The F-14 was built in 3 basic versions. The original F-14A was by far
the most numerous of these versions. 478 were built for the US Navy as
well as 80 for the Imperial Iranian Air Force. 79 of the aircraft
intended for Iran were delivered before the Islamic revolution in that
country. The 80th airframe was delivered to the US Navy instead.
Improvements and added capabilities were added to ‘A-version’ Tomcats
throughout production batches, and later during their service life.
The second main version was launched in 1987 as the F-14A+, later
renamed to F-14B. While also receiving some updates in systems and
avionics, the main difference compared to the F-14A were newer, more
powerful and vastly more reliable engines. 48 F-14 A’s were converted to
‘B’-standard, and 38 new aircraft were built.
The ultimate version of the tomcat was the F-14D Super Tomcat. This
version received new, digital avionics, a glass cockpit and a new RADAR
and fire control system among other changes. A total of 55 F-14D’s were
completed, 37 brand new airframes and 18 rebuilt ‘A’-models.
This software product by Aerosoft covers the F-14A in 3 versions (block
90, block 100 and block 110 production batches) and the F-14B.
The Aerosoft installer provides a thoroughly tested and very reliable
way of installing your add-ons. The full download for version 1.10 comes
as a 785MB zip-file, with inside it the exe-file that is the actual
installer, and a license agreement in 4 languages (English, German,
French and Spanish).
The installer lets you choose which sim you want to install in. The
choices are FSX (SP2 or Acceleration), FSX Steam Edition, and Prepar3D
v2. That done, all you have left to do is enter your email address and
the serial you received in the buying process, and the F-14 will be
installed in your simulator of choice.
After installation, you’ll find the F-14 in your aircraft selection menu
in 4 versions (Block 90, 100 and 110 ‘A’-models and the F-14B) with 14
different liveries in total. Apart from that, the installer also gives
you a bunch of saved flights (on moving carriers!) and some AI models of
different aircraft that are used in dynamic scenarios.
Manuals:
Documentation for the Aerosoft F-14 X comes in the form of 7
pdf-documents. These documents cover just about everything you need to
get going in this aircraft. From how the aircraft is implemented in FSX
(or P3D), over all cockpit systems and controls, to weapon systems and
carrier operations. The documentation is very accessible and readable,
and does a very good job of getting you started in the Tomcat. What I am
missing, is a bit more in-depth information on the systems, and the
weapon systems in particular. Also, there’s almost no information on the
deployment of air-to-ground weapons.
Exterior:
The F-14 Tomcat is a very big, and visually imposing aircraft. No
surprise, that’s how it’s represented in FS as well. Panning around the
aircraft in FSX or P3D, it’s striking how powerful the F-14 looks. A
powerful nose with that big canopy on top. A huge and very wide body
with relatively slender variable-geometry wings. And imposing tail
surfaces. All of that, very well represented in FS. But when we look
past those big features, we see that the Aerosoft F-14 X doesn’t cut
back on the details either: lots and lots of details everywhere. The
usual focus here is the landing gear, and it’s very well modelled, but
it isn’t the only part where small details can be admired. Other
examples: the cockpit area, the tail hook assembly, antennas and other
miscellaneous items. And of course, the wings with all their moving
surfaces: flaps, spoilers and slats. Another area of note, is the inside
of the wheel wells. The amount of detail in there is gorgeous! Down to
carefully modelled hydraulic lines.
Of course, good modelling doesn’t mean a thing if the textures aren’t up
to par. But fortunately, they are. The F-14 X is covered in sharp
textures filled with details. And topped off with quite a bit of wear
and tear. I certainly like what I see here.
Interior:
No matter how nice the exterior is, it’s in the cockpit that you’ll
spend most of your time in this virtual machine. So I’m glad to say that
the first impression is a very nice one here as well. Both cockpit
sections are modelled: the forward one for the pilot, and the rear one
for the RIO (Radar Intercept Officer). Both modelling and texturing are
of high quality in both areas. All displays are also clearly readable.
The one issue I had in that respect has been solved with the release of
the first service pack. You’ll find many animated switches in the
virtual cockpit as well. Especially the pilots area of responsibility is
very complete in this respect. The RIO section less so, but still not
to be ignored.
Systems:
There’s a lot to be said about the systems in the Aerosoft F-14 X.
And as much as I try to say, I’m certain to forget some things. So I’ll
stick with what strikes me as most noteworthy to write about here.
First of all, it has to be said there is no full 2D panel for the
Tomcat. All flying will have to be done from the VC. There are some 2D
popup-panels though. One bundles most of the available RIO-weapons
controls as well as some hard to reach pilot controls on an easy-to-use
2D panel, so you can make better use of the F-14’s features while still
flying it. The other 2D panel bundles a lot of functions related to
operating the aircraft: selectable options, payload manager and
automated checklists. One very nice feature I want to highlight from the
available options is the ‘Mini-HUD’. This provides you with a screen
overlay that displays some basic info along the top of your screen. Info
concerning the engines, basic flight controls systems, the autopilot,…
While not realistic, it makes handling the F-14 much easier. I found
myself running with the mini-HUD enabled almost all the time.
The Payload Manager gives you real time loading of weapons and fuel,
with live mass readouts. It’s here that some differences between the
different block versions of the F-14A come to light: the earlier
versions can’t handle all the load-outs the later versions can.
Finally, the interactive checklists are definitely worth talking about.
They cover everything from cold start up to the carrier landing pattern
and everything in between. They automatically check items you’ve
completed. But you can also use them the other way round: let the
checklist do something for you. If you don’t know how to complete an
item, or don’t want to spend the time, you can click the checklist item,
and it will automatically be done for you.
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