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1:48 Academy F-14A Bombcat [12206]


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Of course Tomcat pilots/RIO's are going to say the Tomcat was superior to the Eagle and Hornet, they bathed in the cool-aid daily. I would take everything they say with a grain of salt, it not an unbiased opinion.

 

The Tomcat was a good air to ground platform but it wasn't the best, it could only carry four bombs (not counting small caliber practice bombs) so it wasn't that great of an attack aircraft.

 

As we use to say in the community, the Tomcat was big "F" little "A", while the Hornet was little "F" and big "A".

Edited by GW8345
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2 hours ago, GW8345 said:

Of course Tomcat pilots/RIO's are going to say the Tomcat was superior to the Eagle and Hornet, they bathed in the cool-aid daily. I would take everything they say with a grain of salt, it not an unbiased opinion.

 

The Tomcat was a good air to ground platform but it wasn't the best, it could only carry four bombs (not counting small caliber practice bombs) so it wasn't that great of an attack aircraft.

 

As we use to say in the community, the Tomcat was big "F" little "A", while the Hornet was little "F" and big "A".

I have no doubt at all that it was extremely capable in the A2G roll.
But superior...

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Superior is a subjective word, it's an opinion most of the time and of course every pilot is going to say their aircraft is superior to their rivals.

 

The LANTRIN brought much needed capability to the Tomcat but overall the Hornet had a better bombing computer/system than the Tomcat so for anyone to say the Tomcat was superior they are basing their opinion on only one aspect and not the whole system.

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On 8/10/2022 at 3:58 PM, habu2 said:

Improved resolution and accuracy would be in the TGP itself, not the aircraft platform. 

 

17 hours ago, GW8345 said:

Superior is a subjective word, it's an opinion most of the time and of course every pilot is going to say their aircraft is superior to their rivals.

 

The LANTRIN brought much needed capability to the Tomcat but overall the Hornet had a better bombing computer/system than the Tomcat so for anyone to say the Tomcat was superior they are basing their opinion on only one aspect and not the whole system.

The F-14 used a purpose built, second generation Lantirn pod, with superior capability to anything fielded by the US military at the time.  The F-15E used the 80's version of the Lantirn with less capability.  It was in fact more capable than the early Lightning pods.  Here's the detailed explanations from Wikipedia:

 

The basic LANTIRN was modified into LANTIRN Targeting System (LTS), the navigation pod was removed from the two-pod system and the targeting pod was improved for Tomcat use. The LTS featured a Global Positioning System and inertial measurement unit that provided the pod line-of-sight cueing and weapon release ballistics and eliminated the need for external cumbersome and time-consuming boresight equipment.

Unlike the early versions, the LTS performed all weapon release calculations and presented release cues that it had generated to the aircrew. The LTS also had a masking avoidance curve display (preventing firing the laser at the jet) and eventually a north orientation curve and 12,200 m (40,000 ft) capable laser. The latter became very useful allowing F-14s to employ LGBs above potential threat systems and it came into its own in the higher terrain in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

The LTS could also generate coordinates for any target located on the FLIR, and a latter software modification, known as T3 (Tomcat Tactical Targeting) increased the accuracy of the coordinates produced by the LTS and allowed generated coordinates for GPS/INS guided weapons (JDAM, JSOW and WCMD). The first combat use of this was during Operation Enduring Freedom when an F-14 generated coordinates for a B-52 that dropped a CBU-103 WCMD from over 40,000 feet (12,000 m). These weapons scored hits on a vehicle convoy that had stopped after the first vehicle was destroyed by the Tomcat with LGBs.

The pod also featured an internal computer with ballistics data for the various precision munitions carried by the F-14. Data is fed to the pod by the Tomcat's AWG-9 (F-14A and F-14B) and AN/APG-71 (F-14D) radar, but the LTS in turn only sends video and guidance symbology to the crew's cockpit displays. This means that few wiring and software changes had to be made to the Tomcat in order for it to operate the LTS. All pod controls are in the RIO's cockpit, but the bomb release button is situated with the pilot. The LTS had a price tag of around 3 million US Dollars each and due to these high costs, only 75 were bought for fleet use. Typically, an F-14 squadron brought 6 to 8 pods with them on deployment, which would be permanently fitted to the non-TARPS jets.

Edited by sigtau
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1 hour ago, ST0RM said:

Ok, so back to actual modeling...
How's the model project plan coming along?

Good idea. I think a storm of words is brewing that nobody can win so Ill just take an umbrella on that.

 

Ive decided to go with the sheet recommended by Brian P: Fightertown Decals.

 

VF-41 is contemporary and it looks pretty good too.

 

By the sounds of it none of my options can actually carry the JDAM bombs so Ill probably just go with the Paveways and put the JDAMs in the spares box for something else.

 

Ive checked out the sheet (not bought it yet) but the option on the top of the sheet which is number 100 is in a colour scheme Ive never seen or built on a Tomcat before, it seems to be the same colour all over. Which will be a nice change as the other model I have is also on that sheet and is second from the bottom of the options.

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If I may, something that you an load on your Tomcat that is rarely seen, Mk 20 Rockeye. We would carry and drop Rockeye at least twice during our training cycle (Puerto Rico and Fallon) and usually had 20 of them in allowed in our training allowance (NCEA).

 

Here's a thread that might have some useful info;

Also, check out this thread (post 299 is very informative), it will help you load out your Tomcat.

http://zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=229&page=15

Edited by GW8345
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2 hours ago, GW8345 said:

If I may, something that you an load on your Tomcat that is rarely seen, Mk 20 Rockeye. We would carry and drop Rockeye at least twice during our training cycle (Puerto Rico and Fallon) and usually had 20 of them in allowed in our training allowance (NCEA).

 

Here's a thread that might have some useful info;

Also, check out this thread (post 299 is very informative), it will help you load out your Tomcat.

http://zone-five.net/showthread.php?t=229&page=15

 Its certainly an interesting option, I think it would do better on the kit decals option. That jet always seems to be built with the Paveways.

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1 hour ago, ElectroSoldier said:

 Its certainly an interesting option, I think it would do better on the kit decals option. That jet always seems to be built with the Paveways.

Sorry, just went back and looked at your OP, saw you want to put PW2 on it from the get go.

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40k laser in the LANTIRN pod was tits especially combined with PTID better than anything from 90s through early 2000s.

B's got JDAM when they added GPS/CDMU late 90s (but before the Sparrowhawk HUD, etc which was around 2003) but that was never added to the A.   While they all had capability for iron bombs IIRC it was never used in combat (and the switchology was there from beginning but left nascent when USMC pulled out as they were too expensive to risk in that role when cheaper A-6 and A-7 and later F/A-18 were around) and effectively they were always carrying either LGB or JDAM for strikes.  

VF-31 and VF-213 are the safest to model F-14D
VF-103 were iconic carrying the bones (after VF-84 was axed but they'll always be the Sluggers to me) with F-14B though VF-32 Swordsmen also look nice

VF-84 remains my favorite all time though VF-41 always very nice.  

 

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