F-14B Manual 1.0

Heatblur F-14A/B Tomcat
Documentation
Release 1.0
Johan Malmquist
Mar 12, 2019

Contents:
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Historical background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.1 F-14 Tomcat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.2 Service Life Upgrades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.3 Ground Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.4 F-14D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.5 End of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.6 Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.1.7 AIM-54 Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.2 General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1.2.1 Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2 Cockpit Overview 9
2.1 F-14B Cockpit Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.1.1 Pilot Cockpit Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.1.2 RIO Cockpit Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.2 F-14B Pilot Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.1 Left Side Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.2.2 Left Vertical Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2.2.3 Left Knee Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.2.4 Left Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.2.5 Left Windshield Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
2.2.6 Center Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
2.2.7 Right Windshield Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
2.2.8 Right Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2.2.9 Right Knee Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
2.2.10 Right Vertical Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
2.2.11 Right Side Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
2.2.12 Canopy Control Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
2.3 F-14B RIO Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
2.3.1 Left Side Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
2.3.2 Left Vertical Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
2.3.3 Left Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
2.3.4 Center Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
2.3.5 Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
2.3.6 Left and Right Footwells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
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2.3.7 Right Instrument Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
2.3.8 Right Knee Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
2.3.9 Right Vertical Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
2.3.10 Right Side Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
2.3.11 Canopy Control Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
3 General Design and Systems Overview 165

3.1 Engines and Throttle Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
3.1.1 Throttle Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
3.1.2 Engine and Throttle Control Switches and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
3.2 Fuel System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
3.2.1 Fuel Quantity Indicators and Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
3.3 Fire Detection and Suppression System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
3.3.1 Fire Detection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
3.3.2 Fire Suppression System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
3.3.3 Fire Detection and Suppression System Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
3.4 Electrical Power System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
3.4.1 Emergency Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
3.4.2 Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
3.4.3 Circuit Breakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
3.5 Hydraulic System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
3.6 Wing-Sweep System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
3.6.1 Emergency Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
3.7 Flight Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
3.7.1 Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
3.7.2 AFCS Automatic Flight Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
3.7.3 Spoilers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
3.7.4 Flaps and Slats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
3.7.5 Speedbrakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
3.8 Landing Gear System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
3.8.1 Nosewheel Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
3.8.2 Wheelbrakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
3.9 Catapult Launch and Arresting Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
3.9.1 Nosegear Catapult System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
3.9.2 Arresting Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
3.10 ECS Environmental Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
3.10.1 Air Source and Cockpit Air Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
3.10.2 Windshield Anti-Ice and Defogging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
3.10.3 AN/AWG-9 and AIM-54 Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
3.10.4 External ECS Air Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
3.11 Oxygen System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
3.12 Flight Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
3.13 Canopy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
3.14 Ejection System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
3.15 Lighting System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
3.15.1 Internal Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
3.15.2 External Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
3.16 Jettison System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
3.17 CADC Central Air Data Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
3.18 AN/AWG-9 Weapon Control System (WCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
3.18.1 Detail Data Display (DDD) and Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
3.18.2 Tactical Information Display (TID) and Associated Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
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3.18.3 Hand Control Unit (HCU) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
3.18.4 Computer Address Panel (CAP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
3.18.5 Sensor Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
3.18.6 AN/AWG-9 Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
3.19 AN/APX-72 IFF Interrogator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
3.20 Television Camera Set (TCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
3.20.1 TCS Controls and Symbology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
3.20.2 TCS Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
3.21 LANTIRN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
3.21.1 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
3.21.2 Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
3.21.3 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
3.22 AN/ALR-67 RWR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
3.22.1 Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
3.22.2 Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
3.22.3 Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
3.22.4 Warning Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249
3.22.5 Threat Indication Alert Tones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
3.22.6 BIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
3.22.7 Threat Symbology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250
3.23 AN/ALE-39 Countermeasures Dispensing Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252
3.23.1 Controls and Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
3.23.2 LAU-138 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
3.24 AN/ALQ-126 DECM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
3.24.1 AN/ALQ-126 Controls and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
3.25 Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
3.25.1 Navigation System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258
3.25.2 Inertial Navigation System (INS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
3.25.3 INS Alignment Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
3.25.4 Navigational Controls and Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
3.25.5 Navigation Fix Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
3.25.6 Attitude and Heading Reference Set (AHRS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
3.25.7 TACAN System (AN/ARN-84) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
3.25.8 Bearing Distance and Heading Indicator (BDHI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279
3.25.9 Radar Altimeter System (AN/APN-194) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
3.25.10 Navigation System Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
3.26 Communications Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
3.26.1 Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
3.26.2 ICS - Intercommunications System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 289
3.26.3 Audio Warning Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291
3.26.4 Pilot Volume/TACAN Command Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
3.26.5 RIO Communication/TACAN Command Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
3.26.6 AN/ARC-159 (UHF 1) Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
3.26.7 AN/ARC-182 (V/UHF 2) Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297
3.26.8 Loading (saving) Preset Channel(s) on UHF 1 and V/UHF 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
3.26.9 AN/ARC-182 BIT (Built-in Test) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
3.26.10 AN/ARC-159 and AN/ARC-182 Remote Displays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
3.26.11 AN/ARA-50 UHF Automatic Direction Finder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
3.26.12 TSEC/KY-28 Voice Security Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
3.26.13 KY-28 Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
3.26.14 Link 4A & C Data Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
4 Weapons and Weapons Employment Overview 307

4.1 M-61 Vulcan Six-Barreled Gatling Cannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
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4.2 Air-to-Air Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
4.2.1 HUD Symbology for Air-to-Air Missiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
4.2.2 AIM-7 Sparrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317
4.2.3 AIM-9 Sidewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
4.2.4 AIM-54 Phoenix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324
4.3 Air-to-Ground Weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
4.3.1 Air-to-Ground Weapon Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
4.3.2 Air-to-Ground Weapon Delivery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
4.3.3 Mk-81, 82, 83 and 84 GP Bombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
4.3.4 GBU-10, 12, 16 and 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
4.3.5 Mk-20 Rockeye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
4.3.6 Zuni Rockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
4.3.7 BDU-33 Practice Bombs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
4.4 Special Munitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
4.4.1 ADM-141 TALD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
4.4.2 LUU-2 Parachute Flare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 336
4.4.3 Smokewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5 Pods and Tanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5.1 LAU-138 Chaff Adapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5.2 TACTS Pods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5.3 FPU-1 Fuel Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5.4 LANTIRN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
4.5.5 CNU-188 External Baggage Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
4.6 F-14B Loadout Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339
5 Procedures 341
5.1 Checklists - Pilot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
5.1.1 Interior Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
5.1.2 Prestart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345
5.1.3 Engine Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
5.1.4 Poststart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 349
5.2 Checklists - RIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
5.2.1 Interior Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 354
5.2.2 Prestart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356
5.2.3 Engine Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
5.2.4 Poststart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 357
6 Emergency Procedures 361

6.1 Engine Airstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
6.1.1 Spooldown Airstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361
6.1.2 Cross-Bleed Airstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
6.1.3 Windmill Airstart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
7 DCS Specific Functions 365

7.1 Jester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365
7.1.1 Functionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366
7.1.2 Iceman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
7.1.3 Assisted Startup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
7.2 HB DCS F-14 Specific Configuration Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
7.3 DCS Mission Editor Functions Specific to the HB DCS F-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
7.3.1 Heatblur DCS F-14 Specific Options in the Mission Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
7.3.2 F-14 Waypoints in the Mission Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
8 Acronyms and Abbreviations 371

8.1 A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
iv
8.2 B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
8.3 C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
8.4 D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
8.5 E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
8.6 F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
8.7 G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
8.8 H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
8.9 I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
8.10 J. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
8.11 K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374
8.12 L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
8.13 M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
8.14 N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
8.15 O . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
8.16 P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
8.17 Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
8.18 R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
8.19 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
8.20 T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
8.21 U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
8.22 V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
8.23 W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
8.24 Y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
v
vi
Heatblur F-14A/B Tomcat Documentation, Release 1.0
Contents: 1
2 Contents:
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
1.1 Historical background
1.1.1 F-14 Tomcat
Fig. 1: U.S. Navy photo by LT J.G. Thomas Prochilo. (DN-SC-83-06680)
The F-14 Tomcat can trace its origin back to the 1950’s and the US Navy’s need for a carrier based long range
interceptor to fill the Fleet Air Defence role. It was decided that it needed an aircraft with a more advanced and longer
ranged radar as well as longer ranged air-to-air missile than the F-4 Phantom.
3
The Navy was directed, by then defense secretary Robert McNamara, to join the Tactical Fighter Experimental or
TFX program to procure this aircraft in a joint venture with the US Air Force. The Navy was opposed to this from the
beginning and the proposed General Dynamics F-111B did not meet the Navy’s expectations.
Grumman, which had been brought on board by General Dynamics for the Navy F-111B, was eventually awarded a
contract to begin development of an aircraft more suited to the Navy’s requirements. This led to the design that would
eventually become the F-14, carrying over the radar (AN/AWG-9) and missiles (AIM-54 Phoenix) from the failed
F-111B project.
The F-14 Tomcat first flew on the 21st of December 1970 and entered service on the 22nd of September 1974. The
name “Tomcat” follows Grumman’s tradition of naming their aircraft after cats and also partially from the nickname
“Tom’s Cat” for Vice Admiral Thomas F. Connolly who was instrumental for the development of the F-14.
1.1.2 Service Life Upgrades
The first version of the F-14, the F-14A was equipped with the Pratt & Whitney TF30 and carried an IRST system in
the chinpod under the nose.
The TF30 engines were generally regarded as temperamental and underpowered for the F-14A and were eventually
replaced by the General Electric F110-400 engines in the F-14A+ (later F-14B).
The IRST system was rather quickly determined to be underperforming and replaced with the TCS (Television Camera
Set) in the chinpod allowing for greater than visual range identification of radar tracked targets.
Both the F-14A and F-14B received continuous upgrades during their life, including new programmable cockpit
displays (PTID and PMDIG) as well as a new INS system, a digital flight control system (DFCS) and an RWR system
amongst others.
Eventually the Tactical Reconaissance mission was also added to the F-14’s portfolio, enabled by the TARPS system,
allowing the Tomcat to gather photographic reconaissance material.
1.1.3 Ground Attack
During the 1990’s when the aerial threat to the fleets of the US Navy lessened and with the advent of operations like
Desert Storm, the ground attack role was resurrected.
The ability to carry and deliver air-to-ground munitions had been implemented in the F-14 from the beginning but
ruled out by the Navy as cost and risk ineffective given the F-14’s role as a Fleet Air Defence fighter.
With the renewed interest for this role, some of the F-14As and F-14Bs were equipped to carry the LANTIRN targeting
pod allowing the RIO to find and designate laser guided bombs for his own aircraft and others. Later on the ability to
carry and deliver gps-guided JDAMs was also added.
Most of the LANTIRN equipped aircraft were the ones upgraded with the programmable TID or (PTID) allowing for
greater integration of the LANTIRN.
1.1.4 F-14D
In the 1990’s the ultimate F-14 version was beginning to see service, the F-14D.
The F-14D used the same engines as the F-14B, the GE F110-400s in addition to using the digital flight control system,
which was eventually retrofitted into operational F-14As and F-14Bs as well.
In addition the F-14D also had a newer, more advanced version of the AN/AWG-9, the AN/APG-71, as well as a
whole suite of upgraded avionics along with a new chinpod combining the TCS with a new, improved IRST system.
4 Chapter 1. Introduction
Fig. 2: Photo by LCDR Dave Parsons. (DN-SC-93-01299)
1.1. Historical background 5

1.1.5 End of Service
The F-14 Tomcat did eventually show its age, forcing the Navy to retire it due to increased maintenance costs and
the general status of the now dated airframes. Additionally the Tomcat’s primary role, the Fleet Air Defence role,
seemingly disappeared with the end of the Cold War.
The Tomcat was finally retired in a ceremony on the 22nd of September 2006 at NAS Oceana.
1.1.6 Iran
Fig. 3: IRIAF photo circa 1986.
The only other operator of the F-14 Tomcat was the Imperial Iranian Air Force, later the Islamic Republic of Iran Air
Force, for which the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi acquired 80 Tomcats.
The eventual fall of the Shah and the rise of the Islamic Republic of Iran meant that a country now opposed to the
United States had access to one of its most advanced fighter aircraft. This meant that the Iranian F-14s now lost access
to new spare parts and missiles, apart from black market sources, greatly increasing the difficulty of maintaining the
aircraft.
The F-14 Tomcat was used during the Iran-Iraq war, claiming a great number of air-to-air victories over the Iraqi Air
Force, with some sources going so far as to claim that Iraqi pilots at times left the contested air space to avoid facing
the AN/AWG-9 - AIM-54 combo.
To this date the IRIAF continues to fly the F-14 Tomcat as the sole operator. It’s not entirely known how the Iranians
source their spare parts but it’s assumed that they’ve had to cannibalize inoperable aircraft to keep a portion of their
fleet flying. In addition rumours exist mentioning black market sources as well as indigenous production of some
parts.
The Iranian operated Tomcats are of the earlier F-14A revisions, using the TF30 engines and lacking a TCS or IRST
system.
1.1.7 AIM-54 Phoenix
Fig. 4: U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Dana Potts. (020924-N-1955P-001)
The AIM-54 long-range air-to-air missile was born from the same TFX program as that which eventually led to the
F-14 Tomcat.
It was designed for the F-111B and then adopted for the F-14 as a long-range missile capable of long range engagement
of enemy bombers in addition to hostile cruise missiles. That’s not to say that the AIM-54 Phoenix was a slouch at
engaging other smaller targets as well.
Outstanding features of the AIM-54 missiles were their long range as well as their ability to be launched at up to six
simultaneous targets, guided first by the AN/AWG-9 radar in the launching aircraft and then its own active radar seeker
independently.
The original AIM-54 Phoenix was the AIM-54A with a mk47 rocket motor. The motor was later on upgraded, creating
the mk60 motor, increasing the missile’s range. Eventually the AIM-54 itself was also upgraded, resulting in the AIM-
54C with, amongst other things, an upgraded seeker head and a newer version of the mk47 producing less smoke,
making the missile hard to spot visually.
The US Navy fired only three AIM-54 missiles in combat, all three over Iraq. The missiles never hit their intended
targets though as two of the missiles’ rocket motors failed with the third also missing its target as it turned tail and ran.
While little is known for certain in the western hemisphere, the IRIAF claims at least 78 air-to-air victories using the
AIM-54 against Iraqi MiG-21s, MiG-23s, MiG-25s, Mirage F-1s, Super Etendards and even some anti-ship cruise
missiles.
1.1. Historical background 7

1.2 General Specifications
1.2.1 Technical Data
F-14B
Wingspan (Fully Extended) 64‘1.5” (~19.5 meters)

Wingspan (Fully Swept Airborne) 38‘2.5” (~11.6 meters)
Wingspan (Oversweep) 33‘3.5” (~10.1 meters)
Length 62‘8.5” (~19.1 meters)
Height 16’ (~4.9 meters)
Wing Area 565 sqft (~52.5 m2 )
Empty Weight 41,780 pounds (~19,000 kg)
Maximum Weight 74,349 pounds (~33,700 kg)
Maximum Thrust with Afterburner 60,400 lbf (268 kN)
Wing Loading 94 lb/ft2 (458.9 kg/m2 )
Maximum Speed 1,544 mph (~2,500 km/h) Mach 2.38
Ceiling 53,000’+ (~16,200 meters)
Range 2,050 NM (~3800 km)
CHAPTER 2
Cockpit Overview
9
2.1 F-14B Cockpit Layout
2.1.1 Pilot Cockpit Layout
1 Left Side Console

2 Left Vertical Console
3 Left Knee Panel
4 Left Instrument Panel
5 Left Windshield Frame
6 Center Panel
7 Right Windshield Frame
8 Right Instrument Panel
9 Right Knee Panel
10 Right Vertical Console
11 Right Side Console
12 Canopy Control Handle
10 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

2.1.2 RIO Cockpit Layout
1 Left Side Console

2 Left Vertical Console
3 Left Instrument Panel
4 Center Panel
5 Center Console
6 Left and Right Footwells
7 Right Instrument Panel
8 Right Knee Panel
9 Right Vertical Console
10 Right Side Console
11 Canopy Control Handle
2.1. F-14B Cockpit Layout 11

2.2 F-14B Pilot Cockpit
2.2.1 Left Side Console
G-valve Button
Pressed to test inflation of g-suit.

Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel
Controls ventilation airflow to pressure suit or seat cushions and oxygen to pilot mask.
Control Function
Used to control airflow through the pressure suit or seat
1. VENT AIRFLOW dial
cushions if no pressure suit is worn.
Switch with ON/OFF positions. Controls oxygen flow
2. OXYGEN switch
to the mask.
2.2. F-14B Pilot Cockpit 13

Volume/TACAN Command Panel
Panel controlling volume to Pilot headset and crewmember in control of TACAN.
Control/Indicator Function
Controls audio volume from the ALR-67 to the pilot.
1. ALR-67 knob
Controls volume of Sidewinder audio tone to the pilot.

2. SW knob
Controls volume of audio from AN/ARC-182 to the pi-

3. V/UHF 2 knob
lot.
Sets crewmember in command of the TACAN. Also in-
4. TACAN CMD switch
dicates current setting.

TACAN Control Panel
TACAN control panel letting the pilot control TACAN if in command of it.

Outer dial selects first two digits and inner dial selects
1. Dual rotary switch
last digit for TACAN channel selection.
Lights indicating result of TACAN BIT.
2. GO & NO-GO lights
Button initiating TACAN BIT.

3. BIT button
Switches mode for TACAN operation and selects X or

4. MODE switches
Y channels. INVERSE mode not functional.
Volume control knob for TACAN audio to the pilot.
5. VOL knob
6. Mode knob
Selects TACAN mode.
OFF - TACAN is off.
REC - Receive only.
T/R - Transmit and receive, enables range readout.
A/A - Air to air TACAN mode.
BCN - Beacon TACAN mode. (Non functional)

ICS Control Panel
Control panel for ICS.

Control Function
Volume control knob for intercommunication audio
1. VOL knob
from the RIO to the pilot.
2. Amplifier selection knob

Knob selecting which amplifier to use for pilot’s
headset audio.
B/U - Backup amplifier.
NORM - Normal amplifier.
EMER - Emergency amplifier. Uses RIO’s amplifier

and his volume settings. Disallows listening to audio
only available to the pilot such as the Sidewinder tone
and engine stall/overtemperature warnings.
3. ICS switch
Selects ICS function.
RADIO OVERRIDE - Makes ICS audio override radio

audio.
HOT MIC - Allows talking to the RIO without pressing

the PTT. Also allows the groundcrew to talk to the crew
via the external interphone.
COLD MIC - Allows talking to the RIO only while the

PTT is pressed.

AFCS Control Panel
Control panel for AFCS and autopilot.

Control Function
Enables pitch stability augmentation.
1. PITCH switch
Enables roll stability augmentation.

2. ROLL switch
Enables yaw stability augmentation.

3. YAW switch
4. VEC/PCD/ACL switch
Switch controlling the remote control modes of
autopilot.
VEC/PCD - Vector/PCD mode. Roll and pitch axis is

controlled by data link. Engaged by NWS button on
pilot stick.
OFF - Function off.
ACL - Automatic carrier landing mode. Engaged by

NWS button on pilot stick.
ON/OFF switch, enables altitude hold. Engaged by

5. ALT switch
NWS button on pilot stick.
6. HDG switch
Selects HDG hold mode.
HDG - Engages heading hold mode.
OFF - Heading hold off.
GT - Ground track mode, engaged by NWS button on

pilot stick.
ENGAGE/OFF. Engages autopilot.

7. ENGAGE switch
Note All switches are springloaded to OFF position but held in position with solenoid to enable automatic
disengagement when applicable.

UHF 1 (AN/ARC-159) Radio
UHF radio 1. Radio and controls.

Controls volume of UHF 1 audio to pilot headset.
1. VOL knob
ON/OFF switch enabling squelch.

2. SQL switch
Toggle switches selecting set frequency.

3. Frequency select switches
Readout display showing selected frequency or channel.

4. FREQ/(CHAN) display
Button toggling display of selected channel while held.

5. READ button
Knob controlling display brightness.

6. BRT knob
Button toggling load of set frequency to set channel.

7. LOAD button
8. Function selector knob

Selector knob selecting radio function.
ADF, BOTH, MAIN or OFF.
Selects preset channel to use.

9. CHAN SEL knob
Chart used to record frequencies or use for preset chan-

10. Preset channels chart
nels.
Knob selecting radio frequency select mode.
11. Mode selector knob
Transmits a TONE on current frequency.

12. TONE button
Note ADF nonfunctional in AN/ARC-159, use V/UHF 2 instead.

ASYM Limiter/Engine Mode Select
Control panel for the asymmetric thrust limiter system and the control mode of each engine.
Control Function
ON/OFF switch enabling afterburner thrust asymmetry
1. ASYM LIMITER switch
limiter.
2. ENG MODE SELECT switches

Switches selecting engine mode for their respective
engine.
PRI - Primary engine control mode.
SEC - Secondary engine control mode.

Target Designate Switch
Used to designate ground targets on the HUD and to control pilot ACM radar modes except PLM. Can be moved
up/down and forward which is the designate position.
In air-to-ground mode up and down moves the designator and forward designates. In all other cases up and down
selects VSL HI and VSL LO ACM-modes respectively and forward selects PAL.

Inlet Ramps/Throttle Control Panel
Control panel for various engine systems, throttle settings and rudder trim.

Control Function
1. THROTTLE MODE
Switch selecting throttle operation mode.
AUTO - Automatic.
BOOST - Boosted.
MAN - Manual.
2. THROTTLE TEMP
Switch selecting throttle computer gain.
HOT - Hot.
NORM - Normal.
COLD - Cold.
3. INLET RAMPS
Switches selecting operational modes for respective
engine inlet ramps.
STOW - Stowed.
AUTO - Automatic mode.
Selector switch selecting engine crank for either left or

4. ENG CRANK
right engine.
Switch toggling engine backup ignition ON or OFF.
5. BACK UP IGNITION
Switch adjusting rudder trim.

6. RUDDER TRIM

Throttle
The throttle grips contains various flight controls and HOTAS functions.

Control Function
1. Speed brake switch
Switch controlling extension of the speed brake.
EXT - Momentary position returning to center when

released. Incrementally extends speed brake while
held. Speed brake remains in position it’s at when
released.
RET - Toggle position retracting speed brake.
2. Wing-sweep switch
Switch controlling wing-sweep function. Manual mode
only allows positions aft of CADC set position.
AUTO - Wing-sweep automatically set by CADC.
FWD - Sweeps wings forward manually.
AFT - Sweeps wings aft manually.
BOMB - Sets wing-sweep to 55° if forwards of that.

When the CADC position is aft of 55° it will follow
that setting instead.
Button used to command pilot lockon mode of AWG-9.

3. PLM button
Also used to disengage autopilot while in ACL.
Button used to command CAGE/SEAM to AIM-9 initi-
4. CAGE/SEAM button
ating lockon. Also used to disengage APC when in use.
Switch used to control exterior lights. OFF disable all
5. Exterior light switch
exterior lights and increases approach light intensity.
ON enables all exterior lights and dims approach lights.
6. ICS PTT switch
Switch allowing pilot to key one or both radios and
intercommunication to RIO.
ICS - Keys intercommunication to RIO.
BOTH - Keys both UHF 1 and V/UHF 2 for

transmission.
UHF1 - Keys UHF 1 for transmission.
UHF2 - Keys V/UHF 2 for transmission.

Throttle Quadrant
The main throttle quadrant contains the two main-engine throttle controls, the flap lever and manual wing-sweep
handle in addition to the HOTAS controls on the throttles themselves. The throttles have detents in the OFF, IDLE and
MIL positions.
Moving the throttles to the IDLE position from OFF arms the ignition and disengages the fuel cutoff. The sideways
movements of the throttles are not spring loaded, this is so the pilot can have the throttle resting at MIL power for
catapult launches and prevents accidental spool down of the engines. A friction lever for selection of desired throttle
movement friction is located on the left side of the throttle quadrant, beneath the flap lever.
The flap lever has a stepless range of motion between up and down and has two emergency positions, one emergency up
and one emergency down. Both emergency positions have detents, the lever needs to be moved outboards to continue
movement into these positions. Emergency up forces the flaps up, overriding the normal flap logic. Emergency down
is non-functional.
The manual/emergency wing-sweep handle is protected by a guard and is normally pushed in and stowed. The handle-
top is extended for manual operation. For more information see Emergency Mode.

Hydraulic Hand Pump
The hydraulic hand pump is located inboards of the throttle quadrant, near the pilot’s left leg. It is used to manually
add hydraulic pressure for brake operation (with gear handle in the down position) or for refueling probe operation in
case of a failure in the hydraulic system.

2.2.2 Left Vertical Console
Fuel Management Panel
Control panel for various fuel related systems, CADC master reset and the anti skid system.

1. QTY SEL switch Switch selecting what the fuel quantity tapes on the
fuel quantity display shows. Springloaded to FEED.
FEED - Shows respective feed and fuselage tank fuel

quantity.
WING - Shows respective wing tank fuel quantity.
EXT - Shows respective external fuel tank quantity.
Switch selecting fuel feed to the engines. Guard locks

2. FEED switch the switch to NORM until lifted.
3. WING/EXT TRANS switch Switch selecting operation of the wing and external
tanks.
ORIDE - Override.
AUTO - Normal position.
OFF - Turns off fuel feed from the wing and external
tanks.
Transition light illuminated when refueling probe is not

4. Refueling probe indicator light in extended or retracted position.
OFF/DUMP switch. Allows fuel dump when speed

5. DUMP switch brakes are retracted, afterburner off and weight off
wheels.
6. REFUEL PROBE switch Selection switch toggling operation of refueling probe.
ALL EXTD - All extended, extends refueling probe

and allows refueling of all tanks. Also resets
WING/EXT TRANS switch to AUTO.
FUS EXTD - Fuselage extended, extends refueling

probe and allows refueling of only fuselage tanks.
RET - Retracted, retracts refueling probe.
Continued on next page

Table 1 – continued from previous page

7. ANTI SKID SPOILER BK switch Selection switch determining operation anti-skid and
spoiler brake systems.
BOTH - Enables both anti-skid and spoiler brake

function with weight on wheels.
OFF - Turns off both systems.
SPOILER BK - Spoiler brake, enables spoiler brake

function with weight on wheels.
Resets CADC failure detection system and associated

8. MASTER RESET button fault displays.
Displays control surface positions. See below.

9. Control surface position indicator

Control Surface Position Indicator
Indicator for indication of control surface positions.

Indicator Function
1. SPOILER
Spoiler position indicators.
DN - Down, flush with wings.
Up-arrow - Extended above wing.
Down-arrow - Drooped below wing surface.
Rudder position indicators, shows position of left and

2. RUDDER
right rudders, each marked L or R.
Horizontal stabilizer position indicators, shows position
3. HORIZ TAIL
of left and right stabilizer surfaces, marked L or R re-
spectively.
Launch Bar Abort Panel
LAUNCH BAR – Selection switch – When held in ABORT lifts the launch bar for launch abortion. Spring-loaded to
NORM (Normal) which is the standard position. Not currently used in DCS.

Landing Gear Control Panel
Control panel for the main landing gear and emergency stores jettison.

1. LDG GEAR Landing gear handle. Selects gear UP or DOWN.
For emergency extension in DOWN position, push

handle in, turn clockwise and pull out. This releases a
compressed nitrogen charge for emergency extension.
Indicates weight on wheels when moved down by

2. DOWN LOCK ORIDE solenoid. Can be lifted up to override. Non-functional
in DCS.
3. HYD ISOL Switch isolating landing gear, nosewheel steering and

wheel brakes from the combined hydraulic system. Is
automatically moved to T.O./LDG by LDG GEAR in
DOWN position.
FLT - In flight operation, isolates systems listed above.
T.O./LDG - Take-off/landing, connects systems listed

above, allowing them to operate.
Illuminates to indicate landing gear position not corre-

4. Transition light sponding to current LDG GEAR handle position.
See below.
5. Wheels-flaps position indicator
Emergency stores jettison. Illuminates to indicate acti-

6. EMERG STORES button vation when pressed.
7. NOSE STRUT switch Switch selecting nosewheel strut retraction.
EXTD - Extend, extends nosewheel strut and raises and

locks launch bar.
OFF - Turns off nosewheel strut movement,

springloaded to this position.
KNEEL - Releases pressure from nosewheel strut to

retract it, kneeling aircraft. Also unlocks launch bar.
Parking brake, pull out to apply parking brake, push in

8. BRAKE-PULL handle to release.


9. EJECT CMD indicator Indicates ejection system mode for the back seat.
PILOT - Pilot ejects both crewmembers, RIO only

himself.
MCO - Each position ejects both crewmen.

Wheels-Flaps Position Indicator

Indicates position of flaps and slats, speed brakes and the landing gear. The slats are indicated as follows:
Power off or maneuver slats extended.
Slats extended.
Slats retracted.
Flap Position is displayed by an indicator moving between UP and DOWN. The first marked section of the indicator
indicates maneuver flap-range. The landing gear is indicated as follows:
Power off or unsafe gear.
Gear down.
Gear retracted and doors closed.

Speed brakes are indicated as follows:
Speed brake system power off.
Speed brake partial extension, not in motion.
Speed brake fully extended.
Speed brake retracted.

2.2.3 Left Knee Panel
Hydraulic Pressure Indicator
Shows hydraulic pressure of the combined and flight hydraulic systems. SPOIL (Spoiler) ON/OFF-flag indicates
pressurization of outboard spoiler module. EMER FLT HI ON/OFF-flags indicates backup flight hydraulic system
pressures when HI or LOW is selected respectively.

Oil Pressure Indicator
Displays oil pressure for each engine. Range is 0 - 100 psi, normal range is 25 - 65 psi, varying with engine rpm.
Exhaust Nozzle Position Indicator
Displays position of engine nozzles. Range 0 – 5 with 5 being fully open.

Electronic Instrument Group
Displays engine RPM (High-pressure compressor rotor speed (N2)), EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) and FF (Fuel
Flow) for respective engine.
Note Image shows TF-30 engine instruments, F110 EIG coming soon.

2.2.4 Left Instrument Panel
Radar Altimeter
Control and indicator for the radar altimeter.

1. Radar altimeter control knob
Fully counterclockwise position turns the altimeter off.
Rotation clockwise sets the altitude warning level,
increasing clockwise.
Depressing the knob starts the altimeter BIT.
Shown if the system is off, power is off or the system

2. OFF flag
loses ground lock.
Red light illuminated when below set altitude warning
3. Low altitude warning light
level.
Green light that should illuminate when the altimeter
4. Self-test light
BIT is run. The readout should also display 100 feet +/-
10.
Low-altitude limit index Small triangular bug moving along outer edge, displays
set altitude warning level.
Note Radio override does not disable low-altitude warning tone.

Servopneumatic Altimeter
Control and indicator for the servopneumatic altimeter.

