PTID and Sparrowhawk

I recommend all hands here read Black Aces High- about VF-41 during Kosovo if you want to know what its like in an F-14 squad.

So this has basically come down to what your preferences are to what you like/want. For you the B with all the bells and whistles is the definitive Turkey. For other like me and many others it's 80's/90's A's/A+s that were.

 

Where the primary role was fleet defence/air superiority, where the tomcat was still very advanced and to many was the supreme aircraft over enemy skies. Not the dying old airframes of the early 2000's that while yes, had more advanced electronics, couldn't do much more than preform long range strike. It pretty much just became a fighter sized B-1B.

 

So yes, modelling the most advanced variant of an airframe might be nice and fit your wishes, it's not what many think of when looking back on the Tomcat. Heck after all most people will think of the grimey A's of the TOPGUN fame.

 

Edit -- I'm not accounting the D in this because HB have already addressed this in their future plans and the point of discussion has been around the B.

What we get is exactly the versatile Multi-role Jet the NAVY initially wanted and the Tomcat became over time. It isn't "only" a Fleet Defence interceptor. In its prime it was catering half a dozen roles and was very good at each of them. :)

But they did have PTID, Sparrowhawk, LANTIRN and F-14D...

 

Just not all or any in 1996

 

This is digital combat simulator not 1996 real life. The whole point of simulation IMO is too demonstrate hypothetical scenarios, with realistic Capabilities and systems.

So you will have a PTID, but no option to drop the beloved JDAM, as this would require a software update from 2001. Yet with the software update from 2001 we would have a "unrealistic" (as in not available) in 80% of the F-14B's service life?

I prefer Heatblur's approach to focus on the versions that saw a broader range of conflicts, so we can have scenarios closer to real life engagements.

For me it's different, if I try a fictional "what if a F-14B would fight against a Su-33" scenario, versus setting up a fictional "Balkans"-like scenario in the Caucasus that should depict the real life situation in Kosovo in the 90ies.

The B with the rigged LANTIRN opens up a lot of real life scenarios without spoiling older eras.

I wish we we were getting PTID and sparrowhawk.

You’re not alone Wizard. I made a similar post before.

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221818&page=2

It’s evident we all have a different idea of what we would like the product to represent. Aerosoft did a great job representing the F-14A and B throughout the span of her career with options that the user can select which HUD to use or whether the flight model reflects an analogue, with or without the ARI, or digital FCS.

Heatblur’s version looks like it will be an amazing product and I couldn’t be happier that the F-14 is coming out for DCS.

You’re not alone Wizard. I made a similar post before.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=221818&page=2

 

It’s evident we all have a different idea of what we would like the product to represent. Aerosoft did a great job representing the F-14A and B throughout the span of her career with options that the user can select which HUD to use or whether the flight model reflects an analogue, with or without the ARI, or digital FCS.

 

Heatblur’s version looks like it will be an amazing product and I couldn’t be happier that the F-14 is coming out for DCS.

I prefer two realistic models with actually working systems, than a multitude of cosmetic panel changes with no effect on the plane and weapon systems... ah, right working weapon systems. :)

Don't we all?:smilewink:

Goodness - to say something isn't representative one would have to throw a dart at a calendar on the wall to be specific. No disrespect, but this F-14A/B is "unrealistic" of when exactly?

 

Feel free to add to this:

1) Early F-14A

2) F-14A TARPS

3) F-14B

4) F-14A with LANTIRN

5) Early F-14D

6) F-14B (U) Upgrade (<--Sparrowhawk is here)

7) F-14D (U)

8 - Very Last F-14As (VF-154 with PTID mostly)

Yeah, exactly! :thumbup:

Personally i would "sell a kidney" for a cruise one or cruse two 1975-1976 early A, with an IRST pod (no matter how funky that thing turned out in actual operating environments), but alas, we aren't getting those. We are getting mid 80's and early 90's birds. So be it, i'd rather have those Turkeys, then none at all...... :pilotfly:

For all those poo-pooing the notion that a LANTIRN Tomcat simulation should include a PTID, here's a quote directly from the newly released Heatblur F-14 manual:

Most of the LANTIRN equipped aircraft were the ones upgraded with the programmable TID or (PTID) allowing for greater integration of the LANTIRN.

http://www.heatblur.se/F-14Manual/intro.html

It's merely a question of what timeframe do you want to simulate. I, personally, prefer the later Bs, as it feels more in line with what we're now getting in other modules and is entirely realistic, unlike, for example, a D.

It's merely a question of what timeframe do you want to simulate. I, personally, prefer the later Bs, as it feels more in line with what we're now getting in other modules and is entirely realistic, unlike, for example, a D.

It's foremost a question of finding the data for the PTID as they mentioned in an interview that they don't actually have a document on it describing all its pages and options.

Yes, we're missing data on a lot of the pages and functions of the PTID.

