Cobra847

I'll digress from replying in length as the proof is (as always) in the pudding. We've been quiet on the Viggen because we're simply about to turn the corner on "finishing" it. The Viggen will leave EA in March with several new features and final elements added - several of which have been longstanding issues. In fact - we've prioritized leaving EA on the F-14 for the Viggen.

If someone does do the work of making a list of files containing profanity, please do get in touch and we'll get a checkbox implemented. We currently don't have the resources to sift through ourselves, unfortunately!

Lots of references to us in here, so I'll jump in- The standard compression for normals, both in our products and EDs is BC5. (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/direct3d10/d3d10-graphics-programming-guide-resources-block-compression#bc5) This is a two-channel format that drops B in favour of better compression in R and G. The B channel is subsequently reconstructed in the shader for a correct unit vector representation of the surface. It looks like the A-10 files are not in BC5; which is odd, but likely an oversight. It would be more productive to report this as a bug. A couple of additional points: 8-bit normals are terrible, unfortunately I'm too busy to provide you with a set of examples - but this rings true for anything with sleek, rounded shapes and significant broad stroke normal detail. Not just shiny surfaces. Perhaps I'll get to producing some of these examples, but the assertion that one should use DXT1 for normals is silly. They have their place for something like landing gear, where roughness and albedo detail hide poor normals, but certainly not for major airframe parts. BC5 compression for normals is industry standard at this point. The biggest case in point on this is probably UE4 that defaults to BC5 under the "Normals" texture group/sampler type. It's not an artist fever dream.

JESTER already does this. He scans the sky in a pattern and also looks at buttons/switches/instruments he is manipulating or observing. His head movements are an abstracted representation of this. His vision and spotting acuity within that visibility direction/cone is influenced by - and this is a non exhaustive list: Ambient lighting (sun, overcast, dusk, night, etc.) Light states Afterburner states (e.g. AB at night from rear -> very visible) Angular/relative velocity: If coming from head on aspect, very visible, if high relative velocities (i.e. bogey is very "detached" from background or moves a lot) -> very visible) Size of aircraft Aspect of aircraft - top-down aspect is most visible Where in field of vision (if towards edges of visual cone, lesser likelihood of spotting) There's probably more that I can't recall currently without looking at the code.

It's on our list to fix this particular issue and make missile calls more discerning and specific / limited.

I think most of which needs to be said has already been said in this thread; but do keep in mind, at all times that: We don't spend hundreds of hours in tweaking, changing, fixing, improving just because. We do it because we either have a discrepancy in data vs performance, SME feedback is pointing us in a specific direction, or we, ourselves, feel that something isn't appropriately modeled. These things take a lot of time and I'm sure we will continue to tweak for quite a while to come. As fat_creason has mentioned; we've diverged some changes into a separate branch to avoid more incremental changes in the release branch. Some changes may have unforeseen effects in other parts of the FM - that's the nature of this kind of development. Constructive critique is most welcome! FMs are hard - but we're confident we have it right in many areas. Do keep that in mind. We would never intentionally gimp or downgrade any part of the flight envelope or the aircraft. Likewise, we'd never do the inverse. The only thing we care about is performance, and how closely we match it to the real thing and make it fit with SME feedback (and trust me, we get a LOT of SME feedback)

Partners as in Eagle Dynamics develop the platform. They're a HUGE part of our success, and so anything that we do, no matter how new or detached, is really in great part thanks to them.