Displays altitude digitally on three drums showing 10
1. Altimeter readout
000, 1 000 and 100 of feet respectively. It also displays
altitude on a pointer on a circular scale indicating 100’s
of feet.
Sets local pressure in inches of mercury (in.Hg). Only
2. Baroset knob
used locally on the altimeter readout, all other digital
indicators (via CADC) uses a set 29.92 in.Hg value.
Indicates barometric pressure setting, also called the
3. Local barometric pressure
Kollsman Window.
Three-position switch, springloaded to return from RE-
4. Mode switch
SET. If power and altitude data from CADC is present,
switch can be held in RESET for 3 seconds to allow
normal (servoed) mode of operation. If set to STBY or
power or CADC data is absent for more than 3 seconds
system switches to backup (pressure) mode.
STBY flag Red flag reading STBY that appears if system is in
backup (stand-by) mode.
Note At high speeds and below 10,000 feet, due to pressure changes, errors in readout up to as much as
1,200 feet when transonic and up to as much as 4,000 feet when supersonic can occur.

Airspeed Mach Indicator
Indicated airspeed and Mach number display.

Shows indicated airspeed on three scales, two for indi-
1. Airspeed dial
cated airspeed and one moving for Mach number.
Readout for indicated airspeed up to 200 knots.
2. Indicated airspeed scale (outer)
Readout for indicated airspeed from 200 knots to 850

3. Indicated airspeed scale (inner)
knots. Covered by airspeed dial until relevant.
Readout for Mach number. Moved to show correct
4. Mach number scale
Mach number relative indicated airspeed.
Can be set to desired indicated airspeed.
5. Indicated airspeed index pointer
Can be set to desired Mach number. Not visible in im-

6. Mach number index pointer
age.
Shows safe Mach number calculated by the CADC. Not
7. Safe Mach number index pointer
visible in image.
Knob with a pull-out and push-in position. One sets
8. Index knob
indexer for indicated airspeed and the other for Mach
number.

Vertical Velocity Indicator
Shows vertical velocity in thousands of feet. Can show erranous readings if sudden or abrupt changes of attitude
occurs because of the changing airflow over the static probe.
Left Engine Fuel Shutoff Handle
Pull to shut off fuel to the left engine in case of emergency. Push in to re-enable fuel-flow to the engine. Should not
be used to secure the engine.
Left engine fire extinguishing button is located behind the handle, accessable when the handle is pulled out.

Angle-of-Attack Indicator
Tape indicating angle of attack (AOA) on a scale of 0 to 30 units. (Equivalent to -10° to +40° rotation of the AoA
probe.)
The indicator has markers on the right for climb (5), cruise (8.5), and stall (29), and a reference bar for on-speed
approach (15).

2.2.5 Left Windshield Frame
Approach Indexer
Contains three lights showing angle-of-attack (AOA) relative on-speed AOA.

Green being too slow, amber being on-speed AOA and red being too fast.
If the HOOK BY-PASS switch is set to CARRIER the lights will flash if the arresting hook is up while the landing
gear is down.
These lights are repeated on the approach lights on the nosewheel strut, allowing the LSO to see aircraft AOA during
carrier landings.

Wheels Warning/Brakes Warnings/ACLS/AP Caution/NWS Engage Caution/Auto Throttle Caution

Lights
HUD left side indicators.
Indicator Function
WHEELS Warning light flashes with landing gear not down and locked, flaps below 10° and either throttle
below 85%.
BRAKES Warning light indicating antiskid or brake failure. Also lights when parking brake is set.
ACLS/AP Caution light indicating that ACLS or autopilot is disengaged.
NWS Caution light indicating nosewheel steering (NWS) is engaged.
ENGA
AUTO Caution light indicating disengagement of the automatic throttle control mode not resulting from
THROT the throttle mode switch.

2.2.6 Center Panel
Heads-Up Display
Projects flight and weapons data onto the forward section of the canopy/windscreen. Night mode can be selected using
the control on the right side of the VDI.
Has two engine stall warning lights (L STALL & R STALL) mounted on the left and right sides respectively. They
indicate the presence of an engine stall condition in their respective engine.
Note For more information see relevant chapters under Navigation and Weapons and Weapons Employ-
ment Overview.

Cockpit Television Sensor (CTVS)
The cockpit television sensor (CTVS) records the HUD for registration of weapons delivery.
Note Not implemented in DCS.
Air Combat Maneuver Panel
Main pilot armament control panel.
Lifting the ACM (Air combat maneuver) cover actives
1. ACM switch/cover the ACM mode and allows access to the ACM jettison
button.
Button under the ACM cover that enables jettison of
2. ACM JETT button stores selected on the RIO’s ARMAMENT panel. Will
not jettison Sidewinders regardless if selected.


Light that illuminates to show that Sidewinder acquisi-
3. SEAM LOCK light tion is in progress while in slaved and boresight SEAM
modes. Lights up during the 4.5 second SEAM acquisi-
tion attempt, and remains lit thereafter if the seeker has
locked onto a target.
Light that illuminates to show that collision steering has
4. COLLISION light been selected during AWG-9 STT operation.
Red light that indicates that the HOT TRIGGER condi-

5. HOT TRIG light tions are met. When this is lit, the trigger will release a
weapon.
6. GUN RATE switch Toggle switch with light indication of selected option.
HIGH - Selects gun rate of 6 000 rounds per minute.

Normally for A/A operation.
LOW - Selects gun rate of 4 000 rounds per minute.

Normally for A/G operation.
Automatically set to HIGH when ACM mode is

selected.
Toggle switch with light indication of selected option.

7. SW COOL switch Manual control of Sidewinder seeker cooling. Automat-
ically set to ON when ACM mode is selected.
8. MSL PREP switch Commands WCS to prepare AIM-54 and AIM-7 mis-
siles. Automatically set to ON when ACM mode is
commanded.
9. MSL MODE switch Selects NORM (normal) or BRSIT (boresight) opera-
tion for missile launch. Controlled by WCS when in
ACM mode.


10. MASTER ARM switch Enables weapons release and selective and auxiliary
jettison.
OFF - Disables electrical power to release circuitry.
ON - Enables electrical power to release circuitry.

Position locked until the master arm cover is lifted.
TNG (training) - Enables the in-flight training mode.

Note The MASTER ARM bus is also in-
terlocked with the landing gear con-
trol lever, disabling all releases except
emergency jettison while the gear is
down.
Note2 The ACM and Emergency jettison
are not disabled by the MASTER
ARM.
11. Station status flags Shows indication of weapon status for the different
stations.
BLACK - Station not loaded or weapon not ready.
WHITE - Station and weapon ready.
CHECKERBOARD - Weapon is selected and ready for

launch. On the ground indicates that fuselage rails are
up and locked and that loaded weapons are armed.
Flashes to indicate status change on the pilot cau-

12. MASTER CAUTION light and button tion/advisory panel. Press to reset and turn off light until
next event.
Engine fire warning lights. Illuminates when a fire has
13. L FIRE and R FIRE lights been detected in the respective engine.
14. Turn-and-Slip indicator Indicator showing rate of turn around aircraft vertical
axis.
The upper part contains an electrically driven pointer,

one needle deflection equalling a 360° turn in 4
minutes.
The lower part contains an inclinometer with a ball

suspended in a dampening fluid.

Vertical Display Indicator (VDI)
Display that compliments the HUD in displaying flight and weapons data.
Note The VDI has a night filter that can be installed by clicking in the middle of the VDI screen.
Note 2 For more information see relevant chapters under Navigation and Weapons and Weapons Employ-
ment Overview.
Controls HUD brightness.
1. HUD BRT control
Controls VDI brightness.

2. VDI BRT control
Controls VDI contrast.

3. VDI CONT control
When pulled inserts filter for HUD night operation.

4. FILTER handle
Allows adjustment/trim of pitch lines on HUD.

5. HUD TRIM control
Allows adjustment/trim of pitch lines on VDI.

6. VDI TRIM control
VDI-mounted caution lights. See images and tables be-

7. VDI caution lights
low.

Data link warning and caution lights situated at the VDI panel.
Indicator Function
ADJ A/C Advisory light indicating other aircraft close to own traffic pattern.
LAND- Advisory light indicating carrier has a channel ready for ACL and that the crew should prepare for
ING carrier landing.
CHK
ACL Warning light indicating CATCC has aquired aircraft and is transmitting glidepath information to
READY aircraft.
A/P Warning light indicating CATCC is ready to control aircraft.
CPLR
CMD Warning light indicating aircraft is under data link control for landing.
CON-
TROL
10 SEC- Warning light indicating that carrier motion is added to data link info and commands during landing.
ONDS Indicates 10 seconds to arrival at the next point in approach pattern in other modes.
TILT Warning light indicating no data link command received for the last 2 seconds during ACL. When not
in ACL it indicates no data link messages during last 10 seconds.
VOICE Warning light indicating CATCC not ready for ACL, switch to standard voice procedures.
A/P REF Warning light indicating autopilot selected but not engaged. Exception altitude and heading hold.
WAVE- Warning light indicating waveoff commanded.
OFF
WING Warning light indicating failure in both wing-sweep channels or disengagement of spider detent.
SWEEP
REDUCE Warning light indicating flap retraction failure with greater than 225 knots indicated airspeed. Also
SPEED indicates safe Mach number exceeded.
ALT Non functional, light on radar altimeter is used instead.
LOW

Horizontal Situation Display Indicator (HSD)
The horizontal situation display is used to display navigational information to the pilot. It can also be used to repeat
the RIO’s TID to the pilot.

Control Function
Controls HSD brightness.
1. BRT control
Controls heading reference bug in TACAN mode.

2. HDG control
Controls desired course in MAN (manual) and TACAN

3. CRS control
mode.
Allows reset of the HSD to re-enable display if the over-
4. TEST button
load protection is tripped. Also displays the HSD IR
field test display on the HSD.
Indicates failure in HSD by showing white flags. Reset
5. BIT indicator
by rotating it clockwise.
Note For more information see relevant chapters under Navigation and for the TID repeat Tactical Infor-
mation Display (TID) and Associated Controls.

Cabin Pressure Altimeter
Displays cabin pressure in 1,000 foot increments from 0 to 50,000 feet.

Emergency Brake Pressure Indicator
Displays hydraulic pressure available from the emergency brake accumulators to the auxiliary and parking wheelbrake
systems.
PARK - Shows brake pressure available for parking brakes. Green segment indicates 2,150 to 3,000 psi, red indicates
1,900 to 2,150 psi. When green there is pressure enough for approximately 3 applications.
AUX - Shows brake pressure in the auxilary brake pressure which can be used via the toe brakes on the pedals. Green
segment indicates 2,150 to 3,000 psi (approximately 13 to 14 applications) while red indicates 1,900 to 2,150 psi
(approximately 5 applications).

Control Stick
Used to control aircraft roll and pitch. Also various other functions according to table below.

Control Function
Stores release button, used for air-to-ground ordnance
1. Bomb release button (except rockets) and loaded external countermeasures.
Hat used to control trim, up/down trims pitch and

2. Pitch and roll trim hat left/right trims roll.
3. Weapon select hat Selector hat moveable up and down and depressable.
SP or PH - Selects AIM-7 or AIM-54, depression

toggles between type.
SW - Selects AIM-9, depression toggles between

stations.
GUN - Selects M-61A1 Vulcan gun.
OFF - Inhibits weapon release.
4. DLC & maneuver flap command wheel Thumbwheel used to control DLC or maneuver flaps.
With DLC engaged forward rotation extends spoilers

and aft rotation retracts spoilers.
With gear and flaps up and DLC disengaged forward

rotation retracts maneuvering flaps/slats and aft
rotation extends them.
5. DLC engage/disengage & countermeasure dis- Momentary depression with flaps down, throttles less
pense button than MIL and no spoiler system failure engages DLC.
With flaps up button sends command to ALE-39 to

dispense chaff or flares according to RIO setting.
DLC is disengaged by further momentary depression of

button, raising flaps or advancing either throttle to MIL.
6. Autopilot reference & nosewheel steering button Button toggling nosewheel steering with weight on
wheels.
Without weight on wheels is used to engage enabled

autopilot modes.


Control Function
7. Autopilot emergency disengage paddle Disengages all autopilot modes and DLC and releases
all autopilot switches and roll and pitch SAS switches
to OFF position.
With weight on wheels additionally reverts throttle

mode to MAN (manual) while depressed.
Two-stage trigger. First detent enables CTVS and gun

8. Weapon firing trigger camera. Second detent releases selected forwards firing
weapon.
Note CTVS not implemented in DCS.

2.2.7 Right Windshield Frame
ECM Warning Lights
Warning lights connected to the ALR-67 indicating different types of threats.

SAM - SAM, steady illumination when detecting lock on from a SAM tracking radar. Flashes when missile launch is
detected.
AAA - AAA, steady illumination when detecting lock on from a AAA tracking radar. Flashes when AAA firing is
detected.
AI - AI, steady illumination when detecting lock on from an airborne interceptor radar.
Standby Compass
Conventional standby compass.

2.2.8 Right Instrument Panel
Wing-Sweep Indicator
Indicator detailing status of the wing-sweep system.

Leftmost indicator pointer shows wing-sweep program position which is also the max forward angle at present airspeed
and altitude.
Middle tape shows commanded wing-sweep position.
Rightmost tape shows actual wing-sweep position.
The five indicator windows shows current operating mode.
Right Engine Fuel Shutoff Handle
Pull to shut off fuel to the right engine in case of emergency. Push in to re-enable fuel-flow to the engine. Should not
be used to secure the engine.
Right engine fire extinguishing button is located behind the handle, accessable when the handle is pulled out.

Standby Attitude Indicator
Standalone standby attitude indicator.

An OFF flag is visible on the left side when caged or when unpowered.
The knob below and to the right of the indicator cages/uncages the indicator and allows trim to correct pitch. In pulled
out position the indicator is caged. When pushed in uncages the indicator and allows pitch trim by turning the knob.

UHF/VHF Remote Indicators
Remote indicators displaying set frequency or channel of UHF 1 (AN/ARC-159) and V/UHF 2 (AN/ARC-182).

1. UHF 1 remote channel/frequency indicator (pilot)
Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the UHF 1 radio.
TEST - Initiates test for the indicator, no fault resulting

in 888.888 readout.
DIM - Controls display brightness.
2. V/UHF 2 remote channel/frequency indicator (pi-

lot) Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the V/UHF 2 radio.

in 888.888 readout.
BRT - Controls display brightness.

Bearing Distance Heading Indicator (BDHI)
Display indicating azimuth and bearing information.
Indicator Function
Indicates magnetic course to tuned TACAN station.
1. No. 2 bearing pointer
Shows current aircraft magnetic heading.

2. Compass rose
Indicates bearing to tuned UHF/ADF station.

Indicates slant range to tuned TACAN station in nautical

4. Distance counter
miles. (Not visible in this image.)

ALR-67 Indicator
Indicator showing emitters detected by the ALR-67 RWR (radar warning receiver) set.

System status circle, area I
Upper left quadrant of 1. Shows symbol indicating type
of threats selected to be shown.
N - Normal priority
I - AI, airborne interceptors prioritized.
A - AAA, anti-air artillery prioritized.
U - Unknown emitters prioritized.
F - Friendly emitters shown in addition to other threats.
System status circle, area II

Upper right quadrant of 1. Indicates if limited mode is
selected.
(Blank) - Limited mode not selected.
L - Limited mode selected, display shows only 6

highest prioritized threats.
System status circle, area III

Lower half of 1. Displays failure codes and if offset
display is selected.
(Blank) - No failure detected and offset not selected.
B - BIT failure.
T - Thermal overload.
O - Offset display selected. Threats will be separated to

allow readout of overlapping symbols. Bearing
accuracy degraded for displaced threats.
Displays emitters not a direct threat to own aircraft, ei-

2. Non-lethal band
ther because deemed out of range or lacking weaponry.
Displays threats that are deemed within range and ca-
3. Lethal band
pable of engaging own aircraft but not currently doing
so.
Displays direct threats to own aircraft. Systems capable
4. Critical band
of engaging own aircraft and showing current intent of
doing so.
Intensity/brightness knob. Controls the brightness of the
5. INT knob
display.

Canopy Jettison Handle
Used to jettison canopy manually.

2.2.9 Right Knee Panel
Fuel Quantity Indicator
Shows fuel quantity in the different aircraft tanks.
Shows currently set BINGO fuel quantity.
1. BINGO readout
Total fuel quantity readout, shows totalled fuel quantity

2. TOTAL counter
in all aircraft tanks.
Shows fuel quantity in currently selected respective (L
3. L & R counters
or R) tanks (feed, wing or ext) set by the QTY SEL
switch on the fuel management panel.
Shows fuel quantity in respective fuselage tanks. Left
4. FUS & FEED tapes
tape indicates left feed and aft fuselage tanks. Right
tape indicates right feed and forward fuselage tanks.
Knob used to set BINGO fuel quantity. Turn to set de-
5. SET knob
sired quantity.

Accelerometer
Instrument showing current aircraft g-load (acceleration along aircraft vertical axis). It’s graded in g from -5g to +10g.
One pointer will show current g-load while the other two will indicate max reached negative and positive g-load. These
can be reset by pushing the PUSH TO SET button on the lower left corner of the instrument.

Clock
Mechanical wind up clock.

The knob on the lower left corner is used to wind up the clock by turning it clockwise and pulled out and turned to set
the hour and minute hands.
The control on the upper right corner is used to start, stop and reset a 1-hour elapsed time counter.

2.2.10 Right Vertical Console
Arresting Hook Panel
Panel controlling arrestor hook.

1. HOOK handle
Arresting hook handle, selects arresting hook position.
UP - Electrically actuates hydraulic retractation of the

hook and locks it in the uplock.
DOWN - Electrically releases hydraulic pressure

allowing hook to extend via dashpot pressure and
gravity.
EMERG DOWN - When handle is pulled and twisted

counter-clockwise the hook is mechanically released
for extention.
Lights when hook position does not correspond to han-

2. Hook transition light
dle position. Will not turn off until fully extended and
may remain illuminated when lowered at high speeds
due to hook blowback.
Rounds remaining indicator for M-61A1 gun. Counts
3. GUN
down from 676 but can be reset to desired readout with
the knob on the right side.

Displays Control Panel
Note Image shows F-14 with integrated RWR having a third option on the HSD MODE and ECM ORIDE
which are not present in the modelled F-14B.
Control panel for front cockpit displays.

1. STEERING CMD selectors Selects current source for steering commands, selectors
are mutually exclusive and turns to indicate selected
option.
TACAN - Selects TACAN as steering command source.
DEST - Selects RIO set waypoint as steering command

source.
AWL/PCD - All-weather landing/precision course

direction, selects glideslope guidance (ILS/ACLS) for
landing or PCD for air-to-ground engagement
directions as steering command source.
VEC - Vector, selects data link deviation steering as

steering command source.
MAN - Manual, selects manually selected course and

heading as steering command source.
2. MODE selectors Selects display mode, selectors are mutually exclusive

and turns to indicate selected mode.
T.O. - Selects takeoff mode.
CRUISE - Selects cruise mode.
A/A - Selects air-to-air mode.
A/G - Selects air-to-ground mode.
LDG - Selects landing mode.
Selects declutter mode for HUD.

3. HUD DECLUTTER switch
4. HUD AWL switch Selects which AWL information to display on HUD.
ILS - Selects ILS as source for AWL information.
ACL - Selects ACL as source for AWL information.


5. VDI MODE switch Selects what to display on VDI.
TV - Displays video from TCS or LANTIRN on VDI.
NORM - Displays normal VDI display.
6. VDI AWL switch Selects which AWL information to display on VDI.
ILS - Selects ILS as source for AWL information.
ACL - Selects ACL as source for AWL information.
7. HSD MODE switch Selects what to display on HSD.
NAV - Navigational display, shows steering

information depending on selected steering command
source.
TID - Display repeating the RIO TID information. If

RIO has TID set to TV the screen will be blank.
Power switches for VDI, HUD and HSD/ECMD.

8. POWER switches
Controls brightness of pitch ladder on HUD.

9. PITCH LAD BRT knob

Elevation Lead Panel
Used to set gun elevation lead in mils for the manual A/A and A/G gun modes. Limits are -263 and +87 mils.
2.2.11 Right Side Console
Spoiler Failure Override
Contains controls to override failed spoiler sections, allowing the rest to continue to work after a MASTER RESET.

Control Function
1. INBD
Inboard spoiler override switch.
ORIDE - Overrides inboard spoiler symmetry

protection, allowing a functional inboard spoiler to
continue to operate after a MASTER RESET if one
fails.
NORM - Normal (guarded position), in this mode, if an

inboard spoiler fails up the rest are commanded to
droop and the SPOILERS light illuminates on the
caution panel.
2. OUTBD
Outboard spoiler override switch.
ORIDE - Overrides outboard spoiler symmetry

protection, allowing a functional outboard spoiler to
continue to operate after a MASTER RESET if one
fails.
NORM - Normal (guarded position), in this mode, if an

outboard spoiler fails up the rest are commanded to
droop and the SPOILERS light illuminates on the
caution panel.

Liquid Oxygen Quantity Indicator
Contains an indicator showing remaining quantity of liquid oxygen available. Graduated in 1 liter increments. Also
has an OFF flag that is shown in case of power failure to the indicator. The indicator is tested through the INST mode
on the MASTER TEST panel and should read 2 liters.
Compass Control Panel
The compass control panel contains controls for selecting compass mode when using AHRS.

Indicator showing sync between AHRS gyro and mag-
1. SYNC IND
netic azimuth detector. Used in SLAVED mode.
Switch used to select which hemisphere aircraft is in for
2. N-S switch
DG and SLAVED modes. Critical for correct earth-rate
correction.
Control knob used to select latitude from 0º to 90º to al-
3. LAT knob
low for correct earth rate correction in DG and SLAVED
modes.
4. Mode switch
Selects source of AHRS heading information.
COMP - Compass, uses magnetic azimuth detector

directly without stabilization from the directional gyro,
used only for emergency operation and the displays
automatically uses the manual magnetic variation.
SLAVED - Normal mode, uses the magnetic azimuth

detector stabilized by the directional gyro.
DG - Directional gyro mode, uses only gyro and not

the magnetic azimuth detector.
5. HDG knob/button
Used in DG and SLAVED modes.
In SLAVED mode it’s used to sync the directional gyro

with the magnetic azimuth detector and set magnetic
heading on the BDHI. Button should be held until the
syncronization indicator needle is over the null mark.
In DG mode the button is depressed and rotated to

select desired heading on the BDHI.
The button can also be used to fast erect pitch and roll
of the AHRS by depressing the button for up to 3
minutes. A new fast erect attempt can be done if a 1
minute wait is first observed.

ARA-63 Control Panel
Panel used to control the AN/ARA-63 ILS (ICLS).
Selector selecting one of 20 available ICLS channels.
1. CHANNEL selector
Button used to test AN/ARA-63, displays landing sym-

2. BIT button
bology on the HUD and VDI if set up for ILS.
ON/OFF switch to energize the AN/ARA-63, switch
3. POWER switch
must be pulled out to allow OFF position.
Lights to indicate AN/ARA-63 power on.
4. Indicator light

Caution - Advisory Indicator
Main pilot caution panel.
Indicator Function
PITCH STAB 1 & 2 Caution lights indicating inoperative pitch channels.
ROLL STAB 1 & 2 Caution lights indicating inoperative roll channels (roll
SAS failure).
YAW STAB OP Caution light indicating one inoperative yaw channel.
YAW STAB OUT Caution light indicating two inoperative yaw channels
(yaw SAS failure).
EMERG JETT Caution light indicating activation of EMERG STORES
JETT button.
LADDER Caution light indicating boarding ladder not correctly
stowed.
ECS TURBINE Non-functional
INLET ICE Caution light indicating accumulation of ice on ice de-
tector in left engine inlet.
FLAP Caution light indicating failure in flap system or air-
speed greater than 225 knots indicated airspeed with
flaps down.
HZ TAIL AUTH Caution light indicating failure of lateral tail authority
actuator (or CADC failure).
RUDDER AUTH Caution light indicating failure of rudder authority actu-
ators (or CADC failure).


Indicator Function
SPOILERS Caution light indicating spoiler system failure causing
several or all spoilers to be locked down.
AUTO PILOT Caution light indicating failure in auto pilot system.
L & R INLET Caution lights indicating AICS programmer and/or sys-
tem failure.
OIL PRESS Caution light indicating left or right engine oil pressure
below 11 psi.
BLEED DUCT Caution light indicating high temperature air leak in the
engine compartments.
L & R RAMPS Caution lights indicating ramps not locked in position
during critical flight conditions.
START VALVE Caution light indicating that the starter solenoid air
valve is open after start.
L & R ENG SEC Caution lights indicating that respective engine AFTC
is in secondary mode.
L & R GEN Caution lights indicating respective engine generator is
inoperative.
CANOPY Caution light indicating that canopy is not down and
locked.
BINGO Caution light indicating aircraft fuel quantity at or below
set BINGO quantity.
L & R OIL HOT Caution lights indicating that respective engine oil is too
hot.
CADC Caution light indicating failure in the air data computer.
HYD PRESS Caution light indicating pressure in either engine hy-
draulic pump below 2,100 psi.
L & R FUEL PRESS Caution lights indicating pressure below 9 psi in respec-
tive engine fuel boost pump.
L & R FUEL LOW Caution lights indicating fuel quantity below 1,000
pounds in aft and left or forward and right fuel feed
group respectively.
WING SWEEP Advisory light indicating failure of a single channel in
wing-sweep system.
RATS Advisory light indicating RATS enabled.
TRANS/RECT Advisory light indicating failure in one or both
transformer-rectifiers.
MACH TRIM Advisory light indicating failure in Mach trim actuator.
WSHLD HOT Advisory light indicating central windshield overheat.
LAUNCH BAR
Advisory light indicating either:
Weight on wheels - Aircraft kneeled, either throttle

below MIL and launch bar not up and locked.
Weight off wheels - Launch bar not up and locked,

launch bar not within 15º off center (cocked nosegear)
or nose strut not fully extended.
INTEG TRIM Advisory light indicating failure in trim system or com-

puter failure.


Indicator Function
AHRS Advisory light indicating unreliable attitude or heading
information from AHRS.
ENG FIRE EXT Advisory light indicating low pressure in the fire extin-
guishing container (90 psi below nominal 600 psi).
AUX FIRE EXT Advisory light indicating low pressure in the auxiliary
fire extinguishing container (90 psi below nominal 600
psi).

Master Generator Control Panel
Panel controlling left and right engine generator.
Control Function
1. L & R MASTER GEN switch
Switches controlling connection and test of respective
generator. Switch needs to be lifted to move from
OFF/RESET.
NORM - Normal, activating and connecting the

generator to the main buses.
OFF/RESET - Disconnects and deactivates generator

and resets tripped protection circuits.
TEST - Activates generator but does not connect it to

the main buses, for testing purposes.
2. EMERG switch
Guarded switch controlling connection of emergency
generator to the essential buses. (Guarded position is
NORM)
NORM - Normal, generator is automatically connected

to essential buses if both main generators fail.
OFF/RESET - Disconnects the generator from the

essential buses regardless of main generator status.
Resets protection circuits.

Master Light Control Panel
Master light control panel, controlling most lights in/on the aircraft.

Control Function
ON/OFF switch controlling anticollision lights.
1. ANTI COLLISION switch
Switch controlling whether the wing or supplementary

2. POSITION switch
tail and position lights lights up steadily or flashes. With
weight on wheels the supplementary lights are always
steady.
Switch controlling tail position lights, DIM and BRT
3. TAIL POSITION switch
(bright) settings available.
Switch controlling wing position lights, DIM and BRT
4. WING POSITION switch
settings available.
Thumbwheel controlling ACM panel lights, 0 equals
5. ACM thumbwheel
off, 1-14 sets the lights to an increasingly bright setting.
Thumbwheel controlling AoA-indexer light intensity
6. INDEXER thumbwheel
from 0-14.
Sets AOA lights to either FIELD or CARRIER mode,
7. HOOK BYPASS
with the switch in CARRIER and wheels down the AOA
lights flash if the hook isn’t down.
Switch controlling taxi lights.
8. TAXI switch
Thumbwheel controlling instrument panel lights, 0

9. INSTRUMENT thumbwheel
equals off, 1-14 sets the lights to an increasingly bright
setting.
Switch enabling white flood lights in the pilot cockpit.
10. WHITE FLOOD switch
DIM and BRT settings available, switch locked to OFF
unless pulled out.
Thumbwheel controlling console lights and red flood-
11. CONSOLE thumbwheel
lights. 0 turns off both console and red floodlights, 1-14
sets the console lights to an increasingly bright setting.
12. RED FLOOD switch
Switch controlling red instrument and console
floodlights.
BRT - Sets bright red instrument flood and console

lights.
MED - Red console floodlights.
DIM - Dim red console floodlights.
Thumbwheel controlling external formation lights. 0

13. FORMATION thumbwheel
setting.

Air Conditioning Control Panel
Panel controlling the environmental control system (ECS).
1. TEMP switch Switch controlling the cabin and pressure suit

temperature mode.
AUTO - Temperature is automatically set from the

TEMP thumbwheel regardless of airspeed and altitude.
MAN - Temperature is manually set from the TEMP

thumbwheel but varies with airspeed and altitude and
might need to be reset.


2. CABIN PRESS switch Switch controlling cabin pressurization. Locked to

NORM until lifted.
NORM - Normal mode, cabin is pressurized at a level

of 8,000 feet up to an aircraft level of 23,000 feet after
which it maintains a 5 psi difference from outside
atmosphere.
DUMP - Opens the cockpit dump valve depressurizing

the cockpit.
Selector switch used to modulate the amount of air from

3. RAM AIR switch the ram air door after AIR SOURCE is set to RAM or
OFF. Can be held to INCR (increase) or DECR (de-
crease), springloaded back to center.
4. AIR SOURCE selectors Five mutually exclusive air source selectors. Rotates to
indicate selection.
RAM - Closes other air sources and opens ram air door
which is combined with hot bleed air to supply all
users.
L & R ENG - Selects either engine as the source for

bleed air.
BOTH ENG - Selects both engines as source for bleed

air. Normal position.
OFF - Closes all air sources but the ram air door. In this
mode the ram air door can not supply pressurization or
air conditioning. Inhibits gun firing.
Selects cockpit and pressure suit air temperature. 0-14

5. TEMP thumbwheel is selectable with COOL and WARM placarded at each
end stop. In auto 7 approximately corresponds to 21º C
or 70º F. In manual the thumbwheel needs to be set for
each variation in airspeed and altitude.

Master Test Panel
Panel controlling OBC and various on board BITs in addition to the emergency flight hydraulic setting.

1. MASTER TEST selector Selector used to select and initiate OBC and BIT for
various systems. Pull out to enable selection, push in at
selected option to start test.
OFF - Disables test functions.
LTS - Lights, tests cockpit indication lights.
FIRE DET/EXT - Fire detection system test.
INST - Instruments, tests various cockpit

instrumentation.
OBC - On board checkout, starts OBC.
EMERG GEN - Tests emergency generator.
MACH LEV - Initiates dynamic MACH lever check.

