DSplayer

Well the reason why only the AIM-54Cs are affected and not the AIM-54As is because the 54Cs go active on their own utilizing the go_active_by_default value (which is set to 1 on the 54Cs and 0 on the 54As). This causes the 54Cs to default to the active_radar_lock_dist value (which is 10nm). This is a limitation of the current API/schema that the AIM-54s currently use. I would also like to point out that ED hasn't been able to do a similar target active distance thing with their AIM-120s yet even though Deka's SD-10 was able to do so when they were on the same API/schema.

My background in making liveries/skins for this game allows me to understand the complexity between skins. Like I can tell the difference between a completely unique skin compared to a minor modifications like what a portion of those 51 or so F-16 liveries are comprised of. Also it looks like you're counting both the files within CoreMods and Mods so if we're going by that metric, the Mirage F1 and the AH-64D take up over 7 GBs of space on your DCS installation disk. Within the F-14 Mods folder, you get Campaigns, Instant Action Missions, Training Missions, Singleplayer Missions, the F-14 Soundtrack, unencrypted sounds (which is super nice compared to what ED did), cockpit textures (both RIO and Pilot), the F-14 Manual, and other stuff to make the plane actually work in-game. This can be directly compared to the F-16 which has less campaigns, less missions overall (including Instant Action and Singleplayer Missions), smaller manual, and less smaller cockpit (you don't have 2 people and basically 2 different cockpits). Going back to liveries, there is no doubt that 11.7 GB of storage is larger than what other aircrafts' livery folders but the Tomcat liveries have legit more files, generally more higher quality images (4096x4096 pixels), and more complex color work with results in a higher storage usage. Compared to largest F-16 skin in the CoreMods folder (the 36th Fighter Squadron skin), 37 files that make up the livery's 529 MBs uncompressed file size which is an average of ~14.297 MBs per file with 24 of those files being 4096x4096 pixels with the rest being smaller. Compared to the largest F-14 skin (the VF-211 Fighting Checkmates 100 (2001) skin), it has 41 files that total to 597 MBs uncompressed with an average of ~14.561 MBs per file with ~25 of those files being 4096x4096 pixels with the rest being smaller. The smallest F-16 skin (any of the HAF skins) has 1 file that is 10.6 MBs uncompressed in size that is 4096x4096. The smallest F-14 skin (the Santa skin for the F-14B) has 6 files for a total of 118 MBs uncompressed with an average of ~19.66 MBs per file with 5 of those files being 4096x4096. If you were to calculate based on files alone for all the F-16 liveries, there are 521 livery files (not including the luas only stuff like DDS or TGA files) for the F-16 with an uncompressed size of 7.86 GBs while there are 1354 files for the F-14 liveries totaling in an uncompressed size of 18.9 GBs. That's an average of ~10.21 files per F-16 livery and ~22.20 files per F-14 livery.

My brothers in christ, the majority of the preinstalled skins for the F-14s are extremely detailed. And like what other people have pointed out, the more modern modules and modern skins are also larger. If you compare the Mirage 2000C's stock "AdA Chasse 2-5" skin to the new "MISSION ACCOMPLIE" skin, you'll see that it's 22.1 MBs compared to 247 MBs respectively. This is down to, of course, more files in the "MISSION ACCOMPLIE" skin since it has more detail. This can be directly compared to F-14 recent stock skins where they have a lot of files due to custom roughmets, normal maps, pilot models textures, etc. A lot of the F-14 skins that we have now are incredibly detailed and its completely understandable why the liveries folder for both the A and B, from at least from an amateur liveries maker's POV, total up to ~12 GBs. Also if you compare the newer F-14 skins that have all those custom roughmets, etc. with the stock F-14B skins that basically came out on the EA release a couple years ago, you can also see that those are smaller while also not having those custom roughmets and stuff. Idk I felt that this argument is rather pedantic and rather unnecessary since more detail and more skins = more storage usage. I'm honestly grateful that HB was able to give us a pretty great paint kit with loads of customizability.

Probably down to the old radar code. Gotta remember that the MiG-21bis was basically one of the first 3rd party module out there and was released a long ways back before aircraft like the F-18 were added.

From what I read in the patch notes for the OB 2.8.0.32066, firing the AIM-120 was missing a delay which has now been added. The problem is that AIM-9s also have this delay. Is this intentional? Its problematic when trying to release a SW in a hurry and trying to leave as soon as possible.

Looks like the mod is now broke with the new IC check requirements.

If I'm reading today's 2.8 patch changelog correctly, this mod will no longer be compliant with IC.

The only shot I think that the DCS 2.8 F-14 cannot accomplish anymore is this and its due to the fidelity of DCS jamming unfortunately.

Oh btw, will there be altitude difference ranging when in angle-tracked with radar and when with the TCS or is this coming in the future?

I’ve had this happen a lot when I used to use SSLC for the gunsight. Never was able to find out why it ever did that and I kinda just accepted that it did. I suspect it was the “snake” getting too long and basically just merging with itself infinitely until the/a target got within range. Video from months ago: https://imgur.com/a/ciEV0uv

Nice first patch for the new update! Any news on the ALR-45/50 for the early F-14A-135-GR?

Pretty interesting considering you definitely can have good contrast while not being able to point track something even though you're pretty close.

