[BUG] F-14 Won't Launch From Carrier, All Parameters Met

Still a problem and hasn't been acknowledged after two updates. Screws up any carrier ops.

If I start on the catapult or hot start the mission I can get launched once. After the trap I taxi back to the catapult, kneel and hook to shuttle, wings and flaps, power up, wipe, salute...nothing. 80% of the time I haven’t been able to do a second cat shot.

Problem since release:

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=235476

I'll try to get some tracks and youtube vids posted tonight.

Tried to reproduce this with no success... Everytime I load or land on a carrier I can shoot off again no problem.

Definitely a bug. I’ve also only been able to get launched correctly if I start on the catapult. In any other circumstance I have to connect-then run my engines up-then IDLE my engines-then salute-then I get launched with my engines at IDLE. Won’t work any other way.

Is this on a particular single player mission or on any MP server?

Never played multiplayer. It happens on self built missions and the lessons.

Spent the last hour and a half trying to make some tracks but I got the "stuck tail hook" bug on every. single. trap. and couldn't even get to the catapults to re-launch. Mission was just me and the boat on the PG Map.

For me at least until this is cleaned up quite a bit, carrier ops are far too unreliable to be usable.

EDIT: Here's someone else's video of the problem.

I've been able to launch a couple of times by saluting at engines idle, but even that is inconsistent.

Video isnt available.

Is this always in Single Player or Multiplayer as well?

Single Player for me too. And I got the tracks. The first two are from a Carrier Group template, first with a deck crew mod, second without. Third track is a totally fresh mission, just me and the boat.

Zero successful launches.

Failed Lauch.trk

Failed Lauch2.trk

Failed Lauch3.trk

Cheers, I'll look in to this tomorrow and report any findings to the devs.

Thanks Mav.

;3855478']Video isnt available.

Hm, works for me. Regional block?

Yeah. Thats a bug we are discussing in the main F-14 forum " wont launch with salute".

Make two identical new missions in the Editor and you got a 25% chance that in one mission the Tomcat never will launch. I had it last time after just editing mission time to a full moon night. After editing just that one parameter no launch.

+1 to this. almost broke the ''U'' key

I’m also experiencing this. I go step by step through the carrier tutorial without a problem, but in any other mission on a carrier my plane won’t launch. Salute all day, plane won’t launch.

Ive not read the entire post but a fix is to re attach to the shuttle by pressing u and then u again - worked for me :)

Ive not read the entire post but a fix is to re attach to the shuttle by pressing u and then u again - worked for me :)

Correct, you obviously haven’t read this post.

Has anyone on the team found this bug or been able to reproduce?

I had this issue with the F-18 recently! During those flights I was unable to land on the carrier 90% of the time (nearly every approach was a bolter - not due to poor airmanship, either - I would trap only sometimes, but then be completely unable to launch again requiring a restart). I wasn't able to reproduce it, and didn't update the sim during this period - it was strange.

Single player mission.

I've had no problems so far with the Tomcat - trap every time and can launch again too. I'll try a hot start.

This happens to me when I overshoot the shuttle. Depending on how much I overshoot, pressing U will sometimes bring me back far enough to shoot, sometimes it doesn't. Usually when it doesn't work I notice the launch bar is just forward of the shuttle. Usually going to idle makes it shoot, but in extreme cases I have had to unhook and taxi back around to try again.

I tried this and launched every time. Check you're aligned with the shuttle - a recent update to DCS made this area very small, so you need to be accurate.

What I do is align with the cat, extend the launch bar, then go to external view and move the aircraft forward until over the shuttle, then hook up. The very end of the launch bar should be in line with the front of the shuttle.

I don't consider it cheating as you'd normally be guided forward, but we don't have that.

With the F-14, apply enough power to get it moving forward then select idle again, and start braking about 3 shuttle-lengths BEFORE you get to where you want so the aircraft stops in the right place.

This happens to me when I overshoot the shuttle. Depending on how much I overshoot, pressing U will sometimes bring me back far enough to shoot, sometimes it doesn't. Usually when it doesn't work I notice the launch bar is just forward of the shuttle. Usually going to idle makes it shoot, but in extreme cases I have had to unhook and taxi back around to try again.

This.

When I start the mission on the CAT my plane is bumped off it at spawn and I am to far forward. I never get launched. In the external view I am in front of the CAT.

Cancle takeoff, extend the gear, taxi around and stop a little behind the shuttle?, whatever its called. Lower the gear and press U. Only then I am launched with shift + U.

I do not have this issue with the F18 on the same mission though but my guess it is an generic DCS issue. In another mission the F14 is fine at spawn.

Pressing U will sometimes bring me back far enough to shoot, sometimes it doesn't. Usually when it doesn't work I notice the launch bar is just forward of the shuttle. Usually going to idle makes it shoot, but in extreme cases I have had to unhook and taxi back around to try again.

That’s more or less what’s being described. If “U” engages the shuttle to the aircraft - steam from the rail, JBD’s rise - and the salute doesn’t cause a launch, then that’s a bug.

I tried this and launched every time. *continues to explain the basics of hooking up to the shuttle.*

Ok, so you don’t have the bug is what you’re saying.:doh:

Is the launch bug going to be addressed?

With the deck sliding and inconsistent ability to launch carrier operations are currently still not worth the trouble. :(

:mad:

Still broken, can't do carrier ops.

Today's track, fresh DCS install, new mission.

STILLFAIL.trk

Did yesterday case 1 trainings and launched around 20 times from the cat. 3 times I had the problem that it won't launch after the salute.

I just released from the cat and attached again to it. No movement of thr aircraft. Then it worked...

I had this problem today as well. I fixed it(I think) by doing TWO things...first ,I made sure in the ME that the carrier was set to 0 speed as it was shaking the aircraft....then I reset the U key while on deck to toggle me in and out of the shuttle as people have mentioned above. Then it worked. Take note that it could be the movement of the carrier that's messing with the shuttle as well.