to a flight safety investigation.

I like the effort they put in but they missed the mark on this by a long shot.

We did just add support for custom cockpits though, so hopefully we can rely on the fantastic modding community somewhat on this!

Any word on when this is going to work? I know there is a bug you're trying to squash.

Actually during my career as an Avionics Tech in the Canadian Air Force who worked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line maintenance, including deployments there is zero chance an ancient CH-124 Sea King which had been flying since 1963 would ever be in remotely the same condition as the HB F-14B.

 

All the nicks and chips on the instrument panels (which are clear plastic with black paint on top and small lightbulbs screwed into them) would be painted. Any indicator which was not easy to read would be deemed unserviceable and replaced. That the caution panel is unreadable would lead to a flight safety investigation.

 

I like the effort they put in but they missed the mark on this by a long shot.

Agreed, as an ex-airforce a/c tech and FE flying in 1960's aircraft - the level of wear is excessive. I know many people assume that 'old' aircraft must look super worn out, as you say if they were even a little bit illegible etc they were marked unserviceable and fixed/replaced with the old one sent to the bay for repair.

Thinking 'old' aircraft must have panels that look like they have been sitting outside down the back of some junk yard for 50 years is incorrect.

It is a shame as the texture detail HB put into the F-14, and the cockpit in particular, is incredible and easily the best I have seen (except the labels) in may years of fight simming. Fairly easily fixed also buy just removing/reducing the specific text 'wear' (which I would assume is a layer over the text?) and whiten the text quite a bit.

There is a nice subtle mod to the textures available which is great in VR which maintains the OEM feel of the textures, and also a next-level totally-changed-the-appearance-of-the-cockpit mod out there too if that sort of thing grabs you.

There is a nice subtle mod to the textures available which is great in VR which maintains the OEM feel of the textures, and also a next-level totally-changed-the-appearance-of-the-cockpit mod out there too if that sort of thing grabs you.

I'm watching that mod. I only fly MP and it currently breaks the IC so I'm not using it. However, HB have said they are fixing the bug that keeps us from using custom cockpit textures which they intend us to be able to do.

I agree the work they have done on the 14 is outstanding. Easily the best module I've ever seen in a flight sim.

One would think that they have the photoshop files and could simply dial back the the weathering effects on the text.... or just release the files and let us do it. The paint kit for the exterior of the jet is actually pretty well made. One would assume they did similarly for the cockpits.

+1 for cockpit textures with less wear & tear!

It doesn't need to be clean and perfect as if fresh out of the factory, but something that is better than the present "museum / junk yard" look.

Well, given that they scanned the cockpit of a Museum plane, it's not surprising.

But yea, this kind of cockpit is more what you see in a crappy regional airline than a DoD Fighter.

after some hours of F-14B I thought the labels are o.k.

but as I switched into Hornet or even Eagle I changed my mind back verry quickly.

There seem to be problems with the community user made labels with integrity checks, I read in many places.

So please HB give this awsome product of yours an option for a better readable cockpit. please!

guys who only fly the cat will soon have no problems with the existing one, but guys who change every now and then, like me, are having trouble with readability.

what ever you decide to do: Tomcat rocks!

And then the flight sim developer goes into bankruptcy because the cockpit textures took 4 years to make :D

 

Snarkiness aside; it really isn't feasible to deliver even two cockpit texture sets at our quality level and current workflow unfortunately.

We did just add support for custom cockpits though, so hopefully we can rely on the fantastic modding community somewhat on this!

The cockpit is too warn and completely unreadable.

Pls include a more clean cockpi like the f18 at least.

You should listen to your customers as at least 80% of F14 players are compaining about this, you did a GREAT and AMAZING job with this aircracft but making the cockpit so dirty and unreadble was a wrong choice.

:smilewink:

+1 on cleaner cockpit this looks like it’s headed to pasture after being ignored by maintainers. Wear is one thing, worn out is another. If these textures are causing the FPS drop they should be fixed.

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I've finally got comfortable with the F14 cockpit now and know the switches that I use regularly during the cold start process. The placards are readable using Reverb, but were illegible in Rift, so the new hardware has made a huge difference.

However, I agree. The text does need to be more immediately legible as do the caution panel lights. I cannot read those at all without leaning forward a long way. Not something you could do strapped in.

I truly appreciate the artistry that went into what is an astoundingly realistic cockpit, but as several aircraft maintainers have stated, both on this thread and others; it is simply not realistic to have this level of wear in the cockpit of an in service aircraft.

I can appreciate discoloration due to dust / polish on the text, but the chipped paint around the letters so some are missing/illegible would be recorded as an unserviceable panel placard even in a flying school Cessna.

I don't know why HB are being so resistant to this, after all we were promised several different cockpit textures from the start.

All I can think of is that since they were taken over, they are having to dance to the new master's tune somewhat, and their hands are tied.

Happens all the time, a really great little company with an innovative attitude and brilliant customer service gets absorbed into the corporate world. This is never good news for the existing customers.

That aside, HB deserves every penny they can get. They busted their asses and should reap the rewards. I bear them no ill will. Thanks for the great module (I have a notion it may be the last one we see in DCS, but will be delighted to be proved wrong). :)

i dont think its a wrong choice but i would love the option between worn and clean ESPECIALLY if it means more fps!!!! im desperate for that lol

i dont think its a wrong choice but i would love the option between worn and clean ESPECIALLY if it means more fps!!!! im desperate for that lol

Textures at the same resolution won't really have an effect on fps.

 

All I can think of is that since they were taken over, they are having to dance to the new master's tune somewhat, and their hands are tied.

Uh, only that we're still here, we're still us and we still do, what we love and do best. We did not get taken over, we partnered up. And we will always be part of this community. :smilewink:

The "B" version is poor, only for those who like machines from the 70s. I am waiting for someone to improve this HUD and to have at least speed and altitude on it. The model is made decently but the cockpit is a failure.

In my opinion the HB Tomcat's cockpit is a masterpiece if the subject was "do a real cockpit of a 40 years old F-14B"

The problem is I only sometimes want to feel like I'm flying an old F-14B, which is great too.

But I'd prefer flying a version that has just passed the maintenance quality checks.

So please don't eliminate the existing textures. Just give us refurbished ones as an option, please.

Uh, only that we're still here, we're still us and we still do, what we love and do best. We did not get taken over, we partnered up. And we will always be part of this community. :smilewink:

That is very good news Ironmike. :)

The "B" version is poor, only for those who like machines from the 70s. I am waiting for someone to improve this HUD and to have at least speed and altitude on it. The model is made decently but the cockpit is a failure.

Are you talking about the textures being a failure or the vintage avionics? I think most of us have acclimated to the instruments and HUD as is...

Are you talking about the textures being a failure or the vintage avionics? I think most of us have acclimated to the instruments and HUD as is...

Indeed. Unless I am deploying weapons in AA mode, I just keep the HUD in take off mode. I find the rate of climb bar and pitch ladder very useful, but for everything else I use the round gauges.

It must be remembered that the HUD was never designated as a flight instrument in this version and should be treated as a convenient guide for wise men and the obfuscator of fools.

The "B" version is poor, only for those who like machines from the 70s. I am waiting for someone to improve this HUD and to have at least speed and altitude on it. The model is made decently but the cockpit is a failure.

Then don’t fly it. It’s an old plane. Personally I’ll take the slightly outdated avionics/instrumentation over the Hornet’s flight model any day of the week. And doing Case Is in the Turkey is a lot more fun than the Hornet imo

Indeed. Unless I am deploying weapons in AA mode, I just keep the HUD in take off mode. I find the rate of climb bar and pitch ladder very useful, but for everything else I use the round gauges.

 

It must be remembered that the HUD was never designated as a flight instrument in this version and should be treated as a convenient guide for wise men and the obfuscator of fools.

This guy gets it! :)

 

I don't know why HB are being so resistant to this, after all we were promised several different cockpit textures from the start.

 

All I can think of is that since they were taken over, they are having to dance to the new master's tune somewhat, and their hands are tied.

 

This, nobody is asking for any that wasn't advertised by the devs. But seems that some promises were done before the investment of that company on heatblur. Now HB is planning ( or working ) in their own sim, so I suppose they would try to finish their modules as fast and with the lowest effort possible in order to move all their people to the other project. Is sad because these people are the best third party devs and we're going to miss planes like the intruder..

Hope they luck with the new sim, maybe it does good to DCS too, because a competitor is always an incentive to do better things..