F-14 Flight Model

[launchpad72]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

Edited October 22, 2019 by launchpad72

[gorgar0]

You obviously haven't watched Top Gun :)

[soupyc]

Strongly suggest you watch this and avoid yanking on the stick like King Kong with a hard-on. It's not a fly by wire aircraft, nor is it a video game, and treating it like it is is whats biting you in the ass. The plane is perfectly capable of keeping up with any of the other fighters in the game, AI or player.

 

Enjoy!

 

[CoBlue]

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue.

And why haven't you done that??? You have an full-size flight-stick? What joystick? Try +15 in roll/pitch & work your way from there.

 

Don't manhandle it like an F18/16 in the beginning, be gentle & work your way up to more aggressive maneuvers. You'll get a "feeling" aural & visual cues when you're at the edge of the envelope.

 

The FM is one of the best in DCS IMO. Everybody here can BFM/ACM, without stalling or over-stressing. We all can fly CASE 1/3, AAR, parade-formation. It's a dream to fly & one of the most rewarding airplane to master ;).

 

Was it easy in the beginning? Hell no! You'll have to practice, allot!

[Shimmergloom667]

I'm pretty sure you have proof why that should be the FM and not you, right? Right?

[Cruiser18]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky. I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

 

That's what planes do when you don't have a computer holding your hand.

 

What kind of planes are you used to flying? If they are all FBW planes then that might be your issue.

[draconus]

I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

By all means, if you are former pilot or subject matter expert, please go into details and contact the HB team, because if it is indeed such faulty FM I don't want it to stay that way anymore.

Edited October 21, 2019 by draconus

[Exorcet]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky. I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

This is how aircraft fly. Pull hard and you'll begin to stall. With straight wings it will likely be asymmetric and you're very quickly lose control.

 

 

Some aircraft have avionics to keep you from pulling too hard. The F-14 is not one of those aircraft and so you're experiencing these issues. You need to learn to be careful with your inputs. The F-14 flies extremely well and is very capable when flown properly.

[*Aquila*]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky. I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

My axis are linear (default) and the Tomcat is by far the plane with which I eat most easily human and AI opponents in gunzo and/or heater combat. Far more easily than with the Hornet. You say its FM is the worst but it's the best one. Try a bit harder and you'll be greatly rewarded.

[Ignition]

I remember my first flight with the F14, I broke the INS before the minute of flight, and then I broke the wings lol.

The problem is when you transition from FBW to the F14, your muscle memory will kill you.

Now I feel the F18 is really non responsive specially on the roll axis and I find it arcade and boring (the flight model, not the weapon systems). Now I fly the F14 most of the time.

[BIGNEWY]

Hi all,

 

please remember not everyone knows about aircraft flight dynamics, me included.

 

Lets not turn this into a thread of negativity when it could be a teaching moment.

 

thanks

[IronMike]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky. I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

 

Hey, thank you for your kind words. I would like to invite you to learn her carefully and slowly. It is a demanding, but at the same time manageable flight model, and please do not get discouraged by the banter that went down here. It's just the guys being passionate about the Kitty, they don't mean ill.

 

That said, she does take a bit more care to be flown than more modern fighter jets you might be used to, especially if you are used to fly by wire aircraft like the hornet. While these have their own challenges that make them interesting in their own way, the Tomcat is a whole other beast to handle though. If you like, think of it like a muscle car, you give too much throttle and it goes off to wherever it likes. This is somewhat so in the Tomcat regarding any input. Yanking stick and throttles around, will get you into deep trouble, but if your maneuver gets induced carefully and slowly, increasingly that is, she will go through a lot. She turns well, she has a lot of oomph in the back, she can turn slow, but every situation requires a bit of different care. Jabber's video posted above is a good start.

 

And if you have any specific questions, please feel free to post them here, we'll do our best to help you understand her.

 

But trust me, once you get a feel for her, it's really really good fun, because flying itself becomes a very enjoyable challenge, that will always make your flight a different experience. :)

Edited October 21, 2019 by IronMike

[MoGas]

I have flown the F-14 a few times but each time I fly it and get into any combat it shutters, stalls and flips over. Any type of aggressive movements with it it acts like it wants to falls out of the sky. I know the real aircraft does not act like this so why design such a bad flight model into it.

