DCS F-14 Tomcat for DUMMIES Chapter 5: Missiles and You

[@valuedhumanoid6574]

I was an Aviation Ordnanceman on the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-71. I joined fresh from high school and the theaters when Top Gun was released. The next day I went to the local recruiter and joined, BEFORE telling my parents. lol Anyways, I got to her in Oct of 1986 and got out just before Desert Storm in 1990. As an AO, we handled all the weapons carried by all the aircraft. Missiles, rockets, mines, torpedoes, bombs, 20 mm cannon ammunition, etc. I was assigned to a missile magazine where we dealt with the Phoenix, the Sparrows and Winders. We were using the -M version of the Sparrow and the -M version of the Winders. Prior to sailing on our first Med cruise, we offloaded all our AIM-54A's and loaded the new C versions that were just being delivered to the fleet. As far as breakout and assembly there were no differences from the -A's, but we got a briefing nonetheless on the capabilities. Pretty cool. We also lost all the Standard ARMS and replaced them with HARM's, but that was later. It was kind of special to be a small part of history and participate in the things we now consider "legacy". We were just getting the new Hornet C & D models to replace the "aging and outdated" A & B models. Sounds silly now, but back then it was a leap in technology.

[@DCS_World_Japan]

More Sparrow kills in a 20 second sequence than I've managed in 20 hours of fighting in the Tomcat.

[@daddy_marx6823]

wtf this is so good, deserves way more views

[@Slinger1-1]

Let's take moment to appreciate the music choices for these videos

[@benbenbeartrax]

Came for the info, stayed for the video editing and 80' sound. 👍 (Got the info, too)

[@aybaws]

These videos are amazing, really hope your channel blows up like a Phoenix victim

[@thalacammel880]

Wow. Impressive level of detail and teaching skills, combined with nice cut scenes and music. 😃

[@flyus747]

This guys presentation style is on point. I have been looking for these types of explanations for the F14 and it’s all presented in a totally easy to understand form, i screenshotted many of the “summary” bullet point parts of the video so I have handy flash cards I can pull up in game.

[@it_aint_me9081]

This was fantastic. To the point without long winded rambling, I loved it.

[@salim7025]

wow didn't know that aim54 doesn't go active in stt. was using it wrong all this time . Thanks for the great content man, +1 sub :)

[@deividdi5779]

Great series, specially when oriented to air to air combat. Keep coming the great work and thank you

[@zachweber2616]

This series should get you into the turtle club

[@kilianortmann9979]

Yay, another great video. With that said, am I weird for loving the way an all Sparrow Tomcat looks. Especially the two chin mounted ones look pretty cool to me.

[@PrezDCS]

I love the 4 Sparrow, 4 Sidewinder loadout of the tomcat. Looks really damn cool and is fun to use against equal opponents.

[@generalgrevous1984]

Thanks for making outstanding information/tutorial vids for those just getting into DCS. Really makes learning a joy.

[@pappyodanial]

The guitar solo that went with the AIM-54 was actually awesome.

[@Morbidman01]

I just got into the F14 and really enjoy the videos please keep them coming

[@jeffreyc2074]

These are great and really useful! Very much looking forward to the next chapter. :)

[@hasole9669]

These have been great. Thank you for making them.

[@randomutoober3485]

insanely helpful playlist so far. thank you for this

[@Wolfe351]

Excellent video, just learning the F14 now....this is a great help

[@CallsignJoNay]

Great job, Prez. I shared it with my squadron. 👍

[@PrezDCS]

Sweet, man. Hope they learn a lot from it!

[@yesyes-zk4fv]

This is amazing! Thank you so much!

