OnlyforDCS

Not yet, but Im probably not too far off on that! :megalol:

Oh man I hope you're wrong about this. Could you possibly try it out and get back to us on that? Pretty please with a cherry on top? ;)

Will mission designers be able to (pre)align the Tomcat's INS like for example it is possible to do with the Mirage? I imagine this would be quite useful in multiplayer scenarios. You will still have to start-up the Tomcat but the INS would already be pre-aligned?

I think I read in the manual that MLC filtering is automatically switched off after one second if the radar dish is in a lookup position. So now for the followup. Does the radar have to be in STT lock for this to work? Or more importantly can the RIO switch from TWS to STT during missile flight if this is not the case?

Ok thinking about it the question can be condensed to this: Can the Phoenix still receive AWG9 guidance even after going active?

So while I've been waiting to fall asleep at night and thinking about Heatblur's Tomcat a question occured to me that maybe someone lucky enough to develop or test this module might be able to answer. Scenario: I launch a Phoenix at a co-altitude target closing on us within reasonable launch parameters. (TWS launch) While the missile is closing I drop altitude to get below the target so my RIO (or Jester) can keep illuminating the target without the AWG9 getting notched. At a certain point the radar commands the missile to go active. At this point the target gets an active missile RWR warning and commits to a hard right (or left) turn and manages to notch the missile's own radar. However since we are below the target our own AWG9 keeps illuminating the target and getting a solid track. So my question is what happens next? The missile's radar is notched, however our ownship radar is still illuminating the target. Is it still providing guidance to the missile? Will the missile still recieve guidance from the AWG9 even if it's own radar is notched? Will the missile track, or will it be trashed? Hopefully someone can answer this so I don't have to ponder at it long into the night ;)

Still requires SRS though. Or is SRS completely integrated into DCS now? (Last time I've messed around with it, it was a discrete program that took quite a bit of seting up to get it to work correctly within the DCS multiplayer environment) IMO Teamspeak or Discord are much more convenient (though less realistic) solutions.

I would say that this post would be absolutely valid had Heatblur missed the March 20th (or 21st) release window. However since we are still a month away from that date, and it looks like it is very likely that we will see the EA release before that date I think that right now a lot of complainers are complaining just for the sake of complaining and IMO that's more akin to trolling than anything else. Have Heatblur missed prior estimates? Yes they have. Have they made a PROMISE to release the F14 on those prior dates? No they havent. However they have promised to release before the end of this winter, so that's really the only thing we can argue about here, and so far there has been no indication from anyone that this date will be missed.

Cobra please don't let a vocal but very TINY minority influence your decision making in this regard. Most simmers are pretty reasonable people and you have one of the most anticipated aircraft modules in development. (Pretty much THE aircraft for many, many people) The internet by its very nature brings out the worst in people, and behind the wall of anonymity people can and usually go too far in their criticism. Just ignore it and keep doing what you're doing. A lot of us appreciate it.

Thanks for the reply Nick! :thumbup:

So back on topic. I think the HIND is the most likely combat helicopter that we will get from Eagle Dynamics. Whenver that is. I believe it will come before the Cobra, or any other helicopter in development with Eagle Dynamics and the reason why I believe this is twofold. First: The Hind shares a lot of systems with the Hip, or Mi8. It's logical to assume that this will make for an easier development Second: AFAIK the Cobra was mostly used as a close air support helicopter gunship, usually against enemy troops, very rarely against armor. The "P" on the other hand is perfect for killing armor. DCS doesn't really do troops very well does it? Not when compared to armor. So it makes more sense to do a heavy attack helicopter before a close air support helicopter. At least that's my opinion on this matter.

Awesome stuff! Jester assisted start-up is going make learning the ins and outs of the pilot's cockpit so much easier. A couple of questions: 1st: For those of us who do not use voice attack, how do we confirm our "checks" with Jester. Via the radial menu? 2nd: There was one little thing in the start-up that left me scratching my head a little bit. The part after Jabbers does the wingsweep test where he sets the wings to auto, and says there is no indications so we have to trust the wings are in auto. Why do the wings not sweep to auto? Why is there no indication? When he is on the threshold he pushes the wings all the way forward and sets them to auto again? Not sure what is going on here, hopefully someone can explain the procedure and why it is like it is. :)

After the Tomcat, I can die a happy simmer! :)

No he was completely wrong. He stated that Heatblur would cancel preorders a week before EA release. That statement was wrong. He even went to the trouble of finding the correct information and posting it. Im sorry if I came accross as being a hardass but these things need to be addresed as soon as they appear since this is the way that rumours get started and this close to release I don't think anyone wants that.

This is completely wrong. Heatblur have never said they would cancel preorder sales 1 week before release. Where do you get this stuff?

Good stuff. As soon as ED approves the RC build, and we get a solid release date im hitting that pre-purchase button. Thanks Cobra & Heatblur. Hopefully ED doesn't find much wrong with the build and gives you guys (and us) a nice solid release date. Oh and for everyone else who doesn't get it, the release date is now in EDs hands (pending showstopping bugs and flight model problems)

I think ANY video on the Tomcat is going to get all the attention it deserves. As for this one, I like it quite a bit, especially the last bit where he goes to town on those AI MIG29s. Sure they are AI, not human opponents but it's just a demonstration video. Firing Phoenixes active from the rail is going to be pretty scary if you're on the recieving end. Sure they might be easily notchable in certain conditions but that goes for pretty much every missile/radar in DCS, and smart pilots can and usually do find ways to still make their arsenal deadly.

Great stuff. I need more. :)

The server is limited by the number of players, not planes. I don't know if multicrew has a significant performance impact on the server side of things, but the problem is definitely not one of player limits. The worst I could imagine would be latency problems between the server, the pilot and the rio, and that is something that Heatblur would have very little control over, however they have said that you as the pilot have the final say on whether someone can jump in your aircraft in the back seat.

Why do you think it would take up any more server resources than any other DCS module? Because of multicrew?

Does it only work agains't SAMs? Would these possibly work against an enemy air radar?

Hell yes! An emphatic yes. (MS FFB2 user here) I've got nothing but praise for the Warthog HOTAS, but I for one can't go back to any spring-loaded stick after flying FFB in DCS. Most modules in DCS support force feedback. The only real jets where it doesn't make sense to use the stick are the ones where you absolutely need all the HOTAS buttons on the stick, and the FBW jets. Basically the Hornet and the Mirage are the only ones (and probably the A10C) where you won't get much if any benefit of using a FFB stick. Even the Su27 has great FFB implementation, as I believe even though the real Su27 has FBW, the real jet also simulates some kind of force effect depending on G loading I believe. As for the Mustang. It's an absolute joy to fly with FFB, like all the warbirds really.

While the thread was started in good faith I doubt that an answer will be forthcoming for one simple reason. They don't know. They can only have estimates at this point, and with all the missed early-access dates with the Tomcat I doubt that they will release those to the public for obvious reasons. What Heatblur has PROMISED though is a "mostly" feature complete F14B on March 20th (and maybe even before that if we are lucky) and the F14A at some point in the following year. If you can live with that (I know I can) thats fine, but if you want a feature complete and mostly bug free program then all you have to do is look at the state of all the "released" modules in DCS in general and ask yourself in what time frame is it realistic to expect a mostly bug free and feature complete F14?

Yes but nowhere was it said that they would remove the discount a week (or however many days it is) before the announced release date.

Where did you read that?