punk

If it is the scene I am thinking of, there really was no danger at all, they had plenty of altitude and was in controlled flight the entire time. It looked worse than it was because of camera angle and Fstop. The pilot discusses it on the extras on the DVD I have where they interview the pilots who flew those missions over a two week shoot in Key West I believe. Something like that. He said he did have to discuss it on the phone with a flag officer after the dailies, but once he did it was all good. The best part of the interview to me was when they shot the aerial refueling sequence and the camera man sat in the tail of a modified B-24 or 26 or something and waved the pilot in close so be could touch the nose with his foot. He got a real shock out of it. :music_whistling: Oh, and the fact that the union van driver who drove the pilots back and forth made more per month than the pilots did :) <Salute> Punk

I am jealous now. I would do the Right side vertical Display Control and left side console DFCS, Fuel Mgmt and Engine Control Panels first and if you want the ACM panel from the top of the instrument panel if you feel up to working with the lights and pushbutton switches as well as the Left vertical Fuel and Landing gear lever and the top right side vertical Tail hook panel if you feel bold. Then I would go with the left side Fuel Mgmt and right side Master Generator, AC, External Environment Control, Master light Control, Master Test, and Hyd Transfer Pump panels later on. The really tough one might be the annunciator panel on the right side console. Other than NATOP drawings and photos I do not have any files of these items. I do have some measurements of a few cockpit items like eng temp, fuel and mach gauges that I can give you. Remember, the key to sizing them is that the side console panels should all be a standard 5 3/4 inches in width I believe. That is for the aluminum base plate, the cover plates are a little smaller in places and can be eyeballed for the most part. I have some pics of a real tail hook panel with a ruler overlaid using metric measurements that can be converted or used as is. Best of luck. <Salute> Punk

:Flush:

Jet Blast Deflectors if that is what you are asking. They raise up behind the aircraft taking off so people, aircraft and equipment behind them don't get toasted and/or blown backwards when the engines rev up. <Salute> Punk

Well, I sure am glad you are "Sure" that fallacious arguments strengthen your viewpoints and overwhelm your readers minds in support of your theories. As one of those whose judgement is clouded by passion you can write off anything 'I' have an opinion on :) In this case it almost assuredly can come down to one person or at least the wrong companies being given money if it makes you feel any better. Throughout it's life cycle, the Cats were constantly having their claws clipped and, "in the passionate view of this writer," was borderline negligent homicide since murder is a bit harsh and I am sure intent isn't easily provable when it comes down to it concerning the loss of preventable aircrew fatalities credited to the early engines. The lip service of flight hour and maintenance costs were the smoke screen used to cover the graft in my opinion. Your thoughts will differ since yours are so enormously more enlightened than mine, I am sure. Many reports by the people on the ground in the maintenance sections and squadrons who studied these were ignored when they showed drastic improvements over time as changes to logistics and maintenance procedures were introduced. Politics (or even greed if you like) killed the Cats, not a superior platform, period. Of course, as a passionate admirer, you can ignore my drivel. <Salute> Punk

As others note, but with a slightly different explanation according to http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-detail-fin.htm "The main purpose of the ventral fins on the underside of each engine of the F-14 is to enhance longitudinal stability together with the vertical tails. Also, they house the air intakes for the engine heat exchangers: Despite of what is written in a few books, both ventral fins house such an air intake. They are both on the same side of each ventral fin as shown in the photos below."

Really, and where do you find these items since I have only seen one on sale a few years ago, to late to bid since I only ran across the old add last year. Please post a link to the pages you have found, I am very interested in seeing them and perhaps doing something about them. Thanks, <Salute>

Hi guys, does anyone have a nice solid source for the side consoles angle of bank in the Tomcats? My memory keeps telling me 12 degrees, but I can't find the source material where I had originally found the info. Since I have already begun packing for an upcoming relocation to Texas a couple months from now everything is a mess here more than usual as one might imagine. Thanks gents. <Salute> Punk

Me too, if you don't already have someone I will fly RIO with you :) That goes for anyone once it comes out. If I am free, I will fly as RIO for anyone who wants one, I can't guarantee results yet though. PM me guys when you feel the need... oh, ehrr, I should finish that thought before some joker pipes up... ehrr, the need to kick the tires and go fast? Is that it? wait, was it something else...? well, I paraphrase :) Salute, Punk

As stated many times before, Grumman integrated A-G from the F-14s conception. It was US Navy policy which kept it from being used early on in the Tomcats life cycle. Leatherneck has already stated they are not sure if the "Bombcat" will be realized from initial release or come later as an add on. Most likely it will all depend on how much of the groundwork they have been able to make while working on higher priority projects up to now. I am sure as we get closer to release, they will let us know what will be released and if any future capabilities can be looked forward to. Salute, Punk

You guys will be rock stars if you can follow up on that info. I may have to rename all my children after you Cobra, lets just hope they don't like flute music and become distracted by charmers :)

Yeah, I have been asking for similar info for awhile now. See my post below. If you find dimensions and such, do please share. Good luck on your build, sounds like you have a better idea of how to get one done than I. Best regards, Punk.

There is really only one thing I want to hear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP-pQb3OSvw

I will be happy to if you tell me what books or sources you are citing. I have anywhere from 20-30 books on just the F-14 alone and as many interviews and documentaries as I have found on the subject. I am more than happy to learn any and everything on these airframes in particular, and most in general, and finding more in depth combat and evaluation information to an equal degree. The info about the scopes is extremely interesting, and I may remember hearing/reading of it, but not enough to post it as a fact or that the TCS view could pick out F-5/16/A-4 and other similar fighter sized AC at 30 NM, much less pull a pic out about the scopes like Mr Fringe (I have not forgot about your request Sir, I have some issues to get through before I can get to it) as I am not a subject matter expert nor have ever claimed to be one. I usually only post when I know I have source material somewhere I can fall back on which no one has done here who are making these claims for longer viewing distances. Inform me, but at least give me/us the background material so we can read and verify it too. I have not disputed anyone's claims that larger vehicles (Or Larger Fighters such as you described here) can be seen at longer distances so what is with the hostility? "Go back and read then." Not a helpful suggestion at all; go back and read Book X, or Document Y at WWW. xyz is much more helpful and much less aggressive or, at the very least, sarcastic. If you are an Ex Naval F-14 Aviator who has had your Mark-1 Eyeballs calibrated at military standards and have first hand knowledge, please state so, I do not know you from any other anonymous Homo sapiens sitting behind a keyboard somewhere in the wired world, and you will have my humblest apologies and utmost respect. If not, please back up statements that do not seem to be what is understood by the average layman so they can easily accept the generous and gracious sharing of your knowledge. I do not have the ocular experience of seeing any of the objects under discussion from a moving airborne platform of any kind, from any distance, under any meteorological conditions to the extent I can verify a given distance to a given sized object for positive identification.

Seeing something and being able to positively ID it as a certain airframe are two different things. and like BlackLion said, I also have never read/seen anywhere accounts of over 10 NM as a reliable distance for positive ID of a fighter sized AC on the TCS. I would not expect anything fighter sized to be more than a blurred mass at 30 NM.