F-14A only.
WG SWP - Tests wing-sweep system.
FLT GR DN - Initiates ground check of auto throttle

interlocks.
FLT GR UP - Tests external fuel tank pressurization.
D/L RAD - Tests the data link converter.
STICK SW - Checks left and right spoiler symmetry

switches and 1-inch stick switches for yaw SAS.
Lights used in relevant tests to indicate GO or NO-GO

2. GO/NO-GO lights conditions of those systems.


3. EMERG FLT HYD Switch controlling the emergency mode of the flight
hydraulic system. Guarded to the AUTO (LOW)
position.
HIGH - Activates the power module (high speed

mode), bypassing flight and combined 2,100 psi
switches.
LOW - Activates the backup power module bypassing

flight and combined 2,100 psi switches.
AUTO (LOW) - Automatically activates LOW mode

when both flight and combined system pressures are
below 2,100 psi.
Note Specific tests will be detailed in a future BIT chapter.

External Environmental Control Panel
Panel controlling windshield air and external anti-ice settings.
Control Function
1. WSHLD switch
Switch controlling external heating of windshield by
blasting the exterior with warm air.
AIR - Enables system.
OFF - Disables system.
2. ANTI-ICE switch
Controls engine, probe and AICS anti-ice settings.
ORIDE/ON - Engages engine and probe anti-ice

regardless of external conditions and enables the
anti-ice setting in AICS.
AUTO/OFF - Automatically engages engine and probe

anti-ice as needed, turns off AICS anti-ice.
OFF/OFF - Turns off both engine and probe anti-ice

and AICS anti-ice.

Hydraulic Transfer Pump Switch
Panel containing the control for the hydraulic transfer pump which equalizes pressure between the combined and flight
hydraulic systems in case of a failure in one of them.
The HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch has two positions, SHUTOFF and NORMAL (guarded position). The NOR-
MAL position (also the standard setting) will have the hydraulic transfer pump pressurize a failed hydraulic system
from the other, functioning system, when it drops below 2,100 psi. The SHUTOFF position (which can be accessed
by lifting the guard) is used to turn off the transfer pump in case it can’t supply enough pressure to the failed system
as that would risk disabling the still operational system.

HUD-Video Control Panel
Control panel for the CTVS system which records the HUD when activated. Not implemented in DCS.
1. HUD CAM(E)RA switch
TRG - Trigger, records while the second (firing) detent
on the stick trigger is depressed.
NORMAL - Records while the first detend on the stick

trigger is depressed.
OFF - Disables power to the CTVS.
RUN - Records continuously.
Switch 2 & 3. VTR - Video tape recorder.

Canopy Defog/Cabin Air Lever
The canopy air diffuser lever controls the flow of cabin air. The normal position, CABIN AIR, directs 70% of the
conditioned air through the cockpit air diffusers and 30% through the canopy air diffusers. The CANOPY DEFOG
position directs all air flow through the canopy air diffusers for canopy defog.
2.2.12 Canopy Control Handle
The canopy control handle controls canopy operation and is located on the right cockpit wall. The handle is mounted
downwards beneath the box containing the handle mechanism and the handle position texts. The canopy control handle
is duplicated in the RIO cockpit.
Control Function
BOOST Closes the canopy using boost, used during cold weather or with a strong headwind.
CLOSE Closes the canopy, default position during flight.
HOLD Holds canopy at current position for any position other than closed.
OPEN Opens the canopy.
AUX OPEN Allows manual opening of the canopy if system pressure is too low.

2.3 F-14B RIO Cockpit
2.3.1 Left Side Console
G-Valve Button
Pressed to test inflation of g-suit.
Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel
Controls ventilation airflow to pressure suit or seat cushions and oxygen to RIO mask.
Control Function
VENT AIRFLOW Used to control airflow through the pressure suit or seat cushions if no pressure suit is
dial worn.
OXYGEN switch Switch with ON/OFF positions. Controls oxygen flow to the mask.

Data Stowage Compartment
The data stowage panel is a small compartment for equipment storage and mission briefing materials etc.
2.3. F-14B RIO Cockpit 105

TACAN Control Panel
TACAN control panel letting the RIO control TACAN if in command of it.
Outer dial selects first two digits and inner dial selects
1. Dual rotary switch
last digit for TACAN channel selection.
Lights indicating result of TACAN BIT.
2. GO & NO-GO lights
Button initiating TACAN BIT.

3. BIT button
Switches mode for TACAN operation and selects X or

4. MODE switches
Y channels. INVERSE mode not functional.
Volume control knob for TACAN audio to RIO.
5. VOL knob
6. Mode knob
Selects TACAN mode.
OFF - TACAN is off.
REC - Receive only.
T/R - Transmit and receive, enables range readout.
A/A - Air to air TACAN mode.
BCN - Beacon TACAN mode. (Non functional)

Communication/TACAN Command Panel
Panel controlling ICS radio settings and crewmember in control of TACAN.
1. XMTR SEL switch
Selects which VHF/UHF radio the RIO PTT keys.
UHF 1 - Selects the ARC-159 UHF radio.
BOTH - Selects both radios.
V/UHF 2 - Selects the ARC-182 VHF/UHF radio.
2. V/UHF 2 ANT switch

Selects which antenna the V/UHF 2 uses.
UPR - Selects the upper antenna.
LWR - Selects the lower antenna.
Sets crewmember in command of the TACAN. Also in-

3. TACAN CMD switch
dicates current setting.
Volume knob controlling RIO headset volume of UHF
4. UHF 1 VOL knob
1 audio.
Functional only with KY-58 installed.
5. KY MODE switch
Note As the DCS F-14B is modelled with KY-28 the KY MODE switch is non-functional in DCS.

V/UHF 2 (AN/ARC-182) Radio
V/UHF radio 2. Radio and controls.
Controls volume of V/UHF 2 audio to RIO headset.
1. VOL knob
ON/OFF switch enabling squelch.

2. SQL switch
Toggle switches selecting set frequency.

3. Frequency select switches
Readout display showing selected frequency or channel.

4. FREQ/(CHAN) display
Selector switch selecting modulation in use. Opera-

5. UHF switch
tional in the 225.000 to 399.00 MHz band.
Knob controlling display brightness.
6. BRT knob
MODE selector knob controlling V/UHF 2 radio mode.

7. MODE knob
Outer dial on the knob, selects frequency mode.

8. Frequency mode knob
Inner dial on the knob, selects preset channel to use.

9. CHAN SEL knob
Note Have Quick anti-jam functionality not implemented in DCS.

KY-28 Control Panel
Control Function
Switch/guard used to zeroize KY-28.
1. ZEROIZE switch
Switch selecting KY-28 mode of operation.

2. Power-mode switch
Switch selecting which radio to use with KY-28.

3. Radio select switch

Radar Beacon Control Panel
Panel controlling AN/APN-154 radar beacon.
1. MODE selector
Selector switch controlling beacon mode of operation.
SINGLE - Enables beacon response to single pulse

codes.
DOUBLE - Enables beacon response to set double

pulse code.
ACLS - Enables augmentor operation for ACLS.

Required for CATCC radar lockon for ACLS.
Button with green light used to indicate operation or

2. ACLS TEST button
test. When pressed with MODE in ACLS illumination
indicates a successful test. The light also flashes when
detecting an AN/SPN-42 radar sweeping past and illu-
minates when that radar has locked on for ACLS guid-
ance.
3. PWR switch
Switch controlling beacon power.
PWR - Enables beacon and all replies depending on

MODE selector.
STBY - Used to warmup system, also enables ACLS

replies if the MODE selector is set to ACLS.
OFF - Beacon off.

Liquid Cooling Control Panel
LIQ COOLING switch controlling the liquid cooling system for the AWG-9 and AIM-54. The AWG-9 circuit can
be enabled independently of the AIM-54. This switch need to be enabled for the respective system before AWG-9
operation or AIM-54 missile preparation.

ICS Control Panel
Control panel for ICS.
Control Function
Volume control knob for intercommunication audio
1. VOL knob
from the pilot to the RIO.
2. Amplifier selection knob

Knob selecting which amplifier to use for the RIO’s
headset audio.
B/U - Backup amplifier.
NORM - Normal amplifier.
EMER - Emergency amplifier. Uses pilot’s amplifier

and his volume settings. Disallows listening to audio
only available to RIO.
3. ICS switch
Selects ICS function.
RADIO OVERRIDE - Makes ICS audio override radio

audio.
HOT MIC - Allows talking to the pilot without

pressing the PTT. Also allows the groundcrew to talk to
the crew via the external interphone.
COLD MIC - Allows talking to the pilot only while the

PTT is pressed.

Eject Command Lever
A pilot initiated ejection will always eject both crew members. The EJECT CMD lever controls what happens when
the RIO ejects: In PILOT mode (lever forward), only the RIO will be ejected. In MCO mode, both pilot and RIO
initiated ejection will eject both crew members

Sensor Control Panel
Control panel for AWG-9 scan settings, the TCS and the airborne video tape recorder.

Selector switch controlling ground stabilization of the
1. STAB switch
radar.
Azimuth control knob selecting center of azimuth scan
2. AZ CTR knob
area.
Elevation control knob selecting center of elevation scan
3. EL CTR knob
area.
Selector switch springloaded to center which enables
4. VSL switch
VSL. VSL HI or LO can be selected.
Azimuth scan knob selecing azimuth scan volume.
5. AZ SCAN knob
Elevation bar knob selecting amount of bars to scan in

6. EL BARS knob
elevation.
Trim knobs used to calibrate TCS video in azimuth and
7. TCS TRIM knobs
elevation.
Selector switch selecting which sensor is slaved to the
8. SLAVE switch
other.
Selector switch selecting acquisition mode for the TCS.
9. ACQ switch
AUTO, MAN or AUTO SRCH.
Selector switch selecting field of view for the TCS,
10. FOV switch
WIDE or NAR (narrow).
Knob controlling what the AVTR records.
11. MODE knob
Counter showing minutes remaining for the AVTR.

12. MIN REMAIN display
Selector switch controlling the AVTR. OFF/STBY/ON.

13. RECORD switch
Lights indicating AVTR operation. STBY, EOT (end of

14. Indicator lights
tape) and REC.

Computer Address Panel

The CAP is used to enter data into the WCS. The MESSAGE indicator drum and buttons works similarly to the buttons
on MFDs on newer aircraft.
Button clearing current TID buffer without inserting en-
1. CLEAR button
tered data.
Button inserting current data from TID buffer into the
2. ENTER button
WCS.
Numerical buttons with additional prefix selection func-
3. Prefix & Numerical buttons
tionality.
Buttons used to select functions from the MESSAGE
4. MESSAGE button switches
drum.
Indicator drum used to indicate currently available
5. MESSAGE indicator drum
MESSAGE functionality.
Button used to restart the program running in the WCS.
6. PRGM RESTRT button
Selector knob selecting current category in use on the

7. CATEGORY knob
MESSAGE indicator drum.
Non-functional.
8. TNG (NBR)
Note All of the buttons have indicator lights indicating operation depending on function.

2.3.2 Left Vertical Console
Armament Panel
Main armament control panel in the RIO cockpit.

Selector wheel selecting type of weapon used for WCS
1. WPN TYPE selector A/G calculation.
Knob selecting which A/G attack mode to use.

2. ATTK MODE knob
Knob selecting electric fuze setting for A/G ordnance.

3. ELEC FUSE knob
Selector switch controlling gun mode in A/G master

4. A/G GUN switch mode. MIXED enables gun in addition to selected A/G
ordnance.
Selector wheels controlling quantity of A/G ordnance
5. QTY selectors (including rockets) to be released.
Selector wheels controlling interval between weapons

6. INTERVAL selectors release in ripple delivery mode in milliseconds.
Switch used to select station 6 for jettison or weapons

7. Station 6 select switch A/G delivery.
Button used for RIO launch of AIM-7 or AIM-54, hot

8. A/A LAUNCH button trigger is indicated by button illumination.
Knob controlling position of missile speed gate.

9. MSL SPD GATE knob

10. Station 8 select switch A/G delivery. B selects the lower pylon for release or
jettison, the SW option is non-functional.
Selector switch used to activate AIM-7 pulse doppler
11. MSL OPTIONS switch mode or AIM-54 active launch mode.

Button used by RIO to select a hooked target as the next

13. NEXT LAUNCH button target to launch at in TWS.


15. Station 1 select switch A/G delivery. B selects the lower pylon for release or
jettison, the SW option is non-functional.
Switch selecting station 7 for tank jettison.
16. TANK JETT station 7 switch
Switch selecting station 2 for tank jettison.

17. TANK JETT station 2 switch


Switch selecting whether to jettison only WPNS

19. JETT OPTIONS switch (weapons) or MER/TER (weapon racks) in addition to
weapons. Non-functional in modelled F-14B.
Selector switch used to jettison selected stations in nor-
20. SEL JETT switch mal (JETT) mode or AUX (backup) mode. The AUX
position is guarded.
Selector switch used to enable and set which mechanical
21. MECH FUSE switch fuse to use for A/G ordnance.
Two selector switches used to select A/G delivery mode.

22. DLVY MODE switches One switch controls whether to release in singles or
pairs and the other sets whether to release once or mul-
tiple times according to settings.

2.3.3 Left Instrument Panel
Servopneumatic Altimeter
Control and indicator for the servopneumatic altimeter.
Displays altitude digitally on three drums showing
1. Altimeter readout
10,000, 1,000 and 100 of feet respectively. It also dis-
plays altitude on a pointer on a circular scale indicating
100’s of feet.
Sets local pressure in inches of mercury (in.Hg). Only
2. Baroset knob
used locally on the altimeter readout, all other digital
indicators (via CADC) uses a set 29.92 in.Hg value.
Indicates barometric pressure setting, also called the
3. Local Barometric Pressure
Kollsman Window.
Three-position switch, springloaded to return from RE-
4. Mode switch
SET. If power and altitude data from CADC is present,
switch can be held in RESET for 3 seconds to allow
normal (servoed) mode of operation. If set to STBY or
power or CADC data is absent for more than 3 seconds
system switches to backup (pressure) mode.
STBY flag Red flag reading STBY that appears if system is in
backup (stand-by) mode.
Note At high speeds and below 10,000 feet, due to pressure changes, errors in readout up to as much as
1,200 feet when transonic and up to as much as 4,000 feet when supersonic can occur.

Airspeed Mach Indicator
Indicated airspeed and Mach number display.
Shows indicated airspeed on three scales, two for indi-
1. Airspeed dial
cated airspeed and one moving for Mach number.
Used to indicate indicated airspeed up to 200 knots.
2. Indicated airspeed scale (outer)
Used to indicate indicated airspeed from 200 knots to

3. Indicated airspeed scale (inner)
850 knots. Covered by airspeed dial until relevant.
Moving scale used to indicate Mach number. Moved to
4. Mach number scale
show correct Mach number relative indicated airspeed.
Can bet set to desired indicated airspeed.
5. Indicated airspeed index pointer
Can bet set to desired Mach number. Not visible in im-

6. Mach number index pointer
age.
Shows safe Mach number calculated by the CADC. Not
7. Safe Mach number index pointer
visible in image.
Knob with a pull-out and push-in position. One sets
8. Index knob
indexer for indicated airspeed and the other for Mach
number.

Standby Attitude Indicator
Standalone standby attitude indicator.

An OFF flag is visible on the left side when caged or when unpowered.
The knob below and to the right of the indicator cages/uncages the indicator and allows trim to correct pitch. In pulled
out position the indicator is caged. When pushed in uncages the indicator and allows pitch trim by turning the knob.
UHF Remote Indicator
Remote indicator displaying set frequency or channel on UHF 1 (AN/ARC-159).
UHF 1 remote channel/frequency indicator
Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the UHF 1 radio.

in 888.888 readout.
DIM - Controls display brightness.

2.3.4 Center Panel
Chaff/Flare Dispense Switches
Two switch hats on the center RIO hand hold used to initiate release of countermeasures. The switches are mirrored
in regards to functionality.
Control Function
Up Initiates a single chaff release.
Down Initiates set chaff release program.
Inboard Initiates set jammer release program.
Outboard Initiates set flare release program.

Detail Data Display Panel
Main radar control panel.
Switch selecting target size for missile launch zones and
1. TGTS switch WCS track calculations.
Switch selecting MLC mode of operation.

2. MLC switch
Switch controlling AGC speed. Currently non-

3. AGC switch functional in DCS.
Switch controlling the parametric amplification. Cur-

4. PARAMP switch rently non-functional in DCS.
Knob controlling video strength of pulse video on the

5. PULSE VIDEO knob DDD. No effect on pulse doppler video.


6. Radar track indicator lights Indicator lights indicating radar tracking in the STT
modes.
ANT TRK - Indicates the radar is tracking the target’s

angle.
RDROT - Indicates the target is within the range or rate

gate and being tracked.
JAT - Indicates the radar is tracking a jamming source’s

angle.
IROT - Indication of TCS angle tracking, called IROT

as this was originally used for the IRST in the early -A.
Rotary drum indicator displaying currently selected

7. RANGE display radar range. Can also be blank if no range scale is used
on the DDD.
Buttons used to select radar range.
8. RANGE buttons
Knob used to control the brightness of the DDD by

9. BRIGHT knob means of a polarized filter in front of the DDD.
Knob used to control IR AUDIO threshold, non-

10. IR AUDIO THRLD knob functional with TCS.
Knob used to control IR AUDIO volume, non-

11. IR AUDIO VOL knob functional with TCS.
Knob used to control IR GAIN, non-functional with

12. IR GAIN knob TCS.
12-position wheel used to control AWG-9 operating fre-

13. XMTR CHAN wheel quency. Currently non-functional in DCS.
6-position wheel used to control missile channel used by

14. MSL CHAN wheel AIM-7 or AIM-54. Currently non-functional in DCS.
Buttons used to control what to display on the DDD. IR

15. DISPLAY buttons button non-functional with TCS.
Buttons used to select the current AWG-9 operating

16. WCS MODE buttons mode.
Rotary drum indicator displaying current WCS mode.

17. WCS MODE display


Switch used to select different closing velocity scales on
18. Vc switch the DDD in PD modes.
Knob used to control the intensity of the ERASE beam

19. ERASE knob on the DDD, controlling how quick the image on the
DDD fades.
Knob used to control the gain of the AWG-9 in pulse
20. PULSE GAIN knob mode, normally left in detent unless needed because of
clutter or jamming.
Switch used to control the rate region covered by the
21. ASPECT switch doppler filters in pulse doppler modes and if to use edge
or centroid tracking in pulse mode. These settings cor-
respond to expected target aspect.
Meter with indicator needles indicating sensor eleva-
22. EL indicator tion. Left indicator shows current actual radar antenna
elevation. The right indicates commanded radar eleva-
tion while RDR is selected on HCU and TCS elevation
while IR/TV is selected.
Buttons used to set AWG-9 functionality countering
23. CCM MODES buttons jamming targets. Currently non-functional in DCS.
Control knob used to set the threshold at which a radar

24. JAM/JET knob return is considered a jamming target. Currently non-
functional in DCS.
Control knob used to control radar sensitivity level at
25. ACM THRLD knob close ranges. Usually set automatically with the knob in
the detent position.
Control knobs used to set pulse doppler video threshold
26. PD THRLD knobs in the CLEAR (upper half of DDD) region and in the
CLUTTER (lower half of the DDD) region.
Main AWG-9 radar display.
27. DDD radar display

2.3.5 Center Console
Tactical Information Display (TID)
Tactical information display and corresponding and navigational controls.
Indicator light showing status of the INS during align-
1. INS status indicator ment. STBY indicates power applied but not aligned.
READY indicates minumum launch criteria for AIM-
54. Both lights turn off when INS mode is selected.
Can otherwise indicate faults.
Control knob that controls contrast of TCS video.
2. CONTRAST knob


Readout drum indicating the source of the data dis-
3. DATA READOUT drum played on the TID readouts. Might be blank for sources
not having its own text on the drum.
Control knob controlling TID brightness.
4. BRIGHT knob
Readout drum indicating current steering information

5. STEERING indicator drum being displayed to the pilot.
Selector knob controlling what destination to use for the

6. DEST selector navigation destination mode.
Button with indication used to select collision steering

7. CLSN button towards tracked target or TWS centroid.
8. DISPLAY buttons Buttons controlling what elements are shown on the

TID. Contains indicator lights showing selection.
RID DISABLE - Not implemented.
ALT NUM - Toggles display of altitude numeric on the

left side of the track symbols.
SYM ELEM - Toggles display of all supplementary

elements of target tracks. Deselection causes only the
target track dot to be shown.
DATA LINK - Toggles display of all data link tracks.
JAM STROBE - Toggles display of jamming strobes.
NON-ATTK - Toggles display of non-attackable tracks.
VEL VECTOR - Toggles display of velocity vectors on

tracks.
LAUNCH ZONE - Toggles display of missile launch

zones on tracks. Replaces velocity vectors if
applicable. Automatically activated by WCS 60
seconds prior to maximum missile launch range.
Selector switch selecting current scale of the TID. Cor-

9. RANGE selector responds to the distance the diameter represents.
Selector switch controlling current TID presentation.

10. TID MODE selector


Button extending the amount of time before a track
11. TRACK HOLD button is dropped after last radar observation to two minutes.
Normal time is 14 seconds.
Selector switch controlling navigation reference sys-
12. NAV MODE selector tems. Controls which system is in use and also align-
ment of the INS.

Hand Control Unit (HCU)
Main radar and TCS control stick.
Switch controlling TCS power. Enables selection of
1. IR/TV switch OFF/STBY and ON.
Light indicating the presence of an overtemperature

2. IR/TV overtemp indicator condition in the TCS.


Button allowing test of all AWG-9 lights.
3. LIGHT TEST button
Light indicating one or more inoperative secondary

4. PWR RESET indicator power supplies.
Button allowing reset of inoperative secondary power

5. PWR RESET button supplies. If the condition triggering the inoperational
state remains the affected supplies will remain inopera-
tional.
Light indicating selection of STBY or XMT with the
6. WCS indicator radar not yet timed out or selection of XMT with radar
transmission remaining off.
Switch controlling WCS power (computer and radar).
7. WCS switch STBY turns on power to the WCS and begins radar
warmup without transmission. XMT enables radar
transmission if radar is ready. Display warmup time is
30 seconds, radar warmup is 3 minutes.
Button selecting manual rapid lockon mode. Overrides
8. MRL button all operational modes except PLM and VSL.
Button used to offset TID to hooked location on the dis-

9. OFFSET button play.
Thumbwheel used to fine-tune elevation of radar an-

10. ELEV thumbwheel tenna for STT lockon acquisition.
Used to select and trigger different functions in the

11. HCU trigger WCS depending on current mode and hcu function.
First detent is HALF ACTION, second detent is FULL
ACTION. Examples of use are target acquisition and
symbol hook.


12. Hand control function buttons Buttons with indication used to control function of
HCU stick. Mutually exclusive.
IR/TV - Selects control of TCS azimuth, elevation and

tracking. Enables display of TCS elevation on right
elevation indicator on DDD.
RDR - Selects control of radar antenna for STT lock-on

and return to search if already in STT. Enables display
of currently commanded radar antenna elevation on
right elevation indicator on DDD.
DDD CURSOR - Selects control of DDD cursor used

to mark a geographical position while in pulse radar
mode.
TID CURSOR - Selects control of TID cursor used to

hook (select) symbols on the TID.

2.3.6 Left and Right Footwells
ICS Foot Button
RIO left footrest containing ICS PTT for COLD MIC intercommunication.
Mic Foot Button
RIO right footrest containing PTT for transmission on UHF 1, V/UHF 2 or both depending on ICS setting.

2.3.7 Right Instrument Panel
Clock
Mechanical wind up clock.

The knob on the lower left corner is used to wind up the clock by turning it clockwise and pulled out and turned to set
the hour and minute hands.
The control on the upper right corner is used to start, stop and reset a 1-hour elapsed time counter.
ALR-67 Indicator
Indicator showing emitters detected by the ALR-67 RWR (radar warning receiver) set.

System status circle, area I
Upper left quadrant of 1. Shows symbol indicating type
of threats selected to be shown.
N - Normal priority
I - AI, airborne interceptors prioritized.
A - AAA, anti-air artillery prioritized.
U - Unknown emitters prioritized.
F - Friendly emitters shown in addition to other threats.
System status circle, area II

Upper right quadrant of 1. Indicates if limited mode is
selected.
(Blank) - Limited mode not selected.
L - Limited mode selected, display shows only 6

System status circle, area III

Lower half of 1. Displays failure codes and if offset
display is selected.
(Blank) - No failure detected and offset not selected.
B - BIT failure.
T - Thermal overload.
O - Offset display selected. Threats will be separated to

allow readout of overlapping symbols. Bearing
accuracy degraded for displaced threats.
Displays emitters not a direct threat to own aircraft, ei-

2. Non-lethal band ther because deemed out of range or lacking weaponry
to do so.
Displays threats that are deemed withing range and ca-
3. Lethal band pable of engaging own aircraft but not currently doing
so.
Displays direct threats to own aircraft. Systems capable
4. Critical band of engaging own aircraft and showing current intent of
doing so.


Intensity/brightness knob. Controls the brightness of the
5. INT knob display.
Fuel Quantity Totalizer
Total fuel quantity readout, shows total fuel quantity in all aircraft tanks.

Threat Advisory and Master Caution Lights
Master caution light and various ECM and IFF related advisory and warning lights.
Indicator Function
MASTER CAUTION Flashes to indicate status change on the RIO caution/advisory panel. Press to reset and
light and button turn of light until next event.
IFF Advisory light indicating received mode 4 interrogation without own system generat-
ing reply.
RCV Advisory light indicating ALQ-126 is receiving a threat identification signal.
XMIT Advisory light indicating ALQ-126 is transmitting.
SAM Warning light, steady illumination when detecting lockon from a SAM tracking radar.
Flashes when missile launch is detected.
AAA Warning light, steady illumination when detecting lockon from a AAA tracking radar.
Flashes when AAA engagement is detected.
CW Warning light indicating detection of a continuous wave emitter.
AI Warning light, steady illumination when detecting lockon from an airborne interceptor
radar.

Bearing Distance Heading Indicator (BDHI)
Display indicating azimuth and bearing information.

Indicator Function
Indicates magnetic course to tuned TACAN station.
Shows current aircraft magnetic heading.

2. Compass rose
Indicates bearing to tuned UHF/ADF station.

Indicates slant range to tuned TACAN station in nautical

4. Distance counter
miles. (Not visible in this image.)
Canopy Jettison Handle
Handle used to manually jettison canopy.

2.3.8 Right Knee Panel
Caution-Advisory Panel
Indicator Function
C&D HOT Caution light indicating overheat in RIO controls and displays.
CABIN PRESS Caution light indicating cabin pressure is too low.
FUEL LOW Caution light indicating fuel below 1,000 pounds in either aft and left or forward and right fuel feed groups.
OXY LOW Caution light indicating oxygen quantity is below 2 liters or pressure too low.
CANOPY Caution light indicating canopy not down and locked.
FUSE HV Caution light indicating AWW-4 electric fuse inoperative.
RDR ENABLED Caution light indicating that radar operation with weight on wheels is possible.
COOLING AIR Advisory light indicating overtemperature condition in the electronic forced air cooling system.
MSL COND Advisory light indicating overtemperature or underpressure in missile coolant flow, either of which shuts down the
AWG-9 COND Advisory light indicating overheat or overpressure in the AWG-9 coolant flow or that the overtemperature switch
NAV COMP Advisory light indicating failure in the INS or CSDC with the NAV MODE switch in INS.
FILM LOW Advisory light indicating low remaining quantity of mission recorder film.
IMU Advisory light indicating a failure in the inertial measuring unit or that the navigation system is in AHRS/AM mo
AHRS Advisory light indicating that the attitude or heading information from the AHRS is unreliable.

2.3.9 Right Vertical Console
Electronic Countermeasures Display (ECMD)
Display used for navigational information. Has a brightness control knob, test button and a BIT indicator showing
status of display (solid black when operational, showing white flags when indicating a fail condition).
Called ECMD as the F-14A and later PMDIG F-14B used this display for RWR presentation as well.
Note For more information see relevant chapters under Navigation.

2.3.10 Right Side Console
Radar Warning Receiver Panel
Control Function
Switch controlling power to the ALR-67.
1. PWR switch
Selector switch controlling what type of threats to pri-

2. DISPLAY TYPE selector
oritize and display.
Switch springloaded to center (OFF) position. Can be
3. MODE switch
held to OFST (offset) and LMT (limit) position to en-
able respective function while held.
Switch springloaded to center. Momentary selection of
4. TEST switch
BIT indicates BIT in ALR-67. Selection of SPL (spe-
cial) while BIT page 1 is displayed shows the special
BIT status page while held and then for 3 seconds when
released.
Volume knob controlling ALR-67 audio to RIO.
5. VOL knob

Digital Data Indicator (DDI)
Digital data indicator used to display commands received via the data link.
Indicator Function
AFT VEC Aircraft is being vectored to approach target from the
rear hemisphere.
COL VEC Aircraft is being vectored on a collision course to target.
NO MSG
No message at this time, indicates presence of data link
communication
while not receiving a command.
TO WAY PT Proceed to the point being indicated by target informa-

tion.
HANDOVER TDS is handing own aircraft over to another control cen-
ter.
ORBIT Assume orbit at present position maintaining maximum
endurance.
CHALNGE Intercept and visually identify target.
ARM 1 Intercept and destroy indicated hostile target using
AIM-54.
AIM-7.
AIM-9.


Indicator Function
NOT CMD
Ignore currently received heading, speed and altitude.
Also means valid command BIT not yet available.
FRE LAN Free to attack most suitable target.

DIS’GAGE Cease fire.
ABORT Abort action.
BEAC ON Enable APN-154 tracking beacon.
BEAC DUB Set APN-154 to double-pulse mode.
DROP
Command to release weapon in data link A/G attack,
manually or automatically if in data link attack mode.
BEAC OFF Turn off APN-154 tracking beacon.

RET BASE Return to indicated home base.
WAVE OFF Wave off, automatic AFCS disengagement.
LAND CHECK CATCC has data link channel available for AFCS, com-
plete landing check list.
ACL BEAC Directed by carrier to enable APN-154 beacon.
ACL RDY
ACL has locked onto aircraft APN-154 beacon and is
transmitting zero pitch and bank signals.
Glideslope information is now available to pilot.
A/P CPLR ACL is ready to take control of aircraft for ACL ap-
proach, autopilot should be engaged.
10 SEC
Indicates 10 seconds to next action or waypoint.
In ACL indicates that ships motion is taken into
account for ACL.
ADJ A/C Indication from control station of another aircraft near

own aircraft.
VOICE Indicates ACL not available, switch to voice procedures.
TILT Indicates no data link message received in last 10 sec-
onds. In ACL indicates no messages in last 2 seconds,
will disengage AFCS.
CMD CHG Indicates imminent or recently changed command in-
structions.
ALT CHG Indicates imminent or recently changed altitude com-
mand.
MON ALT Message indicating altitude command not being fol-
lowed with enough precision.
MANUAL Indicates autopilot should not be engaged.
SPD CHG Indicates imminent or recently changed speed com-
mand.
MON SPD Message indicating speed command not being followed
with enough precision.
CMD CTRL Indicates aircraft under data link control for landing.


Indicator Function
CHG CHN Command to change data link channel.
HDG CHN Indicates imminent or recently changed heading com-
mand.
CANC RPY TDS has cancelled reply messages.
FWD VEC Aircraft is being vectored to approach target from the
front hemisphere.
Note The majority of the DDI lights depend on data link reply messages not currently modelled in DCS.

