Tomcat FAQ - pls give us your input

[draconus]

I even jump in the back in sp and jester doesnt even have link 4 turned on !!

You can tell him to make a link with the chosen host.

[captain_dalan]

1. Recently you guys released a snapshot of the F-14A's RWR on your Facebook page. If memory serves, the A didn't have a dedicated RWR display in the front seat, so we have to use it through the TID, HSI, RWR repeater screen, right?

 

2. Will Jester actually help us with this? I mean, if we are being launched upon while launching ourselves and we are in TID mode, will Jester call out the threat vector? Or vice versa? how much we can crank while defending in RWR mode?

[TLTeo]

1. Recently you guys released a snapshot of the F-14A's RWR on your Facebook page. If memory serves, the A didn't have a dedicated RWR display in the front seat, so we have to use it through the TID, HSI, RWR repeater screen, right?

 

2. Will Jester actually help us with this? I mean, if we are being launched upon while launching ourselves and we are in TID mode, will Jester call out the threat vector? Or vice versa? how much we can crank while defending in RWR mode?

 

 

1) Yes, that's what the ECM switch is for and why it's inactive in the -B

 

 

2) He already calls missile launches (although admittedly, it's sketchy at times). Changing what you display on the TID shouldn't change the radar gimbals.

[captain_dalan]

 

2) He already calls missile launches (although admittedly, it's sketchy at times). Changing what you display on the TID shouldn't change the radar gimbals.

 

He does, but missile at 10'o clock, break right is a good initial move. If i keep the TID on, to maintain radar gimbal awareness, i would like to know where that missile is at different stages of the joust.

 

Alternatively, if i joust with the RWR on, it would be nice if Jester called out the degrees from, or to the gimbal limits. Just so i don't break lock by accident. Yeah, the VDI provides some clues, but the TID is much more intuitive. At least for me.

[Alphabet_Ghost]

iirc it will only show four. You can tell Jester to select fighter to fighter link. I presume that is what you meant.

 

sorry my bad, i mean,

selected by the RIO using the CAP

,dose real RIO can select share contacts or not?

 

Thanks.

[key_stroked]

I would suggest a bit about the reasoning for not modeling the Sparrowhawk HUD. Some B models had that upgrade.

[IronMike]

sorry my bad, i mean,,dose real RIO can select share contacts or not?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

No, iirc it either goes by prioritization or closest, I need to check.

 

I did check on awacs again though, and irl, too, it could only show 8 and fighter to fighter only 4.

 

It is possible that later on in the D RIOs could send targets actively via datalink. (But I dont know.)

[BreaKKer]

No, iirc it either goes by prioritization or closest, I need to check.

 

I did check on awacs again though, and irl, too, it could only show 8 and fighter to fighter only 4.

 

It is possible that later on in the D RIOs could send targets actively via datalink. (But I dont know.)

I believe the E-2 was able to prioritize datalink contacts and send it to tomcats. I have had the problem where I am in a huge airwing taking off the boat, and I get 8 contacts from everyone taking off, but not the prioritized contacts that are within my flight's designated commit criteria. From what I've heard, it is prioritized. The 14Ds had Link16 iirc, and were able to send as many datalink contacts to each other as they wanted.

[BreaKKer]

I would suggest a bit about the reasoning for not modeling the Sparrowhawk HUD. Some B models had that upgrade.

I can tell you.

 

It's because the documentation for the F-14D, and the F-14B Upgrade program was either

 

a. Manuals were not made in bulk for them, which may be why you can't find a lot of it

b. It's sitting in a classified vault and won't be declassified for a while

c. the B upgrade info is likely sitting in the same document as the F-14D -1A

[IronMike]

I believe the E-2 was able to prioritize datalink contacts and send it to tomcats. I have had the problem where I am in a huge airwing taking off the boat, and I get 8 contacts from everyone taking off, but not the prioritized contacts that are within my flight's designated commit criteria. From what I've heard, it is prioritized. The 14Ds had Link16 iirc, and were able to send as many datalink contacts to each other as they wanted.

 

 

 

 

It is prioritized in game as well. hostile gets shown before friendly. It is possible that at the time of take off the contacts were still unknown, etc

[sublime]

Iron mike

When you tell jester to tuthat e to a datalink host in sp... he will

If u jump to his seat link 4 is OFF. i have the tracks.

[Alphabet_Ghost]

No, iirc it either goes by prioritization or closest, I need to check.

 

I did check on awacs again though, and irl, too, it could only show 8 and fighter to fighter only 4.

 

It is possible that later on in the D RIOs could send targets actively via datalink. (But I dont know.)

 

got it,thanks for reply and explain!

[OnlyforDCS]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned these questions:

 

Is Heatblur still planning on releasing a standalone map?

Is the map going to be included with the F14 module or purchased separately?

[IronMike]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned these questions:

 

Is Heatblur still planning on releasing a standalone map?

Is the map going to be included with the F14 module or purchased separately?

 

 

 

 

To be brief: no immediate plans for a map atm, but can change later on. If it would change, it will be a standalone purchase though, simply because it is too much work to include in a module and we have to charge for it in order to make it happen.

 

 

 

Thank you also for the suggestion.

[LanceCriminal86]

Actually, something I just thought of that I think has been asked before:

 

Will the Forrestal class come with any other "period" ships as part of the strike group? While our Tomcats are generally mid/later 90s there were other ship classes that aren't represented in DCS that would have been seen in the battle groups of the late 80s through mid/late 90s.

