I just installed it and am having great difficulties with it. It seems like many of the key bindings that had previously worked, no longer work. The binding to set to GPS navigation instead of NAV mode is no longer toggling back and forth. You have to click on the in-cockpit button. Same for Altitude Hold - can’t toggle outside of the cockpit buttons (neither the toggle setting nor the on/off settings). Same for the LNAV activation. It looks like it tries to toggle for half a second and then turns back off.
Once you select GPS mode on the nav mode selector and activate LNAV mode as well as altitude hold through the panel buttons, the altitude indicator goes to 00000 and there’s no way to increase it, either through hardware buttons nor through the spinning dial in the cockpit.
I think a lot of this might be caused by the new FMC function? It looks nice to be able to see the waypoint information a la an FMC, but you can’t input new waypoints or alter the flight plan, that I could figure out.
Previously, this was a rock solid aircraft for IFR flight under autopilot. Hopefully it can be again!
Sorry it’s not working out as you’d hoped. Many of the NAV functions originally present in the Tomcats were not in the real airplane, so we are in the process of removing them. AP is rarely used in fighters and the F-14 had only a fairly basic AP and the ACFS system. Mostly the AP is being optimised for night carrier landings rather than general use, but @CodenameJack447 might be able to say more about this as he codes and prepares the Tomcat’s systems now.
Ah, if you’re trying to remove them, that makes sense why the functionality would have changed. I can respect the desire to set it up more for carrier night landings.
I will continue to play with it to see if I can get it to work. It’s not so much that the functionality is drastically different, it’s that the ability to bind functions in the cockpit to key/hardware bindings seems to have gone away. I am assuming that the GPS LNAV altitude reading might be a bug rather than something else (possibly an issue with the new FMC and the waypoint have a “0” altitude). I didn’t use VNAV, as that had previously not worked so well.
Also, if you are removing AP functionality, what is the intention with the FMC implementation?
I suspect that the changes require hands-on presses as there are no stock MSFS button bindings for them on an FMC, although I’m not well versed on the FMC side of things to be honest as it’s Jack’s area of expertise. The intention for the FMC is to replicate the systems that were included in the real F-14, just with a screen to make life easier in the A model for people to visualise their navigation ( the F-14B and D had an actual screen ). I’m hoping to add an active radar in the RIO seat, eventually.
Sorry for creating confusion. I wasn’t talking about the FMC switches - yes, those don’t have any button bindings in MSFS. Here are a couple of the ones I was talking about:
The AP Altitude Hold button in the cockpit, which could previously be bound to the Toggle Autopilot Altitude Hold; now I can’t bind that function to the Toggle binding, the Autopilot Altitude Hold On or Autopilot Altitude Hold Off functions.
The navigation mode could previously be switched between GPS and NAV mode by toggling the binding for Toggle GPS Drives NAV1; now that binding doesn’t do anything
Autopilot Nav1 Hold binding previously activated the GPS following (now called turn LNAV on, or something like that, since I can’t get on MSFS right now); that key binding now seems to flip the switch momentarily, but then flips back to the off position (unless the GPS mode has already been switched on in the cockpit, in which case it does re-enable it if it has been turned off).
As you said, maybe Jack can shed some light. Despite my questions, I am very, very happy with the plane and always amazed at the hard work and dedication you both show.
What you raise has nothing to do with the FMC. The FMC have been always here running in the background with no screen to show, but we’ve added the screen to the RIO so you can create flight plans, direct to, other menus. etc. It works in the same way as the FMCs implanted on the F-15 or the DED on the F-16.
Regarding the autopilot as Dean has mentioned, functions have been removed in favor of getting closer to the real functions of the AP, hence some functions depend on local variables and not direct modes, and others can no longer be used as the modes VNAV and FLC, but PIT HOLD, ALT HOLD, VERT HOLD, NAV (TACAN, VOR, GPS), APRROACH (with ACLS) or HDG/GT Selected modes.
This has undergone a variation, and is now handled by a local variable that toggles between PIT HOLD and ALT HOLD modes. That means that the binding on your device stops working. You can activate alt hold from inside the plane both from the switch on the left console and the button on the right console. If activated you will be able to change the target altitude. If it is disabled you will be in PIT HOLD mode, the target altitude will be 0 and will not let you change it.