DECM Control Panel
Control panel for the DECM jammer (AN/ALQ-126).
Orange light indicating warmup when system is placed
1. STANDBY light
in STBY. Goes out after complete warmup. Indication
during test or operation indicates a fault has occured.
2. DECM selector
DECM power/mode switch. Used to control power and
function of DECM.
OFF - Turns off power to AN/ALQ-126.
STBY - Standby, applies power to warmup system.
TEST/HOLD 3 SEC - Should be held in this position

for 3 seconds to prepare for system test.
TEST/ACT - Starts AN/ALQ-126 BIT, used after 3

seconds in TEST/HOLD 3 SEC position.
REC - Receive, enables AN/ALQ-126 to receive and

analyze threat signal. Detected missile launch may
force the system into repeat mode.
RPT - Repeat, enables AN/ALQ-126 to use

programmed responses to received threat signals.
Volume knob, sets audio volume from AN/ALQ-126 to

3. AUDIO knob
RIO headset.

Data Link Control Panel
Control panel for the data link.
Control Function
1. Transmission mode switch
Sets data link tranmission mode.
TEST - Starts system test.
NORM - Normal operational mode.
A/J - Anti-jam mode.
Thumbwheels used to set data link frequency.

2. Frequency select wheels
Enables power to data link, also used to set AUX (aux-

3. Data link power switch
iliary) mode.

Data Link Reply and Antenna Control Panel
Panel used to control data link alignment, reply and antenna.
Control Function
Switch selecting antenna in use for UHF 1 and data link.
1. ANTENNA switch
Used to transmit data link reply, transmits in NORM

2. REPLY switch
(normal), disabled in CANC (cancelled).
3. MODE switch
Switch springloaded to TAC but held by solenoid.
Enables data link alignment and waypoint update.
CAINS/WAYPT - Enables data link alignment and

waypoint update.
TAC - Enables manual selection of frequencies, stops

data link alignment.
Sets what data link address own aircraft uses. (Sets two
4. ADRESS thumbwheel
least significant digits, others set by groundcrew.)

AN/ALE-39 Control Panel

Analog counters used to indicate remaining quantities of
1. Inventory counters
loaded countermeasures. Are manually set by pushing
in and rotating the knob below each counter.
2. PWR/MODE switch
Switch enabling power and selecting operational mode
of the AN/ALE-39.
AUTO(CHAFF)/MAN - Allows manual release of

countermeasures and automatic release of chaff by
threat detection in the ecm systems.
MAN - Allows manual release of countermeasures.
OFF - Disables AN/ALE-39.
Enables parallel rapid firing of all flares while held in

3. SALVO FLARES switch
ON. Switch needs to be lifted to move to ON position.
4. FLARE MODE switch

Switch selecting operational mode for launching flares.
Also controls what countermeasure the DLC button on
the pilot stick ejects while airborne.
MULT - Multiple, each flare ejection command will

eject one flare from each launcher subsection loaded
with flares. Affects both manual and programmed
releases.
NORM - Normal, each flare ejection command will

eject one flare in total. Affects both manual and
programmed releases.
PILOT - Enables the pilot to manually release flares

with the pilot stick DLC button, the other positions
releases chaff with DLC button depression.
5. Countermeasure release switches

Switches springloaded to center which controls
respective countermeasure release actuation.
PRGM - Program, switch needs to be lifted to enter this

position, momentary actuation initiates programmed
release.
STBY - No release.
SGL - Single, momentary actuation releases a single

countermeasure.

AA1 Control Panel
AN/APX-76 interrogator control panel.
Switch disabling the mode 4 tone alarm in the RIO
1. M4 ALARM OVERRIDE switch
headset.
2. TEST-CHAL CC switch
Switch springloaded to center controlling IFF
challenge and test.
TEST - Momentary actuation, tests the AN/APX-76 by

interrogating own transponder, if same codes are set
two solid lines appear on DDD at 3 and 4 miles.
CHAL CC - Momentary actuation, starts a 10 second

interrogation cycle only showing returns with correct
mode and code on DDD.
Thumbwheels controlling mode and code used for inter-

3. CODE selector thumbwheels
rogation. First wheel sets mode, last four sets code.
Light indicating active interrogation in progress.
4. CHAL light
Light indicating fault in AN/APX-76.

5. FAULT light
Note Due to DCS limitations in regards to IFF the AA1 control panel is currently non-functional.

AN/ALE-39 Programmer
Programming panel used to program current countermeasure inventory into AN/ALE-39.
1. JAMR thumbwheels Thumbwheels used to set jammer release program.
QTY - Quantity, sets quantity of jammers to release in

program.
INTV - Interval, sets interval in seconds between

jammer releases in program.
2. CHAFF thumbwheels Thumbwheels used to set chaff release program.
B-QTY - Quantity, sets quantity of chaff to release in

one program salvo, can also be set to C (continuous) or
R (random).
B-INTV - Interval, sets interval between chaff burst to

release in one program salvo, can also be set to R
(random).
S-QTY - Quantity, selects number of salvoes to release

in a program.
S-INTV - Interval, selects interval between salvoes in a

program.


3. FLARE thumbwheels Thumbwheels used to set flare release program.
QTY - Quantity, sets quantity of flares to be released in

a program.
INTV - Interval, sets interval between flare releases in

a program.
4. LOAD control thumbwheels Thumbwheels inputting into AN/ALE-39 what is

loaded into each launcher subsection.
L10 - Sets loaded countermeasure in Left 10

subsection.
L20 - Sets loaded countermeasure in Left 20

subsection.
R10 - Sets loaded countermeasure in Right 10

subsection.
R20 - Sets loaded countermeasure in Right 20

subsection.
Switch loading programmed settings into AN/ALE-39

5. RESET switch and resetting sequencer switches to their starting posi-
tions.

Interior Light Control Panel
Panel controlling lights in RIO cockpit.

Control Function
Thumbwheel controlling instrument panel lights, 0
1. INSTRUMENT thumbwheel
setting.
Switch enabling white flood lights in the RIO cockpit.
2. WHITE FLOOD switch
DIM and BRT (bright) settings available, switch locked
to OFF unless pulled out.
Thumbwheel controlling console lights and red flood-
3. CONSOLE thumbwheel
lights. 0 turns off both console and red floodlights, 1-14
sets the console lights to an increasingly bright setting.
4. RED FLOOD switch
Switch controlling red instrument and console
floodlights.
BRT - Sets bright red instrument flood and console

lights.
MED - Red console floodlights.
DIM - Dim red console floodlights.

Data/ADF Switch
Switch controlling display of data and ADF on the HSD and ECMD. BOTH enables display of the ADF bug and
navigation data block. DATA enables display of only the navigation data block. OFF disables display of either.
IFF Transponder Control Panel
Control panel for the AN/APX-72 transponder.

Switch enabling mode 4.
1. MODE 4 switch
2. MODE 4 AUDIO/LIGHT switch Switch enabling mode 4 audio and light monitoring.
AUDIO - Enables audio monitoring of mode 4

interrogation and REPLY light monitoring of mode 4
replies.
OUT - Disables audio and light monitoring of mode 4.
LIGHT - Enables REPLY light monitoring of mode 4

replies.
3. MODE 4 CODE selector CODE selector switch, controlling what cipher code to
use.
ZERO - Erases both ciphers from the system.
B - Selects the B cipher code for use.
A - Selects the A cipher code for use.
HOLD - Non-functional.
Light indicating when a mode 4 reply is generated and

4. MODE 4 REPLY light transmitted. Can be pushed to test the light.
Light indicating correct test when respective test switch

5. TEST light is used. The light itself can be tested by pushing it.


6. MASTER selector Selector switch controlling AN/APX-72 mode of

operation.
OFF - Disables power to the AN/APX-72.
STBY - Standby, enables standby for immediate

operation upon selection of other operational mode.
LOW - Activates replies to set modes in low sensitivity

mode, only strong nearby interrogators are replied to.
NORM - Normal, replies normally to all received

interrogations.
EMER - Activates emergency mode replies to mode 1,

2 and 3/A and normal reply to mode C, regardless of
mode switches.
7. MODE switches Switches controlling operation of the different IFF

modes.
TEST - Tests respective mode, correct operation if

TEST light illuminates.
ON - Enables respective IFF mode.
OUT - Disables respective IFF mode.
8. RAD TEST-OUT-MOON switch Switch allowing ground test and monitoring of non
mode 4 replies.
RAD TEST - Not used by aircrew.
OUT - Disables test and monitoring.
MON - Monitor mode 1, 2, 3 and C by illuminating the

test light when replies are generated and transmitted.


9. IDENT-OUT-MIC switch Switch controlling operation of the mode 1-3 IDENT

function.
IDENT - Momentary position enabling IDENT reply

for 15 to 30 seconds after switch release.
OUT - IDENT function off.
MIC - Transfers IDENT control to crewmember UHF

PTT, enabling IDENT reply as per IDENT each time
the PTT is keyed.
Six thumbwheels selecting code in use for mode 1 and

10. CODE thumbwheels 3.
Note Transponder functionality not currently modelled in DCS.

IFF Antenna Control/Test Panel
Panel containing controls for IFF antenna, tests and ground cooling.
Control Function
Switch allowing control of which antenna the IFF
1. IFF ANT switch
transponder uses. Possible to select AUTO (automatic)
or LWR (lower).
Test switch allowing manual DDI BIT and test of RIO
2. IND LT/DDI BIT switch
indicator lights.
3. GND CLG switch

Switch allowing the use of external air to cool aircraft
systems while on the ground.
OBC/CABIN - Allows for external air into the cabin

and to cool electronics and AWG-9/AIM-54 with
reduced performance for OBC.
OFF - External air not used for these functions.
AWG-9/AIM-54 - Uses the external air to cool AWG-9

and AIM-54 coolant with better performance but
disables external air to cabin.

Electrical Power System Test Panel
Panel used by groundcrew to test aircraft electrical systems.

Note Non-functional in DCS.
Canopy Defog/Cabin Air Lever
The canopy air diffuser lever controls the flow of cabin air. The normal position, CABIN AIR, directs 70% of the
conditioned air through the cockpit air diffusers and 30% through the canopy air diffusers. The CANOPY DEFOG
position directs all air flow through the canopy air diffusers for canopy defog.

2.3.11 Canopy Control Handle
The canopy control handle controls canopy operation and is located on the right cockpit wall. The handle is mounted
downwards beneath the box containing the handle mechanism and the handle position texts. The canopy control handle
is duplicated in the pilot cockpit.
Control Function
BOOST Closes the canopy using boost, used during cold weather or with a strong headwind.
CLOSE Closes the canopy, default position during flight.
HOLD Holds canopy at current position for any position other than closed.
OPEN Opens the canopy.
AUX OPEN Allows manual opening of the canopy if system pressure is too low.


CHAPTER 3
General Design and Systems Overview
3.1 Engines and Throttle Controls
The two F110-GE-400 afterburning turbo-fans powering the F-14B are controlled by the AFTC (Augmenter Fan
Temperature Control unit). The AFTC is akin to an early version of a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control)
used on newer turbine engines.
The AFTC controls both the engine itself as well as the variable exhaust nozzles controlling the engine exhaust gases.
Additionally, the AICS (Air Inlet Control System) helps by controlling the engine airflow for an even subsonic airflow
to the engine inlets. This is done through the variable geometry intakes, more precisely the variable ramps in the
intakes.
All this is achieved by the AFTC and AICS using appropriate sensor inputs which then control engine operations
according to programmed schedules.
In addition both engines also drive separate fuel, hydraulic and electric generators to create redundancy.
In case of a failure in the AFTC the MEC (Main engine control) is capable of assuming control of the engines to
provide a fall-back, mechanical control. The normal mode, AFTC, is the primary mode (PRI) and called as such while
the fall-back MEC is the secondary (SEC) mode. The selection of primary or secondary is automatic in case of a
failure in the AFTC but can also be manually selected. Of note is that in secondary mode the engine nozzles are fully
closed and disabled in addition to the afterburners being disabled with a corresponding loss of engine performance.
165
3.1.1 Throttle Controls
The throttles in the F-14 have detents preventing unintentional engine start and shutdown and unintentional selection
of afterburner. In addition the throttles also controls several different systems depending on throttle position as shown
in the diagram above. The most critical of these being the fuel cutoff and ignition systems in the respective engines.
For throttle operations there are three modes:
The manual mode is a mechanical mode in which the engines are controlled by mechanical linkages directly from the
throttles to the engines. The manual mode is designed as a backup mode and may be inexact becuase of the mechanical
nature of the controls.
Boost mode is the normal mode of operation in which electrical paths control actuators moving the same engine
controls as the mechanical linkages but more exactly and with lesser force required.
The third mode is the approach power compensator mode or the auto throttle mode which is a system which allows
for automatic throttle control for optimal angle-of-attack during approaches.
The controls for the throttle mode are located on the inlet ramps/throttle control panel to the side of the main throttles
and allows for selection of all three modes. The auto throttle mode is solenoid held and will revert to boost mode if
the criteria for automatic controls are not met.
To allow selection of auto mode the throttles need to be between 75 to 90% rpm, the gear handle needs to be down
and with no weight on the wheels. If these criteria are no longer met, the throttles are manually overriden with force
166 Chapter 3. General Design and Systems Overview

or the Cage/SEAM button on the left throttle is depressed the solenoid releases the switch and it reverts to boost.
For additional autothrottle tune the gain of the system can be set on the inlet ramps/throttle control panel. The settings
are hot, normal or cold with hot increasing the throttle gain (and effective thrust) and cold decreasing it. These settings
correspond to cold or hot external temperatures but should be set according to observed throttle control.
The RATS or reduced arrestment thrust system is a system limiting engine thrust after touchdown to limit it to levels
appropriate for carrier environments. The system is enabled by weight on either main landing gear and is disabled by
selection of afterburner on the throttles.
Finally, and implemented on the F110-GE-400, is the asymmetric limiter, preventing asymmetric afterburner engage-
ment if only one afterburner lights by keeping that afterburner at minimum afterburner thrust until the other afterburner
also lights.
3.1.2 Engine and Throttle Control Switches and Indicators
The ASYM LIMITER (1) on the ASYM limiter/engine mode select panel enables or disables the asymmetric after-
burner thrust limiter. Default position is ON and the switch has a guard cover keeping it in that position.
The other switches on that same panel are the ENG (engine) MODE SELECT switches (2), setting the left (L ENG)
and right (R ENG) to PRI, primary or SEC, secondary modes respectively.
3.1. Engines and Throttle Controls 167

The inlet ramps/throttle control panel contains most other engine releated controls.
The THROTTLE MODE (1) switch sets throttle mode to AUTO, BOOST or MAN modes respectively, with auto
being springloaded back to boost but held in place electrically as mentioned above.
The THROTTLE TEMP (2) switch controls the gain of the automatic throttle system also described above.
The INLET RAMPS (3) switches enable (AUTO) or disable, stow (STOW) the variable intake ramps.

The engine crank switch (4) is used to crank the engines to 20% rpm allowing for engine start by moving the respective
throttle to idle from cut-off. The air to start the engine is sourced from an external air supply if connected or the other
engine if no external source exists. At 50% rpm the crank switch automatically returns to off/center position. If this
does not occur it should be manually set to off to prevent damage to the air turbine starter.
The BACK UP IGNITION (5) switch enables the backup ignition system in case of a failure in the main ignition
circuits that are normally enabled by moving the throttles out of the cut-off position.
The ENG/PROBE ANTI-ICE (2) switch on the external environmental control panel enables the engine anti-ice and
intake ramp anti-ice mode in addition to the various probe heaters. The ORIDE position enables the system, the
AUTO position enables the system if icing is detected and the OFF position disable it.
3.1. Engines and Throttle Controls 169

Engine Instrument Group (EIG), Related Indicators and Caution Lights
The ENGINE INSTRUMENT GROUP displays engine RPM, EGT (exhaust gas temperature) and FF (fuel flow)
to the pilot to allow for engine monitoring.
Note Pictured above are the TF30 engine indicators, F110 EIG coming soon.

The exhaust nozzle position indicators display respective engine’s current engine exhaust nozzle position, with zero
being fully closed and full clockwise rotation being fully open.
The oil pressure indicators display respective engine oil pressure allowing the pilot to check that engine oil pressure is
at acceptable levels.
The caution lights relevant to engine operation are located on the pilot’s caution - advisory panel, and at the sides of
the HUD.
The caution lights on the sides of the HUD are the engine stall warning lights which flashes at a 3 Hz rate when an
engine stall is detected. The warning light on the left side of the HUD indicates an engine stall in the left engine and
the one on the opposite side the right engine. This is also combined with an audio warning, a modulated tone at 320
Hz.
Below the left engine stall warning light is, amongst others, the AUTO THROT (auto throttle) caution light which
illuminates for 10 seconds when the auto throttle system is disengaged by other means than the throttle mode switch.
On the main caution - advisory panel the relevant engine caution and warnings lights are:
• INLET ICE - Caution light indicating ice detection on the detector in the left engine inlet.
• L & R INLET - Caution lights indicating failure in AICS for respective variable intake system.
• OIL PRESS - Caution light indicating low oil pressure in either engine.
• BLEED DUCT - Caution light indicating hot air leekage in either engine.
• L & R RAMPS - Caution lights indicating respective engine intake ramp not being locked into position when
supposed to.
• START VALVE - Caution light indicating that the starter valve is open. Control engine crank position if lit after
engine start completion.
• L & R ENG SEC - Caution lights indicating that respective engine is operating in secondary mode.
• L & R GEN - Caution lights indicating that respective engine generator is inoperative.
• L & R OIL HOT - Caution lights indicating that respective engine oil is too hot.
• L & R FUEL PRES - Caution lights indicating engine fuel pressure below 9 psi in respective engine fuel boost
pump.
• RATS - Caution light indicating that RATS (reduced arrestment thrust system) is enabled.
3.2 Fuel System
The main fuel storage in the F-14 consists of two feed systems, one for each engine. The right engine feed system
consists of the right wing and right box cells and the front fuselage cells while the left engine feed system consists of
the left wing and left box cells in addition to the aft fuselage cells. This fact needs to be kept in mind when reading
the fuel gauges.
The total useable fuel quantity is roughly 20,000 pounds distributed as in the table below.
3.2. Fuel System 171

Fig. 1: 1 - Refueling Probe, 2 - Ground refueling Port (Right Side) , 3 - Forward Fuselage Tank, 4 - Left External Drop
Tank, 5 - Left Box Beam Tank, 6 - Left Wing Tank, 7 - Vent Tank, 8 - Fuel Dump Mast, 9 - Aft Fuselage Tank, 10 -
Right Box Beam Tank, 11 - Right Wing Tank, 12 - Right External Drop Tank.
Tank group Pounds

Forward Fuselage 4,700
Aft Fuselage 4,400
Right Feed Group 1,600
Left Feed Group 1,500
Internal Wings 4,000
External Tanks 3,600

3.2.1 Fuel Quantity Indicators and Controls
The fuel quantity indicator on the pilot right knee panel displays internal and external fuel carried.
The uppermost indicator (1) displays currently set BINGO fuel level, this quantity is set by rotating the knob (5)
to desired amount. This indicator and control activates the BINGO caution light when total fuel level is below set
amount.
The TOTAL (2) indicator displays total carried fuel.
The L and R (3) normally shows fuel carried in left and right fuel feeds respectively. A rocker switch on the fuel
management panel enables selection of the wing internal tanks (WING) or external fuel tanks (EXT) for display but
is springloaded to return to showing the feed tanks (FEED) automatically. When displaying wing internal tanks or
external fuel tanks, the left wing or left external tank is shown on the L counter and the right wing or right external
tank on the R counter.
The FUS & FEED tapes (fuselage and feed) shows the AFT & L (aft fuselage and left feed) and FWD & R (forward
fuselage and right feed) in thousands of pounds.
Additionally the RIO has a total fuel quantity display on the right instrument panel. This display counter can only
show total fuel quantity. (See Fuel Quantity Totalizer.)
3.2. Fuel System 173

The fuel management panel on the pilot’s left vertical console contains the applicable controls for the fuel system.
The QTY SEL (1) rocker switch is detailed above under the description above about the L & R fuel displays.
The FEED switch allows the pilot to correct fuel imbalances caused by single engine operation or feed failures by
selecting both engines to feed from either the FWD (forward and right tanks) or AFT (aft and left tanks) instead of
from one feed system each as normal NORM. The switch guard locks the switch to the NORM position when down.
The WING/EXT TRANS switch controls fuel transfer from the wing and external tanks into the fuselage feed sys-
tems. The normal AUTO position enables this transfer as soon the landing gear is retracted. The ORIDE position
enables this transfer regardless of landing gear position, enabling transfer when on the ground or during a malfunction
in the electrical system inhibiting landing gear retraction detection. Additionally the OFF position disables this trans-
fer but can be overridden automatically to AUTO when the INST test is performed on the MTS panel, the refuel probe
is set to ALL EXTD or when dumping fuel.
The DUMP (5) switch enables fuel dump through the beaver tail fuel dump mast, it also enables all fuel transfer
systems, enabling dump of fuel in wings and external tanks in addition to the fuselage. If there’s weight on the wheels
or the speed brake is not fully retracted the fuel dump is inhibited.
Note Even though technically possible to engage the afterburners after a fuel dump is in progress, this is
not allowed due to the possibility of igniting the dumped fuel.

In-Flight Refueling
The above panel also contains the control for the in-flight refueling system.
The REFUEL PROBE (6) switch controls the extension of the refueling probe as well as setting up the fuel system
to recieve fuel. The two extended positions (EXTD) are ALL, enabling refueling of all tanks, including wings and
external tanks and FUS, allowing refuel of only the fuselage tanks. When selecting the ALL position the fuel feed
from the wings and external tanks are disabled to allow refueling of these tanks. RET (Retract) retracts the refueling
probe and resumes normal fuel system operation.
Note Selecting EXTD ALL resets the WING/EXT TRANS switch to AUTO.
3.3 Fire Detection and Suppression System
3.3.1 Fire Detection System
The fire detection system in the F-14 has two fire sensing loops, one in each engine.
If these loops detects a temperature over 600 °F (about 316 °C) along its whole length or 1,000 °F (about 538 °C) in
a single 6-inch section it triggers the fire detection circuits. The left detection loop illuminates the left fire warning
light on the ACM panel and the right detection loop illuminates the right fire warning light, see Air Combat Maneuver
Panel.
In addition there are also sensors designed to detect hot air leaks in the engines and illuminate the BLEED DUCT
caution light on the pilot caution - advisory indicator (see Caution - Advisory Indicator) if temperatures above 575 °F
(about 302 °C) are detected.
3.3.2 Fire Suppression System
The fire suppression system in the F-14 contains two bottles filled with a fire suppression agent capable of being
discharged into one engine selected by the pilot. Though the system contains two bottles, both are discharged at the
same time making the system a one-shot system, capable of extinguishing only one engine.
As the effectiveness of the agent depends on it remaining in the engine until the fire is out the effectiveness is greater
at lower airspeed as it takes longer for the agent to be blown clear of the engine. The agent itself is a low toxicity
agent, designed to do as little damage to the engine as possible while still being an effective fire surpessant.
3.3. Fire Detection and Suppression System 175

To activate the system the pilot pulls the FUEL SHUT OFF handle (pictured above) corresponding to the alight
engine and pushes the fire extinguisher button behind that handle. The pull-out of the handle shuts off the fuel to the
connected engine and the button behind it releases the fire suppression agent into that engine.
Two advisory lights are connected to this system, each one indicating low pressure in one of the fire suppression agent
bottles. The ENG FIRE EXT indicates low pressure in the main bottle and the AUX FIRE EXT the same in the
auxiliary bottle. Both are located on the pilot caution - advisory indicator, see Caution - Advisory Indicator.
The advisory lights will both illuminate after a successfull application of the system and will also indicate if an error
drains the pressure in the bottles.
3.3.3 Fire Detection and Suppression System Test
Both systems can be tested by selection of the FIRE DET/EXT position on the master test panel switch. (see Master
Test Panel) This will illuminate both fire warning lights on the ACM panel if their respective loop is functional and the
GO light on the master test panel will illuminate if the suppression system is functional. If the NO GO or no lights
illuminate there’s a problem in either the suppression system or the test circuitry.
3.4 Electrical Power System
All main electrical power in the F-14 is generated from the two engine driven AC generators. The generators connected
to the gearboxes on the engines are each capable of generating enough power to individually drive all aircraft systems.
As for DC power generation the F-14 has two transformer-rectifiers supplying 28 V DC, and again each one is indi-
vidually capable of driving all aircraft DC appliances.
The F-14 has an external power receptacle for AC power just aft of the nosegear, capable of driving aircraft AC and
DC (through the transformer-rectifiers). External power is automatically disconnected from the aircraft power system
when one of the internal generators come online.
3.4.1 Emergency Power
The F-14 has an emergency generator driven by the combined hydraulic system generating a limited supply of AC and
DC power. If the system loses main power the emergency generator takes over supply of flight critical systems within
1 second.

3.4.2 Controls and Indicators
The controls for the electrical systems are located on the master generator control panel.
The MASTER GEN (1) switches control connection of the main generators to the electrical buses. The NORM
position on the switches connect the individual generators to the buses. The OFF/RESET position disconnects the
generator and also resets any protection circuits that might have cut in because of the power supply being outside
normal limits. The TEST position starts the generator but do not connect it to the electrical buses making it possible
to test the generator without affecting other aircraft systems. The switch is locked to the on position and needs to be
lifted to move it to the OFF/RESET position from NORM.
The EMERG (2) switch controls the emergency generator. In the NORM position the emergency generator is au-
tomatically connected to the essential buses if the main generators fail. The OFF/RESET position deactivates the
emergency generator and also resets the associated protection circuits if tripped. The switch is guarded to the NORM
position and that guard needs to be opened to move the switch to OFF/RESET.
Associated caution and advisory lights are located on the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator. The L GEN and R GEN
lights, when illuminated, indicate that the respective generator is not functioning correctly. Either because of a fault
or because the engine driving the generator not running.
The TRANS/RECT advisory light indicates that only one or none of the transformer-rectifiers are functioning.
The emergency generator can be tested by selection of EMERG GEN on the MASTER TEST switch on the Master
Test Panel. Completion of the test is indicated by the GO light illuminating. In case of a fault the NO GO light
illuminates.
3.4.3 Circuit Breakers
The circuit breakers in the F-14 are located on the pilot’s right and left knee panels and behind the RIO’s seat on his
left and right sides. The breakers protect aircraft systems from overcurrent by popping out and isolating the system
drawing too much current. This is indicated by a white line becoming visible on the breaker as it pops out. The breaker
can be reset by pushing it in and it can also be pulled out manually.
These breakers will be detailed here when implemented in DCS.
3.4. Electrical Power System 177

3.5 Hydraulic System
The F-14 has two separate hydraulic systems, the flight hydraulic system and the combined hydraulic system.
Both systems are driven by hydraulic pumps connected to each engine, the flight hydraulic system from the right
engine and the combined hydraulic system from the left engine. Both systems are pressurised to around 3,000 psi
when operating normally.
Flight control surfaces are supplied by both systems while the combined system also supplies pressure to secondary
systems such as the flaps, landing gear and the refueling probe. This is so that both systems can drive the control
surfaces independently from each other in case of a failure in the other.
Additionally, the hydraulic systems related to systems not necessary while airborne can be isolated by a switch next
to the landing gear handle. This is so that damage to those systems won’t affect the combined system pressure and
cause fluid loss. The systems that can be isolated are the landing gear, wheel brakes and refueling probe. This switch
is mechanically locked to not isolating these systems by the landing gear handle when it’s in the down position.
If only one of the hydraulic pumps fail it’s possible to pressurize that system from the other pump via the hydraulic
transfer pump. This pump is an omni-directional hydraulically driven pump that can supply either system from the
other and will maintain a pressure between 2,400 and 2,600 psi if the driving system is at around 3,000 psi. If one
system pressure falls below 500 psi the pump will be secured to prevent pump damage and preserve pressure in the
working system. The pump can also be manually disengaged by the pilot.
In case of failure of both hydraulic pumps the flight hydraulic system can be driven by an electrical pump, called the
emergency flight hydraulic pump. This pump is capable of independently driving the tail control surfaces, enabling
the aircraft to return home and land even without pressure in either main hydraulic system. The electric pump is
automatically enabled if both main systems drop below 2,100 psi and shut off if either reaches 2,400 psi again. The
automatic pump activation activates the system in the low mode but it can also manually be selected to either low or
high operation. The control surfaces will have a reduced deflection rate if driven by this pump, more so in low than
high.
There is also a hand driven hydraulic pump that can be used to pressurize the refueling probe and wheel brake accu-
mulator if there’s otherwise no pressure in the combined system. This is mainly for unpowered ground operation but
can be used as a backup in the air.

The HYD PRESS, hydraulic pressure indicator, contains two gauges indicating COMB, combined, and FLT, flight
system hydraulic pressure in thousands of psi. The scales have markings for the nominal 3,000 psi pressure when the
pumps are operating normally.
Below the gauges are flags indicating hydraulic pressure availability to the spoilers SPOIL and the operation of the
EMER FLT, emergency flight hydraulic pump. The HI flag indicates on if the emergency flight hydraulic pump is
operating in high and the LOW if it’s operating in low.
3.5. Hydraulic System 179

The BRAKE PRESSURE gauge shows available pressure in the brake accumulators. PARK indicating parking brake
pressure and the AUX indicating wheel brake pressure. The green area represents a pressure from about 2,150 psi to
3,000 psi and the red a pressure below that.
The HYD TRANSFER PUMP, hydraulic transfer pump switch is located on its own panel on the pilot’s right side
console. The switch allows for manual shut-off of the pump (SHUTOFF) but is normally in the NORMAL position
allowing the pump to activate automatically if either hydraulic pump fails. The switch is guarded to the NORMAL
position.
The emergency flight hydraulic pump is controlled by a guarded switch on the Master Test Panel. The guarded position,
(AUTO)LOW allows the pump to automatically activate as detailed above and the two other positions, HIGH and
LOW can manually activate those modes when the guard is up.
On the Caution - Advisory Indicator the only relevant caution light is the HYD PRESS light indicating that either
main hydraulic system pressure is below 2,100 psi. It turns off when both systems are again above 2,400 psi.

