Uxi

So every time I'm cruising at 400+ with tanks, I'm breaking NATOPS?

Looking gorgeous with great attention to detail. Can't decide which I like the most since I like them all. The medium gray is the freshest look but hard to fault any of them. Will love displaying some and cycling through others in a campaign. I understand your reasons though would encorage Theodore Roosevelt markings since we have that one in the game.

569 Bulkhead? Supposedly it was high strength aluminum but changed to titanium for new build F-14B and F-14D.

There are others fit the Hobbymaster. Lots of hi viz schemes I'm not as interested in. Best F-14D is VF-32 can swap the two front pallets with Phoenix, GBU-12 or GBU-31. There is a nice VF-24 F-14B, too.

I have too many tanks to build in my model stash, so have taken to buying Hobbymaster F-14's. Trying to avoid having 5 or 6 of them but it seems inevitable. Then I want a VF-84 F-4 to compare with the F-14A... and of course, need an F-14D to join the F-14A and F-14B. And then they come out with another VF-84 F-14A I want (in addition to some of the 80s versions which are too expensive for me to contemplate right now). EDIT: Well, spoke too soon. Was able to get one of my grails for about half the price lightly used compared to what it usually goes for new. Not normally a big fan of the full Phoenix load out but love this paint scheme (2nd favorite compared to the 87-89 version with the big roundel). https://hobbymastercollector.com/HA5219.html

AWG-9 there would be tradeoffs due to modernity versus the range. AWG-9 arguably superior to APG-65. APG-73 could not utilize the Phoenix to max range even if the plane could carry it. APG-71 would be superior to both by far. Had huge potential and surface was relatively barely scratched and would have continued to grow the Eagle multi-stage improvement program. AN/APG-79 is way too advanced to be a fair comparison.

NOW you're talking. Whole squadron? My SSD weeps while I cheer.

Does the base software auto update or always manual installer? Contemplating if I want to go to the beta or if will be able to get response from F-14A if I just wait until no longer beta?

Yeah the Tomcat one is nice but incomplete and not talking to the Supercarrier on the final grade. Keeping a record of landings on the board is hopefully on the list for the squadron ready room TBD.

No problem with a checkbox in the ME or settings to have a slider and/or "unlimited" check box in server settings maybe for those who like Air Quake, though at least a budget counter in ME/Campaign would be nice for those who care about more realism. Cold War gone hot would be limited by production ability as much as anything...

I was doing one of the IA dogfights and all my attitude indicators (HUD, VDI, and standby) were broken when I was done and had to land with it showing at almost 45 degrees. Is there any way to do know if over G caused it? I am inclined to first thing bugs unfortunately. I thought the hypoxia from not turning on my oxygen (since it's not listed in the assisted startup walkthrough) was a graphics glitch, for example.

The logistics issue never really comes up and no way to track in game, but how many Phoenix would a carrier have? Could they equip both Tomcat squadrons with 6 Phoenix and still have any reload capacity? Bio's book said they crossdecked new AIM-54C in the turnover from Constellation to Ranger for Earnest Will in May 1987, but that was a new missile then... or did they always do that?

That was because of ROE requiring visual ID, which meant the Phoenix wasn't the right tool. No doubt they could have a good number of kills if unleashed.

Two more downloads. No monotone low viz from 90 to 91 or the black tails with gray/white nacelle stripe from 1992-94? ;)

ED has to do it as part of Supercarrier. Even their non HB F-14A (low res) would do the same thing in the mission editor. Seconded, though. Along with chocks and chains.

Seems more than 2 was extremely rare. I was surprised from Bio's Tomcat Rio book that one of VF-2's standard loadouts for Earnest Will was an asymmetrical 3 sidewinder, 2 sparrow and 1 phoenix.

I'm all for historical and accuracy in the layouts, especially for specific missions and campaigns and easy to to control in single player. Ultimately though in multiplayer, it is a game as much a simulation. People are not going to sit at their computer for Alert 5 and Alert 15, and most won't be on standby during missions. Thank God, but we don't actually have to do do all the paperwork, or administrative sides of the squadron, either and there effectively is no maintenance (though a nice touch, don't suspect many would deplane and watch their ground crew take the bird below for repairs). Rightly or wrongly, they invested some effort in the hangar bay which would otherwise never be seen, and it does make sense as an 'overflow' area especially for crowded MP servers. Few if any servers go 24 hours either usually rebooting every 8 to 12 hours, and while an epic campaign simulating that would be nice, we'll probably never see actual layout changes, either, so barring something like Red Kite's system built in for flavor on an individual mission are probably never going to see that. I definitely would hope we can get some tractors and ground crew animations, let the AI handle if a player selects the option to deplane, have the animated pilot come down the ladder and then let him walk around as after an ejection. Or for those not interested, just select the ready room option from the menu and poof. De-arm area with the ordinance guys and some generic weapons animations, grapes hooking up hoses when we select to refuel. All should be doable.

I'm not super fond of the Christmas livery but will fly them in the Christmas Octave.

They were strange at first but growing on me and switching between the two notice. On a regular F2, it's too close, though. Best noticed on an F3 flyby or zoomed out. The TF30 have much of a whine to them while the F110 are deeper.

The logic is already there for AI, which not only pushback but also puts wheel chocks, the covers on the intakes, engine nozzles, HUD, etc), deploys the ladder and the pilot appears next to it in the hangar, and so just need a menu option to turn it over to the ground crew for staging and then the animation for the tractor and perhaps pilot to climb down and then let you walk around like after you eject. Ideally it would be after the de-arm area (animated weapon cart could drive up and then poof the weapons are gone), though ideally there could be an animation of some generic missiles or bombs coming down. Similar for fueling ops. An animation for some grapes to come up and hook up hoses, etc. Would be much easier to have video cues to avoid "Hey, what are you doing?!" All of this on the top ideal, with planes being taken below by ground crew for repairs (which need not be animated, though if it was some generic animation by ground crews would be a nice touch). Instancing would alleviate load concerns. I'd love to be able to have the option to walk to the ready room... or in the interests of brevity just select a menu option and poof in the ready room.

Just took a nice training flight with the 89 Jolly Rogers. Marvelous work!

Can't wait for these. Your VF-32 and VF-103 sets are my mainstays for the F-14B right now, though also enjoying the VF-143 by Swordsman422.

Not a bad idea! Best solution would be to have the ship name be dynamic (as well as the modex) with a set default but changing to the carrier it's placed on/near in mission editor, starting with a default skin (say Checkmates) and expanding to at least selected others since there appear to be many different styles and schemas for it to be universal.

My favorites! These should be included by HB. Enter them in the contest? Can't wait for Fear the Bones!

The existing skins DO work fine just copy them over, though they may have details wrong (especially model and build number under the nacelle for those guys who are detailed about such things), until they make them. With the contest, there will soon be a good many in the download section. Until then plenty of A model squadron schemes for the B, for which there's a Top Gun scheme in there I already have in my A folder as well as one of my favorite low vis VF-84 schemes (which has F-14B under the nacelle but will hold me over until the Fear the Bones campaign comes out): https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.c...hrase_id=54681 and the Top Gun: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.c...hrase_id=76338