The IRIAF F-14A only provides more thrust above 1,292 km/h, which is equivalent to Mach 1.04. Both the IRIAF F-14A and F-14B have incredibly similar drag profiles, and the F-14B’s acceleration is flat out better at all speeds except above 1,287 km/h. Even at altitude, the F-14B provides more thrust than the IRIAF F-14A. The engines are better.
If you were to bring a loadout of 6x Fakour-90s, that’s an additional 3.8 tonnes added to the aircraft - a massive weight increase that hampers the flight model. By contrast, a loadout of 6x AIM-54Cs weighs around 2.6 tonnes.
It’s better strictly because of the missiles, but I’d argue the F-14D is better for BVR because of the upgraded radar. NCTR is quite the upgrade, and from what I’ve seen, the radar doesn’t struggle nearly as much to maintain a TWS lock as the AWG-9. That’s also ignoring the dramatic countermeasure increase and the significantly better RWR, both of which directly correlate with BVR performance.
I’m arguing for the IRIAF F-14A to be moved down to 13.0 alongside the F-14B preferably, not the F-14B to move up
Pre flaring might be the safest way to go most of the time and I’m sure you’ve done this but, it’s worked for me more often than not, so I figured I just say incase you might not have.
Just about any form of evasion, rolling or banking, opposite of your original path, would be the next move, kinda the only way to beat the 73 rear/side aspect in any of the 14s, depending on the distance of course cause sometimes even that won’t do it but pre flaring, where applicable, will give better odds.
Though regardless of aspect, you will have to take extra steps evading in the thing, everything about the Tomcat is extra steps.
You’ll do yourself well by pre flaring and offsetting your advance, if it’s head on head. Side aspect is more or less the same business as dealing with a rear shot, just trying to break out of the missiles fov.
And to add, I don’t recall ever escaping a 73 with burners lit, that may not be worth trying
theres a rule of thumb about f-14 if you are a flanker with 27et. if it locks and in range, it will hit.
unless that F-14 kills his engine. the missile will know where it is.
IIRC, this store limitation is correct because of CG limits.
Loading only AIM-54 missiles onto the rear station is explicitly prohibited due to CG restrictions. If a pilot or ground crew were to ignore this and fly the aircraft, it would continuously pitch up and, in the worst-case scenario, crash to the ground.
If that is the case then this fix is even more needed since what it’s asking to fix is to be able to load Sparrows in the front stations along with Phoenix in the rear, there by bringing the CG forward.
