Calling The Experts VF-103 Black and White

[GeO77]

Hello

a question to the experts about the VF-103 F-14B's on late 90's early 2000 period in the Black and White paint scheme

i know that they carried the LTS but no BOL rails,Bombracks????did they carry them?

im looking also for the main cockpit differences comparing to the late F-14's before retirement

i have seen that they had the οlder pilot intsrument panel coaming?(i dont know if this is the correct word) without the HUD

did they had the PTID screen on the RIO's panel?

i will appreciate any help provided

thanks for your time

George

[Neeko]

Hello

a question to the experts about the VF-103 F-14B's on late 90's early 2000 period in the Black and White paint scheme

i know that they carried the LTS but no BOL rails,Bombracks????did they carry them?

im looking also for the main cockpit differences comparing to the late F-14's before retirement

i have seen that they had the οlder pilot intsrument panel coaming?(i dont know if this is the correct word) without the HUD

did they had the PTID screen on the RIO's panel?

i will appreciate any help provided

thanks for your time

George

Back in the late 90s into 2000, there were not enough BOL systems to equip every Tomcat squadron all the time. We would get them issued starting in our workups and into cruise, but would give up some or all immediately upon return from cruise. We would fly LAU-7s the rest of the time. When we started transitioning squadrons to Super Hornets, we stopped having to rotate our supply...

To answer your question, yes they would have LAU-138 rails, but LAU-7 would be acceptable too. Bomb racks on the belly were pretty much standard by then as well. Either a pair up front or all four rails configured. Most of the time on the beach, they would do bomb training with an ITER hanging from the rail and either a bunch of Mk 76 practice bombs or a single LGTR hanging from the bottom ITER station only.

A rule of thumb for PTID displays in the F-14A and B: if it has had the LANTIRN upgrade along with the round GPS dome on the trailing end of turtleback, then PTID is equipped. In a pinch when supplies were short, the TID could be used in an A/B, but this was not the preferred way of doing things for them, as the TID LANTIRN video is not as sharp as it was on the PTID. This is not the rule for F-14D, which regularly used the round TID display with LANTIRN into 2001/2002 timeframe.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Neeko

[GeO77]

Back in the late 90s into 2000, there were not enough BOL systems to equip every Tomcat squadron all the time. We would get them issued starting in our workups and into cruise, but would give up some or all immediately upon return from cruise. We would fly LAU-7s the rest of the time. When we started transitioning squadrons to Super Hornets, we stopped having to rotate our supply...

To answer your question, yes they would have LAU-138 rails, but LAU-7 would be acceptable too. Bomb racks on the belly were pretty much standard by then as well. Either a pair up front or all four rails configured. Most of the time on the beach, they would do bomb training with an ITER hanging from the rail and either a bunch of Mk 76 practice bombs or a single LGTR hanging from the bottom ITER station only.

A rule of thumb for PTID displays in the F-14A and B: if it has had the LANTIRN upgrade along with the round GPS dome on the trailing end of turtleback, then PTID is equipped. In a pinch when supplies were short, the TID could be used in an A/B, but this was not the preferred way of doing things for them, as the TID LANTIRN video is not as sharp as it was on the PTID. This is not the rule for F-14D, which regularly used the round TID display with LANTIRN into 2001/2002 timeframe.

Thanks for responding and also thanks for the help provided

one more question,the pilot instrument panel coaming was the newer with the HUD or the earlier like A type style?

[Neeko]

Thanks for responding and also thanks for the help provided

one more question,the pilot instrument panel coaming was the newer with the HUD or the earlier like A type style?

Up through 2000 it was the standard VDI/HUD on everything. The new HUD with the separate combiner glass showed up right around 2001. I wastill a D guy back then so I'm not sure of the exact timeframe, but I know that by 2002 VF-32 and 103 had the newer HUDs.