Hey everyone, Just crossposting some thoughts from hoggit; We were super happy to take part in ED's wonderful cloud video today with an early version of the AI A-6's - hope you enjoyed a taste of the WiP artwork. Last time we showed off the A-6, we said that we'd love to take it on as an official module and part of our roadmap - and today we've had the absolute pleasure of being able to confirm those plans. We remain very committed to DCS and couldn't be more pleased with being afforded the honour of building more great products on the platform. Our short term goals are fully focused on wrapping up the F-14 and Viggen- but as we forge ahead, we'll be growing the team and developing the A-6 as part of a broader roadmap. It's still *very* early days and "announcing" the A-6 will probably be one of the earliest announcements we'll ever make, so don't expect anything soon - but hopefully we've at the very least asserted the fact that we're not going anywhere and that we have plans far beyond those that are public. (even after today) Thank you for all of your excitement and support. We owe you all everything, Sincerely, Team HB

Thanks! The Fuel system is one of the oldest components in the jet. Some things may have broken along the way. We'll look into it.

We're going to be rather quiet for most, if not all, of next year - outside of working on getting both the F-14 and Viggen feature complete and out of EA through Q1. Beyond that will be most exciting..

Some of these things are simply bugs. Can you elaborate on the reinforcement edges? I am not aware of that particular subtelty. NACA ducts and reinforcement strut misalignment are both issues due for a fix, but they're not an issue with references at all. They're simply graphics errors (the duct occurs due to a mirroring without plugging the hole, the misalignment due to.. fatigue, I suppose ) As for your curiosity re actual BuNo's use as primary reference: 158627 (F-14D) - Hickory, NC 161134 (F-14A) - Titusville, FL 160889 (F-14A) - Santa Rosa, CA

While I appreciate any and all sorts of feedback - this is simply put, not helpful at this stage; especially in a patch that sees significant, dedicated BVR additions and improvements (TTI, TGT Size, Jester functionality and logic improvements, etc.). We desperately need details! I know it may sometime seem like it falls on deaf ears when we work silently in the background, but we do read and log most of everything. We see the F-14 performing appropriately and consistently in testing for the most part, which is what is most frustrating when feedback on similar points ends up being negative. Ultimately, we continue to add functionality when new data is available (the recent TTI and target size functionality is a great example of this), but it may seem like we ignore issues that we do not see or do not consider flaws. While I don't want to go down the "user error" route - please make sure that you do always colour your issues with BvR capability through the lens of both understanding the system and it's capabilities appropriately, as well as what are core DCS issues and what can be attributed to the F-14 itself. The last point is especially poignant, as, for example, we've done nothing with chaff or ECM resistance in this patch, and yet it seems to be a recurring point of feedback this time around. That doesn't mean it's not an issue; but it needs to handled differently. Hope this doesn't come off as too defensive; but it gets tiring hearing "The AIM-54/AWG-9 gets worse with every patch!" - when that is rarely the case from our perspectives, and often times when it is: it is a realistic function of the system and the way it works in reality. Communicating that better may be something we need to work on. Thanks for reporting. If you can reproduce, please make sure to detail parameters, situation, MP or SP- etc. It would be most helpful. That said- we have made no changes to ECM resistance or the FM of the AIM-54 in this patch.

I agree! I think anyone flying the viggen should put in the time and learn the radar to be able to night-fly just like the Swedish pilots did. :) That saiiiiid, I don't want that opinion to limit those who would rather experience the Viggen as if the pilot strapped on some NVG's in a hot scenario. It's a win-win, really. Those who want that experience can have it- while the authentic one remains, untouched. Hope our perspective makes sense

I'll propose a thought experiment :) Say the AJS-37 was retired later than in reality, and had to continue to see stopgap use - especially in something like operating in a Caucasus theatre (somewhat far-fetched anyways). We don't believe it unlikely that push come to shove, the ubiquitous nature of Nod's in aviation would lead to either field or factory modifications of lighting. Generally, we draw the line at things like fantasy weapons or true aircraft features that did not exist. But a small piece of equipment that the pilot can bring onboard and mount on his helmet is rather benign. Moreso, it's certainly a reasonable thing that could have happened in reality - life and death tends to blur the line of regulation and whether cockpit lighting was optimal. In the end, the choice to use them is entirely yours. This feature is not a stretch, but even if it was it has no influence on balance and it certainly doesn't impact the purists' experience. If it did, we'd probably think twice. Just to clarify; I understand your guys viewpoints, but trying to see the Viggen community through the lens of making everyone's enjoyment of the aircraft better, adding them was a no brainer. :) In the end, we like to add what you guys all enjoy, within reasonable limits. We didn't really add it for our own benefit- we barely get time to fly as it is- but if we can add some grayzone features that don't impact the product overall negatively and make a good chunk of folks happy, why not? :)

Hey guys- please attach the crashdump and log files when you get them after a crash. Thanks!