3.6 Wing-Sweep System
The wing-sweep system controls the geometry of the F-14’s wings, allowing the wings to move from a 20° to a 68°
position in the air. While on the deck an oversweep of 75° is also possible reducing the F-14’s wing span to 33 feet
(about 10 meters).
The wings are moved by hydromechanical screwjack actuators which are interconnected mechanically, making sure
they’re synchronized. As long as both main hydraulic systems are functioning the maximum wing-sweep change rate
is about 15°/s. This can be affected negatively by negative g or large amounts of positive g.
In normal operation the CADC, Central Air Data Computer, controls the wing position as a function of current Mach
via the wing-sweep program, this is known as the AUTO mode. The pilot can also select a wing position aft of the
wing-sweep program manually or choose the BOMB mode that sets the wings to 55° or further aft depending on the
program. Simply put, the CADC wing-sweep program determines the max forward position of the wings. All this is
done electrically via two independent channels (for redundancy) to the wing-sweep actuators.
Currently commanded wing position, CADC program wing position and actual wing position can be seen on the
wing-sweep indicator next to the ACM panel.
3.6.1 Emergency Mode
While the normal mode controls the wing-sweep electrically, to supplement this it’s also possible to control the wing-
sweep mechanically via the emergency mode. This is done via the emergency wing-sweep handle on the right side
of the throttle. That handle is connected mechanically to the hydraulic valves in the wing-sweep system, providing a
physical back-up control.
Normally this handle is moved with the electronic wing-sweep program by a servo located beneath it, making sure
it’s at the actual wing position. To disengage the electric system and enable the emergency mode the guard over the
handle is opened and then the handle is extended for additional leverage. Then the handle can be forced out of the
spider-detent normally connecting it to the electrical servo and then used to manually set the wing position.
In this mode the pilot has to make sure to follow the following schedule to avoid damage to the wings:
Speed (Indicated Mach) Max Forward Wing Position

0.4 20°
0.7 25°
0.8 50°
0.9 60°
1.0 68°
To return to the normal mode of operation, the handle should be pushed into the desired position and pressed down
and the guard closed. The MASTER RESET button on the fuel management panel should then be depressed and the
wing-sweep system set to the same position as the handle. The servo will then drive to the commanded position and
re-engage the handle to the spider detent, resuming normal operation.
Oversweep
The emergency wing-sweep handle is also used to select the oversweep position of the wings. The oversweep is only
used while on the ground to reduce the wing span to make it easier to spot the aircraft on the carrier deck. As the
wing will sweep over the stabilizers on the tail the horizontal tail authority system is enabled to prevent the wings and
stabilizers from damaging each other by restricting movement of the stabilizer.
To set the wings to oversweep the emergency wing-sweep handle should be moved to the 68° position and held in the
extended position. This will deflate the wing-seal airbags and activate the horizontal tail authority system, indicated
3.6. Wing-Sweep System 181

Fig. 2: Wing-sweep schedule as function of Mach number and related flap interlocks.

by the HZ TAIL AUTH caution light illuminating. When the HZ TAIL AUTH caution light goes out and the OVER
flag on the wing-sweep indicator appears the oversweep interlocks are free and the handle can now be moved to the
75° position and stowed.
To move the wings out of oversweep the handle is pulled up and moved forwards of 68°. This will again illuminate
the HZ TAIL AUTH caution light. When the wings have physically exited the oversweep the caution light and the
OVER flag will turn off.
As with normal emergency mode operation the handle should now be set to the same position as the spider detent and
the MASTER RESET button depressed.
The controls for the wing-sweep system are on the right throttle (electrical) and to the right of the right throttle
(mechanical). See the Throttle and the Throttle Quadrant.
The wing-sweep hat on the right throttle is normally set to AUTO enabling CADC control of the wings, this is the
upper position. The down position sets the wing-sweep to the BOMB mode, 55° or aft.
The AFT and FWD (forward) positions enable manual movement aft of the CADC scheduled position.
The emergency wing-sweep handle on the throttle quadrant is used to control the mechanical emergency mode, see
emergency mode above.
The wing-sweep indicator to the right of the ACM panel is used to indicate the current wing-sweep positions. The
pointer on the left side shows the CADC scheduled wing position. The left tape shows the manually commanded
position and the right tape shows the actual wing position.
The five windows on the right side show:
• OFF - System inoperable.
• AUTO - CADC controlling wing-sweep.
• MAN - Wings set manually with the control on the right throttle.
• EMER - Wings set with the emergency wing-sweep handle.
• OVER - Wings in oversweep.
3.6. Wing-Sweep System 183

The relevant warning and advisory lights are located on the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI) and the pilot Caution -
Advisory Indicator.
The WING SWEEP warning light on the right side of the VDI illuminates when both wing-sweep electrical channels
are inoperable or the emergency mode is in use. If it illuminates without the emergency mode being used that mode
should then be used as the electrical system might not work.
The WING SWEEP caution light on the pilot caution - advisory indicator illuminates when at least one electrical
wing-sweep channel is inoperable.
Wing-Sweep System Test
The wing-sweep system can be tested on the ground in pre-flight without moving the wings using the Master Test
Panel.
To conduct the test, set the wing-sweep mode to AUTO and push the MASTER RESET button. Set the MASTER
TEST switch to WG SWP
The CADC commanded position indicator on the wing-sweep indicator will now move to 44°. The WING SWEEP
and FLAP light will illuminate on the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator and the REDUCE SPEED warning light on
the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI).
Note The WING SWEEP advisory light will illuminate after 3 seconds into test, turn off and then
illuminate again at 8 seconds.
When the CADC commanded position indicator moves forward to the 20° position the test is over and the above light
will turn off. The MASTER TEST switch can now be set to OFF and the test is complete. The test will take about
25 seconds to complete.
Note The RUDDER AUTH and/or MACH TRIM lights might illuminate and the control stick might
move. This can be ignored.
Note 2 The WG SWP test on the Master Test panel is not implemented yet.
3.7 Flight Control System
The flight control system on the F-14 Tomcat is driven by the two main hydraulic circuits, powered by pumps con-
nected to each engine.
For longitudinal (pitch) control both tail stabilizers are deflected in unison, acting in the same way as traditional
elevators.
Lateral (roll) control is produced by both the tail stabilizers and the spoilers working in unison. To produce roll the
stabilizers are deflected opposite each other to act as ailerons in combination with the spoilers on the side to which roll
is commanded.
The rudders on the F-14 is a standard rudder configuration albeit in a two tail, two rudder configuration.
Control surface position is indicated on the Control Surface Position Indicator and can also be used to check trim
position with controls at neutral.
Note Above 15 units AOA the rudders should be used for lateral (roll) control due to the different airflow
along the aircraft control surfaces.

3.7.1 Trim
Longitudinal and lateral trim is accomplished via the trim hat on the Control Stick. This changes the stick neu-
tral position, thus trimming the aircraft. Rudder trim is accomplished via the RUDDER TRIM switch on the Inlet
Ramps/Throttle Control Panel, changing the neutral rudder position.
The Mach Trim and ITS (Integrated Trim System) automatically trims to compensate for changes in longitudinal trim.
The Mach Trim system compensates for transonic and supersonic trim changes and the ITS for trim changes due to
flap and speedbrake position changes.
3.7.2 AFCS Automatic Flight Control System
The AFCS or Automatic Flight Control System provides additional aircraft stability (SAS or Stability Augmentation
System) via automatic control surface commands generated from AFCS sensors. The AFCS is controlled by switches
on the AFCS Control Panel and pitch, roll and yaw can each be set individually.
The pitch and roll switches are springloaded to off but normally held to on by solenoids meaning that if the system is
turned off or inoperable the switches return to off. The yaw switch is purely mechanical.
Roll SAS should not be used for situations involving flight at AOA above 15 units and should therefore be set to off
for combat maneuvers.
If the autopilot emergency disengage paddle on the control stick is held down the pitch and roll channels will be set to
off.
Autopilot
Apart from stability augmentation the AFCS is also used to provide autopilot functionality. To use the autopilot all
three stabilisation channels must be enabled.
The controls for the autopilot system are situated on the AFCS Control Panel.
Autopilot modes available are attitude hold, heading hold, ground track, altitude hold, vector/pcd (precision course
direction) and acl (automatic carrier landing).
By setting the autopilot ENGAGE switch to on the attitude hold is engaged, maintaining current aircraft attitude.
Limited to within 30° pitch and 60° roll angles and the aircraft will be automatically moved within this range. Current
attitude can be changed with the control stick and will be held when the stick is released.
The ENGAGE switch is also a prerequisite for all other autopilot modes.
The HDG position on the HDG switch enables heading hold, maneuver the aircraft to desired heading and with a bank
angle of less than 5° to set heading.
The ground track mode is entered by setting the HDG switch to GT, wait for the A/P REF warning light on the left
side of the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI) to illuminate and then press the nosewheel steering button on the control
stick. The A/P REF warning light will then turn off and the ground track mode will be enabled, setting the autopilot
to follow a ground track by compensating for aircraft wind drift.
The altitude hold mode is set via the ALT, altitude switch and like the ground track mode the A/P REF warning light
will illuminate until the nosewheel steering button is depressed, enabling the mode.
The Data Link Vector - Precision Course Direction mode is used to allow a Link 4 controller to remotely control the
aircraft. This is not modelled in DCS.
Finally the ACL or Automatic Carrier Landing mode is used to conduct automatic carrier landings in conjunction with
the Link 4 data link and the on-board radar beacon. To enable the ACL, set the VEC/PCD switch to ACL which will
cause the A/P REF warning light to illuminate. When intercepting the ACL glideslope and with the ACL READY
3.7. Flight Control System 185

and A/P CPLR warning lights illuminated on the VDI, depress the nosewheel steering button on the control stick.
This engages the ACL and lets the data link control the aircraft. The A/P REF warning light will turn off.
The ACL can be used in conjunction with the APC (see Throttle Controls) for a fully automatic landing. The ACL can
be disengaged via the PLM button on the right throttle and the APC via the CAGE/SEAM button on the left throttle.
All the autopilot modes can be overriden by enough force on the control stick or by depression of the autopilot
emergency disengagement paddle, automatically resetting all autopilot switches to off.
3.7.3 Spoilers
The spoilers located on the upper surfaces of the wings are used to control roll as detailed above under Flight Control
System, for braking on the ground as part of the Antiskid system and as a part of the DLC system (see next header).
The spoilers are only used forwards of 62° wing-sweep as further aft these conflict with the fuselage.
In case of a spoiler malfunction the spoiler symmetry protection logic disables all of the spoilers in the same section
as the failed spoiler, either inboard or outboard spoilers. If this occurs the SPOILERS caution light on the Caution -
Advisory Indicator illuminates.
To override this the switch corresponding to the relevant section on the Spoiler Failure Override can be set to override
by lifting the guard and setting the switch to ORIDE and then depressing the MASTER RESET button on the Fuel
Management Panel.
Spoiler position can be seen on the Control Surface Position Indicator.
DLC Direct Lift Control
The DLC or Direct Lift Control is used to control vertical glideslope position without pitch control inputs or engine
throttle commands. The DLC uses the two inboard spoiler sections in conjunction with small corrections on the tail
stabilizers to control lift.
The DLC is engaged by depression of the DLC switch on the control stick with flaps and gear down. This causes the
inboard spoilers to extend to half and enables the DLC & maneuver flap command thumbwheel on the control stick to
control them.
Rotation of the thumbwheel forwards extends the spoilers towards the max up position, decreasing lift and adjust-
ing glideslope position downward. Rotation of the thumbwheel aft retracts the spoilers towards the flush position,
increasing lift and adjusting glideslope position upward.
Another depression of the DLC switch disengages the system.
3.7.4 Flaps and Slats
The flaps and slats on the F-14 Tomcat can be used in two modes.
The normal flap and slat extension is controlled using the FLAP handle on the Throttle Quadrant. The flaps can be set
to anywhere between retracted and fully extended where the flaps will extend to 35° and the slats to 17°. The auxiliary
flaps, the innermost section, only have two positions, retracted and extended. They will extend fully when the FLAP
handle is at more than 5° extension.
If a fault exists preventing retraction of flaps the FLAP handle should be moved to the UP position and then moved
outboard and up to the EMER UP position, overriding faulty interlocks.
The other mode is the maneuver flap system in which the CADC uses the flaps and slats automatically to improve
aircraft performance. In this mode the flaps extends to 10° maximum and the slats to 7° maximum and the innermost
flap section is disabled.

While normally automatic the maneuver flap system can be manually controlled using the DLC & maneuver flap com-
mand thumbwheel on the control stick. Forward thumbwheel rotation retracts the flaps and slats and aft thumbwheel
rotation extends them.
When sweeping the wings the flaps are limited by the wing-sweep position. Aft of 21° sweep the auxiliary (inboard
flaps) are disabled up. Aft of 50° all flaps are disabled up. The slats are not inhibited by wing-sweep.
Position of the flaps and slats are indicated on the Wheels-Flaps Position Indicator.
The FLAP light on the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator indicates a malfunction in the flap system with flaps at non
symmetrical positions. The REDUCE SPEED warning light on the left side of the Vertical Display Indicator (VDI)
indicates flaps not retracted above 225 knots indicated airspeed.
3.7.5 Speedbrakes
The speedbrakes on the F-14 Tomcat consists of three sections on the tail located between the engines and these are
powered by the combined hydrualic system.
The speedbrake controls are located on the right Throttle and can be set to desired position depending on how long the
switch is held to the extend position. Retraction always fully retracts the speedbrakes.
To protect the speedbrakes they will start retracting above 400 knots and will continue to do so with increasing airspeed,
additionally selection of MIL power or above automatically retracts them.
As the speedbrakes disturb airflow around the tail the fuel dump is disabled with speedbrake extension as to not have
the fuel hit the aircraft.
Position of the speedbrakes can be seen on the Wheels-Flaps Position Indicator.
3.8 Landing Gear System
The F-14 Tomcat has a tricycle landing gear designed to be fully retractable as well as hardened enough to withstand
the rigours of carrier traps. The landing gear extension and retraction is powered by the combined hydraulic system
as well as having an emergency extension system. The emergency extension system has a nitrogen bottle that can be
used to power a one-shot emergency extension. With the emergency system triggered, the system needs to be reset by
technicians on the ground to allow further normal retraction.
For additional information on controls and indicators see Landing Gear Control Panel for controls and Wheels-Flaps
Position Indicator for the indicators.
3.8.1 Nosewheel Steering
The nosewheel steering system on the F-14 can be activated with weight on wheels by depression of the nosewheel
steering button on the Control Stick. The activation of this system is indicated via the NWS ENGA caution light on
the left side of the HUD, see Wheels Warning/Brakes Warnings/ACLS/AP Caution/NWS Engage Caution/Auto Throttle
Caution Lights.
Disengagement of this system occurs automatically with weight off wheels (take-off), electrical supply failure or
lowering of the launch bar. It’s also possible to deactivate the system by depression of the nosewheel steering button.
The nosewheel, with the system engaged, is controlled via the rudder pedals. It’s capable of a deflection of up to 70°
meaning that it will turn tightly enough that the inner wheel will in fact move backwards.
3.8. Landing Gear System 187

3.8.2 Wheelbrakes
The wheelbrakes can be applied either via the rudder pedals by pressing on the upper part of them, rotating them
forwards. The other application is via the parking brake handle located on the Landing Gear Control Panel panel.
The rudder pedals can be used to apply the brakes gradually while the parking brakes are either on or off.
Normally both systems are supplied from the combined hydraulic system but if that system becomes depressurised
the brake system automatically switches to the backup accumulators. The Emergency Brake Pressure Indicator shows
current pressure in the emergency accumulators.
If fully charged the auxiliary accumulator allows for about 13 to 14 wheelbrake applications from the pedals and
the parking brake accumulator 3 parking brake applications minimum. These accumulators can be recharged via the
Hydraulic Hand Pump.
The BRAKES warning light on the left side of the HUD indicates either parking brake applied, antiskid system fail or
that the brakes are operating in the emergency mode (only when the pedals are depressed).
Antiskid
The antiskid system modulates the wheelbrakes to prevent skidding while on the ground. When armed in the air the
system prevents braking until both main wheels are on the ground and the wheels have spun up. Also the system is
not operational below 15 knots.
The antiskid system switch also controls the spoiler brake system that deploys the spoilers as brakes when the throttles
are set to IDLE while on the ground.
Note The antiskid should be disabled during taxi as below 15 knots the system may disturb normal
braking even though the antiskid feature not being operational at those speeds.
The ANTI SKID SPOILER BK switch on the Fuel Management Panel panel controls the system. OFF disables
the system, BOTH enables antiskid and the spoiler brake system and SPOILER BK enables only the spoiler brake
system.
3.9 Catapult Launch and Arresting Gear
3.9.1 Nosegear Catapult System
The nosegear of the F-14 contains the system allowing for catapult assisted takeoff during carrier based operations.
The three components mounted in or on the nosegear are the nosewheel kneel functionality, the launch bar and the
holdback fitting.
To enable the system the aircraft is kneeled using the NOSE STRUT switch on the Landing Gear Control Panel. This
is done by holding the switch to the KNEEL position until downward movement stops.
This drains hydraulic fluid from the shock absorber, compressing the nosegear strut 14 inches. When compressed
this also releases the lock on the launch bar which can then be lowered manually by the deck crew or by turning the
nosegear more than 10° from center.
Note In DCS the launch bar is automatically lowered with nosegear kneel.
The aircraft can then be guided onto the catapult and connected to the shuttle, in DCS via default keybind U. The
holdback bar is currently not modelled in DCS.
Note Deselection of nosewheel steering should be done before final movement onto the shuttle and
hookup to avoid missalignment.

The final command to launch the aircraft, after proper procedures, is then to salute the “shooter” or officer in command
of catapult launch, default keybind Left Shift + U in DCS.
After the catapult stroke, when the launch bar is released from the shuttle, stored hydraulic energy is released to impart
a positive pitch moment to the aircraft. This also automatically raises the launch bar into its stowed position.
Indication of the launch bar status is available on the Caution - Advisory Indicator via the LAUNCH BAR advisory
light. The advisory light is on with weight on wheels when the launch bar is not up and locked and turns off if throttles
are advanced to MIL to enable a lights out for launch criteria. With weight off wheels the LAUNCH BAR advisory
light is on if the nose strut hasn’t fully extended, launch bar is not up and locked or nosewheel hasn’t centered correctly.
This inhibits nosegear retraction.
The Launch Bar Abort Panel contains the LAUNCH BAR switch used to disengage the launch bar in case of an aborted
launch. This functionality is currently not implemented in DCS, unhooking the launch bar is currently accomplished
by another depression of the hookup key, default key U.
3.9.2 Arresting Gear
The arresting hook located on the underside of the tail of the F-14 is used for arrested landings during carrier opera-
tions.
To system uses hydraulic power from both flight and combined hydraulic systems and is controlled electrically, thus
requiring electrical power as well.
Operation of the system is via the arresting HOOK handle on the Arresting Hook Panel. UP raises the arresting hook
and DN, down, lowers it to 37° allowing it to catch the wire during a correctly executed carrier “trap”. The transition
light next to the arresting HOOK handle illuminates whenever the arresting hook position does not correspond with
handle position.
If on board failures do not allow for normal hook lowering it’s possible to use a mechanical backup to deploy the
hook. To activate the mechanical backup, pull the handle out and rotate it 90° counterclockwise. This releases the
mechanical uplock and drain the hydraulic pressure keeping the hook up, thus lowering it.
If electrical power and hydraulic power are restored, it’s then possible to retract the hook by rotating the handle 90°
clockwise and pushing the handle back in and then setting it in the default UP position.
Note Hook position also affects the AoA indexer and approach lights, making them flash with gear down
if hook is not also down. This feature can be disabled using the HOOK BYPASS switch on the
Master Light Control Panel.
3.10 ECS Environmental Control System
The ECS or environmental control system controls and supplies temperature- and pressure-regulated air to cockpit
systems and cooling for electronic equipment and weapons.
The air used is sourced from the engines, one or both, or if needed from the emergency ram air door on the fuselage
inboard of the right glove.
Systems using ECS air in the cockpit are cockpit pressurization and canopy seals, anti-g suit inflation, aircrew suit
ventilation, seat cushion ventilation and windshield anti-ice and defogging.
Other systems using ECS air outside of the cockpit are pressurization of external drop tanks, wing airbag seals,
electronics cooling and cooling of the AN/AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missiles via an air/liquid heat exchanger.
3.10. ECS Environmental Control System 189

3.10.1 Air Source and Cockpit Air Controls
Air source for the ECS is set using the controls on the Air Conditioning Control Panel.
The L ENG set air source to left engine, R ENG to right engine and BOTH to both engines which is also the normal
position while in use.
RAM and OFF both enable the emergency ram door but OFF turns off pressurization and heating.
During normal operation temperature in the cockpit is controlled using the TEMP switch and thumbwheel on that
same panel. The thumbwheel sets the temperature which is automatic regardless of airspeed and altitude if the TEMP
switch is set to AUTO. If that switch is set to MAN, manual, it will vary depending on airspeed and altitude.
The CABIN PRESS switch controls the cockpit safety valve, controlling whether the cockpit is pressurized or not. If
set to NORM cockpit pressure is at 8,000 feet up to 23,000 feet and after that 5 psi higher than the atmosphere outside.
DUMP depressurizes the cockpit by opening the cockpit safety valve.
The RAM AIR switch is used to modulate cockpit air supply temperature when the ram air door is in use by opening
and closing the emergency ram air door. This is as in this mode that air is mixed directly with hot bleed air from
the engines. INCR, increase, opens the ram door, decreasing temperature and DECR closes the door and increases
temperature. Springloaded to center.
Note Selection of RAM or OFF inhibits gun firing.
Current cabin air pressure altitude can be seen on the Cabin Pressure Altimeter in front of the pilot control stick.
The CABIN PRESS caution light is present on the RIO Caution-Advisory Panel, indicating less than 5 psi abso-
lute pressure or above 27,000 feet cockpit pressure. On the same panel is also the COOLING AIR advisory light
which indicates overheat in the electronics cooling system, indicative of a failure in the ECS which might damage the
electronics.
The anti-g suit pressurisation can be tested via the G-valve Button for the pilot and G-Valve Button for the RIO. The
airflow through the suit, or seats if no suits are worn, are controlled by the VENT AIRFLOW thumbwheel on the
pilot Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel and RIO Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel respectively.
3.10.2 Windshield Anti-Ice and Defogging
Windshield anti-ice and defogging is controlled via the External Environmental Control Panel and Canopy De-
fog/Cabin Air Lever.
The WSHLD, windshield, switch on the external environment panel provides hot bleed air on the outside of the
windshield to clear ice and rain on the glass. AIR enables airflow over windshield, OFF disables it.
The Canopy Defog/Cabin Air Lever (for pilot) and Canopy Defog/Cabin Air Lever (for RIO) sets amount of air through
the canopy air diffusers to be used to defog the canopy. Lever set fully to CANOPY DEFOG selects all cockpit air to
be through the canopy diffusers while lever fully at CABIN AIR redirects 30% through the canopy diffusers and the
rest to the cockpit diffusers.
The WSHLD HOT advisory light on the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator illuminates when the windshield is warmer
than 300° F (149° C). This automatically closes the valve and stops warm air to the windshield until cooled down.
3.10.3 AN/AWG-9 and AIM-54 Cooling
The AN/AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 missiles are liquid cooled via independent liquid/air heat exchangers cooled by
ECS air.
The Liquid Cooling Control Panel controls these cooling systems and should be set to AWG-9 to enable only the
AN/AWG-9 cooler if no AIM-54 Phoenix missiles are carried. If AIM-54 missiles are loaded AWG-9/AIM-54 should

instead be set to enable both systems. OFF turns off both systems and should not be set with systems in use as they
will overheat.
The RIO Caution-Advisory Panel contains advisory lights for these systems. The AWG-9 COND advisory light
indicates overheat in the AN/AWG-9 cooling system, continuing use of the AN/AWG-9 might damage it. The MSL
COND advisory light indicates overheat in the AIM-54 cooling system or operation of the WCS with AIM-54s loaded
and liquid cooling switch not set to AWG-9/AIM-54.
3.10.4 External ECS Air Supply
For operation of systems requiring cooling on the ground or on deck it’s possible to connect an external ECS air source
to cool them.
The normally used source isn’t able to provide cooling for all systems at the same time though and thus what is to be
cooled needs to be set. This is controlled by the GND CLG switch on the IFF Antenna Control/Test Panel panel at the
RIO right side console. OBC/CABIN provides the external ECS air to the cabin and all air cooled electronics. This
setting disables the AN/AWG-9 transmitter due to inadequate cooling. AWG-9/AIM-54 provides the external ECS air
to the AN/AWG-9 and AIM-54 heat exchangers and to related electronics. OFF turns off external ECS air supply and
is the normal mode used when the engines are running.
Note Any setting on the GND CLG other than OFF should not be used when the engines are running.
Note2 For the Heatblur F-14B in DCS the external ECS air supply is connected via the same command
as the engine starter air.
3.11 Oxygen System
The F-14 carries one or two 10-liter liquid oxygen bottles providing oxygen to the crew when needed.
The oxygen supply is controlled on the pilot Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel and RIO Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control
Panel respectively. Both panels contain an OXYGEN switch that sets oxygen supply to ON or OFF.
Liquid oxygen remaining is shown on the Liquid Oxygen Quantity Indicator on the pilot’s right side console. The
gauge shows remaining liters of liquid oxygen up to 20 liters. (If two bottles are installed) The indicator is electrically
driven and if it receives no power an OFF flag will be visible and it will display 0 liters remaining.
Additionally the RIO Caution-Advisory Panel has the OXY LOW caution light which illuminates when the liquid
oxygen quantity is below 2 liters.
During the INST test on the ref:MTPanel the liquid oxygen meter shows 2 liters and the OXY LOW caution light
illuminates.
3.12 Flight Instruments
Apart from the VDIG (HUD and VDI) the F-14 is equipped with:
• two Standby Attitude Indicator (and Standby Attitude Indicator)
• two Airspeed Mach Indicator (and Airspeed Mach Indicator)
• two Servopneumatic Altimeter (and Servopneumatic Altimeter)
• a Vertical Velocity Indicator
• a turn and slip indicator (on the Air Combat Maneuver Panel)
• an Accelerometer
3.11. Oxygen System 191

• a Standby Compass
• and two mechanical clocks (Clock and Clock).
The types that have two installed have one installed on the RIO instrument panel as well as the pilot one.
All of these instruments that need electrical power are connected to the essential buses meaning that they can be
powered by the emergency generator if the main ones fail.
For more info on the instruments see their respective cockpit panel descriptions linked above.
3.13 Canopy
The rear-hinged F-14 canopy is operated hydraulically and pneumatically. Controls are present in both pilot and RIO
cockpits.
See Canopy Control Handle or Canopy Control Handle for the controls.
The CANOPY caution light on both the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator and the rio Caution-Advisory Panel illu-
minates if the canopy is not in the down and locked, secured position.
3.14 Ejection System
The F-14 Tomcat is equipped with dual Martin-Baker GRU-7A rocket-assisted ejection seats, one for the pilot, one for
the RIO. The ejection system is a zero/zero system, capable of successfully ejecting the crewmembers at zero airspeed,
stationary, on the ground.
As the F-14 is a two seat aircraft it has additional controls apart from the ejection handles and arming systems, namely
the ejection command lever. This lever, which is located in the RIO cockpit, selects if the RIO ejects the pilot as well
when he ejects.
The lever is situated beside the sensor control panel, see Eject Command Lever. When set to PILOT, the pilot ejects
both crewmembers, while the RIO ejects only himself. When set to MCO both crewmembers eject both crewmembers.
The system does not allow pilot-only ejection because it would be undesirable for the RIO to remain in the aircraft
alone.
The pilot has indication of what position the ejection command lever is at on the Landing Gear Control Panel, the
EJECT CMD flip-flop indicator showing PILOT when the lever is in pilot and MCO when in MCO.
If the canopy does not jettison when initiating the ejection sequence it’s possible to manually jettison it using the
Canopy Jettison Handle in the pilot cockpit or the Canopy Jettison Handle in the RIO cockpit. If the canopy inhibited
ejection after ejection initiation, jettisoning the canopy will most likely restart it. If ejection is needed during a flat
spin, it’s also recommended to manually jettison the canopy and allow it to clear before initiating the ejection sequence
as the canopy might need longer to clear during a flat spin.
3.15 Lighting System
The F-14 Tomcat lighting system consists of the internal and the external lights.
The internal lights are the red instrument panel and console lights, red and white floodlights and a moveable utility
light at both crew stations.
The external lights are the position lights, the anticollision lights, the formation lights, the taxi light, the approach
lights and the refueling probe light.

3.15.1 Internal Lighting
The red instrument panel and console lights are the normally used lights during nighttime, they back-light all instru-
ments and controls allowing their use while impacting night vision minimally.
The floodlights allow for additional lighting of the cockpit panels but care should be taken to avoid affecting night
vision.
The utility lights are movable and can be used to illuminate a specific spot and as a map or reading light.
Controls for the internal lights are on the Master Light Control Panel in pilot cockpit and Interior Light Control Panel
in the RIO cockpit, each controlling their own cockpit lighting.
Note The utility light function is not modelled in DCS but the flashlight function, default keybind Left
Alt + L, which moves with the cursor can be used, providing a similar function.
3.15.2 External Lighting
The position lights on the F-14 are located on the left wing tip (red), right wing tip (green), top aft of left vertical
stabilizer (white) and upper and lower lights on the wing gloves on each side (red on left glove and green on right).
The glove lights are additional lights supplementing the wing tip lights. When the wings are swept forward of 25° the
wing tip lights are active and when aft of 25° the glove lights are active instead.
With the gear down, wings forward of 25° and the position lights in steady mode both the glove and wingtip position
lights are lit. When the anticollision lights are on the the position lights can only operate in the steady mode, otherwise
they can be set to flash.
The anticollision lights are located on the chin pod or TCS pod, top front of the left vertical stabilizer and top aft of
the right vertical stabilizer. The anticollision lights are all red flashing lights. The chin pod mounted lower light only
operates while the nosegear wheel door is closed.
The formation lights are dim green lights used for formation flight which can be dimmed gradually. They are located
on the aircraft nose (behind the radome), the wing tips, on the fuselage aft of the wings and on the top edge of the
vertical stabilizers. All are duplicated on both sides of the aircraft.
The taxi light is a fixed headlight located on the nosewheel strut. It’s automatically turned off with gear retraction if
set to on.
The approach lights are also located on the nosewheel strut and replicate the AoA indexer for the LSOs during carrier
traps.
The refueling probe light is used to illuminate the refueling probe and is automatically enabled with probe extension.
All external light controls are located on the Master Light Control Panel except for the exterior lights switch on the
left throttle (see Throttle) which disables or enables all external lights apart from the approach lights.
3.16 Jettison System
The Jettison system has four modes of operation: emergency, ACM, selective and auxiliary.
Emergency Jettison
The emergency jettison is selected via the EMERG STORES JETT on the Landing Gear Control Panel. Selection
causes the EMERG JETT caution light to illuminate on the pilot Caution - Advisory Indicator.
The emergency jettison requires only no weight on wheels indicated (no master arm) and ejects all stores except for
Sidewinders.
ACM Jettison
3.16. Jettison System 193

The ACM jettison is selected via the ACM JETT button under the ACM cover/switch on the Air Combat Maneuver
Panel.
The ACM jettison, like the emergency jettison, requires no master arm but instead requires that the landing gear lever
is up. Unlike the emergency jettison the ACM jettison only ejects those stations selected by the RIO on the Armament
Panel (set to SEL or B for stations 1 and 8).
Selective Jettison
The selective jettison is set and executed by the RIO on the Armament Panel. This mode of jettisoning requires the
landing gear handle to be in the up position and the master arm to be on.
The procedure for jettison in selective mode is to set the desired station switches to SEL and hold the SEL JETT
switch to JETT.
Auxiliary Jettison
The auxiliary jettison mode is a backup mode to use when the other modes have failed. Like the selective jettison
mode it requires the landing gear handle to be up and the master arm to be on.
This mode can only eject air-to-ground stores and ejects them by actuating the normal release hooks. This means that
the aircraft needs to fly straight and level as the stores are not ejected forcefully but instead just released and cleared
using gravity.
Note No jettison mode can jettison ITERs or stores loaded on those, they need to be dropped like normal,
with or without the fuzes armed.
3.17 CADC Central Air Data Computer
The Central Air Data Computer or CADC is the computer acting as the spider in the web for most aircraft flight
sensors and relaying this information to all systems needing them. In addition it also controls the wing-sweep via the
wing-sweep schedule and also controls the flaps and slats as they are limited by that same schedule.
3.18 AN/AWG-9 Weapon Control System (WCS)
The AN/AWG-9 weapons control system (WCS) is an integrated system containing the F-14’s main sensors and
computer providing detection, tracking and engagement of targets in the air-to-air and air-to-ground roles.

