F-14A/B Flight Model Tuning - Guided Discussion

[IronMike]

LET'S TURN AND BURN


 

Hi Everyone!

 

Currently, the Heatblur team is undertaking a large effort to refine and finalise the flight modelling of the F-14 Tomcat. In the previous update, the changes delivered were exclusively for the F-14A; the TF-30 powered version of the aircraft. The overall goal of this tuning pass was to even more closely match published performance data and ensure that the F-14A performs as it did in reality. The Heatblur F-14A is now even more accurate in how it maintains energy states across the whole flight envelope, meaning more accurate performance while manoeuvring.

 

Further refinements include an overhaul of some of the intrinsic behaviour of the aircraft, such as wing rock. Wing rock in the Tomcat is now more pronounced and accurate to reality, and associated buffeting has also been improved to be more in tune with the real aircraft.

 

The flight modelling refinements for the F-14A are now practically complete and the team is focusing on the F-14B, the F110 engine powered variant of the Tomcat.

 

We thus figured we’d write-up a full and detailed breakdown of the latest DCS: F-14 flight modelling changes, our assumptions, methodologies and some of the theory behind the why and how.

 

F-14 Flight Model Tuning - Part I - click to read. We hope you enjoy!

full link:
https://heatblur.se/fmupdate/

 

We love to share and learn together as a community and enthusiasts, and considering these changes impact the way you fly and fight the F-14; why not have you be part of this last step of our development journey. We’ve spent a considerable amount of time recently perfecting and tuning the last parts of the flight model for our F-14. As mentioned above, we’ve focused entirely on the F-14A first; the TF-30 powered version of the aircraft. To give you a better overview of the how and why, let’s do a quick deep dive and give you some background (pls follow the link above).

 

 

F-14 Flight Model Future

 

With this process nearing completion, the F-14A flight model is nearly in a fully finished state. The journey has been long, initially focusing on handling qualities with our very dedicated pilot SME, Victory205. We wanted to get those out of the way first to make sure handling was correct, with extra time spent focusing on handling qualities around the boat to ensure a very authentic carrier trapping experience. In the near future we will update the following FM items:
 

• AOA buffet update to be more realistic (new checkbox option) - will be included in  DCS Patch April 13th 2023
• Finish performance tuning for F-14B - will be included in  DCS Patch April 13th 2023
• Improve ground handling
• Misc minor handling qualities and performance updates as needed

Of course the biggest of the items above is to finish a similar pass to the above for the F-14B; also fine-tuning the performance to perfectly match the available data and plots. We’ll chime in with another flight modelling update focusing on the F-14B results once we’re ready!

 

If you have questions or just want to leave your feedback or else discuss the new performance and FM changes, feel free to discuss here. As always, we're looking forward to your input!

 

Thanks for reading, and for your support – we hope you enjoy this deep dive, especially as a precursor to similar articles for the DCS: F-4E, DCS: A-6E and Eurofighter aircraft.

 

Sincerely,

Team Heatblur

 

EDIT April 13th, 2023:

- Adding Performance and FM Changes to F-14B, inlcuding level flight acceleration, turn performance and top speed and access power across the flight envelope.

 

Feel free to also join the official Heatblur Simulations Discord and discuss with us there: https://discord.gg/heatblur-simulations 

Edited April 12, 2023 by IronMike

[Germane]

A really very good report

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Very impressive, thank you! 

[Skarp]

Does this mean the stores drag in the engine wells are fixed in the F14A?

[IronMike]

39 minutes ago, Skarp said:

Does this mean the stores drag in the engine wells are fixed in the F14A?

The stores drag has been fixed indeed, it needed to happen before the FM could be tuned.

Stores drag was tuned by type and station and it generally correlates to the drag index data in NATOPS.

Edited March 31, 2023 by IronMike

[joker62]

5 hours ago, IronMike said:

We thus figured we’d write-up a full and detailed breakdown of the latest DCS: F-14 flight modelling changes, our assumptions, methodologies and some of the theory behind the why and how.

This report is really impressive and I think it should be digested slowly, at least for me. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to trying these FM refinements with the F-14B as well.

