Swordsman422

VF-143 used Korinna and Korinna Extra-Bold for their modex numbers in 2002 and 2004 respectively.

Fonts are probably USN Stencil and/or Amarillo USAF.

Hey, man, no judgement intended. I have some experience flying for real, so what I am used to is what looks and behaves like what I know, which is analogue steam gauges. Altimeters have a tendency to look alike. My graphics are set to max, but my resolution is only 1920x1080. Any sharper and I get a headache after a while. VR does it to.

Really, the altitude indicator? It's one of the easiest instruments for me to read. And being analogue, it gives you more information that just altitude. You also get an idea of altitude change from the movement and speed of the needle. I'm just now getting used to the Knots/Machs airspeed indicator.

It may just be that sensitive. In modern fighter aircraft the biggest cause of radar return is the crew. That's why you see gold flake in F-16 and F/A-18 canopies. The radar could be reflecting off the pilot dangling from that parachute.

Is your antenna elevated so that angels 65 is within the scan zone at the range you expect the MiG-25? Remember, radar is like a spotlight cone. Even if he is within range of the radar, if he's outside the scan area, you still can't pick him up.

The USS John C. Stennis first cruise in 1997, CVW-7 was aboard and both VF-143 and VF-11 were equipped with F-14Bs, so technically the current Stennis carrier qualifies as a correct period carrier. Still, I'm with you here. Having the Forrestal-class and specifically USS Saratoga, with F-14Bs from the Bedevilers and Sluggers aboard will be awesome!

Thief of Baghdad looks amazing!

Probably not just because he makes jokes all the time. Probably some other guys just got freakin' sick of it.

Also waiting for the paintkit, then I mean to tackle VF-104 from Punk's War. I've been awaiting a Tomcat worthy of that fictional squadron a long time.

I'll be honest it's probably my own inexperience, but I have missed with the Phoenix FAR more often then I have hit with it. Against small and medium fighter-sized targets, shooting all my AiM-54s at the oncoming enemy is basically just dumping weight for the WVR fight soon to follow. Against heavy fighters and attack jets my hit rate goes up. On the other hand, I have not yet been able to shake a Phoenix regardless of what I am flying. Almost like the SA-6 in Behind Enemy Lines. I'm still learning, though.

Also front to back, which I thought it would be aft forward to ensure the dropping missiles don't collide with the nosecone of the weapon behind it.

9 fleet squadrons, 1 training squadron, and 1 test squadron all flew the B even briefly. VF-11, -24, 32, -74, -101, -102, -103, -142, -143, and -211, and VX-30. While all but VX-30 have been represented in the release, these aren't the only liveries these squadrons had.

So many A liveries for the B. Any actual B liveries in the works?

The Bs got the JDAM before the Ds did. Bs dropped the first JDAM in anger from a Tomcat. VF-11 I think did it. If we did get a D, it would probably be from the same period as our B, so JDAM would be off the table then, too.

As accurately as they modeled the Tomcat, I cannot imagine the amount of screaming over how difficult the A would be to fly with those horrid TF30 engines flaming out and compressor stalling from being flown too hard. I'm glad we got the B first. It's my favorite variant. Sure, only 9 fleet squadrons ever flew it, but 3 of those squadrons are in my top 5 favorites.

I'm hard-pressed to find a photo of the tomato with fuel bags on to say they ever painted any for her. Not having tanks matching the jet may not be wrong.

I could be wrong, but I think this might be your trigger item right here: 2019-03-18 17:59:13.883 WARNING F-14: F-14 Build vs DCS version mismatch! Built with: 2.5.4.28461, DCS is: 2.5.4.28615

The fuel gauges were also unreliable below 800 pounds indicated.

Also, be absolutely certain you have a hot trigger cue on your armaments panel.

I haven't delved too much in depth with TWS modes, but it seems like Jester locks enemy targets in TWS as soon as he detects them. I have pointed my nose in the general direction of an enemy flight of 4, squeezed off 4 Phoenixes with only a hot trigger cue, and killed 4 targets. Sometimes as a Tomcat pilot I feel a bit out of the data loop.

It's in a hard to see place and doesn't look like any other switch around it. At least you know now.

Definitely a good catch. I am also of the mind that we should be seeing an HGU-55 or -68. HGU-33s in this config were gone from Tomcats by Desert Storm. But though the -33's service was short lived, it is iconic.

Mine will always be this one...

Have you checked the master light switch position on the throttle? Otherwise the taxi/nose wheel light is on the right side outboard panel just ahead of the flood light controls.