Dear All, Last update, we announced that we’ll be shipping the first F-14 campaign for the -B, based in the Caucasus theatre with tomorrow's patch. However, we’ve decided at practical completion and at a very late hour to significantly expand the -B campaign and build it out into a two parter. We’ve been inspired by being able to do a little bit more storytelling than we can by simply shipping aircraft themselves, and this has certainly been invigorating and motivating, and we just want to do.. more. Effectively, this means that the F-14 will, in total, ship with 3 campaigns upon exiting Early Access, as the -B campaign will be a heavily expanded two-parter. We get to exercise our creative freedom and everybody hopefully gets more content that they’ll enjoy is the hope. :) Due to this late wind of inspiration on the storyline, we’ve been making changes to the ending of the campaign, causing some rewrites, corrections and re-recordings, and will instead release it separately from the patch early next week here on the forum. Sorry for those of you who were gearing up to fly the campaign from tomorrow, but hopefully you can hold yourselves for a few days longer! We’re really excited to share the work with you and to hear your thoughts. And of course, continue tearing ourselves away from some of the engineering rigours of module development to tell a story and impart enjoyment of a different kind to you all. Sincerely, HB

The vapour will be fully overhauled. We're just waiting for some functionality for the vapour location to be able to move with the wings.

Don't worry re stabilizers. We've introduced the 3.5 degree anhedral for this upcoming patch in both F-14A and F-14B models.

