CheckGear

macidcrook is probably referring to the Track-While-Scan-Automatic (TWS-A) radar mode. This is what allows the Tomcat to fire six missiles simultaneously while tracking 24 total targets.

I don't have 20/40 uncorrected vision, so I'll be a RIO more often than not.

Speed and Angels - the real sequel to Top Gun!

The point is that not every squadron flew the -B (or -D, for that matter). Therefore, certain tail insignia and liveries simply don't belong on specific variants. That said, given their open-architecture approach, I'm sure they'll make those textures available for you to modify; they just won't release it specifically themselves.

It's an easy fix, so I wouldn't sweat it.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup: I'm loving what you all are doing! I can't wait to see the final product!

Great new article on a little-known 1987 air engagement between F-14 Tomcats and F-4 Phantoms. https://warisboring.com/in-1987-u-s-navy-f-14s-engaged-phantom-iranian-planes/

Why don't you guys just build a full-scale F-14? :D

It's not, good point you brought up. When I built my rig in 2012, SSDs were still absurdly expensive, so I purchased a 250GB SSD as my OS drive and a 1TB HDD as my programs and storage drive. Next year, I plan on doing a "Comprehensive Overhaul" of my PC (similar to the way nuclear-powered carriers are maintained) and replace the 1TB HDD with an SSD, as well as change out the motherboard and CPU. That ought to do the trick.

Question - were you an F-14 pilot? And by the sounds of it, the "Topgun" moniker was well-earned by all Tomcat drivers. It really was a beast of an aircraft! As an aside - I wonder why Heatblur named the AI RIO "Jester" as opposed to "Merlin?"

The RIO can most definitely fire AIM-7s. In the January 4, 1989 Gulf of Sidra incident, it was Gypsy 207's RIO, Leo Enwright, who shot the initial Sparrow missile at the Libyan MiG-23s, much to the surprise of his pilot, Joseph Connelly.

DCS has always run good on my computer. My problem is the load times. They're to be expected, but I feel like I spend a lot of time on DCS just waiting for screens to load up or a mission to begin.

Time to relive old memories, huh?:yay:

One of my favorite Tomcat documentaries. It was produced by Grumman Aerospace in 1974, the same year the F-14 entered operational service. At the time, it was still considered cutting edge and well ahead of its time. Here's a follow-up documentary Grumman released the proceeding year:

Good choices. I'm most looking forward to VF-51 and VF-111 circa 1992, VF-21, VF-154, and VF-213 circa 1995 - '96 for the F-14A, and VF-103 circa 1996 for the F-14B. The '90s were a great time for the Tomcat!

K, that's what I figured.

This is where having two very different campaigns really shows it's worth. The pre-order footage gave us a glimpse of what we can expect in the F-14B campaign - Badgers, Backfires, and Bears, oh my! The F-14A campaign pits us against Iran, who represent a very different kind of threat, but challenging nonetheless. Instead of going straight for the jugular like the Soviets would do, the Iranians would instead try to trap the CVBG or its aircraft, engage in hit-and-run attacks, etc. They wouldn't mount a full-blown attack against a CVBG, as it'd be suicide. Instead, they'd try to bleed us out over time to raise the costs of the conflict to unacceptable levels.

Thanks! That explains it very well.

Shh... facts and reality are of little matter to the DCS fan base!!!:megalol: In all seriousness, I'm curious about how Heatblur will address this as well. Iowa (BB-61) and Missouri (BB-63) both deployed to the Gulf for Earnest Will and "Mighty Mo" was in the region at around the time the Heatblur F-14A campaign takes place. The battleship was said to have been capable of single-handedly destroying all the Iranian military installations along the Strait of Hormuz and its armor was said to be capable of absorbing the impact of a Silkworm missile. In September '87, the U.S. had the Constellation, Ranger, and Missouri battle groups all at Gonzo Station. That's some serious firepower!

In a dynamic campaign, the war is going on at all times. He wants to be able to jump into any plane at any point in real time.

Anyone know who the lead man for missions/campaigns is at Heatblur? Asking for a friend.

Does anyone know if we'll be able to record using the TCS? I know it had at least a few minutes of recording time IRL.

I. Can't. Wait. Thanks again!

Just so you know, they never made the KS-3. Tanking with the S-3 was done via the Air Refueling Store (ARS). There was never a dedicated tanking variant of the Viking built.

How did the Tomcat drop laser-guided bombs during Operation Deliberate Force in August - September 1995? Buddy-lasing/FAC?