[@beardedblends5242]

I need more where is the next video, this is my first aircraft in dcs and your videos have been so helpful. Thank you for the work you put into your videos

[@jarrydlee7906]

Appreciate this man F14 is so complicated

[@Mako-sz4qr]

Hey Prez I’m alittle late to the party but new sub Love the Tomcat ! Thanks for the vids 👍🏻

[@TheSpaseDestroyeR]

Yeees another video!! It’s been so long

[@PrezDCS]

Yeah, took a while, but it's finally out. Hopefully the next one doesn't take as long

[@TheSpaseDestroyeR]

@@PrezDCS we count on you

[@beardedblends5242]

@@PrezDCS 4 months later haha

[@PrezDCS]

@@beardedblends5242 Yeah I know lol, been real busy and these tutorials take a lot of dedication to make them with the quality I intend them to have

[@beardedblends5242]

@@PrezDCS understandable completely no rush your quality is amazing and has really helped me get started on the f-14b. Now I just need to learn how to use my weapons from the front and land better haha

[@AlphaGatorDCS]

nice video Prez!

[@PrezDCS]

Thanks!

[@alberthall7047]

Epic vid, prez, more videos please

[@PrezDCS]

Will do!

[@Bull_10RR]

Looking for more info on your squadron! Burnt out Hornet driver learning the Tomcat, and looking for a group to join and fly with

[@PrezDCS]

Well, if you're looking to play competitively then you can try and join my Alamo squadron, but if you want tomcat specific stuff then you can join CSG-1's VF-111 squadron for milsim stuff. You can always contact me on discord to talk about it.

[@cwbalmer]

Well done on these videos mate. Really good stuff. Have to ask what you use in terms of headset...trackir or vr?

[@PrezDCS]

I use trackIR

[@cwbalmer]

@@PrezDCS cheers mate. Assume new one? Looks silky smooth

[@PrezDCS]

@@cwbalmer Nah Ive had this for a little over a year now, it's not even trackIR brand, it's DelanClip, but the software I use is really good

[@RevFilmore]

How do I tell if RIO is locking the Phoenix STT or RWS? Great video btw. Good pace, good style, blither-free.

[@PrezDCS]

If it's an STT lock, as a pilot you will see a target diamond on the HUD alongside some other symbology.

[@ryz_vik]

me, who just got the F14B today and already shot down an AI with a sparrow : oh well, I guess I was doing it wrong but it also works.

[@pierre1714]

Thanks !

[@PrezDCS]

Welcome!

[@thomasvleminckx]

Why is the explosive charge of the Phoenix so big compared to, say, the Sidewinder? Was it designed for use against bombers instead of enemy fighters?

[@PrezDCS]

Well, for starters, the missile is like 10 times bigger than a sidewinder lol, but yes the main design point of the AIM-54 phoenix was the ability to shoot down bombers. Contrary to popular belief, aircraft do not just crumble at the first site of damage. So having an extremely large warhead would ensure that sufficient damage be done to targets especially bomber sized ones

[@liammackenzie9283]

It also means that if the missile has a much larger kill radius if it has to proximity detonate- especially important if the target is something like a cruise missile.

[@SAEVONIX]

Thanks for the video

[@afatcatfromsweden]

How do you know that your phoenix has gone active? Been unable to hit anything with it yet :(

[@PrezDCS]

The time til impact(TTI) counter starts blinking. That means the missile has been commanded active. Also, there's been a lot of issues with the Tomcat's radar and the missiles going active recently so I'd chalk it up to that being the main problem right now.

[@afatcatfromsweden]

@@PrezDCS oh okie. Thanks for help bro!

[@hasole9669]

Would you have these slides or images available anywhere? Thanks again

[@PrezDCS]

Unfortunately no.

[@chadvader974]

Wheres the combat vid :) ?

[@PrezDCS]

Same place as my school work, procrastination hell :D

[@chadvader974]

@@PrezDCS That's no excuse airman... get that job done! ;)

[@chadvader974]

ps I subbed

[@mjcandy9153]

Can you use Sparrows in LOAL mode?

[@PrezDCS]

You mean like if you lose lock you can reacquire and the missile will reacquire? Then yes as it is modeled at this time. But if you mean not having a lock, launching, and then acquiring then I have no idea. It's not something I personally use. It can be done I guess, but I can't really remember if the tomcat will even let yo launch a sparrow without a lock or without the ACM cover up

[@digisuboob]

how do i fire a second pheonix on the same target?

