Mudspike Preview (contains lots of screens and a few videos)

realistically, I just can't see many owners going to the trouble to check bi directional hydraulic pumps, backup flight control modules and so forth.

I agree but man, I love realistic startups. I'm sure Heatblur won't let us down on this. They plan to implement the OBC as well.

I wonder if we will also get an alert 5 / alert 15 quick start on carrier? Need to have a stressed-out Jester rushing the checklist for these :)

I agree but man, I love realistic startups. I'm sure Heatblur won't let us down on this. They plan to implement the OBC as well.

You can have fun windmilling engines, checking the Backup Flight Module, wiping out the controls, the Bi-Di pump, trim, flaps, control deflections, etc. I'm sure that it's all been modeled. Knock yourself out, I'm tired of all of that tedious stuff, I'm treating every flight like an alert launch and am going flying ASAP instead! :)

You can have fun windmilling engines, checking the Backup Flight Module, wiping out the controls, the Bi-Di pump, trim, flaps, control deflections, etc. I'm sure that it's all been modeled. Knock yourself out, I'm tired of all of that tedious stuff, I'm treating every flight like an alert launch and am going flying ASAP instead! :)

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I wonder if we will also get an alert 5 / alert 15 quick start on carrier? Need to have a stressed-out Jester rushing the checklist for these :)

During the live stream there were a few Alert 5 quick missions.

A really great article. Well written and informative! Some great images and videos as well.

Many thanks!

Your comments are deeply appreciated. We (Mudspike) still want to be one of those old school, thoughtful sites that uses the old format of long form articles and some screens to provide information. I'm very much a "grab a cup of coffee and sit and read some stuff" in the morning kind of guy, and that is what we hope we provide. Thanks for the kind words.

 

BeachAV8R

Very much prefer reading a well written review with some good screens to some video that I'm half paying attention to. Thanks!

Oh, people will get tired of that eventually. They'll get bored with all of the checks that real pilots do in the name of safety and just take the module out and play with it.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

My Harrier quick start is most definately not NATOops approved. :pilotfly:

Oh, people will get tired of that eventually. They'll get bored with all of the checks that real pilots do in the name of safety and just take the module out and play with it.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Right on, sooner or later, it does get boring - already did for me in the Hornet. But I would dearly miss it regardless, just knowing that it's all there makes me enjoy the simulation more.

The flight model, however, I am surely never ever getting bored of that.

Right on, sooner or later, it does get boring - already did for me in the Hornet. But I would dearly miss it regardless, just knowing that it's all there makes me enjoy the simulation more.

 

 

 

The flight model, however, I am surely never ever getting bored of that.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Very much prefer reading a well written review with some good screens to some video that I'm half paying attention to. Thanks!

I do too. Much rather read than look at a video. Some of the other modules feature people I can’t stand to listen to. F14 gang does a great job though.

Excellent, thanks! I will sit down with a coffee and read this later.

That must have been a huge coffee... took me like 3 hours to go through that novel including being amazed of the truckload of screenshots though

Great article!

Interested to learn that a) Jester calls for canopy close (perhaps one of the F-14 guys here will comment, but generally the aircraft commander calls for that and then actually does it), but more alarmingly that b) Jester calls to arm the seats while the canopy is still up. :doh:

Your comments are deeply appreciated. We (Mudspike) still want to be one of those old school, thoughtful sites that uses the old format of long form articles and some screens to provide information. I'm very much a "grab a cup of coffee and sit and read some stuff" in the morning kind of guy, and that is what we hope we provide. Thanks for the kind words.

 

BeachAV8R

Stick with it, Beach.

It's a great antidote for some of the videos that have come out. I understand their intentions, and I am sure they're very popular with the younger crowd, but the more 'considered approach' works nicely for an old man like me!

Great article!

 

Interested to learn that a) Jester calls for canopy close (perhaps one of the F-14 guys here will comment, but generally the aircraft commander calls for that and then actually does it), but more alarmingly that b) Jester calls to arm the seats while the canopy is still up. :doh:

According to NATOPS the RIO normally do close the canopy and also the ejection seats are indeed armed as the last thing on the checklist before canopy closure.