DCS: F-14 Development Update Dear All, We’re super excited here at Heatblur: we’re about to finally launch the F-14A, arguably the biggest feature update to the F-14 since launch day, and a massive chunk of work in flight and systems modeling. Together with several other new features, we’re starting to solidify our goals in pulling the F-14 across the finish line by the 2 year release anniversary! The F-14A will go live on November 18th, together with a complete sound overhaul, full campaign for the -B Tomcat, and plenty of other new features, improvements and QoL changes. Sincere apologies to all of you hoping to fly the -A tomorrow! Due to October’s patch schedule, we decided to introduce additional changes and features in this major update, but in doing so, we did introduce just enough serious issues to miss the cutoff for the 4th. We’re working hard with our SMEs, testing team and everyone involved to ensure a smooth first launch of the F-14A-135-GR. The 18th patch is an interim patch, and one which Eagle Dynamics has graciously worked into their roadmap in order to accommodate our rollout. Thank you to our partners at ED for the assistance and working to pen this release in, especially outside of their planned schedule. Let’s jump in-depth and elaborate on what we’re actually including in this major update and what to expect on November 18th. We’ve been very focused on the execution and completion of major features still missing from the Tomcat, and this update will be the first in a series of major updates that will bring us to a full release status next year. If our initial launch was a version 0.8; this is very much a 0.85, with 0.9, 0.95 and 1.0 to follow through March 2021. A lot of development threads are finally converging, and that means an exciting time ahead. F-14A Tomcat The F-14 has been a huge undertaking for the team and a challenging experience. That’s the tldr; and simultaneously, the understatement of the year. :) In case you missed our previous post about the F-14A’s TF-30 engine, you can read it here. It’s well worth a read to understand the complexity behind the -A, even on a basic FM and simulation level. Since that time, the TF-30’s performance and compressor stall models have been undergoing constant improvement and tuning based on pilot SME feedback. This process is on-going, and will continue through the next few months. The pace of SME feedback and change turnaround has started to increase as we near nailing the feel, response and performance of the TF-30, and we expect this tuning to be done by the end of the year. This engine tuning has been conducted in parallel with more airframe performance and handling tuning now that our primary SME (who exclusively flew the F-14A) has had enough stick time in our F-14A to be able to give us more precise feedback at a fine level of detail. We keep repeating this; but our SMEs are an invaluable part of our development process, and we are continually in awe of their commitment and passion in helping us. In addition to model tuning, several new features have been added to assist in flying the F-14A specifically: Optional Afterburner Gate Keybinds will allow pilots to keep their throttles right at the MIL stop to help avoid compressor stalls - this will hopefully alleviate some of the “feel” lost virtually! TF-30 Mid Compression Bypass Circuit Breaker will allow pilots to disable the TF30’s MCB circuit, which may give extra thrust in some conditions, but at the cost of stability. The real life viability of this tactic is in question, however we’re providing it as-is and in accordance with technical specifications. Use with care! External engine fire and compressor stall animations (synced over network) - All progressive fire, damage and other effects are now properly synchronized across the network and you can see your wingmen struggling with their engine issues as they happen. Fire Shutoff Handles + Fire Suppression System - shut down an engine fire before it becomes a problem (this will not always be successful!) This system is a one-time use system, not once-per-engine! As we’ve continued along our journey in building the most common and certainly the most iconic variant of the Tomcat around; we’ve continually re-evaluated what our goals are with shipping the -A and what we want to achieve. Based on this process, we’ve ended up at expanding our original scope, and we’ll be shipping the following F-14A variants in the coming months: F-14A-95-GR: Early F-14A for IRIAF. These jets will have certain limitations and modifications, such as the lack of TCS and fuel pylons. F-14A-135-GR (Early): This will be an earlier representation of the F-14A, equipped with the ALR-45 RWR and will also come with a number of minor variations such as early gun vents, alternate de-fog systems, and other