[@PrezDCS]

If you are launching in TWS then you can only fire one phoenix per tracked target. If you want to fire more than one at the same target then you have to STT the target. It's a limitation with the age of the system.

[@irishpat64]

Good Stuff!!!

[@Phoenixfett]

hoping i dont sound rude, but do we have any ETA on chapter 6?

[@PrezDCS]

I'm working on it. Got burnt out and busy with college. Still doing college for the summer, but the current status of CH.6 is that I'm almost done writing it. Idk really when I'd be putting it out tho

[@Phoenixfett]

@@PrezDCS thats cool bro, real life first, i just love my f14 and feel useless at the same time and i've found your videos the best so far :D

[@PrezDCS]

@@Phoenixfett Thanks man, I'm glad to hear that they're helping you out. That's all I really hope when I make them. :D

[@Phoenixfett]

@@PrezDCS sorry i reply so late to these mate, would u believe my phone has only just pinged telling me about the email

[@PrezDCS]

@@Phoenixfett Nah I believe it. I have my web browser up basically 24/7 on youtube usually and I don't even get a notification until about 4+ hours later

[@ghostrider1827]

Prez from the 55th!?

[@mikeck4609]

Just watched this. Good stuff but jeez Dad…I think your being a bit hard on the sparrow. Had a 78% hit rate in desert storm and I get about a 50% hit rate past 8nms and above 75% in that 2-10nm range. Yeah…much easier vs AI (Although the AI is much better with its new AI adjustments) But: “kinetically challenged” and “not that great of a missile”…I don’t know man agree to disagree. But the video is great and the information you put in it is helpful would love to see more of these

[@PrezDCS]

I mean, the thing barely gets past M2.5 unless you're an F-15 at 40k going nearly M2. Also, sure the sparrow did well in the Gulf War, but that's eliminating the understanding that almost all kills in the GW were within visual range and F-15 pilots noted that Iraqi pilots wouldn't react to being spiked or even fired upon in some cases. It's a fine missile in the right circumstances, but there's a reason they replaced it with the AIM-120

[@mikeck4609]

@@PrezDCS 55% of the kills in desert storm were BVR kills and even a good chunk of “wvr” kills were made with the missle launched outside of visual range but impacting within. I get what your saying….the AMRAAM is far superior…but Mach 2.5 is enough to claim the large majority of kills in desert storm at an -almost- 80% hit rate. I believe it was 24/31. The sparrow’s performance is certainly lacking when matched with modern long range radars and fire control; but it was a good missile for 1980’s gen 3 and 4 fighters with mechanically scanned array radars and second generation IFF tech. So it’s not a bad missile, it’s just obselete Just my opinion

[@PrezDCS]

@@mikeck4609 I agree, it was fine for its time. But my missile tutorials have a bit more PvP focus, not explicitly so, but they are harder opponents(usually) and what works against players will work against AI. I think the biggest issue here in this conversation is I am assuming exact same skill/capability between you with a sparrow and an opponent. That was not the case in Desert Storm, not by a long shot.

[@mikeck4609]

@@PrezDCS hey man, i love your vids. And they are just that...YOUR vids. i just have a higher opinion of the missile is all. lol

[@engaka86]

Where are the new chapters ?

[@PrezDCS]

In the works

[@engaka86]

@@PrezDCS dude you are doing a great job.. please continue 🙏

[@engaka86]

@@PrezDCS come on bro, I have been waiting for your new chapter for 3 months now 🙏

[@xdiver01]

Nice, but "for DUMMIES" I expected a tutorial on how to launch, tips, etc.

[@PrezDCS]

Everyone should know how to pull the trigger. What literally no-one knows is how these missiles work and how effective they are. I can't teach you how exactly you should shoot a missile because there are so many factors involved in a missile shot that you can't just pull up a chart to reference whether or not to pull the trigger. You gotta train and go by feel.

[@jayklink851]

👍👍👏

[@flyingwithJay45AD]

Hello. Still offering one on one tutorials? I’d like some time if you can spare it.

[@PrezDCS]

You can always message me on discord and ask me questions directly there. My discord tag is in the description