F14 Tomcat released

[The Flight Level 2,116]

5 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

 

The helicopter you see in the video (with its tail and blades folded to squeeze on to the carrier deck) is the one I worked on. 🙂 

Here she is doing what we called "Vertreps" or Vertical Replenishment...hopping cargo from one ship to another in the task force.

 

Well, I guess this does not get any better for you! So cool to see the helicopter in the sim adjacent to the USS Forrestal! Don't call me wife into the room to look at the sim too often. A look of amazement on her face this time to see the whole carrier, F-14 ready for launch and helicopter!

[Fiorentoni 4,303]

48 minutes ago, hs118 said:

Check this out:

Holy...

[Fiorentoni 4,303]

Anyone knows if that is coming to Contrail?

[regis9 4,031]

2 hours ago, Steve Dra said:

Your country will be getting them in the future...but you get to fly her in flightsim before the real pilots do. 🙂 
You can get her by clicking the big here in the link under my sig.

Oh thank you!  Yes exciting news that we’ll be buying the P8…some will be stationed at Greenwood nearby so I’ll certainly get to see them from time to time.  Another replacement of a long serving workhorse in the CP140/P3 Aurora.

[The Flight Level 2,116]

4 hours ago, Fiorentoni said:

Anyone knows if that is coming to Contrail?

Have not seen any mention of it there. I used SimMarket. I know, some not crazy about SM. Very simple install with the SM app. Received version update today via email and all installed with one click.

[Nyxx 6,994]

Well, this aircraft in DCS is IMO the best VC there is, well in any sim come to that. But having watch a few Vid's it not the same in MSFS. Nor is the aircraft itself. The Mirrors in the DCS version are a master class it realism. The HUD is simply wrong in MSFS. The HUD IRL is laggy as hell and frankly horrible ( all done perfectly in DCS). Jester with TrackIR is amazing( lacking in MSFS). The sounds are not close to how it sounds in DCS. Some said they have never bought DCS. You Don't it free. It's still stunning within MSFS but a far cry from DCS version. If you wish to fly a Mil jet in MSFS then fill your boot's if you want to fly a F-14 then you need DCS (free base) and the F-14. Don't bother about the sim not looking as good as MSFS you will be to totally focused on flying and landing this in DCS on a super carrier or even taking of from one is as close to the real thing you will ever get.

Stunning job bring this over to MSFS. If just flying around in one does the trick for you then this is perfect. It's all down to the limited of MSFS. From what I've seen it's a 40% version of the full fat one in DCS. Enjoy it in MSFS as it's still a far cry from some of the "toys" released for MSFS.

[kdfw__ 542]

Of course avionics/sensors not quite dcs but welcome the chance to fly heatblur a/c in a huge sandbox modeling the entire world. 

[regis9 4,031]

I’m having a blast in this, took it for a run around Las Vegas, then through the Jedi transition.  So much fun!  It took me a few goes to start it from memory (haven’t flown the DCS version in a while) but quickly it came back to me.

Carrier ops are good, just be sure you’re fully lined up with the catapult!  I went slightly sideways and worried I would run out of deck to lift off.

One thing exactly the same as DCS is how much I suck at landing this 😀

Time to fly some circuits at Miramar to practice landing…it seems like flying at 150kts and AOA 15 has the aircraft constantly buffeting and feeling like it will fall out f the sky, I’m struggling to straddle that line between sinking short of the runway and being way to fast when I touchdown.  I might also be heavy.  My ego is taking a beating from Jester constantly chirping my poor landings lol.

I’m biased because I absolutely love the F-14, but this is the best fighter in MSFS IMHO.

I’m thinking tonight will be back to back Mach Loop runs, F-14 then Vulcan.

[Steve Dra 7,601]

18 hours ago, The Flight Level said:

Well, I guess this does not get any better for you! So cool to see the helicopter in the sim adjacent to the USS Forrestal! Don't call me wife into the room to look at the sim too often. A look of amazement on her face this time to see the whole carrier, F-14 ready for launch and helicopter!

I haven't picked up the F-14 yet...but will soon.   The fact they have the "plane guard" helo hovering off the carrier is beyond cool! 

Here is some more SH-3 trivia...not that anyone asked, but since a great new MSFS plane at least includes it, who doesn't want to know more about it? Hehe.

If you notice in the pics below, the "sponsons" or the big fairings around the landing gear struts, where how you could identify which model you were looking at. The sponsons are stubby compared to the later version showed in bottom pic of her.
This example is a "G" model...it's basically a cargo version with all the ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) ripped out of it.

This is the last model created...the "H" model.  It has all the gadgets, including the towed "MAD" bird. (Magnetic Anomaly Detector).  The pic below also shows the white datalink antenna extended below helo.  Being essentially a bunch of boys in the Navy...we referred to it as the "Donkey Dxxx".  Boys will be boys, LOL

If you're wondering why the MAD bird had to be towed behind the helo...it was because the detector had to be away from the aircraft's metal as it interfered with it's detection abilities...and its the same reason the P-3 had a "Stinger" in the back. 😉 

Sorry if this was TMI on the Sea King for this topic....Lord help us if we ever get an SH-3 in the sim, LOL.

[Tuskin38 6,616]

According to the devs Facebook page, the paint kit is identical to the DCS one, so it won’t be hard to convert custom liveries from there 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Tuskin38

[Lord Farringdon 504]

I have seen on some Flightsim.to contributions, weapons enhancements for Heatblur and IFE aircraft, like the F-35. There seems to be some conflicting statements by downloaders and uploaders alike as to whether these enhancements are available in aircraft purchased from the Marketplace, One contributor suggested the enhancement  can be activated in a Marketplace purchased aircraft by simply adding the appropriate store weight to the pylon. But other contributors have suggested it depends on what the product has been modelled with on release ie if it doesn't have pylons then it can't have weapons. Noting the F-35 pylons would be hidden, so were they modelled for MSFS?

So, a similar question arises regarding the F-14. The Heatblur/IFE showcase videos show a well provisioned armament on pylons including underbelly in addition to the TARPS and Air to Air missile pylons whereas the Marketplace imagery (of which there is suspiciously little) only show the latter two. Perhaps someone who has the Marketplace version of the aircraft can vouch for the completeness of the model in respect of pylons?  

I guess I'm just wondering, do I buy from Marketplace (I normally do) or in this case perhaps I should buy direct from Heatblur/IFE to ensure any weapons visual enhancement mods that no doubt contributors are already preparing, are able to be applied. 

PS. 

I know these enhancements  (if any are indeed created) are only for show and don't actually have any targeting systems modelled or any capability to fire or release. They are just visual enhancements to the model. But ordinance is the primary reason for the existence of these aircraft and so representation of this element of air power helps to convey the F-14's awesomeness and coolness to any video's,  replays and screenies!! So, wouldn't like to miss out on that because I bought from the Marketplace.  Thoughts? 

 

 

Cheers

Terry 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Lord Farringdon

[STK 103]

For those adept at it, the liveries made by users for the DCS version in their file library work with the MSFS version, with some file name and architecture edits....

 

[blueshark747 1,845]

I'll wait, I'm sure there will be plenty of liveries filling up Flightsim.to soon for this plane.

[DD_Arthur 1,088]

8 hours ago, Lord Farringdon said:

Thoughts? 

Yeah. Make it easy on yourself; just by it from the Heatblur website.

[bvdboomen 260]

IFE stated that there will be a mod from them which enables weapons on the Market Place version.