minor differences between late and early ALR-45 equipped F-14A’s. F-14A-135-GR (Late): This version represents a later, ALR-67 equipped F-14A. November 18th will see the release of ALR-67 equipped F-14A-135-GR. While this represents a closer analogue to the current F-14B, it also allows us to roll out the F-14A in a controlled, stepwise process. The ALR-45 equipped F-14A will not be far behind, which will not only introduce more significant changes in cockpit avionics, but also implement the full overhaul of RWR and EM spectrum emissions upgrades planned for both the ALR-67 and ALR-45. See more details on that here. Investment into core technologies such as robust RWR simulation pays dividends in future products, and getting it just right the first time around is critical to modularity and reusability. With these three distinct eras of the F-14A, we hope to accurately represent a wide cross-section of the F-14A’s operational life. Some of these additions, changes and limitations will be implemented through mission editor or special options menus. We hope to provide a substantial level of customizability to account for many of the differences found, on even a jet to jet basis. Some of these include, across the three variants: Removal of fuel pylons Bullet fairing for TCS ALQ instead of TCS (IRIAF 95-GR) Early Gun vent / plate Fuselage RIO step strengthener panel (optional) Alternate front windscreen defogger array Early duck-tail ALQ-/ECM bulges MBU-7/p Mask MS22001 Mask HGU-55 Pilots (in lieu of HGU-33) We genuinely hope you’ll enjoy flying the F-14A come the 18th, and we greatly look forward to your feedback, stories and impressions! Sound Overhaul We’ve performed a full overhaul of the F-14’s exterior soundset, both for the F-14B and in preparation for the F-14A. Hopefully you’ve all seen (and enjoyed!) the video above. Primarily, we’ve focused on both making the sound much more authentic, but alleviating some of the common and severe issues caused by mismatched sound samples and gain levels. We’ve also expanded the interior soundscape, especially for the F-14A through the addition of new compressor stall sounds, afterburner zone thumps and additional sound cues for throttle positioning. In summary, these are some of the main changes and improvements we’ve made: Added new rear aspect exhaust sounds for both low and high power levels, with transition zones in between New intake sounds, based on real F-14B and F-14A sound samples, refined and positioned correctly for each engine. Additional new intake sounds are now blended in at high power settings New afterburner sounds at medium and long distances, for appropriate thunderous crackle and roar New fly-by oriented sounds, especially in the front quadrant. New engine fan blade rattle sound (slow windmilling speeds) - you’ll now hear the engines windmilling and clattering if wind conditions are appropriate. AB Zone lighting thumps (internal) - especially audible for each zone in the F-14A. New compressor stall sounds, both externally and internally. Especially important for the F-14A! Tuned all engine sounds throughout RPM ranges, especially startup and shutdown. Adjusted all sdef files to improve directional sound and audible distances. This should solve issues such as the aircraft being heard from much too far away, especially at low RPMs. Complete overhaul of audio driver logic - across all RPM ranges, speeds, and more. Enjoy this startup video to get a better idea of the soundscape of an F-14B starting up on the ramp! F-14B Campaign: Operation Reforger – The Iron Heel This update will introduce one of our two main campaigns shipping with the F-14; namely the F-14B campaign set in the Caucasus theatre! We’ve been hopefully tiding you over through single player content in the form of missions and over 50 instant action scenarios, and it’s now going to be time to put your skills to the test. The F-14B campaign consists of 10 missions, including: 10 fully-voiced missions testing the player’s skills, from Carrier Quals, to CAP, Air-to-Air refueling, MiGCAP and fighter sweep, intercepts, navigation, endurance flights, emergency handling and the hunt for an invisible enemy. Carrier based operations from USS Stennis (replaced by the USS Forrestal in the next major patch) A story following a close “what could have happened scenario” - fully voice acted Realistic warfare that is focused on containing conflict escalation. A supercarrier compatible version that will be published shortly after its initial release. A Co-Op version, playable together as pilot-rio or as a two-ship! The year is 1990. Russia is struggling during a time of severe grain shortage and economic crisis, Gorbachev’s policies of “glasnost” and “perestrojka” seem to be failing, while support for the president is wavering. When elections go