Visual differences

Hey everybody, my first post here! I am a Tomcat lover and have been lurking around a couple weeks absorbing all the info and discussions you have been have. Pretty interesting stuff. I have a question. Are there any other exterior visual differences between the F-14 B and the F-14 D other than the engine nozzles for the different engine types?

I believe that the -D has an extra MFD atleast in P3D it does but I could be wrong. and that is interior difference I have realized :/ but exterior I think it's identical. except the engines as you have said :)

Welcome to the forums! I think you will find some of the best F-14 knowledge out there from the nice people around here. They are good at finding this sorta stuff.

We all should know the different chin pods...

...but I compared a bunch of photographs of F-14Bs and Ds, I haven't found much. :book:

But it's and interesting spot the difference and that I know others here are better at than I am!

Frisco1522

Hey everybody, my first post here! I am a Tomcat lover and have been lurking around a couple weeks absorbing all the info and discussions you have been have. Pretty interesting stuff. I have a question. Are there any other exterior visual differences between the F-14 B and the F-14 D other than the engine nozzles for the different engine types?

You could probably tell by the BuNum. More info here

http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-serial.htm

We all should know the different chin pods...

 

...but I compared a bunch of photographs of F-14Bs and Ds, I haven't found much. :book:

But it's and interesting spot the difference and that I know others here are better at than I am!

 

Frisco1522

I think that is largely the extent of it. The windscreen changed very slightly (eliminated the internal reflective coating) and I read that the glove vane area was slightly reshaped (I can't see it myself). The other changes that I can think of were all internal (cockpit and ejection seats, HUD, avionics, ARI, etc) - but these are not external airframe changes.

Things like antennae changed over the years (on all Tomcat models), but otherwise the external changes from F-14B to F-14D were not extensive.

-Nick

Are there any other exterior visual differences between the F-14 B and the F-14 D other than the engine nozzles for the different engine types?

Different Engines on the B and D? First ive Heard of it :P

Externally, the quickest way to tell a B from a D is the chin mounted sensors. An F-14B has a single TCS installed and the D has both the TCS and an IRST mounted side by side. The F-14A's had several different chin mounted sensors back in the 70's and 80's but only had the single TCS for the last half of their service lives. The engines, F110-GE-400's, are identical on both the B and D. The F-14A is the Tomcat with the different exhaust nozzles for the TF30-P-414A engines.

F-14B TCS

F-14D TCS/IRST

F-14A TF30-P414A Engine exhaust nozzle

F-14B and F-14D F110-GE-400 engine exhaust nozzles

Different Engines on the B and D? First ive Heard of it :P

Yeah, It was supposed to be A/B and D but I am too much of a n00b!

One not so often seen difference is the ALQ-126 Mid & High-Band antennas under the gloves on the F-14B (and as I understand some late F-14As).  I do not see them modeled in DCS though.  This and the chin fairings are the major visual differences between the F-14B and F-14D (latter also has faired-over gloves when F-14B still has the glove vanes, albeit bolted shut).

F-14B:

I actually believe the ALQ-126  came much earlier on the A's, before the A+ had even entered service. I don't actually know how early, though it seems like by the mid eighties most Tomcats had them. Here are the antennas on a VF-102 bird from 1982: 

Also mid eighties VF-201:

3 hours ago, Gunslinger22 said:

I actually believe the ALQ-126  came much earlier on the A's, before the A+ had even entered service. I don't actually know how early, though it seems like by the mid eighties most Tomcats had them. Here are the antennas on a VF-102 bird from 1982: 

Also mid eighties VF-201:

 

201 pic would have to be at least '87 or after as that was one of the last A models produced, a -140-GR, the last of which went to their sister squadron in April of '87. 201 might have gotten their two 140s in late 86 or earlier in '87. Their first carrier quals with the Tomcat were in June 1987 on Forrestal and they were still short a few jets, and had to borrow some from VF-202.

*The "official" date on that Phoenix shot is August 1987.

ALQ-126 showed up at the end of 110-GR with 161168, and then all subsequent blocks. So pinpoint when 161168 was delivered and you have your date, but VF-11 and VF-31 got their spanking new 130-GRs in '85 or '86, so it would seem early 80s for those iterations is right. Apparently 161166 was delivered in March of '81, so anything built around '81 or after would have the ALQ-126. But lots of squadrons still had the older block jets which continued to get shuffled around and were even in use through the 90s and even 00s.

And the ALQ-126 are coming for the B and -135 A with a model/texture update after the Viggen gets its big patch this month. There's some stuff up in the air as to whether it can get added like the non-updated gun vents for 80s jets, changes to the ALR antennas for ALR-45 vs ALR-67, the beaver tail, and how the other TCS versions will be done. The desire is stuff to be anim arguments where possible to allow for broader variations to be represented but we'll have to see what we get.

Thanks for clearing that up, much appreciated.

It will always be a nostalgic machine.

I believe they will be updating the model to include this, its on the roadmap. 

1 hour ago, coreyhkh said:

I believe they will be updating the model to include this, its on the roadmap. 

Yes there are a few small things that still need improving on the external model. The LAU-138 being in the correct position is also one of them.