**UPDATE: DCS F-14 Flight Model Report!!**

What the fork does this mean?

I could swear that is the open ocean theater that was mentioned however long ago.

I assume adding the A means at full price? I am also assumingly sadly that you mean the A+?

It can get a little confusing when it comes to F-14 versions. The Heatblur DCS: F-14 (from everything said thus far), will include two F-14 versions included in the module for one price.

The two versions are:

The first F110 powered F-14 - the original F-14A avionics married to new F110 turbofan engines, upgraded with the ALR-67 RWR, and TCS. This version was first delivered to fleet F-14 squadrons in 1988 and first carrier deployments were 1990. This version was originally designated the F-14A+, but the name was changed to the F-14B in 1992. The Heatblur F110 powered F-14 will represent the F-14A+/B as first delivered to the fleet (the 1988-95 version) before the LANTIRN upgrades.

The other included version is the F-14A as configured with the USN from ~1984-1991. This means the F-14A with TF30-P-414A engines, ALR-45 RWR, HUD camera, TCS, and some very early ARI upgrades from the late-70s/early-80s.

Per the announcement, both variants are in the module.

Agreed and no evidence that these plans have changed.

I thought that the B coming first was just going to be an early access/beta thing, along with the B not having access to the Lantirn TGP at first.

Heatblur has said several times that they want to develop an upgrade for the initial F-14 release that would include LANTIRN, but it is unclear what this upgrade would look like. It would need cockpit, avionics, and external model upgrades along with adding LANTIRN itself. But it is clear that LANTIRN is not something planned for the first F-14 module and would be part of a bigger upgrade (from all that has been said on the topic).

-Nick

yeah but it was never meant to be the "A" this long if i understood the interview i saw correctly, the engines were planed for a much earlier delivery/upgrade. netherless i will fly them both, because they are tomcats^^ but if i have a choice i would rather take the "B" especially if i have to fight against fulcrums and flankers^^

 

EDIT: on the other hand Mig-21´s and viggens also shot down Flankers online.....so the "A" Tomcat will do.

in the end it is server admins choice which tomcat is avaible (after they are both released)

It most certainly wasn't. It was supposed to be upgraded with the F401 engines but that never came to be. So, as i like flying simulators, i prefer flying them the way they were, or as close as possibly modeled. Would the F-14 eventually carry plasma torpedoes had they remained in service long enough? Quite possibly so, but that is a matter for another module ;)

BTW you can deal with 27's and 29's in the A as well, you'll just have work harder. As you mentioned, if Viggens and 21's can do it, the F-14A's most certainly will. :thumbup:

BTW you can deal with 27's and 29's in the A as well, you'll just have work harder. As you mentioned, if Viggens and 21's can do it, the F-14A's most certainly will. :thumbup:

From all the information I have read - you gotta be fast, if you let the fight develop you will come off second best.

From all the information I have read - you gotta be fast, if you let the fight develop you will come off second best.

I guess it would kinda depend on the situation and the ROE. But at least for the Fulcrums, you can always try to avoid mistakes and try to outlast them. They have a very low endurance and by the time they are in the fuel state to mop the floor with you, they have to plan their egress vector, or maybe even landing :)

As for the Flankers..... well, there are quite a bit more scenarios i could see going on.

I guess it would kinda depend on the situation and the ROE. But at least for the Fulcrums, you can always try to avoid mistakes and try to outlast them. They have a very low endurance and by the time they are in the fuel state to mop the floor with you, they have to plan their egress vector, or maybe even landing :)

 

As for the Flankers..... well, there are quite a bit more scenarios i could see going on.

It was less a fuel concern and more an energy concern. But that is just what I have read from actual Tomcat pilots.

What the fork does this mean?

One Free Theatre bundled with the Aircraft

The only real information we've gotten about the theatre Heatblur is developing is a very vague description by Cobra where he wrote something along the lines of "Very oceany. Very cold". That's all we have to go by at this point. My guess is the Barents Sea. :D

Hopefully they will add DFCS for the B version, I remember they said they would look into it a while back.

What the fork does this mean?

This means they will provide a free home theater system to watch top gun on.

(Or hook up to your PC)

The only real information we've gotten about the theatre Heatblur is developing is a very vague description by Cobra where he wrote something along the lines of "Very oceany. Very cold". That's all we have to go by at this point. My guess is the Barents Sea. :D

I'd go for Iceland. The surface of the whole country is equal to the detailed map in the Caucasus Map. Plus, I think it's quite less "complex" than C, as there is a considerable less amount of population: hence, less cities and towns to build.

Red Storm Rising, anybody? :smilewink:

It was less a fuel concern and more an energy concern. But that is just what I have read from actual Tomcat pilots.

Interesting......... I haven't had the opportunity to read any encounter accounts. Any open online sources out there for me to catch on? :thumbup:

Interesting......... I haven't had the opportunity to read any encounter accounts. Any open online sources out there for me to catch on? :thumbup:

Black Aces High has a good account of a DACT with a VF-41 Alpha cat vs a Luftwaffe MiG-29...

I'll see if I can't find it online somewhere.

Been thinking about that book a lot recently with Aucoin removed as CDRPACFLT. Number of people I know worked under him directly over the course of almost forty years, and while the burden of command and it's outcome are a known quantity, the hope is that the knives will reach higher- because the issues hitting the surface fleet go back to all before he was leading a fighter squadron.

Google Books doesn't have the full passage when I checked, but one thing to note is that one of the oft-linked videos of a Tomcat tagging a MiG-29 with a pipper comes directly from that det.

Been thinking about that book a lot recently with Aucoin removed as CDRPACFLT. Number of people I know worked under him directly over the course of almost forty years, and while the burden of command and it's outcome are a known quantity, the hope is that the knives will reach higher- because the issues hitting the surface fleet go back to all before he was leading a fighter squadron.

 

Google Books doesn't have the full passage when I checked, but one thing to note is that one of the oft-linked videos of a Tomcat tagging a MiG-29 with a pipper comes directly from that det.

You mean the "Tracking, tracking..tracking...KILL the Fulcrum in a right hand turn, at 15,000 feet" clip?

Starting at 3:50

 

Starting at 3:50

Hihi :joystick: Nice !

 

Starting at 3:50

Excellent video

Been thinking about that book a lot recently with Aucoin removed as CDRPACFLT. Number of people I know worked under him directly over the course of almost forty years, and while the burden of command and it's outcome are a known quantity, the hope is that the knives will reach higher- because the issues hitting the surface fleet go back to all before he was leading a fighter squadron.

 

Google Books doesn't have the full passage when I checked, but one thing to note is that one of the oft-linked videos of a Tomcat tagging a MiG-29 with a pipper comes directly from that det.

Yeah, i was suspecting that. I can't imagine there ware many places around the world where the NAVY could have gotten the chance to practice against well flown authentic 29s. :thumbup: