Top Jockey

Ok, turning up the general volume (first slider), I was able to hear the airframe stress sound in the background. However the sound itself is very background, and is greatly muffled by the engines sound. Is there any way to increase the airframe stress volume itself (editing some file) ? Thank you.

I didn't explain myself correctly then. I'm not trying to listen the sounds from the external views (F2). I only refered to them as "external", as I imagine that just like them, the airframe stress sound is a sound made in the "exterior" of the cockpit (made by the airframe itself). Which, I expect to listen from the cockpit obviously... just like the others I mentioned.

Thank you, @Naquaii, Some aspects I've noticed (may not be 100 % correct all of them): - aiming the AIM-54 with the ADL ( + ) for the "Boresight shot", causes the missile to fail tracking more than 90 % of the times for me; (I suppose it is because in that situation the missile will be looking at too low an angle regarding the target.) - indeed I'm having more succes with the: pitch indicator / aircraft wings / waterline symbol " W " ; - like you said, it also comes a bit slow of the rail, it also does fall a bit (compared to an AIM-9 launch) which doesn't help; - if like mentioned above, the AIM-54's FOV cone really is 5º ... that might be the main difficulty to aiming correctly. So far I've only managed to hit straight line flying targets, like a Tu-160, and sometimes it really seems the missile never was correctly pointed at the target.

Thank you @draconus, You nailed it - there it is: "SevereAirframeStress". Believe me; I bought the HB F-14 in 2019, I have more than 200 flight hours in it, and never, ever managed to hear that sound. In game (external) sounds I notice easily : - engines - canopy open / close - gun / missile launch - enemy aircraft exploding / being hit by missile (if very close) - own aircraft being hit by bullets or missiles - landings - etc... ... but the airframe stress sound, I never noticed. Should I get the "external environment" sounds higher at the options ? Strange thing also, the main menu game window F-14 wallpaper doesn't have music either when all my ohter modules do have ?

Really ? Never noticed it ... is there a folder where that sound is, so I can listen it ?

Do you mean rattle from moving the throttle grip and such ? Regarding sounds, a little note to the devs - I recall from another Tomcat PC sim (from mid 90's) : - when pulling high G's at a somewhat high speed ( above 400 kts IAS ? ), it was possible to hear a distinct metallic creak from the outside; - that creak had roughly 2 seconds duration, I suppose it could be wing flex / variable sweep mechanisms working ? It did add to the immersion factor.

The same here; for me much of the Tomcat 'charisma' comes from its archaic HUD symbology, avionics and 'pure' Aerial warfare role. However, to each his own, so I can understand that many people also appreciate the F-14D variant.

Hello again @IronMike, I was experimenting until I eventually find the correct procedure, with much more rate of success : Reference to correctly point the AIM-54 in ACM / Boresight / Maddog mode : - the "Aircraft Reticle" or "Pitch Indicator", symbol ( w ) in the HUD Not exactly the the ADL ( + ); this was my mistake, and why the target was outside the missile's FOV. Neither the flight path indicator - you mean that one which only appears in Landing mode (velocity vector) ? Reference to correctly point the AIM-7 in ACM / Boresight / Maddog mode : - the ADL ( + ) edit Regarding the AIM-54 aiming reference it does make sense (to me), as the missile is carried with a pitch-down angle in the Tomcat, when compared with the AIM-9 and AIM-7. What is your and the team opinion on this ?

Hello, Well I must be doing something wrong, because either with: - ACM switch flipped-up or; - BRST mode slected, the AIM-54 doesn't track its target... even with me getting the ADL always centered on target; - selecting PH active with RIO, doesn't help either. ( The AIM-7 works perfectly though. ) Any suggestions ?

Didn't know that and, pretty sure I never used that mode yet. Man... I loved the F-14 exactly since the first time I knew it, but is it a complex bird or what...

Wouldn't the OP be refering to another issue - regarding DLC use when landing, which : - if the DLC is not tweaked correclty after landing, can indeed cause the inner flaps to not retract completely and get stuck at 28 % position ? Because I've noticed it only happens to me after landing since I'm using the DLC.