wrong and leave Russia’s leader weaker than ever before, more and more Soviet succession states in the East Bloc are accepting Western help to overcome their economic woes, in return for a reduced influence of Soviet power. This leads to members of the Central Committee and the Politburo pointing their focus towards Gennady Yanayev, so far Gorbachev’s Vice president, but with very opposing views to him: he advocates a strong centralized government to deal with the crisis, which eventually will see him replacing Gorbachev as the new president by May 1st, 1990. His first objective after obtaining power is to immediately secure the Soviet succession particularly in the former Soviet Satellite states, also endangering the German Unification process: unless all four occupying forces give their consent, Germany cannot re-unify. Yanayev refuses to let East Germany go and in fact he orders Russian troops from the center of the Soviet Union (Odessa and Transcaucasus military districts) to Western Europe and borders with the recently fallen Iron curtain. When tensions rise and an East German protest marching on the Headquarters of Western Group Forces (WGF - Soviet military in East Germany) is put down by brutal force, leaving several hundred dead, West Germany strikes Russian positions in East Germany, notifying their closest allies, Great Britain and the US. ​ With Turkey having declared Russia as a threat under the Montreux convention and denying them access through the Bosporus, the US moves their Mediterranean Battlegroup including the USS Stennis into the Black Sea for a freedom of movement exercise to show US strength and resolve in the matter. The purpose is to enforce a Black Sea embargo on Russia and increase the pressure of failing grain resupplies through the Bosporus, in order to bring the German Unification process back on track. With Russia having consolidated most of its troops around the West German border and its western borders in general, and worldwide support for Russia failing in light of its recent stance against Germany, the US moves to strike crucial targets such as Air Defenses, Oil installations, Military Bases and Headquarters in the Caucasus. The prime concern remains Russia’s force of Tu-22M Backfires in the region. While the airwing is being readied for the first wave of night strikes, the Battle Group kicks off their offensive by launching Tomahawk cruise missiles from their cruisers, striking centers of communication and airbases including Sevastapol, Gudauta, and Kutaisi. In the early morning of November 4th the CVG launches successive alpha strikes that head overland to destroy radar installations, air defenses, and coastal air bases. Of course, MiGCAPs and fighter sweeps support every strike to destroy every fighter that can be found. You are the Iron Heel of Operation Reforger, which will conduct primary strikes against Russian targets in East Germany in order to regain sovereignity by the German people. While the main group attacks Russia head on, your job is to weaken the enemy in its own backyard enough to force him back to the negotiation table. Yaw String Not much to say. We love this. Hope you will too! Coming for both F-14A and -B. Other Changes & Full Preliminary Changelog While the major features above are the core focus for this F-14 patch and development update, we’ve also made significant improvements, QoL changes and other fixes across the product as a whole. The online manual is currently being revised to include the F-14A in the variants listed above as we ship them, and each update will go live with each variant of the aircraft. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve also continued to interface with Eagle Dynamics on missile guidance and the associated API issues. ED has implemented a number of fixes which should hopefully lead to the solution required for the -54 to work appropriately. We are currently in the process of evaluating these DCS side changes but we believe there’s strong potential of including these AIM-54 guidance updates in the patch on the 18th! Check out the full preliminary changelog for the 18th below: NEW Added 10 mission F-14B Campaign (“Operation Reforger - The Iron Heel”) NEW Added -A Model Tomcat (Late USN, ALR-67 Equipped Variant). New Systems and Changes include: TF30 engine model, including: Mid Compression Bypass Circuit Mach Lever Expanded compressor stall model Hydromechanical fuel control New thrust model New engine spool dynamics New afterburner model Updated nozzle logic New audio [*]Reshaped engine nacelles and added new nozzles [*]New Liveries for late F-14A-135-GR [*]NEW: Complete external sound overhaul (TF30 & F110). We’ve entirely overhauled the F-14’s exterior soundset, including the following changes: New rear aspect exhaust sounds New intake sounds New