3.18.1 Detail Data Display (DDD) and Panel
The DDD is the main control panel and display for the radar part of the AN/AWG-9 system. It contains all the controls
for the radar except the scan volume and stabilization controls which are on the sensor control panel.
TGTS, MLC, AGC and PARAMP Switches
The upper left part of the DDD panel contains four switches (1-4) controling amplification, mainlobe clutter (MLC)
suppression and target size parameters.
The TGTS (targets) switch selects expected target size which is used by the WCS to calculate missile launch zones
and set parameters for target tracking in the radar. The selected position of this switch might negatively affect target
tracking and engagement if set incorrectly.
The MLC switch controls how the system supresses the MLC in the radar system while in pulse doppler mode. The
OUT position disables the system while the IN position enables it. The AUTO position automatically enables the
MLC filter if the antenna look-up angle is greater than 3°.
The AGC switch controls the automatic gain control and is used in the pulse doppler modes to allow control of the
time constant used for the AGC. Normally (NORM position) the AGC uses a longer time constant to calculate a mean
value used for amplification. If the radar is operating in a jammed environment or heavy clutter is present the AGC
can be set to use a faster time constant to mitigate these factors but this setting can also make the radar less sensitive
to real targets.
The PARAMP, parametric amplifier switch allows for manual control of the parametric amplifier which is used to
amplify weaker targets in all radar modes. Normally the WCS controls when to use the PARAMP depending on range
but if tracking an unusually strong target it can be used to disable PARAMP to lessen the effect from background
noise. If set to off manually it lessens the detection range by approximately 35%.
Note AGC and PARAMP switches currently not implemented.
AWG-9 Range Selection and Tracking Indication
In the upper central part of the DDD panel are located the controls and indicators for setting the radar range in the
search modes. Below these are also present the indicators for radar tracking while in the single target track (STT)
modes.
The six round buttons (8), which are labelled 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200, are used to set desired radar range in pulse
modes and IFF range, they also set the scale on the pilot target range displays. The buttons are mutually exclusive as
only one range can be selected at a time. In pulse search this setting affects the PRF of the radar and the scale on the
DDD and if set to 20nm or greater range it also enables pulse compression.
3.18. AN/AWG-9 Weapon Control System (WCS) 195

The range display drum (7) indicates currently displayed scale on the DDD for the pulse modes and is blank when
using pulse-doppler. It can also show ±10 for when using the IFF interrogator in the STT modes.
Below these are the four radar track indicator lights which are used to indicate how the radar tracks the target in STT.
• The ANT TRK, antenna track, light indicates that the radar is tracking the target angle (direction) in azimuth
and elevation.
• The RDROT, radar on target, light indicates that the target is in the range or rate gate and is being tracked in
range or rate.
• The JAT, jam angle track, indicates that the antenna is tracking a jamming source’s angle in azimuth and
elevation.
• The IROT, IR on target, light indicates that target angle in azimuth and elevation is being tracked via the TCS,
the name is inherited from the earlier IRST system of early -A F-14s.
IR AUDIO Controls
The IR AUDIO controls (10-12) in the upper right part of the DDD panel were used with the IR sensor but as this is
replaced by the TCS in the F-14B these are non-functional.
Radar and Missile Frequency Selectors
The thumbwheels in the upper rightmost part of the DDD panel are used to control the AN/AWG-9 radar emitter’s
frequency (13) and the missile control channel used with the AIM-7 and AIM-54 (14). Adjustment of these might be
needed to avoid interference from other AN/AWG-9 equipped aircraft or other external sources. The WCS reads the
missile channel for the AIM-7 as the missiles are prepared as they need to be tuned and changing the channel after this
will not affect a change unless the preparation sequence is restarted.
Note Non-functional in DCS currently.
Radar Mode Selectors
In the lower right part of the DDD panel are located the controls for display mode and radar mode and its indicator
drum. The display mode buttons (15) selects what mode is currently selected for display on the DDD. The RDR, radar,
mode is the normally selected mode. The IR mode is non-functional as the IR system is not installed. The IFF button
enables the IFF interrogator in one of its two operational modes, for more detail see the IFF section in the General
design and systems overview chapter.
The radar mode buttons (16) selects the operational mode of the AN/AWG-9 radar. The two STT buttons, pulse-
doppler single target track (PD STT) and pulse single target track (P STT), enables selection of an STT mode if
available and relevant. These are used to automatically attempt an STT lockon onto a hooked TID target or to transfer
between these two STT modes. The pulse doppler search button (PD SRCH) selects the PD SEARCH mode of the
radar. The range-while-search button (RWS) selects the RWS mode of the radar. The two track-while-scan buttons
(TWS AUTO and TWS MAN) selects their respective TWS modes for use in the radar. The pulse search button
(PULSE SRCH) selects the pulse search mode of the radar.
The indicator drum (17) shows currently selected radar mode. Apart from TWS MAN, TWS AUTO, RWS which
refers to their respective modes it can also show MRL (manual rapid lockon), A-G (air-to-ground), VSL (vertical scan
lockon), OPTTRK (TCS track), PLM (pilot lockon mode), PULSE (for both pulse search and pulse STT), PD (for
both pulse dopple search and PD STT) and PAL (pilot automatic lockon mode).
Aspect and Vc Switches
On opposite sides of the DDD itself are located the ASPECT and VC switches. The Vc switch (18) controls the rate
scale on the DDD in the pulse doppler search modes. X-4 sets the scale to 800 knots opening to 4,000 knots closing,
NORM sets the scale to 200 knots opening to 1,000 knots closing and VID sets the scale to 50 knots opening to 250
knots closing.
The ASPECT switch (21) controls two different things depending on radar mode. In the pulse doppler search modes
it controls the rate processing windows of the radar, NOSE sets 600 knots opening to 1,800 knots closing, BEAM

sets 1,200 knots closing to 1,200 knots opening and TAIL sets 1,800 knots opening to 600 knots closing. In the short
pulse STT modes the switch sets the system tracking mode to the corresponding echo edge or centroid to counteract
countermeasures like chaff and specific jammer modes.
Elevation Indicator
The elevation indicator scale, EL, (22) is used to indicate the sensor elevations. The left (RDR) needle indicates
current actual radar elevation. This indicator will move with the antenna in the radar search modes.
If the HCU is set to RDR the right (IR/TV/EC) needle indicates the currently set elevation center of the antenna scan
pattern. This is usefull in STT as it enables the RIO to set the antenna elevation center to use when you eventually
revert to search.
If the HCU is set to IR/TV the right needle instead displays current TCS elevation.
Counter-Countermeasure Mode Controls
In the lower leftmost corner are located the three counter-countermeasure mode buttons. These controls functionality
to counter different jammers affecting the system. (Not currently implemented)
Radar and DDD Control Knobs
Spread out on the DDD panel are eight different knobs controlling differing functions on the DDD and radar. On the
upper left side of the DDD is located the PULSE VIDEO control knob (5) which controls the video intensity on the
DDD for the pulse modes. It affects only the DDD display, not the radar itself.
On the upper right side of the DDD is located the BRIGHT control knob (9) which adjusts a polarized filter which
allows for mechanical control of the brightness of the DDD, mainly used in low light conditions.
On the lower left side of the DDD is located the PULSE GAIN control knob (20) which controls the radar gain in
the pulse modes. This control affects the gain of the radar directly. Normally left in the detent at the fully clockwise
position which allows the WCS to control it automatically.
On the lower right side of the DDD is located the ERASE control knob (19) which controls the strength of the erase
beam on the DDD. The erase beam is what erases the indications continually on the DDD and thus affects how long
the after-image of the detected targets will remain.
On the left side of the DDD panel are located the PD THRLD (26), JAM/JET (24) and ACM THRLD (25) control
knobs. The pulse-doppler threshold knobs (PD THRLD) controls the threshold at which an echo is regarded as a
contact, displayed on the DDD and tracked on the TID in RWS and TWS. The CLEAR knob controls the clear region
threshold (upper half of the DDD) and the CLUTTER knob controls the clutter region (lower half of the DDD).
Normally left in the clockwise NORM detents, letting the WCS automatically control them.
The JAM/JET control knob selects the threshold of what jamming intensity signal strength is needed to regard an
emitter as a jammer and make it indicate a jammer strobe on the TID. The ACM THRLD sets the threshold for what
to regard as a target at ACM ranges. Normally left in the counter-clockwise detent, letting the WCS automatically
control it.
Note JAM/JET and ACM THRLD not currently implemented in DCS.

Detail Data Display
Pulse
Pulse-Doppler
The DDD screen itself shows either only radar return data or radar returns combined with symbology depending on
radar mode.
In the pulse search mode the display shows only radar returns and the a visual representation of the radar sweep and
erase sweep. The screen shows range vs azimuth in this mode. In pulse doppler modes the AGC TRACE is added on
the bottom showing supposed jamming intensity of the detected targets. The screen shows rate vs azimuth in these
modes.
In the two STT modes the display shows, in addition to the return from the target, the tracking gates (either range or
range rate gate), a closing rate indication on the right side and the attack symbology if in air-to-air mode and a missile
is selected.
In pulse STT the target is displayed at the correct azimuth and range while in pulse doppler STT the target is shifted
to the left side of the display and a generated target symbol is at the correct azimuth instead. In pulse doppler STT the
AGC TRACE is added as well to give an indication of jamming strength. For information about the attack symbology
see the VDIG section.
Note AGC TRACE not yet implemented.

When the IFF interrogator is activated it superimposes the IFF information on top of the normal radar picture if in
pulse search. In pulse doppler search the DDD switches to range vs azimuth at the previously set range scale while the
IFF information is shown and in PD STT, if the target is hooked on the TID the DDD switches to a ±10 scale centered
on the target while the IFF returns are shown.
3.18.2 Tactical Information Display (TID) and Associated Controls
The TID is the main data display for the WCS. It displays a tactical picture to the RIO which is used to identify and
select targets for the long range weapons on the F-14 Tomcat. Think of it as a top down map showing the relative
coordinates of all presented tracks and symbols, but without a representation of the ground/surface features (map). It
is also used in secondary roles as a display for entering data into the WCS, for navigation, for INS alignment and for
the on board checkout, OBC.
TID Display Control Knobs
On the upper edge of the TID are two display control knobs (2 & 4). The left one controls the contrast of the TCS
display and the right one controls the overall brightness of the TID. Both settings will depend on user preference and
ambient lighting.

INS and Navigational Controls

On the upper left corner of the TID is the status display for the INS (1), used to indicate status of the INS and its
alignment.
To the sides of the TID are located two selector knobs. The one on the left side (12) controls and selects the INS or
AHRS mode to use. It also allows for INS alignment.
On the right side is the selector knob (6) controlling the source used when destination steering is selected by the
pilot. Selects between the different waypoints stored in the WCS. MAN position is used only for aircraft with TARPS
mounted.
Adjacent to this selector is a readout drum on the upper right edge of the TID (5). It’s used to indicate the type of
steering information currently displayed to the pilot.
Possible steering type shown are: destination (DEST), data link command heading (D/L), azimuth lead collision
steering (LD CLSN), collision steering (CLSN), lead pursuit steering (LD PURST), pursuit steering (PURST), TACAN
radial (TACAN) and manually set commanded heading (MAN).
TID Data Readout Drum
Above the TID is located the data readout indicator drum (3). It’s used to indicate the source of the data displayed on
the TID text readouts. Possible readouts are: the different waypoints in the navigational system (WAY PT, ST, FIX
PT, IP and HB), own aircraft (OWN A/C), first priority target (TGT 1) and SYMBOL.
Symbol indicates that the readout displays data for a hooked symbol on the TID which doesn’t have its own indicator
text on the drum. The drum can also show a blank face to indicate the data source as one not having its own indicator
text and which has no symbol on the TID.
TRACK HOLD and CLSN buttons
Below the selector knobs on the sides of the TID are two buttons with indicator lights, one on each side. The lights
illuminates green to indicate selection.
On the left side is the TRACK HOLD button (11) which enables the track hold function. Normally targets on the
TID in TWS mode are retained 14 seconds after last observation. The track hold function extends this two 2 minutes
for all tracks. If disabled it reverts to the standard 14 second period, whereafter the targets will be dropped if no new
observations occur.
On the right side is the CLSN button (7) enabling collision steering to currently tracked target or centroid if in TWS.
This selection overrides the current steering information presented to the pilot with the collision steering, only excep-
tion being if the pilot selects the ACM.
TID Control Panel
Below the TID is the TID control panel (8). It contains 8 buttons selecting what symbology to show on the TID,
these illuminates green when active. It also contains two selector knobs controlling display scale and TID mode. The
buttons are:
RID DISABLE Not implemented.
ALT NUM
Altitude numerals, enables display of track altitudes on
the left side of track symbols.
Shows a single digit representing ten-thousands of feet,
1 as an example indicating an altitude of between 5 000
and 15 000 feet.


SYM ELEM
Symbology elements, enables display of all
supplementary symbology of tracks and waypoints.
If deselected all tracks and waypoints are represented
only as dots on the TID.
DATA LINK Enables display of data link tracks.

JAM STROBE
Enables display of jam strobes on the TID.
Jamming targets exceeding the JAM/JET setting on the
DDD are shown if enabled. Not yet implemented.
NON-ATTK
Non-attack, enables or disables display of targets
which aren’t possible to engage.
Friendly targets being an example.
VEL VECTOR Velocity vector, enables display of velocity vectors on

tracks.
LAUNCH ZONE
Enables display of weapon launch zones depending on
selected missile type.
These replace the velocity vectors on relevant targets.
This function is automatically enabled by the WCS 60
seconds prior to a target entering maximum launch
range.
The left selector knob on the panel controls displayed TID mode (10). GND STAB (ground stabilized) mode stabilizes
the display to the ground meaning that the display is fixed while own aircraft moves on the display. True north is used
as up on the display. A/C STAB (aircraft stabilized) mode stabilizes the display to own aircraft meaning that the diplay
moves along with own aircraft which stays put on the display. Own aircraft heading is used as up on the display. ATTK
(attack) functions in the same manner as A/C STAB but superimposes the attack steering symbology. TV selects the
TCS for display on the TID. Disables normal tactical presentation on the TID and on the HSD.
The right selector knob controls the scale on the TID, setting the display diameter to the selected range (9). Available
ranges are 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 nautical miles, the greater ranges being useful to show data link information
outside of own radar range.

TID Data Readouts
Indicator Function
Buffer Shows data that the RIO is currently entering into the WCS. Comparable to a scratchpad in newer
Register aircraft. Functionality further expanded upon in the CAP section.
Data Readouts showing data selected for readout from the WCS. Can be, as examples, data from hooked
Readouts tracks or own aircraft. Functionality further expanded upon in the CAP section.
Com- Readouts showing WCS program cycles running. Should continuously cycle numbers, if not this
puter Run indicates a freeze or lockup in the WCS computer.
Indicators
Antenna Shows current AN/AWG-9 radar antenna elevation if in STT or scan pattern elevation center if in a
Elevation search mode.
Scan Pat- Shows altitude limits of currently selected scan pattern at set TID display range in thousands of feet.
tern Lim-
its
Navi- Shows current status of the navigation system, IM for INS, AH for AHRS and an alternating MV if
gation the manual magnetic variation differs from calculated magnetic variation.
Status
Target Shows STT target or TWS hooked target closing rate to the closest whole tenth of knots. A plus sign
Closing indicates that the track is closing and a minus that the track is opening the distance to own aircraft.
Rate
Selected Indicates currently selected air-to-air weapon. G for gun, SW for sidewinder, SP for sparrow and
Weapon PH for phoenix. SP and PH also indicates number of missiles of the selected type that are ready for
launch. Display is blank in air-to-ground mode.

TID Symbology
Element Shape Function

Center Dot Marks coordinates of symbol, basic
component of all symbols represent-
ing a coordinate.
Own Aircraft Symbol representing own aircraft.

Antenna scan limits, jamming
strobes emanate from this symbol.
Moves and has a velocity vector in
ground stabilized mode. Stationary
in aircraft stabilized and attack
modes. If the symbol moves outside
of TID presentation a line is drawn
from the center of the display to
the edge of the display indicating
direction of the own aircraft sym-
bol. This can occur due to the TID
offset function or due to the symbol
moving on the display in the ground
stabilized display mode.


TID Cursor
Circle used as a hook cursor.
Controlled by the HCU when in
TID mode.
Half-action on the HCU enables

display of the symbol and also
enables the HCU stick to move the
cursor.
The cursor location is set by stick
deflection. This means that a given
deflection of the stick always
represents the same location on the
TID allowing the RIO to train
muscle memory for higher symbol
hook speeds.
Full-action on the HCU hooks

(selects) the closest symbol if one is
present within 0.125 inches of
cursor center. The hooked symbol
gets brighter to indicate hook. If no
symbol is present at location the
cursor is instead dropped at that
location and brightens to indicate
that a position hook has occured.
To re-enable cursor usage after a

position hook (or to release position
hook) half-action is selected and
released.
TWS Steering Centroid Steering centroid of TWS tracks se-

lected by WCS for weapons engage-
ment.
Onboard Sensor Targets
Unknown Unknown sensor track in RWS,

TWS and STT modes.
Hostile Track in TWS and STT modes des-

ignated as hostile by RIO.


Friend Track in TWS and STT modes des-

ignated as friendly by RIO.
Angle-Tracked Radar Target Radar target tracked only in angle

(jamming target).
Angle-Tracked Radar Target with Radar target being tracked in angle

Altitude Difference Ranging only and range being computed by
altitude difference ranging.
TCS-Angle Tracked Target Target being tracked in angle by

TCS.
TCS-Angle Tracked Target with Al- Target being tracked in angle by

titude Difference Ranging TCS and range being computed by
angle difference ranging.
Data Link Targets
Unknown Data link track identified as un-

known by source.
Hostile Data link track identified as hostile

by source.
Friend Data link track identified as friendly

by source.
Manually Entered Reference Points
Home base Waypoint representing home base,

carrier or airfield.
Waypoint WCS navigational waypoint, sup-

planted by number indicating way-
point 1, 2 or 3.
Defended Point Waypoint used to show area to pro-

tect.


Fix Point Generic fix-point waypoint.
Hostile Area Waypoint indicating a hostile area.
Surface Target Waypoint indicating a surface tar-

get.
IP Waypoint used for air-to-ground

engagement, see Computer Initial
Point.
Data Link Reference Points
Home Base Data link waypoint representing

home base.
Waypoint Data link generic waypoint.
Data Link Fix Point Data link waypoint representing a

fixed point.
Surface Target Data link waypoint representing a

surface target.
Position Symbol Modifiers
Mandatory Attack Additional symbology on a TWS

track (horizontal bar through center
dot) selected as mandatory attack by
the RIO. Only one target can be des-
ignated thusly and always receives
an engagment priority number.
Data link Destroy Additional symbology on a data link

track (horizontal bar through center
dot) designated to be destroyed by
data link source. Does not affect tar-
get prioritization in WCS.


Do Not Attack Additional symbology on a TWS or

data link track (vertical bar through
center dot) designated as do not at-
tack (by RIO) or disengage (via data
link). If set by RIO removes target
from WCS target prioritization.
Multiple Targets Additional symbology on a TWS or

data link track (horizontal bar on
left side of symbol) indicating that
the track represents multiple targets.
Can be set manually by RIO or re-
cieved via data link.
Data Link Challenge Additional symbology on a data link

track (small V with apex at cen-
ter dot) representing data link com-
mand to visually identify target.
Track Extrapolated Additional symbology on TWS or

STT track (small X with center at
center dot) indicating that no update
to target has occured within 8 sec-
onds. Track will be deleted after 14
seconds or 2 minutes if track hold
function is enabled.
Hooked Symbol Symbol brightens When a symbol is hooked by HCU
or CAP functions it brightens to in-
dicate hook.
Target Under Missile Attack Target track symbol brightens In TWS and STT symbols of
tracks being engaged by own air-
craft brightens during computed
missile flight time plus 15 seconds
to indicate missile engagement in
progress.
Target in Optimum Missile Launch Target track symbol blinks In TWS and STT symbols, launch
Zone zones and firing order numerics of
target tracks blink when time to op-
timum missile range is less than 8
seconds.


Altitude Numerics When altitude numerics are selected

for display a number on the left side
of the tracks indicate track altitude
to nearest ten thousands of feet. The
number four as an examples indi-
cate an altitude between 35,000 and
45,000 feet. Available on radar and
data link tracks.
Firing Order Numerics

Indicates AIM-54 phoenix target
prioritization (1 to 6) in WCS when
in the TWS mode. Next missile
launch will target track with
number 1 and remove the number
from that track to advance the other
5 track numbers one step to prepare
for next launch.
Mandatory attack selection on a

target forces the WCS to always
include that target in the
prioritization.
Next launch selection automatically

sets hooked target as number one in
the prioritization queue.
Time-to-Impact (TTI) After AIM-54 launch the firing or-

der number on a track is replaced
with the TTI or time-to-impact in-
dication, showing WCS calculated
time until missile intercepts the tar-
get track. When the AIM-54 active
command is sent the TTI numbers
flash to indicate this.


Velocity Vector
Velocity vector emanating from
center dot of tracks when velocity
vector display is selected.
Vector direction represents track

heading and length represents track
speed so that the max indicated
speed (1 800 knots) is 1.5 inches on
the TID.
In TID ground stabilized mode the

vector direction represents track
true heading and the vector length
represents track ground speed.
In TID aircraft stabilized and attack

modes the vector direction
represents track relative heading (to
own aircraft) and the vector length
represents track speed relative to
own aircraft.


Launch Zone Vectors
Fig. 3: TUMR (Time Until Min-

imum Range), TUOR (Time Until
Optimum Range) and TUIR (Time
Until In-Range/Maximum Range)
The launch zone vectors are

activated manually by the RIO or
when time to maximum launch
range is less than 60 seconds and
replaces the normal track velocity
vectors.
The track symbol vector length in

this mode represents the
time-until-Rmin, with a maximum
limit of 180 seconds (shown as a
1.5” long vector). When the
time-until-Rmin becomes less than
180 seconds, the vector will start to
shorten and move towards the
center dot on the target (which
represents Rmin). If the vector
becomes zero length, you are at
AIM-54 Rmin.
Along this vector line is also a

second dot, with the distance from
end of the vector to that dot
representing time-until-Rmax
(a.k.a. time-until-in-range). That is,
when the vector shortens to this dot
(end of the vector reaches the dot),
it indicates you are at Rmax
(maximum range to target). The dot
disappears when you are closer
than Rmax to the target (i.e.
time-until-Rmax, a.k.a.
time-until-in-range is now
essentially negative).
The intensified bar (box) along the

launch zone vector represents the
optimum missile launch range.
When the vector end reaches the
bar the time until in optimal range
is 8 seconds.

Jamming Strobe Line extending from own aircraft

symbol to edge of TID to indicate a
jammer exceeding the set JAM/JET
threshold.
Radar Antenna Scan Pattern Az-

imuth Limits The limits of the radar scan pattern
in azimuth is displayed as two
dashed lines extending from own
aircraft symbol. Each dash and
space represent 20 nautical miles
each in all radar modes.
In STT the two lines converge to a

single tracking strobe to indicate
that the antenna tracks a single
target.
Data Link Jamming Strobe Jamming strobe received via data

link indicated by a line emanating
from a data link point towards the
jammers direction.
Data Link Pointer Brightened cursor (circle) around a

data link track used to indicate data
link operator concern about the spe-
cific track.
Data link Priority Kill Additional symbology on a data link

track indicating a target that must be
destroyed. Will not by itself affect
WCS prioritization.
Attack Display Symbols
Artificial Horizon Artificial horizon on TID represent-

ing aircraft roll and pitch. Angle
of the line represents roll and verti-
cal deflection on display represents
pitch.


Steering Guidance Symbol Symbol representing steering error

from optimal missile launch direc-
tion. Should be placed by the pilot
as near as possible to the center of
the ASE circle and at launch should
be inside of that same circle.
Allowable Steering Error Circle ASE circle used to indicate the al-
lowable steering error for missile
launch. Size varies with attack ge-
ometry, mode and selected missile.
Breakaway Indication Large cross appearing in the center

of the TID when target range is less
than minimum missile launch range.
Note Some of these symbols pertain to functions not yet implemented in DCS.

3.18.3 Hand Control Unit (HCU)
The hand control unit (HCU), stick and corresponding controls are the main input controlling the RIO WCS displays.
It contains the power controls and indicators for the WCS and TCS in addition to the stick and it’s controls.
HCU Power Controls and Indicators
The lights on the upper edge of the HCU are the IR/TV overtemp indicator (2), the power reset indicator (4) and the
WCS power indicator (6). The IR/TV power indicator light indicates TCS not ready when in the standby (STBY) and
on positions, will remain on in the standby position and turn off in the on position when the TCS is ready for operation.
The power reset indicator light indicatets that one or more of the secondary power supplies are inoperative due to a
power fault tripping it’s protection circuit. The WCS power indicator light indicates WCS in standby (STBY) or on
but that the radar is not ready to transmit. During startup the light will turn off until the radar startup timer times out.

To reset radar cycle to standby and back to on.

The IR/TV switch (1) in the upper left corner of the HCU controls the power to the TCS. Standby (STBY) starts
system initiation but does not turn on the sensor. On enables sensor operation. The switch requires the WCS XMT
to be in STBY or on to be enabled. The WCS XMT switch (7) controls power to the WCS computer system and
corresponding displays (DDD and TID) and inhibits or allows radar transmission. Standby (STBY) enables power
to all WCS systems, including displays, and begins the radar warmup sequence. The displays requires 30 seconds
warmup and the radar requires 3 minutes of warmup for operation. The on position enable radar transmission if
weight on wheels is not present and radar timeout (warmup) is complete.
The two buttons in the upper middle of the HCU is the LIGHT TEST (3) and PWR RESET (5) buttons. The LIGHT
TEST button enables control of all WCS lights and indicators by enabling their lights. The PWR RESET button resets
the protection circuits of the secondary power supplies re-enabling them, also resets missile power. Should only be
used if the power reset indicator light is on, if the fault tripping the circuits remain the protection circuits and the
indicator light will remain on.
HCU Mode buttons
The four lighted buttons on the left side (12) of the HCU stick are the HCU mode buttons which illuminates green to
indicate which one is active, they are mutually exclusive. The IR/TV button selects TCS mode, allowing the HCU
stick and controls to control the TCS. The RDR button selects radar mode, allowing the HCU stick and controls to
control the radar acquisition cursor on the DDD allowing for transition from radar search modes to STT. The DDD
CURSOR button selects DDD cursor mode, allowing the HCU stick and controls to control the DDD cursor used to
indicate ground coordinates when using the radar for ground mapping. This is used for radar navigational fixes or for
selecting a position on the DDD radar display for use as a waypoint. The TID CURSOR button selects TID cursor
mode, allowing the HCU stick and controls to control the TID cursor used to hook (select) symbology on the TID for
symbology control and data readout.
HCU Control Stick
The controls on the HCU stick are: the action trigger switch (11), elevation vernier control (10), the OFFSET button
(9) and the MRL button (8). The action trigger on the forward side of the stick has two detents, the half-action first
detent and the full-action second detent. Half-action enables display of the cursor for the selected mode except when
in TCS mode where it enables stick control of TCS elevation and azimuth. In the radar mode it additionally enables
the super search acqusition mode in the radar (See chapter about radar transitional modes for more information). Full-
action, when enabled tells the TCS to lockon to a target in the TCS mode if a target is present in its acquisition gates.
In the radar mode it tells the radar to attempt lockon to a target in the radar range/rate gates at the set azimuth. In the
DDD and TID modes it marks the current cursor position or, in the case of the TID mode, tries to hook a symbol if
present within 0.125 inches on the display.
The elevation vernier control is a thumbwheel on the left side of the stick used in the TCS and radar modes to fine tune
sensor elevation ±4° for target acquisition, this elevation deflection is added to the normal sensor elevation control.
The OFFSET button on the top of the stick is used to offset any of the TID tactical displays, moving the own aircraft
symbol to the TID cursor spot hook (if present) and the rest of the symbology relative to that. This function is reset
and all the symbols are moved to the original positions by cycling the TID display mode selector to another mode and
back. The MRL button on the right side of the stick is used to enable the manual rapid lockon mode (MRL) for target
acquisition. See Manual Rapid Lockon (MRL) for more information.
The stick itself functions differently depending on selected HCU mode. In all cases the stick is only enabled with the
action trigger depressed and all modes control sensor or cursor position absolutely meaning that a given deflection of
the stick always moves the sensor or cursor to the same position. In the TCS mode X (up/down) controls TCS elevation
and Y (left/right) controls TCS azimuth. In the radar mode X controls the range or rate of the radar acquisition gate
on the DDD and Y controls the gate in azimuth in a similar fashion. In the two cursor modes X controls up/down of
the cursor on the respective screen and Y controls left/right of the same.


3.18.4 Computer Address Panel (CAP)

The computer address panel (CAP) is the RIO’s main interface for controlling and entering/reading data into/from the
WCS computer.
Numeric Keypad (3)
The upper part of the CAP contains a numeric keypad with additional buttons flor clearing input (CLEAR), entering
input (ENTER) and two buttons for selecting S/W and N/E prefixes for coordinates. Some of the number keys has an
additional function selecting a prefix for data display and/or entry. The keys containing functions and what those are:
Key Function
1 LAT - Latitude, selects latitude for display and entry.
2 NBR - Number, used for IFT and BITs.
3 SPD - Speed, selects speed for display and entry.
4 ALT - Altitude, selects altitude for display and entry.
5 RNG - Range, selects range for display and entry.
6 LONG - Longitude, selects longitude for display and entry.
8 HDG - Heading, selects heading for display and entry.
0 BRG - Bearing, selects bearing for display and entry.
Some of these keys also makes a corresponding other data be displayed on the TID readouts but entry only affects the
selected prefix. As an example LAT also makes the readout display LONG but entry affects LAT only, SPD and HDG
are another example of the same thing.
CAP Message Matrix Indicator Drum and buttons
The middle/lower part of the panel contains the message buttons and indicator drum and its CATEGORY selector
knob. Its functionality is somewhat akin to the buttons on a MFD in a more modern system except that instead of a
screen the drum is used to display the current functionality of the buttons.
The current functionality of the buttons are chosen by selecting a category on the CATEGORY selector knob, move-
ment of the selector turns the display drum to indicate selected category’s button functionality. When a function or
symbol hook is in use the corresponding message button illuminates to indicate activation.
The matrixes and corresponding functionality of the different categories are as follows:
BIT (Built in Test)
The BIT category contains message button functions pertaining to BIT initiation of different aircraft systems. These
might be functions normally run during OBC during startup or separate tests only available from here. This will be
detailed in a separate chapter about on board tests and BIT when implemented, not currently implemented in this
simulation.
SPL (Special)
The SPL category contains message button functions for display and entry of the heading for the data files representing
the four catapults on the aircraft carrier. These are used for catapult INS alignment when at a catapult ready position.
(Detailed further in the navigational section in this chapter.)
It also contains a button for manually initiating the OBC routine (OBC BIT), a button for displaying latest OBC results
(MAINT DISPL) and a button for clearing the latest OBC results (OBC DISPL).
NAV (Navigation)
The NAV category contains message button functions used for navigational fixes and updating data used by for INS
operation and alignment.
The OWN A/C (own aircraft) button selects own aircraft for data readout and entry, the same as hooking the own
aircraft symbol on the TID. Its used to enter data critical for INS alignment like aircraft coordinates and altitude (and
heading and speed if on a moving carrier) and can also be used for readout of the various data available about own
aircraft.