5 hours ago, IronMike said:

We wanted to get those out of the way first to make sure handling was correct, with extra time spent focusing on handling qualities around the boat to ensure a very authentic carrier trapping experience.

This's particularly interesting to me. I bought F-14 at the end of January and I haven't stopped flying it since. But I noticed that the bolter percentage is much higher than with FA-18C. Still, I'm thrilled with this aircraft. Excellent work. I will look forward to these future updates as well.

[DSplayer]

Oooo fancy new website.

[draconus]

8 hours ago, IronMike said:

AOA buffet update to be more realistic (new checkbox option)

I can only assume what can it be but... thank you

[fat creason]

20 minutes ago, draconus said:

I can only assume what can it be but... thank you

It's going to be more like a step function than the linear increase we have now.

[fat creason]

6 hours ago, Skarp said:

Does this mean the stores drag in the engine wells are fixed in the F14A?

The stores drag was adjusted a while ago using drag index data from the F-14 NATOPS. We obviously couldn't adjust the actual drag of the missiles or else it would affect the missile performance, but we found a way to adjust individual stores drag while they're attached based on the station where they're mounted. The recessed Sparrows have the least drag while attached to the aircraft.

[phant]

Am I wrong or is the F-14A-95-GR version not mentioned at all in the latest NL?

 

Bye
Phant

[Skarp]

2 hours ago, fat creason said:

The stores drag was adjusted a while ago using drag index data from the F-14 NATOPS. We obviously couldn't adjust the actual drag of the missiles or else it would affect the missile performance, but we found a way to adjust individual stores drag while they're attached based on the station where they're mounted. The recessed Sparrows have the least drag while attached to the aircraft.

Awesome ! Can’t wait for the B update too.

[RaisedByWolves]

What about glove vanes?

[fat creason]

1 hour ago, RaisedByWolves said:

What about glove vanes?

They’ll be visual only if anything, no FM changes planned.

[Panny]

The reduction in stores drag has been great. The F-14A can really get to speed with phoenixes now. From deck to 45k feet m1.4 in four and a half minutes, with 2/2/2 or 6 minutes with 4/2/2 and bags 

Before you'd struggle to break the sound barrier

[fat creason]

4 hours ago, Panny said:

The reduction in stores drag has been great. The F-14A can really get to speed with phoenixes now. From deck to 45k feet m1.4 in four and a half minutes, with 2/2/2 or 6 minutes with 4/2/2 and bags 

Before you'd struggle to break the sound barrier

This is because of the flight model tuning, the stores drag has been unchanged for a fairly long time.

[captain_dalan]

20 hours ago, fat creason said:

It's going to be more like a step function than the linear increase we have now.

And the checkbox means its optional? Like DCS burble is?

[draconus]

19 minutes ago, captain_dalan said:

Like DCS burble is?

Tomcat has its own burble and wake turbulence always on afaik.

[captain_dalan]

On 4/1/2023 at 9:23 PM, draconus said:

Tomcat has its own burble and wake turbulence always on afaik.

Yep, but i was referring to the checkbox
As in, is it optional or not  (DCS burble is) ?

Edited April 3, 2023 by captain_dalan

[Lieuie]

3 hours ago, captain_dalan said:

Yep, but i was referring to the checkbox
As in, is it optional or not  (DCS burble is) ?

 

As I understand it, yes. Although I don't get why.

[draconus]

6 hours ago, captain_dalan said:

DCS burble is

It isn't (for Tomcat) - I was refering to that.

[JCTherik]

7 hours ago, draconus said:

It isn't (for Tomcat) - I was refering to that.

Tomcat burble is always on?!?

[draconus]

35 minutes ago, JCTherik said:

Tomcat burble is always on?!?

Tomcat has its own burble and wake turbulence always on - HB advises to turn off DCS wake turbulence option when flying Tomcat.

[Spartan111sqn]

2 hours ago, draconus said:

Tomcat has its own burble and wake turbulence always on - HB advises to turn off DCS wake turbulence option when flying Tomcat.

For a better simulation you recommend to turn it off?

[draconus]

11 minutes ago, Spartan111sqn said:

For a better simulation you recommend to turn it off?

That's what they say, right @IronMike?