afterburner sounds New fly-by sounds New engine fan blade rattle sound (slow windmilling speeds) AB Zone lighting thump (internal) Fixed stall warning tone + new audio sample (internal) New compressor stall sounds Tuned engine start and idle sounds Adjusted all sdef files to improve directional sound and audible distance Complete overhaul of audio driver logic on code side Various other common sound fixes: Sounds now load quicker Tomcat is no longer unbearably loud at idle and at distance Reduced total number of sound samples being played in external view [*]NEW Added simulated yaw string (A and B models) [*]NEW Fire Suppression System + keybinds [*]NEW Mid Compression Bypass Circuit Breaker keybind (F-14A only) [*]NEW Afterburner Gate option + keybind [*]NEW Jester Features: JOKER callout BINGO fuel callout [*]Fixed fuel shutoff handles not shutting down engines [*]Fixed engine stall/over temperature warning light logic [*]Added F-14A versions of Caucasus, PG and Syria Quickstart missions [*]Adjusted F-14B fuselage nacelle area for more roundness and visual fidelity [*]Adjusted afterburners to not show black streaks [*]Engine windmill speed now affected by relative wind direction [*]Adjusted F110 AB thrust below mach 0.7 [*]Fixed crashes caused by visual effects during compressor stalls [*]Adjusted engine fire and compressor stall visual effects. [*]Engine fire and compressor stall effects now synced over the network [*]Adjusted pitch damping and pitch with power effects per SME comments [*]Adjusted inlet aerodynamic performance per SME comments [*]Adjusted subsonic airframe drag per SME comments [*]Fixed TF-30 oil overheating [*]Misc potential crash fixes in engine code [*]Updated F-14B Syria Take-Off Instant Action mission [*]Painted air brake pistons white [*]Allow AIM-7MH to loft, except when fired in ACM or boresight modes [*]Add CVN-75 to the data link capable carriers [*]Flood antenna identifies as missile lock instead of STT to targets now, for consistency with other DCS modules [*]Enable sparrow flood antenna if STT is lost while sparrow is in flight [*]Update RWR threat library version [*]Fix RWR symbols for HQ-7 [*]Fix ARC-159 (pilot radio) keybinds for OFF/MAIN/BOTH/ADF [*]Fixed VF-11 Red Rippers (1997)/description.lua to remove problematic Spec Map [*]Adjust AIM-54 chaff resistance after latest ED changes [*]Add bindable input for pilot hydraulic hand pump [*]Use the DCS global gameplay option for hiding control stick [*]Fix typo in options dialog (butons->buttons) [*]Converted Bone Strike, Colorado River Time Trial, Debridging the River Ingur, Heatblurring the Lines, Kish Kat Attack, Protect the Viksburg, Rioni River Run, Seine River Endurance Run to F-14A compatible versions [*]Adjusted AIM-54 countermeasure resistance to revert to old ED System [*]Fixed TID STT strobe angle error when not flying level [*]Potentially fixed a case where TWS AIM-54 could erroneously track a target not receiving recent radar returns [*]Prevent RIO from using Pilot Controls from backseat. [*]Fixed steering tee not displayed in weapon off mode. [*]Fixed detached wing not disappearing in LoD1+ [*]Fixed Pilots not disappearing (due to various causes) in LoD1+ [*]Shifted pilot stick neutral position slightly aft [*]Adjusted flap jamming logic per SME feedback ​ Next Updates Continuing past the 18th of November, we will continue to focus our efforts on implementing SME feedback across the F-14A launch and beyond, while concurrently executing on the next major features on our roadmap to 1.0. We’ve repeated these ad nauseum, so we’ll spare you the entire bulleted list; but things like JESTER Lantirn, Forrestal and A-6 remain top priorities, and we greatly look forward to sharing more. That said, however, we’ll be focusing on the following items for the next major patch later this winter: Forrestal Class initial release USN F-14A-135-GR (early) with ALR-45 IRIAF F-14A-95-GR with ALR-45, no TCS, no tanks Refinement of F-14A based on release feedback In-cockpit VR pilots In summary, we’ll continue the F-14A rollout with the expanded variants listed above through shipping the ALR-45 equipped F-14A, and capping things off with the early IRIAF F-14A for RedFor in a final update. We’ll continue to ship medium-tier improvements such as the sound overhaul and yaw string in parallel to the major milestone features. As always, thanks for your support - enjoy the F-14A and please share your thoughts with us once you’ve stalled out a few times! We can’t wait to hear what you think! Overall, we look forward to ending this year on a high note, with a clear path to full release come early 2021 and the journey towards excellent product sustainment and the next generation of Heatblur titles, based on all of our combined experience and robust technological foundation. Sincerely, HB