This is also handled by a local variable, due to how the MSFS logic works and due to problems reported by many users who were unable to make ILS landings when GPS drives NAV was even disabled. What you have to take into account here is: when there is no active Flight Plan the switch will have to be in NAV, and when there is Flight Plan you will have to be in GPS (even if you are going to make a landing in ILS since the approach mode will be who disables the GPS when there is an active ILS frequency and you are in the radius of the Glideslope).
I remind you that there are two ways to follow a GPS route: the NAV mode with GPS enabled or the HDG Managed Mode. But they will only be able to be activated when the AP is ON, so if you turn on any of them with the AP off, they will be deactivated. This has an explanation and it is that for the AFCS to work correctly without autopilot, the horizontal modes of the AP must be disabled since they influence the PID controller that manages the AFCS. The positions of the NAV, HDG and HDG SEL/MNG switches have not changed. I will always recommend you to use HDG MNG instead of NAV for steering modes, as it is more accurate at speeds above MACH 1.
There have been more changes of course: On the right front console, the TCN, DEST, AWL, VEC and MAN buttons will now do the same thing as the real plane, which is to switch between Tacan, NAV, ILS, VOR modes respectively. That is, they are used to display the different information modes on the screens and not autopilot functions like before.
The ACLS switches, known as the Approach switch and the so-called “magic button” have changed: the first is a decluter for the HUD that allows you to enable the CDI and GSI indicators, while the second will activate the ACLS mode.
ACLS mode has a simple operation and it is to set the speeds calculated for an ILS landing when you turn on autothrottle: If this switch is enabled, autothrottle will be set to 235 knots when altitude is below 7000 feet and flaps are not full, and 185 knots when flaps are full. Once you capture the GS, the speed will be calculated by interpolation between the minimum and maximum weight of the aircraft, which may be between 112 knots for a GW of 38,000lb and 148 knots for 66,000lb. The resulting speed will keep the aircraft at an angle of attack between 8 and 10, which is equivalent to the 15 AOA units on the AOA needle. if you disable ALCS switch you will again have control over the autothrottle speed controls by the knobs.
The approach switch (which is bindable) has been moved to the right place, which is the VEC/AWL switch located on the left console.
Sorry bit of a nooby question but is the ACLS to be set before or after GS capture?
Im on xbox and dont have access to manuals so having to learn by trial and error again
Yes, acls switch to on before capturing GS, the same goes for full flaps and landing gear extended. You will notice in the VDI that the target speed change to 235knots by default, and the ACLS highlight is displayed in the FMA when this switch and and autothrottle are set to ON
SO!!! NOT!!! loving the update.
I bought the F14 twice and now it’s a never fly again aircraft. I was loving it. So sad.
My WartHog switches are all screwed up now and the only way I can get it to start is with the Air Starter Switch. It also seems to be way to sensitive now.
Like MS windows, the buyer should have a way to undue the update.
The updater install from Just Flight can often cause problems. It’s always best to entirely remove the airplane and then install again from scratch. Clears a lot of little problems up like switches not working etc.
I should find a way to pin posts or something actually, as this one comes up a lot. If updating any of my aircraft from a third-party store, don’t install the update over the top. Remove the aircraft entirely and then install afresh, before then popping back in any third-party liveries etc. The Tomcats are working just fine, but I’ve heard from several users who had broken Tomcats until they fully re-installed them.
DEANO1973: Thanks!! but I did delete the MS F14 before installing the Just Flight F14. It’s all screwed up now. Again!! the buyer should have the ability to rollback an update. It’s a shame but the F14 now goes in the junk folder with the F22.
Oh!! THANK!! GOD!!! I was able to reinstall the one from MSFS without the update. Everything is working again. I will NOT!!! be doing the update. It’s a shame because I was looking forward to that navigation system you’ve added.
Please!! don’t misunderstand me, I still love DC Designs and will only buy from you guys.
The right switch is now APU Start ?
If this is correct? then I had my switches programed correctly. What I noticed in your video was that you set the APU Bleed switch (see photo) I missed that step.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to create the video. It shows DC Designs is willing to take the time to help it’s customers. Also, for all the help DC Designs has given me.
Unfortunately! I will not be doing the MSFS F-14 update and the Just Flight F-14 will go in the trash. Wish I had an un-updated Just Flight version.
Update: I did a re-install with Just Flight F-14 after emptying my community folder. Tomcat fight characteristics back on track. However! WartHog mapping problems, Can’t do a cold/ dark start. Plus, with the update I can no longer map the wing sweep (Logo light switch) to a switch.
I will NOT!!! be doing the update. It’s a shame because I was looking forward to that navigation system you’ve added.