 

Now I have not modified the axis controls in any way so if others have changed theirs this might be my issue. Out of the box it is terrible in my opinion but would like to make it flyable in combat without it just stalling all the time.......

 

With that said it is by far the most beautifully done aircraft in DCS.

 

Well, it needs some training to get the limits out of the Tomcat, if you keep going on with it, you will see how good the FM and its character of the plane is. The downside of it, you see how sterile the other modules are incase of the FM.

 

Cheers

[Coxy_99]

F-14 has a limit when its found it can be dangerous, You can easy blackout and snap wings beyond the limit, The shudders tell me im at the limit but i like to push it that little bit more ;) I enjoy the flight model EFM i have more fun in this then any other module, Just the damage model i believe needs work.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Coxy_99

[JayBird]

When the Tomcat starts to buck you're reaching her limits.

 

Treat her well, and with a cool hand, and you'll see how rewarding properly flying this jet truly is.

[Coxy_99]

I like treating her rough and slamming the rudder in lol THEN im at the limit

[S. Low]

Flying helicopters and il2 (ww2) planes before the f14 was pretty helpful. You just gotta be easy on the control surfaces :)

 

F14 takes time but it's awesome. Good luck

[Dino Might]

If you can post a video example with control inputs shown (Right Ctrl + Enter), we can help sort out what's going on.

 

 

The answer as to why the FM is this way is that it's striving to be as accurate as possible. There is no arbitrary making it easier or harder to fly in mind for these devs. It's all about getting it as close to reality as possible.

[Ryano4242]

Warbirds were so helpful in learning the Tomcat! No wonder Snort Snodgrass is a natural in real life in a P-51 or F-86! Stick and rudder!

 

 

What really helped me was Milviz's F-4! A plane literally hanging on it's engines to stay aloft. The shudders and strange behavior was there too when you pushed too hard or indelicately...

 

 

My first impressions were I couldn't believe I was flying so slow down and dirty in the F-14 in landing config! If you yanked too hard you realized that you weren't too far removed from the Phantom however! :D

[vadupleix]

Ironically the tomcat is probably the plane that I fly the most aggressively among all the modern western jets in-game (F15,16,18 ). I frequently get into the region of wing rock AoA, low speed, or both when I feel like it. The reason being that the tomcat gives me constant feedback of how she is doing and on the other hand, she really can turn and point at these slow speed and her energy conservation/regain capability is very well as well.

 

Take your time and you will appreciate her capability.

[captain_dalan]

Flying helicopters and il2 (ww2) planes before the f14 was pretty helpful. You just gotta be easy on the control surfaces :)

 

F14 takes time but it's awesome. Good luck

 

Above all else, this! :thumbup:

 

But.....if no such experience is available, then try this:

1. controllable pitch inputs (no sudden yanks on the stick, certainly not all the way back)

2. clean control inputs (try not to incorporate side stick to your pull-push and vice versa), like "flying the cross"

3. if the above is implemented, you should be able to sense when the "rattle" starts to intensify and thus limit further increase in pitch input

4. advanced - aggressive flying, when you master being near the edge, you may want to actually get at the edge. This means embracing the shake and the rattle. To successfully do this, you will need both stick and rudder discipline. For starters, look at your sideslip indicator and try to keep it in the center with rudder inputs (not with your stick). This also applies to rolling at all high angles of attack, use the rudders, not lateral stick inputs. Alternatively, unload, roll with ailerons, load again.

5. Practice, practice and practice........ few people are natural at this. But once you are on it, few planes will match what she can do for you :pilotfly:

[EnDSchultz]

Not a SME exactly, but I do fly and instruct in real aircraft (just light GA, nothing big or impressive). My impression - with no experience with any other DCS modules - is that the F-14 feels very authentic; a real pilot's airplane. Airframe-specific quirks aside, it feels and handles exactly as I'd expect of an analog aircraft. For what little it's worth, I think Heatblur have done an exceptional job on the FM. I'm honestly hesitant to put down money for any other DCS modules because I fear they will feel like toys by comparison!