Hi Everyone, As the team continues to work hard on getting the F-14A ready for primetime, we thought we'd start off by talking a little more about one of the core upgrades we're making for this variant of the aircraft! Our RWR simulation for the F-14B is one of, what we consider, the crowning jewels of our F-14 product. However, we always feel like we can take a step further, and developing the ALR-45 for the F-14A provides us with exactly that opportunity. As a refresher, if you haven't seen or don't quite remember one of our development snapshot updates on the ALR-67, check it out HERE. RWR – basic principles of operation Let’s start from a short recap of how a typical aircraft-mounted RWR works. An aircraft has at least four antennas attached to its body. These antennas are spiral, wide field-of-view type. Their characteristic is such that the closer the direction of the emitter to the antenna direction of observation, the stronger the received signal is. The four antennas are connected to the central processing unit. When an electromagnetic signal is registered, the RWR compares the strength of the signal recorder by the antennas. Based on that, it computes the direction of the emitter and displays that information to the crew. More advanced devices can compare the signal characteristics with a database of known emitter types, and present that information together with the direction.. A not so powerful crystal ball A typical RWR is quite good at letting the crew know that there’s a radar emitter. However, it struggles at providing precise information on the distance, elevation, and what is the target of interest for that emitter. Additionally, the calculated direction is usually inaccurate. An RWR doesn’t know if a threat is above or below. It has no way of telling if it observed the main lobe or a side lobe; or what was the threat’s radar power of the emitter. It must assume many factors and combine that into the most accurate yet the most pessimistic (or conservative) picture. It is better to warn about a threat that isn’t there, rather than to let the pilot fly into a deadly trap of an enemy SAM by hiding some weak and ambiguous signals. The ALR-45/50 and the ALR-67 – a two-generation leap The Heatblur F-14B is equipped with the ALR-67 – a standard modern RWR used by the US Navy in the ’90s. It combines over 30 years of experience in signal processing, computing, and intelligence and it represents the third generation of the radar warning receivers. On the other hand, the standard equipment on the F-14A since it entered the fleet was the ALR-45 radar warning receiver with the ALR-50 missile warning receiver. This set was introduced to the fleet in the early ‘70s, and it represented the dusk of the first generation of the radar warning receivers. While the capabilities of the ALR-45/50 were sufficient for the end of the Vietnam War Era, they became annoyingly inadequate in the ‘90s. Compared with the ALR-67, ALR-45/50 isn’t a full-digital RWR. The receiver wavelength spectrum is narrower (2-18 GHz) compared to the ALR-67 (0.5-20 GHz). The system is unable to perform threat identification or prioritization. Registered emissions are presented on a circular display as strobes, with the length of each strobe representing the strength of the signal. In addition to that, the RIO has a set of warning lights for selected threats: SA-2, SA-3, SA-4, SA-6, AI (airborne interceptor) and AAA. They are lit when a corresponding threat is detected. With the ALR-45/50, the information provided to the crew is limited and raw. It requires more experienced crew and more attention during a mission to build a similar level of situational awareness when compared with the ALR-67. On the other hand, a skilled RIO can benefit from being able to read raw signal readings and for example, estimate the distance to the threat from the length of the strobe. RWR model upgrade With the release of the F-14A, we will include the ALR-45/50 with its controls, display, and logic. In addition to that, we will also update the codebase common for both RWR's. The first and the most significant upgrade will be the new threat database containing updated emitter parameters such as frequency bands used by each radar and new beam parameters. The second change will be related to scan patterns and sidelobe emulation for different scan modes. The result should be a richer and more complex electromagnetic environment, particularly noticeable when observed on the ALR-45 scope. We combined our passion, experience, and knowledge to create the most realistic simulation of radar warning receivers for the Heatblur F-14. Once the F-14A is released, you’ll be able to try and compare the bare analogue ALR-45/50 and the modern and all-digital ALR-67 on the F-14B. No matter which one you choose, we hope that our RWR will let you return safely from any combat mission, but most importantly, give you an in-depth, realistic representation of RWR's as found in these two legendary aircraft!

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.

This is unlikely to be fixed in a satisfactory way. The reason this happens is that the volume of JESTER is not tied to the Cockpit sound mixer slider after changing JESTER to come through the headphones source. This means that if you've turned down any of the sliders in the Sound menu; JESTER will seemingly be much more loud than the rest of the game audio (relatively speaking). If you want to avoid this; keep your sound sliders at 100% in the game's sound menu and then adjust your game volume based on this. EDIT: one thing we're looking at is being able to read the value from one of those sliders directly to mix the sounds properly, this would of course solve this issue entirely. :)

Some features are added through communication with our SMEs. They'd regularly remove the HUD camera before landing.

This will be corrected.

Towards feature complete. :) Our goal is to be feature complete and out of EA by the 2nd anniversary of release at the latest (March 2021) - but the October and subsequent patch will see most of those major items released.