Swordsman422

Look at the liveries available for download for the F-14B that don't even belong on it. That's not going to work for a lot of players. You've got people wanting to replicate F-14s from the 1970s and 80's. Hell, look at the variations in modex for the F-14 community in, say 1995. Still not going to work. People will complain. HB already made it clear that they want to satisfy the maximum number of people and also allow for the variation in modex numbers with the minimum impact. I support that and wish them luck.

Across 34 years of service with 30 different squadrons, the modex number placement, size, and typeface had a lot of variation. The F/A-18 had basically two locations for the modex on the nose. The F-14 had many, many more. There was some standardization, but almost as much variation. ED hasn't even fixed the kerning for the modex on the Hornet, so who knows what other limits HB might be having to deal with. And given this community's occasional behavior, you know that there are people who will squawk when their 1970's car show hotrod livery doesn't look exactly right because the modex placement doesn't match the racing stripe just right.

Not just carriers. There could be more surface combatants as well. The early Ticonderoga-class, Virginia, Belknap, and Leahy CGs, Spruance and Farragut-class destroyers, and Knox-class frigates. And that's just US Navy classes with more than 4 ships built. Though I think for these the modding community could come together on them. Some of the community ship mods are awesome. Pretty much every carrier from CV-59 to CVN-75 operated F-14s for at least one deployment. So we've got gaps in the Kitty Hawk class, Enterprise, John F. Kennedy, and the first two Nimitz-class ships. I doubt we're ever going to see any of them as part of a commercial module.

Working on the VF-102 OEF line jets, I did not intend for this one to become a project. I started being bothered by some of the inconsistencies between the stock AB102 skin and the line jets I was creating to accompany it... so I started making some minor corrections here and there to fix it, which lead to wholesale replacement of some of the markings with new artwork, which then lead to a complete revamp of the base TPS pattern to more closely match the other nine. In the end, it'll be an optional livery included with the rest. Some comparison shots between the stock and update versions. Hard to tell the difference. Among other small changes, the updated version has thicker tailcode lettering and a more stark demarcation on the spine between FS35327 and FS36320.

It's not just uneven drying. After the advent of TPS, corrosion control changed. The paint was practically dispensed with an eye dropper and you shot whatever color was handy whether it matched the area around it or not, and even if the color was right on the label, it might have come from a different paint batch than the paint that was already there, so you got tint variances from paint cans with the same labels on them. The TPS colors also picked up and held dirt more readily and stains bled through from underlying layers more often. You want to see some really filthy birds, look at images of late-cruise aircraft or from time periods where the boat's fresh water plant broke down. It happened in 2003 to CVW-2 aboard USS Constellation and those jets were just disgracefully filthy. I hope HB finally figures out a way for the F-14 to have editable modex numbers that would be accurate for each squadron. That translates to more aircraft represented with less work. But I don't forsee that happening any time soon.

With few exceptions, the reality was that by 1983 pretty much every Tomcat in a squadron save 1 or 2 was sporting low-visibility TPS. Grey was pretty much the norm, and enough people here (me included) like the low-vis work-for-a-living look. While I am pretty sure the A we're getting is a contemporary of the B we have, I am also looking forward to the wider variety of liveries it'll offer.

As long as I have at least 45 seconds of in run once I've got the DMPI marked and I only switch back to the front seat for 2 seconds to release, I'm alright. I wish Jester wouldn't keep switching the feed from TV to RADAR or I could spend more time in the front seat babysitting the plane vice the LANTIRN.

That's correct. The A+ entered service in 1988 was renamed the B around 1992. It's caused no end of confusion for some folks who assume that the A+ is the LANTIRN-capable A. I think Heatblur should use the specific block number for the F-14A we're getting to distinguish it, just as ED calls the playable Hornet "F/A-18C Lot 20" to distinguish from the AI only F/A-18C. So maybe to distinguish the HB F-14A from the AI, maybe F-14A-140-GR or something like that.

The VF-102 OEF livery will be following shortly after release of the 1999 skin pack. 9 jets in this one.

Currently the helmet textures are just placeholders until we get the HGU-55. After that, I'll knock up some period appropriate tape jobs for VF-102 and update the skin. This skin pack is in testing currently but should be uploaded within the following week, after which I'll polish VF-102's OEF line jet livery to accompany the one included with the F-14B. Thank you all for the kind comments.

