Heatblur F-14 and Forrestal Update

The re-engined the KC-135 and I think the E-3A a while ago.

At their current rate, they’re going to go through two or three more re-engines of those fleets while they beg for more F-35 money. They cut back KC-46 numbers in a big way.

Per the F-14, much like the super bug, it seems it was a case of better an aircraft with a problematic engine than no aircraft at all.

@komemiute

Intruder, ladies

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@komemiute!
Talk to me! Wake up!!

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Am happy for @komemiute,

But…

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Yes!

Of course to anybody that paid a little attention, this is no suprise :slight_smile:

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I don’t get it? It’s just an AI asset just like the Draken.

A-6

Meanwhile the HB store has a countdown for 36 days.

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I sure do hope you’re right! :crossed_fingers: :crossed_fingers: :crossed_fingers: :crossed_fingers: :crossed_fingers:

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Eeh, they put CFM-56 engines on it so they’ve got another 20 years of life in them minimum. They could jump on the LEAP-1A(I presume they use the Airbus version and not the 737 CFM) as that is the future of this engine size but why would they? They probably got the DAC version of the CFM so that should help them preserve a significant amount of fuel.

I must say I was stuck in my bunk for a while.
I will also admit it’s a jerk move (hehe) to show all that goodies worth of show- and only then put AI.

It was a cold shower.

I am happy that it’s being made…
I surely hope @MBot is right about being flyable eventually.

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Looks like you’re right! Atleast, those are the long term plans :slight_smile:

Furthering our commitment to trying to provide a full and rich experience to the community, and in line with our module development priorities, we’ve decided to introduce the A-6E and KA-6 as free AI units into DCS World shortly following the release of the F-14 Tomcat!

The Intruder is an aircraft that has been under active development at Heatblur Simulations for some time, and subject to a license agreement, we hope to eventually introduce it into DCS world as a full DCS module - and we are developing it with this intent in mind.

In the meantime, the AI Intruders will serve a critical role in the F-14 campaigns and provide an additional level of authenticity to the game and simulation battlespace environment. The A-6’s are built to our extremely exacting standards, with laser scanning forming the basis of our core workflow and ensuring complete accuracy in shape and dimensions. In-game, the KA-6 will provide the player with texaco services while the A-6E will serve as a venerable strike partner with an unmatched payload - good friends to have in the cockpit of an F-14.

Thanks as always for your support. We look forward to sharing much more!

source

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Well… Back to my bunk…

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Dev update!

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=3612905#post3612905

@komemiute ready for your third trip to the bunk?

Jester controls UI

A lot more of that good stuff in the link! No replacement for the chromecat spotted yet, though.

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Y E S


10-7-18

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Oooh baby yeah! Turkey day is coming, and thanks will be given :grin:

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I think the boot was clearly dropping once they announced campaigns, but if I had a shot for every time the community got set on an obvious and common sense thing that never panned out, I’d still be drunk and most probably dead thrice over.

Also things of note

We’re for sure getting lantirn now it seems, as well as Link-4A (fighter-fighter datalink), and lau-138 (which elevates you from the cm of an F-5E to much more comfortable levels (thanks again, Borkland))

You want all of these, happy day

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Cheeky, thats not the stenns

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Just by looking at the images, HB is giving me the feeling that their Tomcat module is going to set new records and standards.

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OT but this ignores the fact that the KC-10, which was mostly active duty, are being retired. Why? Well, the USAF wore them down to the bone because of near constant usage from the past 20 years. The KC-135, on the other hand, is mostly in Guard and Reserve. Tanking has been a pretty damn critical piece of our air power puzzle for quite a while and ignoring it by pulling out more duct tape and bailing wire for the existing fleet is one of the most boneheaded moves the USAF has ever done. The KC-135 is an older airframe than the KC-10 and that means it won’t be open to upgrades forever. Further, since non-permissive environments are all the rage, what happens when those KC-135s can’t get gas to the areas that the F-35s operate in? There’s not even any plan to get a stealthy tanker into service, which would be prudent given what the F-35 is intended to do.

In a twist, this probably relates to Heatblur’s F-14 and their new AI A-6E and KA-6D. As I found out recently, the S-3B tanker in DCS sucks… Hard! It can only offload about 8,000lbs of gas before it RTBs, and that is if it spawns fresh. Half that number for just 200nmi from the boat. The F-14s need a lot of gas, and the KA-6D is the one to provide it, with 29,000lbs 490nmi from the boat – that, folks, is true tactical tanking!

Maybe they’ll make it flyable along with the A-6E.

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