 

 

And I guess this would transition to a more off topic question but related to the oft asked about potential for an A-6 module:

 

Is there a chance that IF the A-6E becomes a full module, Heatblur would consider modeling the USS John F Kennedy? The ship is historical both for the Tomcat module's A and B, and would still be an accurate home for the Intruder as well. With the JFK being essentially a separate ship from the rest of the Kitty Hawk class (different smokestack and island, 17 feet shorter length) I can see how it wouldn't fill as much utility as a model that can represent multiple ships of a class, but it was such a cool ship that served all the way through from Vietnam to OEF and OIF, her Tomcats shot down the two Libyan MiGs in 1989, she was the ride for VF-103's last Tomcat cruise. Her A-6s and A-7s performed bombing raids following the Beriut bombing, and both the Syria and Caucuses maps are portions of her main area of assignment for her career (the Med). And, her squadrons performed 2,900 sorties during the Gulf War.

[S. Low]

As much as I gripe about this module and HB I still love it a lot. Think after a long absence while flying f18 and mirage, I’m back to the tomcat for awhile.

 

Some things I wish you’d change like right now:

1) afterburner detent keybind

2) improve the track ir head/camera movement

3) landings need something, Weight or something. They don’t seem accurate.

4) much brighter external lights

5) pilot stick position is modeled incorrectly, in game neutral is actually real life full forward (already proved this, please don’t waste my time telling me I’m wrong).

[IronMike]

As much as I gripe about this module and HB I still love it a lot. Think after a long absence while flying f18 and mirage, I’m back to the tomcat for awhile.

 

Some things I wish you’d change like right now:

1) afterburner detent keybind

2) improve the track ir head/camera movement

3) landings need something, Weight or something. They don’t seem accurate.

4) much brighter external lights

5) pilot stick position is modeled incorrectly, in game neutral is actually real life full forward (already proved this, please don’t waste my time telling me I’m wrong).

 

 

1) on the list

2) not sure what we should improve there?

3) landings are very accurate. we'll go by our SMEs and FM data, not by feelings.

4) external lights will like not change anymore, we think they are bright enough, they are already huge glowing orbs.

5) we looked into, the stick position is correct. We have scans of it in fwd position and it's right up against the lower screen.

Edited September 29, 2020 by IronMike

[Cobra847]

As much as I gripe about this module and HB I still love it a lot. Think after a long absence while flying f18 and mirage, I’m back to the tomcat for awhile.

 

Some things I wish you’d change like right now:

1) afterburner detent keybind

2) improve the track ir head/camera movement

3) landings need something, Weight or something. They don’t seem accurate.

4) much brighter external lights

5) pilot stick position is modeled incorrectly, in game neutral is actually real life full forward (already proved this, please don’t waste my time telling me I’m wrong).

 

We've double checked the stick multiple times; the movement ranges (per manual) and our scans are correct as they are. At some point we'll take another look.

 

Full forward, FWIW on the F-14 stick, is almost right up against the lower screen.

[dstar]

hello, knows anybody here if there in the near future is a texture update in sight for the F-14?

In the new 4k HMDs (pimax 8kx, Reverb) it looks bad in terms of resolution.

 

No difference between 1440 and 4K :(

[S. Low]

We've double checked the stick multiple times; the movement ranges (per manual) and our scans are correct as they are. At some point we'll take another look.

 

Full forward, FWIW on the F-14 stick, is almost right up against the lower screen.

 

Out of respect for you guys I have to go back and double check cause I could be wrong. Thanks for looking. I looked at some of my screenshots i submitted before and eyeballed it against cockpit screenshots/video of the real thing and it looks close to accurate but it still seems (from my laymen eyes) that the stick is clipping into the screen or into the under part of the above screen. But I’ll take a closer look, I don’t want to be the guy too proud to admit he’s wrong.

[IronMike]

Out of respect for you guys I have to go back and double check cause I could be wrong. Thanks for looking. I looked at some of my screenshots i submitted before and eyeballed it against cockpit screenshots/video of the real thing and it looks close to accurate but it still seems (from my laymen eyes) that the stick is clipping into the screen or into the under part of the above screen. But I’ll take a closer look, I don’t want to be the guy too proud to admit he’s wrong.

 

 

 

 

No worries, such input is always appreciated, hence we double check, that's a good thing. The trim caused a fwd position, and has been fixed some patches ago, which should have fixed the issue. That said, it is possible that the fwd position might still clip a bit, as you say, or could be a tad too far forward, hence Cobra said we'll take another look towards the end. But from comparison to our scans the neutral position seems correct and it does indeed almost touch the lower screen when full foward.

[IronMike]

hello, knows anybody here if there in the near future is a texture update in sight for the F-14?

In the new 4k HMDs (pimax 8kx, Reverb) it looks bad in terms of resolution.

 

No difference between 1440 and 4K :(

 

 

 

 

That sounds very odd and nothing our VR guys would experience. Are you sure it is not something in your setup, maybe some VR options, etc? I am unfortunately the wrong person to help here, because I do not use VR myself.

[dstar]

Hi Mike,

have no problems with other models (f18, fw190, Spitfire) . But in the F14 the lettering of the instruments and many details are very blurred.

 

It was fine for the old HMDs, but it looks weird in the 8kX.

All objects outside looks much sharper.

[IronMike]

Hi Mike,

have no problems with other models (f18, fw190, Spitfire) . But in the F14 the lettering of the instruments and many details are very blurred.

 

It was fine for the old HMDs, but it looks weird in the 8kX.

All objects outside looks much sharper.

 

 

I forwarded it to our guys who use VR themselves. It seems very odd indeed.

[dstar]

Thank you! :)