Is the WCS supposed to shoot missiles off the same side of the airframe?

[Callsign JoNay]

I'm sure this has probably been brought up on the forum before, but I couldn't find a thread about it. Is the F-14 supposed to shoot all the missiles off the same side of the jet in this way? Is this how it was in real life?

I know you can somewhat manage it by pressing the weapon select switch on the sidewinder before shooting, but at best you're still left with the two heaviest missiles on the same side of the jet.

[DSplayer]

5 hours ago, Callsign JoNay said:

I'm sure this has probably been brought up on the forum before, but I couldn't find a thread about it. Is the F-14 supposed to shoot all the missiles off the same side of the jet in this way? Is this how it was in real life?

I know you can somewhat manage it by pressing the weapon select switch on the sidewinder before shooting, but at best you're still left with the two heaviest missiles on the same side of the jet.

IIRC it fires from left to right, back to front. And since you had 2 Sparrows (which fired the left one first) and then you fired 3/4 Phoenixes, you ended up with your last missiles on the right side of your plane.

[Callsign JoNay]

Right, I know what happened. I'm just surprised Grumman couldn't program something into the system to adjust the sequence so the plane stays as balanced as possible. Like if the crew shoots a Sparrow first, have some programming that changes the Phoenix order so it deploys from right to left.

Or an even easier solution, just program the Phoenix to deploy left to right, and the Sparrow to deploy right to left. Problem solved.

Just trying to confirm if this is really how the Tomcat was, or if it's something still being worked on by HB. 

[RustBelt]

Grumman put roll trim on the stick for that.

[Callsign JoNay]

So helpful.

The question is...

Is this intended/realistic behavior, or not? Im looking for an answer from HB, or someone in the know.

[RustBelt]

As it lists in NTRP 3-22.4-f14ABD - Store limitations(appendix A):

AIM-7 Default launch sequence is 1B, 8B, 4, 5, 3, 6

AIM-9 Default Launch Sequence is 1A, 8A, 1B, 8B

AIM-54 Default Launch Sequence is 1B, 8B, 4, 5, 3, 6

With 3, 6 being the front row and 4,5 being the back row.

 

So you shot 1 AIM-9

1A

One AIM-7

1B

and 3 Aim-54

4, 5, 3

Leaving you with an AIM-54 on 6, an AIM-7 on 8B and an AIM-9 on 8A

They do note "Default Launch Sequence is affected by MAS/MOAT degrades and Missile model. For Details to paragraph 33.2.7.2 of NAVAIR 01-F14AAA-1A"

So if you have the magic -1A nobody can get their hands on you could learn more, but Missile Auxiliaries Subsystem and Missile On Aircraft Test are in the "not modeled BIT test sequence for the RIO" category. 

You have a lot of confidence in 1969 tape based first IC computer technology to think the WCS in the tomcat would have the overhead to worry about keeping the missiles "balanced".

[Naquaii]

The missile launch sequence is set and doesn't change unless the MOAT assesses a missile as degraded in which case it might be dropped all together or launched last. The remaining payload in the OP photo isn't that unbalanced as the fuselage stations are so close to center line as to matter little.

[Callsign JoNay]

So correct as is. Thanks for the verification guys.

[Zaphael]

Load balancing missiles? Maybe Tomcat don't care. RIO does when dropping bombs maybe? 

[draconus]

15 hours ago, Zaphael said:

RIO does when dropping bombs maybe?

Bombs are almost always under belly so no issue here and for fuselage-mounted A2G stores, the default sequencing is 4, 5, 3, 6 (back: left-right; front: left-right).

Edited July 28, 2022 by draconus

[henshao]

F-15 also launches missiles in a similar fashion (IRL right sparrows then left sparrows) so I assume this is perhaps a drag concern (2 missiles carried in line pay drag penalty only once)