Seeing as how Heatblur focuses on historical accuracy within reason, probably the campaign will focus on VF-74 Bedevilers and/or VF-103 Sluggers from USS Saratoga, since these were the only squadrons to deploy in F-14Bs on a Forrestal-class and CV-60 was the one.

Work continues. I was able to find the BuNos of 8 of VF-102's 14 aircraft from this period and will likely initially release with only these until I can find the remainder. While the aircraft generally look alike and use the same base textures, markings and TPS have slight variances between aircraft.

Started working on this one for use with the Persian Gauntlet campaign. I've just now got the tails lined up, so still a long way to go. I'll try to cover the whole squadron for the time period, including the unusual markings for the CAG jet. Due to a lack of complete information, I won't be putting names on the canopy rails.

It's real and called a called a yaw string.

You can actually see F-4s and A-4s being hooked up for launch in this video.

I'm attracted to the analog UFC for Cold War, ODS, and mid 90's missions. I'll buy it either way, but that's my vote.

I'm not particularly skilled yet. Due to some issues with CS4 I haven't solved yet, I can't use the paint kit. I'm currently modifying the existing Top Gun skin to represent 160694, the Top Gun camera bird, which can be readily identified by the replacement panel on the spine painted in FS16440. If I ever release it, it'll be waiting for the A.

Escort F/A-18s or A-6s to the launch position for their Harpoons. Once that cruiser is at sea and awake, there really isn't much a Tomcat can do to sink it.

Unfortunately, we won't get either. From what I understand, what's classified on the F-14D is the functionality of the IRST, and while Heatblur could move forward without it that specific system, they cannot get redacted copies or something. The F-14B(U), they cannot get documentation that covers all of the menus in the RIO's PTID and they'd rather not guess. If given the choice between the D and B(U), I'd take the D to round out the family.

If we ever get a Phantom, my hope would be for the F-4B/N or J/S, but it's a vain hope considering all of the nations the F-4E served. I'm also hoping one day HB decides to use their fantastic skills to make their upcoming A-6E flyable. But let them deliver what they promised first before looking too far towards the future. The F-14A and Forrestal-class are much awaited.

Check the key bind list for the F-14, but it should be the M key.

I think we're confusing terminology here as well. The F-14A+ IS the original designation of the F-14B. The F-14A remained the F-14A until the end. If I read right, the Iranian F-14A we're getting will just be the USN F-14A with the TCS covered by a bullet fairing and the precision weapons and TARPS disabled, not a new model reflecting a typical Block 90 F-14.

Unguided bombs were used as well. F-14s wired for TARPS couldn't carry the LANTIRN, but during OIF, sometimes F-14 Recce sections were also armed with a pair of Mk. 80 series dumb bombs for just in case. IIRC, a VF-2 recce flight dropped unguided bombs on Saddam's yacht Al Mansur, which was suspected of being used as a command and control center, and destroyed it. They could and did carry unguided bombs operationally, but the precision of LGBs and later JDAM was preferred.

Not much that I can add that hasn't been said here. It was pretty incredible to watch the F-14 transform from a dedicated air-to-air platform into the Navy's premier all-weather Strike, CAS, COIN, and SCAR platform without losing an ounce of its outstanding air-to-air capability, especially given that this transition occurred with off-the-shelf technology. The decision was made in the post-Cold War drawdown that saw the impending demise of the A-6 Intruder and failure of the A-12 program, which would leave the US Navy without a long range strike and interdiction platform. Seeing also the potential retirement of the F-14, the Tomcat community jumped to fill this gap and did so beyond expectation on a shoestring budget. Adopting the a2g mission might have been a desperate grab to save the F-14, but the Tomcat excelled in this role and became the goto platform for strike missions launched from the sea for the following decade. Edit: I'll also add I'm looking forward to Jester being able to operate the LANTIRN. Swapping back and forth is a bit of a pain. I always have to pop back to the RIO's seat after weapons released to make sure the LANTIRN doesn't go off point.

Aha... The "this is not representative of who I am" defense. I hate to tell you this friend. You stooped to this level. It's who you are.