F-14B(?) Upgrade as featured in DCS 2025 video

VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants · January 16

Any insight?

bfr · January 16

Looks like the Sparrowhawk cockpit upgrade that was hinted at a few weeks ago.

Sknusk · January 16

Check this out from HB discord

scommander2 · January 16

According to the discord HB F-14 channel, few people mentioned it and it seems that it is possible but there is no timeline.

I guess that HB works on 135GR first (I remembered that it mentioned in one of threads).

F-14A (Early) - 135GR on Heatblur Public Roadmap | Trello

Edited January 16 by scommander2

Mnemonic · January 16

Oh wow, this is epic…

VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants · January 16

More info of what this upgrade is, please.

Q3ark · January 16

Did the F14B(U) have the digital fly by wire system too?

scommander2 · January 16

few questions asked in discord about B(U) included mime:

Sorry, I wish that HB could show us their timeline so that we have a "kind of" confirmation.

Edited January 16 by scommander2

ValhallaAB · January 16

It seems to ''only'' be the F-14B(U) upgrade, things such as a fully collimated HUD for the pilot, NOT a Kaiser HUD like the F-14D which also included 2x MFD's and movement of the whole cockpit setup, the RIO gets the PTID (NO MFD DDD upgrade and (maybe) no sensor (the old flare handguard on the top of the DDD) upgrade too) and a new left leg panel which I have little to no knowlege about but looks like an upgraded CAP (Computer Adress Panel)

IT IS NOT THE SAME HUD LIKE THIS PICTURE

Convoy · January 16

2 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

few questions asked in discord about B(U) included mime:

It honestly has to be made official now. Leaks, Official ED video, Official pics. It's too late to turn back now. Every Tomcat fan is drooling at this point. I can't even imagine the <profanity>storm if they say no now.

1 minute ago, ValhallaAB said:

It seems to ''only'' be the F-14B(U) upgrade, things such as a fully collimated HUD for the pilot, NOT a Kaiser HUD like the F-14D which also included 2x MFD's and movement of the whole cockpit setup, the RIO gets the PTID (NO MFD DDD upgrade and (maybe) no sensor (the old flare handguard on the top of the DDD) upgrade too) and a new left leg panel which I have little to no knowlege about but looks like an upgraded CAP (Computer Adress Panel)

IT IS NOT THE SAME HUD LIKE THIS PICTURE

That's the F-14D. We were shown the B(u)

scommander2 · January 16

This one?

LanceCriminal86 · January 16

29 minutes ago, Q3ark said:

Did the F14B(U) have the digital fly by wire system too?

Not fly-by-wire, it replaces the AFCS and works to curb a few undesired tendencies the Tomcat has at high AOA and low speed. But to some pilots it was like training wheels. It was mainly to prevent dangerous situations that would lead to flat spins.

ValhallaAB · January 16

4 minutes ago, Convoy said:

That's the F-14D. We were shown the B(u)

I specifically stated that it was in fact not that which was shown. So people don't think GIB F-14D!!! because to most people the only difference is some pilot/rio MFD's and IRST, maybe maybe people see the difference of the PTID in the B(u) and D but not all. All B(u)'s didn't use the new HUD and all D models didn't have PTIDS. Atleast during early deployments.

D without PTID, D with Sensor Panel, B(u) without pilot HUD, B(u) without new CAP (Computer Adress Panel) upgrade (left knee) with no new HUD too. Also different HCU's on many. The easy difference is the DDD.

ValhallaAB · January 16

21 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

This one?

No, the bar above, This (see below), it is a D specific upgrade (AFAIK) so no new DDD and no new sensor panel + MFD's HCU etc = No D. After that we can speculate about release date and functions. Would love to see a new Lantirn or TCS quality or more customizable meny for color and clarity because of the new screen.

Edited January 16 by ValhallaAB

MRSHADO · January 17

3 hours ago, ValhallaAB said:

I specifically stated that it was in fact not that which was shown. So people don't think GIB F-14D!!! because to most people the only difference is some pilot/rio MFD's and IRST, maybe maybe people see the difference of the PTID in the B(u) and D but not all. All B(u)'s didn't use the new HUD and all D models didn't have PTIDS. Atleast during early deployments.

D without PTID, D with Sensor Panel, B(u) without pilot HUD, B(u) without new CAP (Computer Adress Panel) upgrade (left knee) with no new HUD too. Also different HCU's on many. The easy difference is the DDD.