I don't recall a VF-153 Tomcat squadron, though I think that squadron did fly Furies or Cougars or something in Korea. As I remember the squadrons assigned Cats over the years whether active/reserve/augmentation/evaluation/training were, and correct me if I am wrong please: VF-1 Wolfpack VF-2 Bounty Hunters VF-11 Red Rippers VF-14 Tophatters VF-21 Freelancers VF-24 Fighting Renegades VF-31 Tomcatters VF-32 Swordsmen VF-33 Starfighters VF-41 Black Aces VF-51 Screaming Eagles VF-74 Bedevilers VF-84 Jolly Rogers VF-101 Grim Reapers VF-102 Diamondbacks VF-103 Sluggers/Jolly Rogers VF-111 Sundowners VF-114 Aardvarks VF-126 Bandits VF-124 Gunfighters VF-142 Ghostriders VF-143 Pukin' Dogs VF-154 Black Knights VF-191 Satan's Kittens VF-194 Red Lightnings VF-201 Hunters VF-202 Superheats VF-211 Fighting Checkmates VF-213 Black Lions VF-301 Devil's Disciples VF-302 Stallions VF-1285 Fighting Fubijars VF-1485 Americans VF-1486 Fighting Hobos VX-4 Evaluators VX-9 Vampires VX-23 Salty Dogs VX-30 Bloodhounds Navy Fighter Weapons School NASA did use/evaluate one too, though I don't recall how long. If it was the 154th you meant, I agree, they did have a couple of nice schemes throughout the years as well. Choosing a single best looking Tomcat is backssawards if you ask me, it would be a little easier to choose a single worst "Ugly Betty" and leave it at that with the rest all tying for first. (You would have to include all the sub schemes and different policy periods and whether or not to differentiate or include the CAG or CO birds from the rest of the line birds and whether fresh off the line or returning from an extended tour at sea and if Iran's birds should be considered or not since on the outside they are still mostly Grumman.) Once that has been done, everyone could chip in and acquire poor old "Betty" and require that I, the ugliest, least skilled yet humble be forced to fly it day in and day out come hell or high water. What do you think, sound like a plan? :) *Edit* - NP Mr. Robert, I thought it might have been, otherwise I was hoping to learn something new. Salute!

He was a wild man for sure. Cuts his right thumb off messing around with the Tomcats gun after returning to the Navy (a useful body part for being a fighter pilot) so he tells the Doc to cut off his big toe and sew it on. Viola, healed up and off he went. You can just make out how big his thumb looks in this old post Navy news story. ${1} (if video doesn't play)

No, it really showed yours unfortunately. If you had thought more about it you might not have felt passive-aggressive sarcasm was the way to go. You might have laid out a well reasoned argument for the bird and provided a yes or no option. Don't blame him , this time blame yourself, what you thought was funny simply wasn't. Salute, Punk

Hi Top Jock, I don't recall exactly, I have gotten a few absolutely great deals and a few way too expensive ones. But I'd say they averaged a bit more than what you paid, which I think sounds like a pretty good price especially since you are in Europe with the extra costs and all. I see many going for around $200 or so minus postage which can vary greatly. Nice buy TJ. :thumbup: Salute, Punk PS... They are big, if I did it again, I think I would go for the 1/72 ones, less space and more paint schemes offered and some have movable wings and such I believe.

Die-cast planes from Franklin Mint mostly if I remember right. Salute, Punk

That would be helpful when it comes time to have some made.

Please don't do that any more, you're going to bankrupt a disabled vet :( Did you get the gauges? I didn't go all in because they were broken, but I should have got them anyway. Any questions you have I will do the best to answer for you Sir, anytime. Just shoot me a pm and I'll give my email if you like. I sure will, though I am hoping not to have to take too much apart. This is not something I am going to jump into though, will be a project for next year. For now I think I am just going to build a stand for it and dream about flying :) I may have a problem when it comes to those Grumman birds... I am running out of space :( Mostly the East Coast with a TDY spare :) West coast hangout Place to play online to be replaced with a sim pit some day Salute, Punk

In a perfect world I will. Not sure, I have a ton of ideas going through right now, but ideally, I hope to convert it and perhaps add some servo motors for auto throttle if possible. If worse comes to worst, I might use it as a blue print to reverse engineer a usable controller using this and the POS F-14 throttle I had a company make for me at an outrageous cost that started falling apart the first time I tried to use it. We will see what happens, it will be a project for next year I think. Salute, Punk

Christmas came early this year. Will need to finish off new grips, but I hope to turn this into a usable piece or basis for building a better throttle from. Salute, Punk

As I understand the gist of it, it was politically motivated with the financial aspects used as the excuse, though the financial aspects were what drove the political motivations. That means the money was going to the wrong people.