The WIND (SPD HDG) button selects entry and display of wind data, can also be used to enter wind speed and heading
manually for backup navigation.
The MAG VAR (NBR) button is used to display and enter magnetic variation used by the navigational system.
The four FIX buttons, TACAN, RDR (radar), VIS (visual) and FIX ENABLE are used to update aircraft position to
correct for INS drift. Basic function is the selection of type of fix followed by FIX ENABLE to enter it into the system.
Full procedures for these fixes can be found in the navigational section in this chapter.
TAC DATA (Tactical Data)
The TAC DATA category contains message button functionality allowing for hook/selection of the different waypoints
available in the WCS navigational system. The same hook can be made via HCU hook on the TID. Hooking the
waypoints enables them to be updated via the CAP keypad.
The IP TO TGT button functionality is the exception and is used to update the data in the WCS about the positional
difference between the air-to-ground target and IP waypoint that is used for computer IP mode of air-to-ground en-
gagement. This is detailed in the weapons overview chapter under air-to-ground delivery.
DATA LINK
The DATA LINK category contains message button functionality for RIO data link responses to data link controller
commands. The WILCO (will comply), CANTCO (can not comply) tells the controller if own aircraft can or can
not comply to command. POINT enables the RIO to mark a hooked track sent to the controller for special attention.
ENGAGE likewise indicates own intention to engage a hooked track.
TARGET DATA
The TARGET DATA category contains message button functionality used to modify hooked track symbols. The
FRIEND, UNK (unknown), HOST (hostile) and MULT TGT (multiple target) message functions are used to mark a
hooked symbol as the respective category (multiple target can be set in addition to the other three).
MAND ATTK (mandatory attack) set on a target forces the WCS to include it into the TWS prioritisation for AIM-54
engagement, though not necessarily as number 1. DO NOT ATTK (do not attack) does the opposite, in effect removing
the target from the TWS prioritisation.
The DATA TRANS (data transfer) function enables a hooked jam strobe to be correlated with another hooked track
symbol. This is used to allow the WCS to better use both data sources to track the target. The strobe needs to be
hooked before the symbol.
The SYM DELETE (symbol delete) allows the RIO to manually drop/remove a track or waypoint from the TID if no
longer relevant. Own aircraft and data link track symbols can not be removed.
TEST TGT (test target) calls up a simulated test target in the WCS for test purposes. See BIT chapter for additional
information.
Program Restart Button
Below the message readout and buttons are two final buttons on the panel. The PRGM RESTRT (program restart)
button resets the currently running program in case of a computer hang-up. A computer hang-up is indicated when
the computer run indicator digits on the TID stops cycling. The last button is the TNG (NBR) button which is non
functional in the F-14 version.
Data Readout/Entry Procedure
The sequence for data readout selection on the TID readouts are: Category selection -> Message function selection
-> Prefix selection -> TID readout display To select another prefix for data readout without reselecting the message
function the CLEAR key on the CAP is used, this resets the readout and allows for selection of a new prefix.
Note Attempted selection of another prefix without first using the CLEAR key will be read by the com-
puter as an attempt to enter a digit into the buffer instead of prefix selection.

To enter new data into selected prefix the RIO enters desired data after the prefix selection, checks it is correct and
then enters it with the ENTER key. The TID readout is then updated with the new data. To clear the data without
entering it, instead use the CLEAR key.
3.18.5 Sensor Control Panel

The sensor control panel contains the main controls for the AN/AWG-9 radar antenna scan patterns. It also contains
various TCS controls, a control allowing the RIO to slave the radar to the TCS and vice versa and controls for the
airborne video tape recorder (AVTR).
Antenna Search Pattern Selection
The upper half of panel contains controls for the radar antenna scan pattern. The STAB (stabilization) switch controls
whether the radar antenna scan pattern is stabilized relative to the horizon (IN) or not. If in OUT instead meaning
that the scan pattern is relative to the F-14 aircraft armament datum line (ADL). The WCS computer can override
this setting if necessary. The AZ CTR (azimuth control) and EL CTR (elevation control) knobs sets the elevation
and azimuth centerpoint of the antenna scan pattern. The azimuth control moves the azimuth scan center within
65° degrees of the aircraft centerline, this is disabled if azimuth scan width is set to ±65° as it already scans the
whole available azimuth range. Do not move the scan pattern so that it scans outside of 65° from aircraft centerline as
this might damage the antenna as it might hit the antenna azimuth stops. The elevation control moves the elevation
position of the bottom bar of the elevation scan pattern relative to zero elevation. It can move from -76° to +54°. Both
control knobs have marked centerpoints, being aircraft centerline and zero elevation respectively.
The AZ SCAN (azimuth scan) and EL BARS (elevation bars) selector knobs controls the size of the antenna scan
pattern. The AZ SCAN selector knob has four settings, ±10°, ±20°, ±40° and ±65°. The EL BARS selector knob
also has four settings, 1, 2, 4 or 8 bars. 1 bar being 2.3°, 2 bars 3.6°, 4 bars 6.3° and 8 bars 11.5°. The reason for the
elevation coverage not equalling one bar times the number of bars being that the bars overlap slightly.
The last radar control on the panel is the VSL switch. Momentary selection of VSL HIGH or LOW activates the
vertical scan lockon acquisition mode (VSL). (See Vertical Scan Lockon (VSL))
TCS Controls
On the right side of the panel the SLAVE switch controls which sensor is slaved to the other or none slaved at all. In
the center position the sensors move individually from each other. In RDR the radar is slaved to the TCS line of sight
while a TCS track is present. In TCS the TCS is slaved to the radar line of sight if a an STT or JAT exists. Both modes
can be used to allow a sensor to guide a sensor to lock onto whatever the other sensor is currently tracking.
The TCS TRIM knobs controls TCS calibration in azimuth (AZ) and elevation (EL). This is used to calibrate the TCS
line of sight to be equal to the radar line of sight. Normally this is done by locking a target in STT, setting slave to
TCS and then fine-tuning the calibration knobs until the TCS looks directly at the locked target.
The last two switches controlling the TCS are the ACQ (acquisition) and FOV (field of view) switches. The ACQ
switch controls how the TCS locks onto targets. AUTO SRCH means the TCS will move by itself in a limited search
pattern trying to find a target. MAN (manual) means the TCS only locks onto targets if commanded to by the HCU
in TCS mode and AUTO means the TCS automatically tries to lock onto targets entering its field of view. The FOV
switch sets whether the WIDE or NAR (narrow) field of view is used by the TCS.
The lower part of the panel contains controls for the airborne video tape recorder (AVTR) controlling and indicating
power mode and time remaining on tape. This is currently not modelled in DCS.
3.18.6 AN/AWG-9 Radar
The AN/AWG-9 radar in the F-14 is an all-weather, multi-mode pulse doppler radar using the X-band (X-band being
8-12 GHz). It was designed specifically to be a long range radar system capable of guiding up to 6 AIM-54 Phoenix
missiles using its track while scan mode. One originally envisioned scenario was its use as a long range fleet defender
intercepting russian bombers and attack aircraft threatening the fleet. During the F-14’s later service life this mission
transitioned more towards the anti-fighter side, a mission for which it was very well adapted.
The AN/AWG-9 radar has two basic operational modes, pulse and pulse doppler, each with its own pros and cons.
Below is a table listing function, weapons capability, expected range and target data available.

Mode Function Weapons capability Detection-

range
Pulse Pulse Medium range search and detection, Boresight missiles. 60nm
Search secondary air-to-ground.
Pulse STT Short to medium range single target Gun and missiles, AIM-7 in CW and 50nm
track and missile launch. AIM-54 in active launch.
Pulse Pulse Long range search and detection. Boresight missiles. 110nm
doppler Doppler
Search
Range Long range search, detection and 90nm
While ranging.
Search
Track Long range search, detection, multi- AIM-54, multiple target capability. 90nm
While ple target track and missile guidance.
Search
Pulse Long range single target track and Gun and all missiles. AIM-7 in PD 90nm
Doppler missile guidance. and CW and AIM-54 in PD and ac-
STT tive.
Note Detection-range approximation for a 5m2 -target.
Pulse Mode
In the pulse mode of operation the AN/AWG-9 does not use pulse doppler filtering which means that it can be used
to detect targets at all aspects and also be used for rudimentary ground mapping. On the pro side this means that the
radar in this mode cannot be notched as it does not need to have a relative speed to register the target. The downside
however is that the radar does not have an easy way of differentiate between unwanted ground reflections and real
targets meaning that aircraft can hide in the ground clutter near the ground. Because of this and the increased difficulty
from trying to differentiate real targets from the general background noise without doppler filtering means that the
range in the pulse modes are less than in the pulse doppler modes.
The radar has two pulse modes, pulse search and pulse single target track (P STT).

Pulse Search
Pulse search is used to search for and find airborne targets at range.
It is possible to use this radar mode as a basic ground mapper as well which can be useful for navigation and naviga-
tional fixes and can also be used in a pinch to detect larger surface targets like ships. Keep in mind though that the
radar is not built with this as its main function and that a real air-to-ground radar will outperform it handily.
In this mode the radar cannot by itself differentiate targets and generate tracks meaning that the WCS will not generate
track files and display anything on the TID. This also means that pulse search is not capable of guiding missiles.
The DDD in this mode will display a radar image indicating the azimuth and range of targets at selected scale and it
is possible to transition to P STT using the RDR mode with the HCU stick. It is possible to select ground or aircraft
stabilized modes of operation using the STAB switch on the sensor control panel.

Pulse Single Target Track (P STT)
Pulse STT is used to track a single target, like pulse search mode it is not susceptible to notching but it is to ground
clutter. The fact that the STT modes use gates to track the target, in this case range gates, means that it is less
susceptible to ground clutter but a target close enough to the ground that the ground return enters the range gates
would be likely to shake the lock.
As it is only in the pulse doppler modes that the missile guidance commands can be sent pulse STT is limited to
launching AIM-7s in CW mode and AIM-54s in active launch mode limiting their ranges. At short ranges, ACM
ranges, it is possible to use the ASPECT switch to set what aspect of the target to track, this is just to counter different
types of countermeasures. As an example, if set to NOSE the radar will be less susceptible to chaff as the radar weights
its track towards the targets leading edge (nose) away from the chaff being launched behind the target.
A successful track is indicated by the ANT TRK and RDROT indicator lights on the DDD, meaning that the antenna
is tracking the target and that the target is within the range gates. If the target is jamming with sufficient strength,
negating a range track, the radar will transition to a jam angle track instead, indicated by the JAT indicator light on
the DDD illuminating instead of the RDROT. When range tracking is again possible at closer ranges the radar will
transition to that instead.
The DDD in this mode will be similar to the pulse search mode but the antenna will be locked onto the target and not
scan. Additionally the DDD will show the range gates around the target, a closing rate symbol at the right scale and
applicable attack symbology if a valid missile is selected.

Pulse Doppler Mode
In pulse doppler mode the AN/AWG-9 uses doppler filters to filter out unwanted returns, enhancing target detection
and thus increasing detection range. The pros of this mode being that, as said, targets can be detected at greater ranges,
ground returns mostly eliminated and missile guidance commands be sent to AIM-7 and AIM-54 missiles. The AIM-
54 both in TWS and STT and the AIM-7 in STT only. The biggest con of this mode being that it is susceptible to
notching as a target returning zero relative speed will be filtered out.
The pulse doppler modes of the AN/AWG-9 are, pulse doppler search, range while scan, track while scan and pulse
doppler STT. The three search modes have a common DDD display, the main difference being that pulse doppler
search has a slightly better range as the other two modes need to process FM-ranging to enable range indication of
tracked targets.
The DDD in the pulse doppler search modes displays returns at azimuth versus rate (closing speed) meaning that by
reading only the DDD the RIO can only discern target closing speed and azimuth. The display shows closure rate vs
the ground (as if own aircraft was stationary) as opposed to relative closure rate. At the bottom edge of the DDD the
AGC-trace is displayed indicating radar return intensity enabling the RIO to discern jamming targets by their return
strength. The jamming targets are shown as jamming strobes on the TID if they exceed the set jamming threshold (set
by the JAM/JET knob on the DDD).
The scale shown on the DDD (what rate region is shown) can be set by the Vc switch on the DDD panel. X-4 sets the
scale to 800 knots opening to 4 000 knots closing, NORM sets the scale to 200 knots opening to 1 000 knots closing
and VID sets the scale to 50 knots opening to 250 knots closing. The operating range of the doppler filters can also be
configured by the ASPECT switch on the same panel, NOSE sets 600 knots opening to 1 800 knots closing, BEAM
sets 1200 knots closing to 1200 knots opening and TAIL sets 1 800 knots opening to 600 knots closing. This allows the
RIO to optime the doppler filters for a known target closing speed and this affects the whole radar processing unlike
the Vc switch which only affects the DDD.
Because of the way the radar operates the doppler filters it will have two blind ranges. The main lobe clutter (MLC)
region which contains most of the ground returns, those returning with zero groundspeed is one of them and is 266

knots wide, centered around own aircraft groundspeed (133 knots slower and 133 knots faster). This is the reason that
the radar can be notched as a target with the same relative groundspeed as the ground will also be filtered out. This is
however only true for look-down conditions as when the radar antenna looks up into the sky this filter isn’t necessary
and can be turned off. If the MLC switch on the DDD panel is in AUTO the radar will automatically turn off the
MLC filter if looking more than 3 degrees above the horizon. It can also be turned off manually by the RIO but if the
antenna looks down this can make the displays unusable in RWS and TWS as all of the ground returns will be sent to
the computer for tracking. In whichever case, with the MLC filter off, the target cannot notch the AN/AWG-9 if it is
above the radar.
The second filter, and second blind spot, of the radar is the zero doppler filter. This blind area is centered around a
closure rate of negative own groundspeed, meaning a target moving away from own aircraft at the same speed as own
aircraft. This blind area is a hardware limitation as it is a doppler radar mode it cannot detect targets without a doppler
shift. The resulting blind area is 200 knots wide, meaning that a chased target moving at a speed of within 100 knots
(+/-) of own groundspeed will be invisible to the radar. This means that when chasing a fleeing target it may very well
be necessary to use the pulse modes instead.
Both filters vary with azimuth as own airspeed relative to target varies with aspect. Relative airspeed from a target at
45° will be less than a target at 0° as own speed vector will be pointing away from it slightly. This is the reason for the
mainlobe clutter trace presenting a curve on the DDD as the observed speed of the returning ground returns will vary
with azimuth.
Fig. 4: Target groundspeed 900 knots, own airspeed 1200 knots. See table below for details, line of sight rate is the
sum of target and own aircraft relative rate.
Look Angle Line of Sight Rate Target Heading

1 45° 1490 180°
2 60° 1500 120°
3 30° 1428 100°
4 0° 1200 90°
5 30° 672 80°
6 60° -300 60°
7 45° 210 0°
Note Position 4 has the target in a flanking or “notching” position making it dissappear inside the MLC
filter or MLC ground return. In a look up situation with the MLC filter disabled the target would
still be visible.
Additionally all pulse doppler search modes use ground stabilization exclusively and thus the STAB switch is inoper-
ative.

Pulse Doppler Search
The pulse doppler search mode is used mainly as a kind of early warning mode. It is the search mode with the greatest
detection range but it can display no range to the RIO, only closure rate. For this reason the TID can display no track
information.
Range While Search (RWS)
In range while search a frequency measuring ranging mode is added (FM ranging) to allow the radar to measure range
of tracked targets in addition to closure rate. This additional processing does however mean that the effective range of
the radar is somewhat lesser. The display on the DDD is the same as in pulse doppler search, the TID however also
shows tracks in this mode showing the targets as tracks momentarily as they’re scanned and displaying their position
and altitude. The targets are shown for a maximum of two seconds or until the antenna again scans the same bar at the
same azimuth at which time it is removed unless detected again. Maximum number of concurrently shown tracks are
48.
Track While Scan (TWS)
The track while scan mode uses the same FM ranging as RWS with the same reduction in range compared to pulse
doppler search and the DDD display is also the same. The main difference that the computer establishes track files
and tracks up to 24 targets concurrently of which 18 can be shown on the TID at any given time.
As the computer routine calculating these tracks need a set track refresh time of 2 seconds this limits available azimuth
scan area and bar settings to either 20° 4 bars or 40° 2 bars. When entering TWS the computer automatically selects
the ±20° 4 bar scan disregarding the RIO set scan volumes unless those are set to ±40° 2 bars in which case that is
used instead.
The TWS mode is also the only mode enabling guidance of the AIM-54 at multiple targets (up to six), and as soon
as engagable targets are detected the computer starts assigning them a missile priority number according to optimal
missile firing sequence.
The TWS has two submodes available, TWS Auto and TWS Manual, which one is used is selected by the RIO with
the corresponding button on the DDD panel. What differs between the two is that in TWS auto the computer takes
control of used scan volume and scan pattern azimuth and elevation as soon as target tracks are present. The WCS
computer automatically tries to optimise the scan volume and direction so that tracking of the prioritized targets is
maximised. If not selected before launch the WCS overrides as soon as the first AIM-54 is launched and selects TWS
Auto.
In TWS the pilot is guided to the computed centroid of the tracked targets via the navigational cues and this centroid
is also displayed on the TID as a small x-shaped cross.
For additional information about TWS symbology and missile guidance see TWS and TID Symbology.

Pulse Doppler Single Target Track (PD STT)
The pulse doppler STT works and looks much like the pulse STT mode. It does however have the same advantages
and disadvantages compared to pulse STT as the other pulse doppler modes compared to the pulse modes. This means
that while much better at tracking a target close to the ground it is however vulnerable to notching.
The DDD display for pulse dopple STT looks like pulse STT display except that the target return and antenna azimuth
display is moved to the left side of the screen and a generated synthetic target marker is displayed at the correct azimuth
instead. This is so that the targets range can be displayed by the synthetic target unlike the other pulse doppler modes
which only shows closure rate. The other symbology on the DDD in this mode are the same as in pulse STT.
Unlike in pulse STT however the AN/AWG-9 can send missile guidance commands in pulse doppler STT enabling
launch of AIM-7 and AIM-54 in pulse doppler mode. This is the mode with the greatest launch ranges for those
missiles with the disadvantage, in the case of the AIM-54, of only being able to engage one target at a time.
Transitional Modes
The transitional modes are the ones used to transition into the single target tracks from the search modes, ACM modes,
via TCS or between the two STT modes.
HCU Stick in Radar Mode
When using the AN/AWG-9 radar in the different search modes it’s possible to manually use the HCU stick with radar
mode selected to select a target on the DDD for STT lock.

Pressing the HCU trigger to half-action while in radar mode displays the acquisition gates on the DDD and enables
the supersearch mode in the radar. In supersearch mode the antenna does a ±10° search pattern at the selected amount
of bars around the acquisition gates.
The acquisition gates can then be steered over the detected position of the target with the HCU, left/right used to steer
azimuth and up/down used to steer range or rate depending on if pulse or pulse doppler is used. The antenna elevation
is then fine-tuned using the elevation vernier on the HCU until the target return is visible within the acquisition gates.
At that time the RIO can then select full-action on the HCU trigger, commanding the radar to attempt a lockon at the
commanded azimuth, range/rate and elevation.
If successfully executed the radar then transitions into the respective STT mode and the correct indicators on the DDD
illuminates. Pulse STT is used if transitioning from pulse search and pulse doppler STT if transitioning from any of
the pulse doppler search modes.
TWS STT Acquisition
In TWS it is possible to attempt an STT lockon by hooking a track on the TID and then selecting either pulse STT or
pulse doppler STT on the DDD panel. The WCS computer then commands the antenna in supersearch to the hooked
tracks azimuth, range/rate and elevation and attemps a lockon if a target is detected.
Unlike in a manual HCU acquisition this process is completely automated but its success rate is also less than a manual
transition.
ACM Modes
The AN/AWG-9 has three distinct ACM acquisition modes. Pilot lockon mode (PLM), vertical scan lockon (VSL)
and manual rapid lockon (MRL).
The ACM modes are listed in priority order, the different modes overriding other modes lower in the prioritization.
This means that PLM always overrides VSL and lower modes and VSL overrides PAL and lower modes but not PLM
and so on.
All of the modes can be exited by the RIO selecting half-action and release on the HCU except PLM which will be in
effect until the pilot releases the PLM button.

Pilot Lockon Mode (PLM)
The PLM is the ACM mode with the highest priority, it always overrides any other radar mode and is enabled when
the pilot presses the PLM button on the front of the right throttle. Depression of that button commands the antenna to
the armament datum line (ADL) and causese it to lock onto the first target seen out to 5 NM.
Thus the procedure to use PLM is for the pilot to fly the ADL marker on the hud over the target and then press and
hold the PLM button until lockon occurs. The PLM continues until a target is detected and transition to pulse STT
occurs or the PLM button is released making the radar transition to pulse search instead.

Vertical Scan Lockon (VSL)

The VSL mode is enabled by the pilot or the RIO and is used to acquire a target at own aircrafts current heading from
an elevation of -15° to +55°. The RIO can use the VSL switch on the sensor control panel in the RIO cockpit. Two
submodes are available by placing the switch into either VSL HI (high) or VSL LO (low) and releasing it back to
center. The pilot can enable VSL HI or LO by selecting UP or DN respectively on the target designate switch when
not in A/G mode.
This commands the antenna to start a volume 5° wide in a circular fashion. If VSL HI is commanded the vertical area
covered is from +15° to +55° and if VSL LO is commanded the area covered is from -15° to +25°. VSL is indicated
on the HUD by the diamond moving with antenna line of sight indicating its current position.
When a target is detected within 5 NM the radar transitions into pulse STT, otherwise it continues in VSL until another
mode is selected.
Pilot Automatic Lockon (PAL)
PAL is enabled by the pilot selecting DES on the target designate switch when not in A/G mode.
PAL commands the antenna to a 8-bar ±20° scan pattern locking onto the first target detected out to 15 NM. This
mode is indicated by the diamond on the HUD following current antenna line of sight.
Manual Rapid Lockon (MRL)
The manual rapid lockon (MRL) mode allows the RIO to quickly acquire a target within the antenna limits out to 5
NM. When the MRL button on the right side of the HCU stick is depressed it commands the radar to start a one-bar
supersearch pattern out to 5 NM.
The HCU stick controls the supersearch pattern in azimuth and elevation (left/right controlling azimuth and up/down
controlling elevation). The DDD displays a normal supersearch pattern in 5 NM scale and additionally two tick marks
are shown at the edge of the scan pattern indicating current elevation.
When the target is visible the RIO commands full-action to acquire the target and transfer to pulse STT. If only
half-action is commanded after entering into MRL and then released the radar transfers back to pulse search.

TCS Slave Radar Acquisition
The TCS can be used to track a target in angle while still using the radar for range and rate. When selecting the radar
to be slaved to the TCS line of sight via the sensor control panel (SLAVE in the RDR position) the radar will still be
active but pointing in the direction of the TCS line of sight while the TCS has an active track instead of scanning.
From this state it is possible to command half-action and then position the acquisition gates at the target video and
then command full-action. This will result in either pulse doppler slaved or pulse slaved mode depending on previous
radar mode. It is also possible to switch using the P STT and PD STT button on the DDD panel.
The resulting submode entered is equivalent to an STT mode where the TCS is instead used to track the targets angle
rather than the radar itself. The radar is still used to track range and rate, on the DDD the IROT lights instead of the
ANT ROT, IROT relating to ir tracking which has been replaced by the TCS in the F-14B.
This mode can be used to guide missiles, active and cw modes if in pulse and in PD if in pulse doppler. If the SLAVE
switch is set to INDEP from this mode the system reverts to true pulse STT or pulse doppler STT depending on current
mode.
Transition Between the Two STT Modes
If necessary it is possible to transition between pulse STT and pulse doppler STT by pressing the corresponding button.
If the transition fails the radar reverts to the respective search mode of the commanded STT mode. (pulse search if
pulse STT was selected and vice versa.)
Transition Back to Search
If the RIO wishes to transition back to a search mode he commands half-action and releases it causing the radar to
return to pulse search if in pulse STT and pulse doppler search if in pulse doppler STT.
If the radar loses target lock in STT and can not reacquire it reverts to the respective search mode as when the RIO
transitions manually via half-action.
VSL and MRL can also be reset and returned to search the same way but PLM being priorised means that only way
to deselect PLM is either target lockon and transition to pulse STT or the pilot selecting the PLM button again telling
the radar to return to pulse search.
3.19 AN/APX-72 IFF Interrogator
The AN/APX-72 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) interrogator is integrated into the AN/AWG-9 operation. Then
interrogator antenna itself is located on the AN/AWG-9 antenna gimbal platform.
An IFF system works by sending out an interrogation pulse and then listening for returns from cooperating transpon-
ders. In addition to the unencrypted civilian mode the AN/APX-72 is capable of interrogating in the encrypted military
mode 4. This ensures that targets replying to mode 4 interrogations are indeed friendly.
The AN/APX-72 can be used both in search radar modes and in STT radar modes. To enable interrogation the IFF
switch is depressed on the Detail Data Display Panel which then activates the interrogator for as long as the button is
held up to 10 seconds max.
When enabled IFF received IFF returns are then overlaid on the normal AN/AWG-9 radar returns on the DDD. A
friendly target will be indicated with two bars, one above and one below the normal radar return. As the AN/APX-
72 is a separate radar, secondary mode, radar apart from the AWG-9 the IFF can sometimes also detect targets not
detected by the AWG-9. In this case the IFF return will not have a radar echo inside it.

In the search mode this is overlaid over each target replying and in STT over the STT target. Additionally, if the STT
target is hooked on the TID the DDD will switch from normal range display to a ±10 NM display to enable display of
multiple returns in case of closely grouped targets.
3.20 Television Camera Set (TCS)
Fig. 5: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Justin S. Osborne. (030418-N-0382O-591)
The television camera set, or TCS, was constructed as a replacement for the IRST which was present in the first F-
14As produced. When the IRST was found to have insufficient capability it was decided to replace it with the TCS
giving the F-14 a long range visual identification capability.
The TCS is located underneath and behind the radar radome, just in front of the nose gear well. It contains an aircraft
stabilized high resolution (for it’s time) closed circuit television camera. The sensor has two fields of view (FOV),
narrow (NFOV) which is 0.44° or 10X magnification and wide (WFOV) which is 1.42° or 4X magnification. The
gimbal limits are +/- 15° except upwards which is limited to +11° and the TCS is capable of independent contrast lock
or being slaved to the AN/AWG-9 radar.
The TCS is controlled by the RIO using the sensor control panel, DDD, TID and the HCU. Video from the sensor can
be displayed on the TID and the VDI in the front seat. Also, the video can be recorded using the airborne video tape
recorder for later review. (Not currently implemented in DCS.)
3.20.1 TCS Controls and Symbology
The controls for the TCS are located in the RIO cockpit at the sensor control panel, the DDD and the HCU/TID. The
pilot display control panel contains a switch allowing display of TCS video on the VDI.
3.20. Television Camera Set (TCS) 233

Sensor Control Panel
The controls on the sensor control panel for the TCS are; the TCS trim knobs, the SLAVE switch, the field of view,
FOV, switch and the acquire, ACQ, switch.
The TCS TRIM knobs controls TCS sensor line of sight, LOS, calibration relative the AN/AWG-9 radar LOS. If
needed these can be used to trim the TCS so that the two sensors LOS correlate. They have a ±2° range of motion
and the easiest way to check and calibrate the TCS is to lock up a friendly target in STT and adjust the knobs until the
TCS LOS is correctly aimed at the locked target.
The SLAVE switch controls which sensor is controlled by the other. If set to RDR the radar is slaved to the TCS as
long as an optical track exists. If set to INDEP each sensor operates independently of the other. And if set to TCS the
TCS is slaved to radar LOS as long as an STT track exists.
The FOV, field of view switch controls what FOV is used in the TCS. WIDE sets the 1.42°, 4X magnification FOV
and NAR sets the narrow 0.44°, 10X magnification FOV.
Lastly the ACQ, acquire switch controls the acquisition mode in use in the TCS. AUTO SRCH enables an automatic
acquisition mode with a search pattern, enabling acquisition of the closest target even if outside current FOV. MAN
selects purely manual acquisition with the HCU where the target needs to be pointed at directly. AUTO sets an
automatic acquisition mode without a search pattern making the TCS snap to a target as long as it’s inside the TCS
FOV.

DDD
The DDD contains two indicators pertaining to the TCS.

The DDD EL meter shows current elevation of the TCS sensor LOS as long as the IR/TV mode is selected on the
HCU.
The IROT light indicates the presence of a TCS track. The IROT acronym is inherited from the IRST which the TCS
replaced.

HCU/TID
The HCU contains the power switch and indicator for the TCS as well as a button enabling selection for using the
HCU to control the TCS while the TID itself has a control knob enabling display of the TCS video on the TID as well
as a brightness and contrast control for the video on the TID.
The IR/TV power switch is located on the top left corner on the HCU panel and controls power to the TCS. OFF
disables all power to the TCS. STBY enables power to the cooling fans and heaters in the TCS. IR/TV supplies power
to all systems in the TCS, allow 1-2 minutes for the TCS to spin up and deliver video. TCS symbology on the TID on
the other hand will be available directly. There is also no need to select the STBY position first, setting the switch to
IR/TV directly works fine.
The indication light next to the power switch indicates a TCS over temperature condition is lit. If present the TCS
should be powered off to prevent damage to the system.
The IR/TV button next to the HCU stick enables HCU stick control of the TCS sensor, half-action to manually control
sensor LOS and full-action to command target acquisition.
On the TID display control the TID MODE switch set to TV enables display of the TCS video on the TID. Note that
this disables the TID repeat on the HSD.
Finally the CONTRAST and BRIGHTNESS knobs on the upper part of the TID can be used to control the TCS
video shown on the TID.