Yeah after doing some testing with a friend to simulate a PvP type scenario, we had the same problem and we were able to make the missile miss almost 100% of the time for planes that had barrage jammers combined with the extensive usage of chaff. Starting a dive and then pitching up abruptly will cause the missile to continue to lose track and basically guide on a predicted path as if I didn't pitch up or it will try to pull up and track the target aircraft but then will twitch out resulting in the missile losing track. Anecdotally I've noticed that the AMRAAM of OB 2.7.18.30765 to be degraded in performance when compared to OB 2.7.18.30348 outside of the missile pitching up when it doesn't have a track on a target. The missile in the 2.7.18.30348 patch seemed to track better against cold and beaming targets (not losing track or twitching), especially when the parent aircraft had continued to hold track against the target aircraft when compared to the latest patch (2.7.18.30765). I, however, didn't test a situation that was similar to what you present in the previous patch. Maybe I or someone else can download that version and give a it a test another time.

Maybe I'll make a mod like "DSplayer's Ultimate F-14 Weapons Pack" or something that compiles all the F-14 weapon mods I have made into one thing.

An amalgamation of my AIM-120A and AGM-88 mods for the F-14 while also adding some other modern weapons that would bring the Tomcat into the modern era. Feel free to report bugs, ask for help, and post screenshots here! Link to Mod: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3326478/ Bugs: The HARM pylons are untextured because the stock EDM files do not have that pylon textured. The JDAMs (GBU-31, GBU-38, and GBU-54) are basically their unguided equivalents and cannot be guided via GPS and require manual pylon and weapon type selection. AIM-120 double racks do not properly show up when you fire the 2nd missile off the pylon and results in one missile to appear to be there visually even though you had fired it. Disclaimer: Please at least credit me when you make derivative mods when you post them on places like r/hoggit or the DCS forums (and maybe also tell me that you did make a derivative mod which is preferred). Thanks! Also, the majority of this mod is basically fictional with some amount of historical basis. Changelog: V1.0 - Initial Release V1.0.1 - Zipped with OvGME so you can just drag and drop the zipped mod into your DCS mod repo (zipped folder no longer has the version number in filename). V1.1.0 - Added AGM-84D Harpoon, AGM-65E LMAV, and AMBER Racks for the AIM-120Cs (which allows a total of 12 AIM-120Cs that can be carried) thanks to Spino from the F-15EX Mod. V1.1.1 - Added AGM-123 Skipper II. Be advised that it's a bit buggy at the moment and could potentially crash your game if you fire it. V1.1.2 - Updated for OB 2.8.3.37556. V1.1.3 - Added AIM-54C+ ECCM/Sealed so you can carry AIM-54s on the shoulders without the tunnel pallets, added HB weapon loadout limitations. V1.1.4 - Added Laser Guided Zunis in LAU-10s (same pylon loadouts as regular Zunis in LAU-10s) (the rockets still appear in the LAU-10 after being launched), fixed bug where LANTIRN and other weapons on B stations were missing. V1.1.5 - Updated for TARPS and other changes made in previous OBs. V1.1.6 - Hotfix to actually make the TARPS usable. V1.1.7 - Updated for latest DCS patch (as of 2024-03-05) V1.1.8 - Updated for 2.9.6.57650 V1.1.9 - Fixed MP Crash. AIM-174B added V1.1.10 - Updated for 2.9.9.2406. Updated SM-6 to current definitions. To Do List (Planned Additions, etc.): - Adding laser guidance to the JDAMs for at least some guidance (Not Possible) - AGM-84D Harpoon on 1B and 8B Added in V1.1.0 - AGM-62 Walleye on 1B and 8B - Fix AGM-123 Skipper II to be less buggy? - Add the CBU-87/97 to the F-14 - Laser Guided Zunis (Added in the V1.1.4 update).

Yeah the kneeboard for some reason seamingly uses the CLSID instead of the display name or user name values for certain pylons.

Yeah any ACM mode like VSL or PAL to drop the lock. In terms of the radar scan volume switching, it snaps because the WCS has decided to reconsider the target since you can see it on the TID. If you don't see it on the TID, the target isn't weighted. It's sort of similar to how it is when you drop the range down to prevent targets like 100nm out changing your antenna elevation when you're trying to guide against someone at 50nm. Then when you switch back to ATTK mode, it still takes time for the WCS to basically "reset" (go back to 0 degree azimuth). In terms of using the Jester wheel to switch radar modes, I think if you try to switch from TWS Auto to RWS while a PHX is in the air with the keybind, it might work but I can't check that now. The ACM mode workaround seems to be the best at the moment.

I’m going to bump this as improvements are still happening for the FLIR systems in DCS and I hope we could see the FLIR point track range get extended.

I haven't had any problems with the latest version of the mod (V1.5).

I guess they can be physically mounted and if they were wired (which probably varied from squadron to squadron and aircraft to aircraft), you could use the pylon for extra countermeasures and in emergency circumstances, AIM-9s because of the ease of access for the coolant bottle. EDIT: I just reread the F-14A/B/D A/G TACTICAL MANUAL NWP 3-22.5-F14A/B/D VOLUME III NAVAIR 01-F14AAD-1T-2 and it does say that carrying AIM-9s is not authorized on LAU-138s mounted on 1B and 8B.

Smh well like at least ED has that “R-27 Missile Family Aerodynamics” document. And iirc, it’s actually lacking in range and there’s a forum topic on it. But yeah, when I first encountered it, the hypersonic capability of the R-27E up high was pretty surprising to say the least.

That do be an R-27ER though and that thing has a super high specific power due to the pretty high thrust and total impulse.

Going to slightly necroing this thread by stating that within both the F-14 NTRP 3-22.4-F14A/B/D Store Limitations (Appendix A) and the F-14A/B/D A/G TACTICAL MANUAL NWP 3-22.5-F14A/B/D VOLUME III NAVAIR 01-F14AAD-1T-2, they mention the LAU-138 can be mounted on pylons 1A, 1B, 8A and 8B for ALE-39 equipped aircraft.