Additionally, "Most of the LANTIRN equipped aircraft" does not mean all and we do want to include the LANTIRN even though we're not atm doing a PTID/PMDIG aircraft.

Yeah, exactly! :thumbup:

Personally i would "sell a kidney" for a cruise one or cruse two 1975-1976 early A, with an IRST pod (no matter how funky that thing turned out in actual operating environments), but alas, we aren't getting those. We are getting mid 80's and early 90's birds. So be it, i'd rather have those Turkeys, then none at all...... :pilotfly:

I totally understand you.

Each and everyone here has their favorite aspects, which attracts them the most about the Tomcat.

For me, amongst several characteristics of the F-14, there was one which always spiked my interest: the different AIM-9 employment modes / HUD symbols / sensor capabilities / etc.

Maybe influenced by TOPGUN who knows, with those jumpy and flashy missile sights at the HUD, (although that stuff was completely fictional and custom made to Hollywood studios.) :D

So, one of the key aspects which got me following Heatblur's F-14 was that, as sadly Aerosoft's F-14X simplified things regarding weapon modes features.

(Read somewhere, it was due to the FSX code itself had some limit, to the number of functions each aircraft could have.)

Which resulted in the AIM-9 Sidewinder only getting one mode of employment: Boresight... giving it somewhat that arcadish "point and shot" universal feature.

even though we're not atm doing a PTID/PMDIG aircraft.

It’s perfectly ok to do the PTID/PMDIG aircraft later - after the A-model :music_whistling:

I wouldn't mind them doing some add-on modules to this one. Y'know, single-model additions for like $15 that require the main module to function. They could cover early Block 75 and Block 80 jets or use the existing F-14B model with a new pit for a B Upgrade. The avionics suites exist already coded for most of these options. They could make some extra money and the community members could get just the models they want outside the main.

An F-14D, just for completion, would need to much extra work that it'd likely cost more. Still, I'd cheer the ability to sim the Tomcat at any point in its career.

I wouldn't mind them doing some add-on modules to this one. Y'know, single-model additions for like $15 that require the main module to function. They could cover early Block 75 and Block 80 jets or use the existing F-14B model with a new pit for a B Upgrade. The avionics suites exist already coded for most of these options. They could make some extra money and the community members could get just the models they want outside the main.

Yeah, that's an untapped market in DCSW currently. For instance, I wish they'd dumb down the Hornet to the initial F/A-18C variant from the late '80s (if not the A which would require much more work) and sell it for a similar amount.

It would be awesome to eventually do a PTID Tomcat or even a -D Tomcat. Problem is that we're missing too much information to be able to do them justice.

For the PTID birds it's mostly data on the different PTID menus etc.

For the -D it's quite a lot in regards to MFDs and the AN/APG-71.

Yeah, exactly! :thumbup:

Personally i would "sell a kidney" for a cruise one or cruse two 1975-1976 early A, with an IRST pod (no matter how funky that thing turned out in actual operating environments), but alas, we aren't getting those. We are getting mid 80's and early 90's birds. So be it, i'd rather have those Turkeys, then none at all...... :pilotfly:

If I remember correctly it was mentioned by Cobra that they plan to add an early F-14 without the TCS as that fits nicely with the Iranian cats. However I don't know if that means that the IRST would be included.

 

For the -D it's quite a lot in regards to MFDs and the AN/APG-71.

That's going to be the real sticking point...since the APG-71 is a very close cousin to the APG-70..which is still in service.

It would be awesome to eventually do a PTID Tomcat or even a -D Tomcat. Problem is that we're missing too much information to be able to do them justice.

 

For the PTID birds it's mostly data on the different PTID menus etc.

 

For the -D it's quite a lot in regards to MFDs and the AN/APG-71.

As a side note..

Thank you for clarifying this to everyone. So many people are clamoring for the B Upgrade and D, but don't realize that a good chunk of that info is still classified or at least sensitive and hard to obtain through legal channels.

Wouldn't most of that sort of thing be obtainable with a freedom of information act request?

Wouldn't most of that sort of thing be obtainable with a freedom of information act request?

The FOIA only guarantees you the right to make a request for documents, and the right to receive an ANSWER to that request. The answer may be no, but the answer itself is the only guarantee.

https://www.dhs.gov/foia-limits-and-exemptions

Might have something to do with the current F-14A operators and not wanting to provide information on potential upgrade paths or ideas. But who knows!

Thanks for the clarification HB, I appreciate you folks not attempting to simulate something without reliable and complete data. Makes me feel better about what we’re getting.

Okay, so if development is expanded anywhere, it'll be earlier. We wouldn't be getting all the F-14's final capabilities, but I'd trade that for the F-14 in its youth. But I am extremely happy to get the F-14 blocks Heatblur has decided on. If I could choose only one F-14 variant to get, it'll be a mid 90's B. That's the time and variant I first fell in love with.

That's going to be the real sticking point...since the APG-71 is a very close cousin to the APG-70..which is still in service.

Seems APG-710 replace by APG-82.:huh: