So I would like to share a project that Dan Reeves and I have been working on! This project is to be reflective of US Carrier Air Wings around the late 90’s and early 2000’s while our target was to reflect 1998 due to the desire to have carrier traffic in a variety of places and include the max number of Tomcat squadrons possible the decision was made to go with 1996 through roughly 2003…
First work done to the Tomcat! This new package is now called Tomcats V3 because while I did a V2 version it never got released before I ended up finding a lot more room for improvement…
What’s new:
1. New VC lighting
2. New crew boarding ladder vis conditions
3. Emissive texturing for the “slime lights”
4. Updated wings to include new slat materials; updated slat animations to prevent the main wing bleeding through the slats during retraction; repositioned the right wing to prevent the leading edge of the wing bleeding through the fuselage glove.
5. New 2048 paint kit and repaints by Dan Reeves!
6. Updated Hook and Cat Launch animations (carrier versions)
7. New variants to be more accurate and reflective of the F-14s life cycle:

Early A: No separate HUD (originally the F-14’s HUD was projected directly on to the canopy windscreen), no nose probe, GRU-7A Seats (handles), ECM only chin pod, red vc lights for night, A to A loadouts only, with glove vanes only, PW TF-30 engine

Mid A: No separate HUD, GRU-7A Seats, ECM only chin pod, red vc lights for night, A to A and A to G loadouts, glove vanes options, PW TF-30 engine

Late A: No separate HUD, GRU-7A Seats, TCS ECM chin pod, red vc lights for night, A to A and A to G loadouts, glove vanes options, PW TF-30 engine

Early B: No separate HUD, GRU-7A Seats, TCS ECM chin pod, red vc lights for night, A to A and A to G loadouts, no glove vanes, GE F-110 engine

Late B: Sparrowhawk HUD (framed / separate combiner glass), GRU-7A Seats, TCS ECM chin pod, red vc lights for night, A to A and A to G loadouts, no glove vanes, GE F-110 engine

D: Sparrowhawk HUD, SJU style seats (no upper handles); Dual TCS/IR ECM chin pod, green vc lights for night, A to A and A to G loadouts, no glove vanes, GE F-110 engine




Next on to the Carriers:

The following Carriers will be included with AI aircraft flying on and off of them to include Tomcats, Hornets, S-3s, EA-6Bs, E-2, C-2s, and SH-60s:

USS Constellation Persian Gulf
USS John C Stennis CVN-74 Perth Australia
USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 Mediterranean Sea
USS Harry S Truman CVN-75 Persian Gulf
USS Harry S Truman CVN-75 St Thomas US Virgin Islands
USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71 Arabian Sea
USS Dwight D Eisenhower CVN-69 Mediterranean Sea
USS George Washington CVN-73 Arabian Sea
USS Kitty Hawk Yokosuka Japan
USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 Pearl Harbor HI
USS Chester W. Nimitz CVN-68 Bremerton WA
USS George W Bush CVN-77 Norfolk VA
USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 Persian Gulf
USS Ronald Regan CVN-76 Gulf of Mexico

Holy......

That's a sensation - simply the final chapter of a long-awaited story...

Manschy wrote: ↑09 Apr 2024, 18:57 Holy......

That's a sensation - simply the final chapter of a long-awaited story...

Thanks Manschy! Dan and I are looking forward to the eventual release of it! Current Tomcat Squadrons (all credits to the great Dan Reeves!) already painted with flight plans are:

VF-2 F-14D
VF-11 F-14 B/D
VF-14 F-14A
VF-31 F-14D
VF-32 F-14B
VF-41 F-14A
VF-101 F-14A/B/D
VF-102 F-14B
VF-103 F-14B
VF-143 F-14B
VF-154 F-14A
VF-201 F-14A
VF-211 F-14A
VF-213 F-14D
NSAWC / NFWS (aggressors including may not previously done) F-14A
VX-9 / VX-30 /NAWC / NWTS (Test Cats) F-14D

Also this is why Dan was requesting the Hornet paint kit in his thread!

As a heads up while V3 of the Tomcat will be compatible with the old re-paints made for previous versions of the Tomcat the new paint kit will not be compatible with older versions of the Tomcat model...

Wow! That's a project if I ever heard of one!

Jorgen

This is truly amazing and a huge undertaking. Thank you jetpilot1980 and Dan!

This longtime Tomcat fan approves, massive undertaking for sure.

Coming along nicely I think:

Brilliant!

So at this point I will probably do one more sanity check and make sure everything is good to go! But at this point I am happy with the new Tomcats looks and behaviors! So they are on a very "short final" at this point!

The Tomcats V3 release package has been sent to the MAIW staff! So hopefully you will all have it soon!

The HD repaints, circa late 90s, & the updated HD paint kit will be uploaded tomorrow to go with these models as well

Additionally, V1.1 of the Hornet, Super Hornet and Growler packages have been uploaded. These packages add an updated FDE for better carrier performance and better stabilator behavior. Also, a part attachment glitch with the wing acm pod on the legacy drill models has been fixed.

With Tomcats V3 out this project is rapidly coming to an end! But here is a preview of the latest aircraft to be added to the deck!