Longiron Posted April 26, 2019 Posted April 26, 2019 (edited) TwoPass• 1y How often did you use the TCS and who operated it, the RIO or pilot? 12 TomcatRIO • 1y The F-14A did not have a TCS. We had a location where it was supposed to be under the nose of the aircraft but we never had one installed. To get around this short coming every pilot would checkout a rifle scope from maintenance when we manned up. The scope was bolted to the top of the pilot's instrument panel and sighted on the ADL (armament Data Line) of HUD. The pilot used it to ID a target once he put it on the ADL. He could also take it off and use it by hand. We used it Are you kidding me? Do we get rifle scopes in the F-14A? Edited April 26, 2019 by Longiron Cause I have fat thumbs
Gunslinger22 Posted April 26, 2019 Posted April 26, 2019 The F-14A most certainly had the TCS system, or TVSU as I believe it was initially called. But I question the source of this, maybe he was talking about his squadron at the time? As many F-14A’s had the bullet fairing installed when the camera was not available. "I'm just a dude, playing a dude, disguised as another dude."
Longiron Posted April 26, 2019 Author Posted April 26, 2019 That’s the article, seems legitimate to me but what do I know.
Rick50 Posted April 26, 2019 Posted April 26, 2019 Wow, been so long I'd forgotten all about this! But I do remember hearing about this kind of thing back in the 1980's, might have been stories about the 1970's era though. I seem to recall that this might have been done a little by a handful of Phantom drivers in the Nam era... but memory hazy on that.
AvroLanc Posted April 26, 2019 Posted April 26, 2019 F-15s were still using rifle scopes during Desert Storm in ‘91.
bonesvf103 Posted April 26, 2019 Posted April 26, 2019 Looking at the RIO's bio, it is possible that he had an F-14A without the AXX-1 TCS. There were several F-14As that only had the IR sensor on it, such as this one from VF-111: https://www.prettyplanesphotos.com/f14/f140181_er.jpg He probably flew in those kinds. Some of them, like the one the RIO mentioned, had a spot for it but it was covered up with what was called a bullet fairing, such as the ones shown here: https://pacificcoastairmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/f14a-tomcat-pcam-00.jpg http://change-index.com/prnama/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2-31-1024x318@2x.jpg https://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/grumman-f-14a-tomcat-fighter-jet-plane-7d11216-wingsdomain-art-and-photography.jpg I personally don't remember seeing F-14As with the TCS until around the time "Top Gun" came out in 1986. v6, boNes "Also, I would prefer a back seater over the extra gas any day. I would have 80 pounds of flesh to eat and a pair of glasses to start a fire." --F/A-18 Hornet pilot
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