Great article!

 

Interested to learn that a) Jester calls for canopy close (perhaps one of the F-14 guys here will comment, but generally the aircraft commander calls for that and then actually does it), but more alarmingly that b) Jester calls to arm the seats while the canopy is still up. :doh:

I believe the Check List says otherwise.

EDIT:

PRESTART — RIO

1. Seat, ICS, and U/VHF foot switches . . . . . . . . . . Adjust

2. External power and air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ON

3. ICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check

4. DL, tacan, and U/VHF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set

5. Fuel quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check

6. Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check

7. LTS test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check

8. Ejection seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Armed

9. CANOPY handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CLOSE

Alert pilot.

10. Acknowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ready To Start

According to NATOPS the RIO normally do close the canopy and also the ejection seats are indeed armed as the last thing on the checklist before canopy closure.

Could've been a mistake on my part. Apologies.

Could've been a mistake on my part. Apologies.

We're all here to learn right? :-)

Chuck has done good work for the community. This startup leaves out many of the mundane checks that were completed during startup, but realistically, I just can't see many owners going to the trouble to check bi directional hydraulic pumps, backup flight control modules and so forth.

 

Hopefully, you have a taste of what is coming, but the point of maximum fun is going to be the flight model itself. The aircraft is alive.

 

If you are pilot, you are going to love flying the F14. If you are a weapons system computer number crunching gadget freak, you are going to love being Jester.

 

Listen carefully- because the tasking is divided, both become far more enjoyable, and you will do each better.

 

The magic of a dual crewed aircraft beckons...

Well you may be right, BUT with the amount of items that can go wrong with this aircraft modelled. That approach may come back and bite you. I wouldnt be surprised if HeatBlur has thought of this and put in things to catch the unwary.

Well, every day's a school day!

Would be interested to know from an egress guy what the rationale is for arming the seat before the canopy comes down.

We're all here to learn right? :-)

The opportunity to learn about the F-14 is why I bought the module. :)

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Well, every day's a school day!

 

Would be interested to know from an egress guy what the rationale is for arming the seat before the canopy comes down.

I'm more or less guessing here but I think some of the stuff might be hard to reach with the canopy closed.

I'm more or less guessing here but I think some of the stuff might be hard to reach with the canopy closed.

I suppose that's possible, but when you're strapped into the seat your ability to reach stuff is more likely to be limited by harness travel than by the closed canopy.

What is mystifying me is that if the seats are fired with the canopy up, the canopy cannot be jettisoned. Assuming that is the case, then the seats are going to go up and into the canopy ("Ejection

through the canopy is an automatic backup if the canopy fails to jettison or the safe and arm unit fails to fire", says the NATOPs). I am guessing that this will have fatal consequences.

Perhaps the window of risk is so small as to make it a non-issue?

I suppose that's possible, but when you're strapped into the seat your ability to reach stuff is more likely to be limited by harness travel than by the closed canopy.

 

What is mystifying me is that if the seats are fired with the canopy up, the canopy cannot be jettisoned. Assuming that is the case, then the seats are going to go up and into the canopy ("Ejection

through the canopy is an automatic backup if the canopy fails to jettison or the safe and arm unit fails to fire", says the NATOPs). I am guessing that this will have fatal consequences.

 

Perhaps the window of risk is so small as to make it a non-issue?

#nickgoosebradshaw

I suppose that's possible, but when you're strapped into the seat your ability to reach stuff is more likely to be limited by harness travel than by the closed canopy.

 

What is mystifying me is that if the seats are fired with the canopy up, the canopy cannot be jettisoned. Assuming that is the case, then the seats are going to go up and into the canopy ("Ejection

through the canopy is an automatic backup if the canopy fails to jettison or the safe and arm unit fails to fire", says the NATOPs). I am guessing that this will have fatal consequences.

 

Perhaps the window of risk is so small as to make it a non-issue?

Might not be though, the pyrotechnics are used to break the canopy retention hooks only, the jettison itself is via the canopy hydraulic actuator shaft meaning that it might well work even if it's open.