I am not really following any of this or how any of it relevant to the video. And I apologize in advance if I completely missed your intention of the post.
However, [Top to Bottom], your first picture is:

1. An F-14A/B with PTID. (Notable by the pilot's ACM panel).
Second picture is:
2. Most likely an F-14D(R) - R for retrofit. It has the Digital Display (DD) for the APG-71. (This retrofit appears to have not received a PTID).
Third...
3. Clearly an F-14D with DD, PTID and the Sensor Slave panel (or whatever its called)
lastly, fourth...
4. F-14A - VF-154 Black Knights never flew anything else. BKR next to the PTID - Black Knights Rule.

Edited January 17 by MRSHADO
Grammar Nut

ebabil · January 17

too good to be true. one of the best module gets upgraded

VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants · January 17

So, allow me to ask again, what is F-14B(U) shown in the Beyond video?

andrewd251 · January 17

Did any F14A get the retrofitted hud ?

MRSHADO · January 17

2 hours ago, VR Flight Guy in PJ Pants said:

So, allow me to ask again, what is F-14B(U) shown in the Beyond video?

I think the best synopsis of the F-14B Upgrade (U) program was given by KewlerMouh

Q3ark · January 17

2 hours ago, MRSHADO said:

I think the best synopsis of the F-14B Upgrade (U) program was given by KewlerMouh

That was a good read, I’m buzzing for an F14B(U)

Spino · January 17

19 hours ago, ValhallaAB said:

I specifically stated that it was in fact not that which was shown. So people don't think GIB F-14D!!! because to most people the only difference is some pilot/rio MFD's and IRST, maybe maybe people see the difference of the PTID in the B(u) and D but not all. All B(u)'s didn't use the new HUD and all D models didn't have PTIDS. Atleast during early deployments.

You forgot the radar, the APG-71 in the F-14D was much much better than the AWG-9 in the earlier Tomcat variants. My understanding is that it paired the digital processing modules of the APG-70 with the antenna of the AWG-9, so if we ever had an F-14D in DCS its radar would perform more like the one in the F-15E, but with greater range (although lacking the ground attack modes obviously).

My question is, is this a free upgrade, a paid upgrade, or a whole new module? I'd pay full price for an F-14D module, but since what we've been shown here is obviously an F-14B (U) I really hope it comes either free or as a discounted paid upgrade to all owners of the current F-14A/B module. Sort of like what ED did with the remastered F-5E. As a front-seat only Tomcat guy, I'd have a hard time justifying paying full fidelity module price tag just for a big screen in the rear seat and maybe a HUD upgrade (even though it is my favorite aircraft of all time). If the B(U) were a separate module and I didn't own the current F-14 module, then I'd probably just get the B(U), but since I already own the F-14A/B an entirely new module with the associated FF price tag would be a hard sell.

Edited January 17 by Spino

scommander2 · January 17

According to the HB discord channel, HB does not have information about APG-71 so F-14D implementation is not possible for now. F-14B(U) is still with AWG-9 with more weapon selections.

We did discuses that the mod upgrade for B(U) likes A-10C upgrade so that HB can move their plan closer possible, but it was the discord user free talks only (not from HB).

Swordsman422 · January 18

On 1/17/2025 at 8:47 AM, andrewd251 said:

Did any F14A get the retrofitted hud ?

Later F-14As were fitted with the PTID, but soldiered on with the original HUD to the end.

Whiskey11 · January 18

23 hours ago, scommander2 said:

According to the HB discord channel, HB does not have information about APG-71 so F-14D implementation is not possible for now. F-14B(U) is still with AWG-9 with more weapon selections.

We did discuses that the mod upgrade for B(U) likes A-10C upgrade so that HB can move their plan closer possible, but it was the discord user free talks only (not from HB).

Honestly, the F14D IRST is a bigger issue. At a minimum you know the APG-71 is more capable than the AWG-9 and about a good as the APG-70 in terms of range and fidelity since the control/processing unit of the APG-70 was effectively merged with a modified AWG-9 antenna to give us the APG-71. You can approximate the rest well enough to suspend disbelief at its capabilities.

Naquaii · January 18

8 minutes ago, Whiskey11 said:

Honestly, the F14D IRST is a bigger issue. At a minimum you know the APG-71 is more capable than the AWG-9 and about a good as the APG-70 in terms of range and fidelity since the control/processing unit of the APG-70 was effectively merged with a modified AWG-9 antenna to give us the APG-71. You can approximate the rest well enough to suspend disbelief at its capabilities.

No, and I've said this repeatedly here and in the HB Discord. None of what you list help us in modelling the APG-71. Yes, the IRST is an issue but the APG-71 is as big of an issue if not more.

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F-14B(?) Upgrade as featured in DCS 2025 video

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