Very well. In my DCS pilot's log I have + 900 Carrier Landings in the F-14A and + 600 in the F-14B. I'll admit, a great part of those landings with many 'bad habits', procedures wise. (TOPGUN Fire at Will, and SF2: North Atlantic, were much more simplified than DCS.) For instance: - I have the F-14 since 2019, and only very recently I've started to use DLC system for the first time; (only use it in quick engage / disengage fashion, as my TWCS throttle's pinky wheel isn't very 'healthy') - never did the correct route - upwind, crosswind, downwind, and base leg... 100 % of the times I go directly to final approach; - majority of the times, when 3 or 4 seconds before catching the deck wires, I suddenly found myself slightly above the glide slope - causing me to apply airbrake, reduce power and slam the aircraft in the deck... causing the tailhook to rebound up and fail to grab a wire; ... came to read about it and there it was - "Carrier wake turbulence, burble / bounce effect" ; then I understood the DLC's utility and started using it. (Recently I ended up disabling the "wake turbulence" in the options.) Even though, the Carrier Landings don't cease to amaze me.

That I didn't know... maybe overlooked it sometime, as many of the steps for manual / pilot controled landings I already know from long ago. But I meant specificaly the ACLS landings - many Open Betas ago the DLC wasn't mandatory, and now it is.

Exactly ! Came to that conclusion by mere chance after trial and error today. As in the last times I did ACLS landings (many months ago - many Open Betas ago), employing the DLC wasn't a mandatory step of the procedures. Some doubts: - why is it necessary to engage DLC, in order to get the " AP / CPLR " light on ? - is this step in any manual ? Heatblur or Chuck's manual ? Thank you.

About real life tests, I don't have the slightest idea. Sure, the conditions are optimistic (only 2 Phoenixes left, no external fuel tanks, low internal fuel); but what I was testing is the maximum achievable speeds of the missile. And regarding speed, indeed it is somewhat 'easy' to attain the known figures: ~ Mach 4.3.

Last week this subject, specifically the part concerning the AIM-54 max speed caught my attention. So today I've done some little tests without much effort, and after some calculations, let me tell you - I didn't get disappointed ! Started an edited mission, performing long range intercept of a Tu-95 Bomber, on the conditions at missile launch moment: - launching aircraft speed: ~ 1.8 Mach - launching aircraft altitude: ~ 45.000 ft, in a ~ 15º pitch-up climb Results: When still climbing at roughly 80.000 ft, the AIM-54 achieved aproximately 2.450 kts (True Air Speed). Which, if I'm not mistaken after the due calculations, equates to: Mach 4.27 From my perspective, the AIM-54's speed performance in DCS do match the officially known figures. ( Even more, when considering I'm not the most proficicent guy to employ the best test conditions. )

Thank you all for your insight on this, but (not in front of my gamming PC now) if I recal correctly: - at the Pilot's front seat the "visual effect" you are mentioning, doesn't happen while zooming in or out ...

Neither did I say it is for the RIO to look at. Really ? So in real life, as one is getting away from the HUD, the symbols are getting magnified ? I do find that hard to believe.

Hello, Would like to call your attention for the issue mentioned in the title: - the pilot's HUD symbols font size (dimensions) are too big, when viewed from the RIO's backseat - as shown in the blue ellipse at the picture attached. Is it possible to correct this ? Thank you.

Very good, that I didn't know. Believe it or not, I've never played any DCS campaign so far, 100 % of my time is on edited Single Missions... When I do have spare time I must try one of the Campagins for the first time, since evryone talks about them. So from what you say, are the HB campaings using the CV-59 Forrestal instead ?

The CV-60 Saratoga would be interesting for me... once upon a time in 1975, it had a brief and slight political influence in my country's ( Portugal ) history. ( Operation Locked Gate-75. )

Very good, thank you !

Hello Rudel_chw, I'll be damned... saw your link and that's exactly that ! Never thought it could be that, thought instead it could be some kind of external reservoirs. Used the CVN-74 John C. Stennis for a long time, and ultimately I've been using the CV-59 Forrestal, which I find very interesting with its own 'old-school' characteristics, very good work the DCS model indeed. Thank you.

Hello everyone, By mere curiosity does anyone know what are those small, gray, cylindrical shape tanks (dozens of them), around the Forrestal's deck, both at starboard and portboard ? Thank you.

Hello @Bungo, How is this project going ? All the best.