Symbology
On the TID in non TV mode a TCS track is indicated by a 1.5” strobe at TCS LOS azimuth with a hollow circle at the
end.
The symbology on the video feed from the TCS has indicators for the FOV and two crosshairs indicating TCS LOS
relative own aircraft, GACH, and AN/AWG-9 radar LOS relative TCS LOS, RACH. Additionally the track window
is indicated by 4 small squares representing each corner of that window.
The field of view lines are shown when in the wide FOV indicating the size of the area visible when switching to the
narrow FOV. They consist of two parallell lines together creating the sides of an imaginary box indicating the narrow
FOV size.
The gimbal angle crosshairs or GACH, which is a solid cross, indicate deflection of the TCS LOS from the aircraft
datum line, ADL. GACH crosshair in center indicates TCS LOS along ADL and deflection towards the edges indicate
deflection towards the gimbal limits with the video edges being maximum deflection.
RACH or radar angle crosshairs, a dashed crosshair, indicate radar antenna LOS when inside the current TCS FOV.
When the sensors are slaved to one another RACH and GACH will coincide creating a single solid crosshair.
The track window indicates the area that the TCS contrast tracker is currently locked on to if it has acquired a target.
When not in an active track these squares collapse into the center of the display being 2% of the screen width when in
manual mode and 5% when in an auto mode.
3.20.2 TCS Operation
All acquisition modes of the TCS has in common that they can be controlled using the HCU in IR/TV mode. Selection
of the IR/TV button on the HCU enables this mode and also sets the DDD EL meter (right indicator) to show current
TCS sensor LOS elevation. Half-action enables the HCU to directly control the LOS of the TCS and full-action
commands target acquisition using the selected acquistion mode.
For manual, MAN, TCS acquisition mode this means that the HCU must be used in half-action to position the tracking
window indication over the target and then selecting full-action. If successfully acquired the track window will then
expand to encompass the target and tracking will begin.

In automatic, AUTO acquisition mode half-action works the same but when selecting full-action for acquisition the
TCS will instead automatically try to lock on to the target closest to the center in the current FOV. Automatic search,
AUTO SRCH mode further enhances this by enabling a search pattern around the commanded FOV (by moving the
sensor LOS) acquiring the first found target.
When using the TCS slave to radar option the two auto modes will automatically try to lock on to the STT target as
soon as it exists and the TCS has been slewed to that target, enabling a fully automatic track of a target locked in STT.
Additionally as soon as a track is acquired from an STT lock the TCS will compare its own LOS to the radar LOS to
check if the correct target has been locked, if the two LOS differs by more than a couple of degrees during a 3 second
window a new acquisition will be attempted. The manual mode will also slave to radar LOS but will not lock on,
instead just following the radar LOS.
To unlock a tracked target when not being slaved to radar, select half-action and release.
For information about RDR slaved to TCS check relevant header under AN/AWG-9 in this chapter.
3.21 LANTIRN
Fig. 6: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Felix Garza Jr. (030325-N-4142G-009)
3.21.1 Description
The LANTIRN or Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night began life as combined targeting and
navigation pods designed for the F-15E and F-16. When the US Navy became interested in using the F-14 Tomcat
in the A/G role Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) began its own program to show that the LANTIRN could
quickly be adapted for F-14 use.
As the pod was adapted for the F-14 the secondary navigational pod was deleted, keeping only the targeting pod. The
pod was wired up to its own control panel as the F-14 didn’t have the required 1553-bus for complete integration. The
control panel was patched into the TCS -> TID video feed allowing it to select either the TCS or the LANTIRN for
display on the TID and VDI.
While the pod can read waypoints and selected weapon from the WCS, the pod has its own GPS receiver and is
otherwise self-contained and controlled only via its own control panel. Additionally it also has its own weapons
release guidance removing the need to boresight the pod to the aircraft, a time-consuming task.

The FLIR sensor itself has three different zoom levels or fields of view (FoV). The Wide FoV limits are 5.9° and
allows a maximum slew rate of 8.5°/s. The Narrow FoV limits are 1.7° and allows a maximum slew rate of 1.8°/s. The
last mode, the Expanded FoV is a digital zoom of the Narrow FoV, meaning that the resolution will be worse in this
mode. The FoV limits for the Expanded FoV are 0.8° with a max slew rate of 0.7°/s.
3.21.2 Controls and Displays
All the controls for the LANTIRN are situated on its own control panel mounted on the RIO’s left side console when
the pod is present, including the switch controlling what video feed the TID and VDI display in the TV mode.
3.21. LANTIRN 239

LANTIRN Video Elements
The FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) video-feed from the LANTIRN has superimposed data readout for the crew’s
use. This video-feed can be viewed both on the TID (in TV-mode) and on the VDI (also in TV-mode) when the FLIR
feed is selected on the control panel.
Amongst other things the displays show own aircraft position, target position as well as targeting cues to the crew.
When using the LANTIRN for A/G attack these readouts are also used as targeting and release cues.
Own aircraft data is shown in the upper left corner (1), showing position, altitude, groundspeed and pitch angle (dive).
On the left side (2) the pod displays whether it’s using white hot or black hot (WHOT and BHOT) as well as if the
AGC (Automatic Gain Control) or MGC (Manual Gain Control) is in use.
The lower left datablock (3) shows pod information, SR is slant range (line of sight range), AZ and EL is pod line of
sight azimuth and elevation relative aircraft ADL (with AZ having L or R for left or right of aircraft heading). Below

that is current UTC time and then IBIT codes below that.
Note IBIT codes are not implemented currently and the clock will show local time.
The lower middle (4) shows current pod mode (A/A or A/G) and track mode (AREA, POINT or Q designations) on
the left side. The right side shows currently selected weapon and laser code while above and in the center an L is
shown when the laser is armed and flashing when firing the laser.
The lower right (5) shows data for currently selected Q (slewpoint) except for QSNO, QADL and QHUD, TTG being
time to go until on top of currently selected Q, the rows below that, bearing and range to Q, ELEV indicating elevation
in feet of Q and lastly, below that, Q location.
6 is the crosshairs showing tracked position, in this case we have a bounding box, indicating currently tracked target
in point mode. The two widest zoom modes will have boxes showing the field of view for the next, narrower, mode.
Additionally there’s a small white square (FLIR pointing cue) moving around showing the current pod line of sight
relative to aircraft from a top down perspective. In this case it’s right next to the upside down ^, top center, indicating
that the pod is looking ahead of the aircraft. If the square is centered the pod is looking straight down and below center
it indicates the pod looking aft.
Finally, 7 is the steering guidance towards the selected Q, the top one being commanded heading and the vertical one
on the right the bomb release cue.
The commanded heading shows current aircraft heading above the inverted ^, with the commanded heading being
displayed as a relative bearing either L (Left) or R (Right) of current aircraft heading below the line. The commanded
heading is also indicated by a vertical line bisecting the horizontal one.
The right, bomb release cue, is only shown if the selected Q is QDES and shows a vertical line along which a release
cue travels downwards. This release cue is only visible with a valid weapon selection (bomb) and when it reaches the
two tick marks, that’s the cue to release. Below the line is the indicated TREL (Time to Release) in seconds, changing
to TIMP (Time to Impact) after release.
Around this all is the masking curve, indicating at what angles the pod will be masked by own aircraft (looking into
the aircraft hull). This is relative to the FLIR pointing cue, when the cue moves outside the masking curve the sensor
will be blocked by the hull.
3.21. LANTIRN 241

Control Panel
The control panel contains all the controls for the pod, including the control stick.
The power switch for the LANTIRN pod is located top left (1) with OFF disabling power to the system, IMU (blocked
in above image) powering only the LANTIRN IMU and POD powering the whole system.
Note IMU selection has no current DCS function.
The MODE switch (2) switches the POD sensor between STBY (Standby) and OPER (Operational).
The LASER ARMED (3) light illuminates when the laser is armed while the LASER switch (4) arms it. (ARM and
SAFE positions available.)
Down right is the VIDEO switch (5) which controls what video is fed to the TID and VDI, FLIR selecting LANTIRN
FLIR video and TCS selecting TCS video.
The four grouped indicator lights (6) indicate various error states in the LANTIRN system and the IBIT button (7)
initiates the IBIT (Initialized Built-In-Test).
Note The IBIT and fault indicators are not currently implemented in DCS.

Control Stick
The control stick for the LANTIRN operates the LANTIRN’s sensor itself, note though that the stick itself does not
move, the buttons and hats on the stick are used to control the pod.
The left four-way hat, S3, (1) allows selection of QWp- and QWp+ (left/right) in addition to Point Track (up) and Area
Track (down) modes.
The center slew hat (2) is used to slew the sensor line of sight itself and depression of this hat switches between white
hot (WHOT) and black hot (BHOT) sensor modes.
The right four-way hat, S4, (3) allows for selection of QADL/QHUD (up), QDES (right) and QSNO (down) in addition
to declutter level which is cycled by momentary depression of the hat. The left slider additionally changes the right
hat function as detailed further down.
The red button on top (4) is used to cycle between the three fields of view (zoom levels) of the IR sensor.
The two-way hat on the side (5) selects either the A/G or A/A modes of operation for the pod.
Located on the left side of the stick head is a two way slider (6), springloaded to return to center. This switch changes
the function of the right four-way hat.
Sliding it forwards allows for selection of manual gain while releasing and sliding it forwards again reselects automatic
gain. Change of the manual gain with manual gain already selected can be done by sliding the switch forwards and
holding it for 2 seconds. With this mode active up/down on the right hat increases and decreases the gain while
left/right decreases and increases level.
Sliding the switch aft momentarily allows selection of used laser code, while sliding it aft and holding allows for focus
control. When set to laser code change, the right four-way hat selects digit to change with left/right and increases and
decreases the selected digit with up/down. In focus control up/down increases and decreases focus.
Located on the front of the stick (7) is a two-stage trigger, first detent manually lasing while the second detent fires the
laser and designates QDES at current sensor position.
Lastly on the front side of the stick (8) is the latched laser fire button. Selecting it fires the laser for 60 seconds which
can be overriden by the pressing and releasing the first trigger detent. A renewed press on the laser latch button resets
the latched laser fire timer to 60 seconds, beginning a new 60 second countdown.
3.21.3 Operation
3.21. LANTIRN 243

Startup
To start the LANTIRN from cold, set the power switch to POD. This will start the LANTIRN power up sequence
which takes 8 minutes, when ready this will be indicated by the MODE switch showing STBY.
When at STBY, depression of the MODE button switches the system to OPER (Operational), enabling the LANTIRN
sensor after a 30 second initialization.
Lastly, to allow display of LANTIRN FLIR video, select FLIR on the VIDEO switch.
Sensor Modes and Operation
The LANTIRN has two “master” modes, A/A and A/G. Both work similarly but are optimized for different type of
targets. Additionally the A/G mode allows for bomb release guidance.
The pod has two main ways of controlling the sensor line of sight, either via contrast lock (image following) or via
being slaved to a Q designation.
The Area and Point Track modes are the two contrast lock modes in which the LANTIRN locks onto contrast differ-
ences in the LANTIRN FLIR video itself. This in itself only allows for angle tracking which give unprecise ranging
using own aircraft position and pod line of sight to calculate target position. It does however allow the system to track
moving targets.
The last tracking mode has the sensor slewed to a stored location/direction, called a Q. The directional Qs do not allow
for guidance to a location while the location Qs do.
QSNO and QADL/QHUD are directional. QSNO slaves the sensor to the ground 15 NM directly in front of the aircraft
along own aircraft heading. QADL and QHUD slave the sensor to either ADL (in A/A) or the aircraft wings symbol
on the HUD (in A/G).
The location Qs have two sources, QWp- and QWp+ on the stick’s left hat can be used to cycle through the WCS
waypoints, allowing the RIO to slew to the different waypoints for navigation and target localization.
The other source is via pod designation. By selecting the second detent on the LANTIRN trigger the current sensor
track or location is lased and a new location stored using that data. This is called the QDES and is used to designate
targets for engagement as well as allowing the RIO to select a new location for navigational reference on the fly. The
QDES can not however be automatically transferred to the WCS, but the RIO can enter it manually using the target
location information in the pod video feed.
The lower right datablock is enabled for the location Qs only but will remain even when the pod is slewed away in area
or point track modes. As soon as another Q is slewed however, it will update to that location instead or be removed if
a directional Q is selected.
A/G Target Engagement and Designation
The LANTIRN steering cues for ground target engagment are automatically enabled when the LANTIRN is slewed to
QDES or a new QDES is designated. The QDES itself will remain even if a new Q is selected and as long as it exists,
the steering cues will point towards QDES even if slewed to another point. This is important to keep in mind as it is
easy to think that the steering commands is to the current sensor location instead of the QDES.
The laser designation itself can however point to a different location than the QDES as the laser always point to the
current track. This can be used to quickly change back to a target marked by the QDES if desired and when lasing a
moving target a QDES should be set at an estimated target location at impact (estimated manually) and then the point
track mode or manual slew can be used to designate the actual target more precisely.
To change laser code, move the stick left side slider aft and release, this will change right hat (S4) into laser code
mode. The currently selected digit will blink and the S4 hat can then be used to set the digits. Left/right change what

digit to set and up/down change the value of the digit. Renewed selection of aft on the left slider will then exit the
laser code mode.
If the right, S4, hat is depressed while in laser mode the automatic lase mode will be enabled, indicated by the M (for
manual) left of the digits changing to an A (autolase). Repeat to switch back to manual mode. While activated, the
autolase mode will begin firing the laser at 10 seconds TIMP until TIMP zero +4 seconds.
The bomb release cue is only visible with a valid weapon (bomb) selected and the selected bomb is read from the
weapon selector wheel on the RIO armament panel via the WCS. The actual bomb release can be accomplished using
the computer pilot or computer target modes but the manual mode is recommended. In manual mode the pilot follows
the cues in the LANTIRN video feed on the VDI and releases the bomb when cued by the LANTIRN.
3.22 AN/ALR-67 RWR
3.22.1 Description
The AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver (RWR) is designed to inform and alert the F-14B crew about radar emitters in
their general area. It’s also designed to help the crew defend themselves from hostile threats by indicate radar tracking
and engagement by radar guided weapons.
The AN/ALR-67 was integrated into the F-14B Tomcat as part of the A+/B programme and at first as a standalone
system. The RWR is however connected to the AN/ALQ-126 allowing it to send info on threat emitters to the jammer
and also display jammed targets on its own display. It can also trigger preprogrammed countermeasure programs set
up in the AN/ALE-39 system.
On later F-14B aircraft incorporating the PTID upgrade the AN/ALR-67 was also integrated into the MDIG diplays
system, allowing for a more detailed threat display on the ECMD.
The AN/ALR-67 on the F-14B has four small spiral high-band antennas, four wideband high-band quadrant receivers
and a low-band array. Connected to these antennas is a narrowband superheterodyne receiver analysing the received
signals and indicating emitters and threats to both pilot and RIO using two displays, one at each seat and by audio
signals played to the ICS of both crewmen.
3.22.2 Controls
The AN/ALR-67 RWR is controlled by a control panel on the RIO right side horizontal panel.
3.22. AN/ALR-67 RWR 245

The PWR (power) switch control power to the RWR and should be set to ON to operate the system.
The VOL (volume) control knob sets RIO audio level for the RWR sound indications. The pilot has a corresponding
control on his Volume/TACAN command panel.
The TEST switch has two selectable modes and is springloaded to center when not held. Momentary selection of the
BIT position initiates the AN/ALR-67 built in test and if the switch is held in the SPL (special) position while on the
first BIT page displays the special BIT status page as long as it’s held in that position.
The MODE switch also has two selectable modes used while held in the respective position, springloaded to return
to center when not held. When not activated enables normal operational mode, OFST enables the offset mode when
held and LMT the limit mode when held. The offset mode is indicated by an O in the status ring on the display and
separates overlapping threat symbols sacrificing azimuth accuracy to instead show all threats clearly. The limit mode
is indicated by an L in the status ring on the display and limits the display to only show the threat symbols of the six
The DISPLAY TYPE selector sets what threat display priority to use on the RWR displays.
NORM - Normal is indicated by a N in the status ring on the display and shows threat symbology according to the
loaded thread library.
AI - Airborne interceptor is indicated by an I in the status ring on the display and prioritizes all airborne interceptor
threats above all other threats.
AAA - Anti-aircraft artillery is indicated by an A in the status ring on the display and prioritizes all anti-aircraft
artillery threats above all other threats.
UNK - Unknown is indicated by a U in the status ring on the display and prioritizes all unknown threats above all
other threats.
FRIEND - Friendly is indicated by an F in the status ring on the display and allows for the same prioritization as in
normal but also displays known friendly emitters.

3.22.3 Displays
The RWR display is identical at both positions in the cockpit and uses three bands (circles) on the display to indicate
the threat level of the displayed threat symbols.
The outermost, critical band displays threat symbols belonging to emitters representing an imminent threat to own
aircraft, either a locked on tracking radar or a radar detected to be actively engaging own aircraft. A threat symbol
belonging to a track detected as actively engaging own aircraft is enhanced by flashing of its symbol.
The middle, lethal band displays threat symbols belonging to emitters representing threat systems deemed within lethal
range of own aircraft but not actively tracking or engaging it.
The inner, non-lethal band displays threat symbols belonging to emitters not representing a system capable of engaging
own aircraft or systems capable of but not deemed within range to engage it.
The circle inside the threat bands is the system status circle, indicating various system modes in use or the presence of
3.22. AN/ALR-67 RWR 247

failures. The upper left quadrant displays what display type is set (N, I, A, U or F), the upper right quadrant showing
an L if limited display mode is used and the lower half indicating either the use of the offset display mode by indicating
an O, the presence of a BIT failure by showing B or that the system is thermally overloaded (too warm) by showing a
T.
On the lower right side is a knob controlling display intensity on display it’s attached to.
Note The ordering of the three threat bands has changed at least once since the introduction of the
AN/ALR-67, as the modelled F-14B represents one of the earlier versions we’ve chosen the present
order.

3.22.4 Warning Lights
3.22. AN/ALR-67 RWR 249

The two crewmembers have warning lights dedicated to specific threats on their front cockpit panels. The pilot
warning lights are situated on the right side of the HUD and the RIO warning lights on the right side of the TID. The
RIO warning light panel also contains lights for the AN/ALQ-126 and the IFF transponder, those are detailed under
their respective section.
The different lights illuminate to indicate the presence of a certain type of threat in the critical band of the RWR
and when an active engagement is detected the corresponding light starts flashing. The categories present are SAM
(surface to air missile), AAA (anti-air artillery), AI (airborne interceptor) and (only in the RIO pit) CW (continuous
wave).
3.22.5 Threat Indication Alert Tones
The AN/ALR-67 uses four distinct audio tones to indicate threats and status changes of those threats.
A single short tone is used to indicate the presence of a new emitter or when a threat is moved to another threat band.
A slow warbling, alternating tone is used to indicate the presence of a threat in the critical band.
A fast warbling, alternating tone is used to indicate that a threat is actively engaging own aircraft.
A special four tone audio signal, pitch decreasing with each tone, is used to indicate a special event as programmed by
the threat library. In the Heatblur DCS F-14B this represents a new threat tied to a system capable of silently engaging
own aircraft, i.e. it can engage own aircraft without causing it’s threat symbol to move to the critical band and thus no
additional audio warning tones. This capability is either because of that the launching aircraft is capable of launching
missiles in a TWS mode or that a launching SAM system can guide missiles by other means than radar and thus not
giving further warning of an active engagement.
3.22.6 BIT
The AN/ALR-67 BIT cycles between different test screens testing the screen, symbology and threat indication tones
as well as displaying system revision and threat library information.
The first page displayed shows system and threat library revision and the following screens test the symbol generation
of the displays.
The threat indication tones are also tested during the bit, first page tests the status change tone, second page the special
tone, third page the threat in critical band tone and the fourth the fast warbling active threat tone.
During the tests the threat warning lights also illuminate for both the pilot and the RIO.
3.22.7 Threat Symbology
The following table details the threat symbols used by the Heatblur DCS F-14B.
Threat symbol Platform/Sensor Special Tone

Ships (Symbology enhanced by being enclosed by an enlarged U symbol.)
AB Arleigh Burke
AK Admiral Kuznetsov
GR Grisha 5 (Albatros)
GZ DDG-168 Guangzhou
HP Oliver Hazard Perry
HU DDG-171 Haikou


KK Krivak 3 (Rezky)
KV Kirov (Pyotr Velikiy)
N
Ships only carrying a navigational
radar
(civilian ships, submarines)
NE Neustrashimy
NZ Nimitz (Vinson, Stennis)
SV Slava (Moscow)
TC Ticonderoga
TT Tarantul 3 (Molniya)
TW Tarawa
YI FFG-538 Yantai
Aircraft
13 C-130
17 C-17A
37 AJS-37
50 A-50
52 B-52
14 F-14A/B Yes
15 F-15C/E Yes
16 F-16C Yes
18 F/A-18C Yes
19 Mig-19
21 Mig-21bis
23 Mig-23MLD
24 Su-24M/MR
25 Mig-25PD
29 Su-27, Su-33, Mig-29A/G/S and J- Yes
11A
30 Su-30 Yes
31 Mig-31
34 Su-34 Yes
39 Su-25TM (Su-39) Yes
AN AN-26B and AN-30M
AP AH-64D
B1 B-1B
BE Tu-95 and Tu-142M
BF Tu-22M3
BJ Tu-160
E2 E-2D
E3 E-3C
F4 F-4E
F5 F-5E
HX Ka-27
IL IL-76MD and IL-78M
KC KC-135
KJ KJ-2000
3.22. AN/ALR-67 RWR 251


M2 Mirage 2000-C and 2000-5 Yes
S3 S-3B
SH SH-60B
Air Defense
2 S-75 TR SNR (Fan Song)
3 S-125 TR SNR-125 (SA-3/Low
Blow)
6 Kub SA-6
8 OSA (SA-8)
10 S-300PS 30N6 TR (SA-10)
11 Buk (SA-11)
12 S-300V
15 Tor 9A331 (SA-15)
19 Tunguska 2C6M (SA-19) Yes
A Gepard, M-163 Vulcan and ZSU-
23-4 Shilka
BB S-300PS 64H6E SR (SA-10/Big
Bird)
CS S-300PS 5N66M SR (SA-10/Clam
Shell)
DE Sborka (Dog Ear)
FF S-125 P-19 SR (SA-3/Flat Face)
GR Roland SR
HA Hawk SR
HK Hawk TR
PT Patriot
RO Roland
S 1L13 and 55G6 EWR
SD Buk TR (SA-11/Snow Drift)
SN PRW-11 (Side Net)
Missiles
M MICA-EM, R-37, R-77, AIM-54
and AIM-120
ATC (Air Traffic Control)
T Airport ATC Radar
Note Aircraft only flown by own faction in a mission are automatically set as friendly and shown only
when setting the DISPLAY TYPE selector to FRIEND. N are shown only in UNK and T only in
FRIEND.
3.23 AN/ALE-39 Countermeasures Dispensing Set
The AN/ALE-39 is the countermeasures dispensing set installed in the F-14B in this simulation. It controls its own set
of launchers located between the engine nozzles on the underside of the so called beaver-tail.
The launchers each has two section, one containing 10 cartridges and the other 20. They are referred to the left and
right dispensers even though the left is really the front one and the right the back one with both being mounted in line
on the left side of the tailhook. This is a remnant from the earliest model F-14s carrying the AN/ALE-29.
This all sums up to a capacity of 60 cartridges in the system with each section necessarily holding one type of cartridges
meaning that any combination of cartridges is possible as long as each type’s quantity is a multiple of 10. The system

itself has no real knowledge of what is loaded where so incorrectly programming the system can lead to the wrong
type of cartridge being ejected.
The system itself can be operated manually from the control panel in the RIO pit or the DLC thumbwheel on the
pilot stick when the flaps lever is in the up position. It is also capable of running programmed sequences of ejection
which in turn can be initiated manually by the RIO from the control panel or the direction hats mounted on the hand
hold over the DDD. In addition the AN/ALR-67 can also initiate the chaff ejection program if set up correctly on the
AN/ALE-39 control panel.
3.23.1 Controls and Operation
Note In DCS the F-14B countermeasure loadout is set in the Mission Editor, see DCS Mission Editor
Functions Specific to the HB DCS F-14 or controlled through the radio menu under ground crew.
The default setting in the mission editor is bypassed. To see the real loadout check the kneeboard.
Programmer
The programmer is used to set up what countermeasure cartridges are loaded where and to set up the different ejection
programmes. The panel is located on the right horizontal console of the RIO cockpit.
The left side of the programmer holds the controls (thumbwheels) for the different ejection programmes, one section
for each type of cartridge.
The CHAFF section controls how to eject chaff in program mode. The chaff sequences are programmed to launch a
number of salvoes, each consisting of a burst of a set amount of cartridges.
B QTY controls how many cartridges to eject in each burst, selection of 1-4 cartridges and C for continuous and R
for random (4-6 cartridges) possible.
B INTV sets the time in seconds between each individual cartridge ejection in each burst, possible settings being .1
(0.125), .2 (0.25), .5 (0.5), .7 (0.75), 1 and R for random.
S QTY controls how many salvoes of bursts to eject in each program, settings available are 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15.
S INT sets the time in seconds between each salvo in the program, available settings are 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
3.23. AN/ALE-39 Countermeasures Dispensing Set 253

When using the random and continuous settings for B special conditions apply.
B at C QTY and R INTV sets the first 3 cartridges to launch at 0.125 second intervals, the rest at random intervals
from 0.25 to 4 seconds. Ejection disregards the S settings and continue until all cartridges are ejected.
B at R QTY and R INTV sets each burst to have between 4-6 cartridges and to eject at random intervals between
0.25 to 4 seconds. The first burst in a salvo will always launch the first 3 cartridges at 0.125 second intervals.
B at R QTY and INTV at set number sets each burst to launch between 4-6 cartridges at set interval. First burst
will always launch first 3 cartridges at 0.125 sec interval.
B at fixed QTY and R INTV sets each burst to eject one cartridge disregarding B QTY.
The JAMMER section controls the ejection of jammer cartridges in programmed mode.
QTY sets how many jammer cartridges to eject, possible settings are 1-4.
INTV uses all three indicated thumbwheels to set time in seconds between each ejection in the program. Settings
from 1 to 299 possible in 1 second increments.
Note Jammer cartridges not currently implemented in DCS.
The FLARE section controls ejection of flares when using programmed mode.
QTY sets amount of flare cartridges to eject, possible settings being 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
INTV sets time interval between each ejection in seconds, possible settings being 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
The right side of the programmer sets the type of cartridge loaded into each section and the reset switch used after
loading new cartridges.
The L10, L20, R10 and R20 thumbwheels can be set to C, J or F setting what cartridge is loaded into which section.
Note Incorrectly setting type of cartridge loaded can result in the launch of the wrong type of cartridge.
The RESET switch needs to be used to reset the systems internal counters after loading new cartridges into the
launchers. Needs to be held to reset for at least 5 seconds to reset the system.

Control Panel
The control panel is used to control system power, to set up automatic ejections and to manually eject cartridges and
is also located on the RIO right horizontal console.
The mechanical counters on the upper part of the panel are used to indicate remaining cartridges of each type. They
need to be set up manually using the knob below each counter but decreases automatically as each cartridge ejection
pulse is sent. As they’re set manually it’s possible to end up in a situation were the counter is at 0 but additional
cartridges are still available. In this cases ejection pulses will still be sent but the counter will remain at 0.
Below each counter each cartridge type has a switch for manual ejection commands. The switches are momentary and
springloaded to center, each having three positions. PRGM initiates respective set ejection program, SGL commands
ejection of a single cartridge of respective type and STBY is the default center position not commanding manual
ejection.
The PWR/MODE switch enables power to the AN/ALE-39 and can enable automatic chaff launch via the AN/ALR-
67 RWR. AUTO (CHAFF) / MAN enables power to the system and allows the AN/ALR-67 to initiate the set chaff
ejection program but flares remain in manual. Chaff ejection is initiated when the RWR detects a threat actively
engaging own aircraft, after each program initiation a 30 second cooldown is present before next program is initiated
if such a detection is still present. Manual ejection is still available as normal. MAN enables power to the system and
allows for manual initiation of all functions. OFF disables the system.
The FLARE MODE switch controls how flares are ejected and also sets up how the pilot stick DLC button is used.
The flaps lever needs to be in the up position to enable DLC button cartridge ejection. The switch has three positions.
MULT, multiple, sets the system to eject one cartridge from each section set to flares on the programmer for each
ejection pulse. Note that this means that if flares are loaded on all four sections this results in 4 flares being launched
3.23. AN/ALE-39 Countermeasures Dispensing Set 255

each time a flare ejection command is sent. NORM sets normal flare ejection pulse behavior. PILOT enables ejection
of one flare cartridge with each depression of the DLC button. Normal flare ejection still possible. If the switch is set
a position other than PILOT the DLC button will command ejection of a single chaff cartridge.
Finally the SALVO FLARES switch initiates rapid ejection of all flares using a 0.125 second time interval for as long
as the switch is held in the ON position. Normally springloaded to the OFF position.
Note All countermeasure cartridge ejection is inhibited while the weight on wheels sensor is active,
preventing countermeasure ejection while on the ground.
RIO Hand Hold Switches
Two four-way direction hats are mounted on the RIO hand hold above the DDD to enable quick access to countermea-
sure ejection. The two switches are mirrored and UP commands ejection of a single chaff cartridge. DOWN initiates
the chaff ejection program, INBOARD (towards center) initiates the jammer ejection program and OUTBOARD
(towards the sides) initiates the flare ejection program.
3.23.2 LAU-138
The LAU-138 chaff dispenser was developed to meet the need for additional chaff cartridge payload capacity. The
launcher itself was developed in Sweden by CelciusTech as a chaff dispenser integrated into a rail designed to replace
the LAU-7 Sidewinder rail. Each rail holds up to 160 chaff packages, each being smaller than a normal chaff cartridge
while still enabling the mounting of single AIM-9 Sidewinder to itself.
On the F-14 the LAU-138 was used mounted on the 1A and 8A stations. While technically able to be mounted on
the respective B stations as well it wasn’t possible to refill the launcher while mounted there so wasn’t used there
operationally.
While having the LAU-138s mounted the R10 and R20 sections in the launcher are both connected to the R20 section
and the R10 connected to the LAU-138s. This means that the R20 section type setting on the programmer controls
both R10 and R20 and the R10 section type setting should always be set to C for chaff.
Each launcher holds, as mentioned, 160 chaff packages and each ejection impulse ejects four packages from each
launcher, each packages being about 1/4 the size of a normal chaff cartidge. This results in that each ejection impulse
ejects the equivalent of two chaff cartridges in total and that a total of 40 ejections are available from the launchers.
As the launchers use the R10 section of the programmer, mounting two LAU-138s result means that the counter for
chaff on the controller should be increased by 40. A chaff only loadout can result in the number of launches available
to be in total 100, which too much for the counter, and that the counter will effectively show one chaff ejection less
than what’s really available. The last ejection will still work though.
In summary this means that when using the LAU-138 an additional 40 chaff ejections are available increasing the total
number to anywhere from 100 chaff to 40 chaff and 60 flares when combined with the normal AN/ALE-39 loadout
and that the R10 section should always be set to C for chaff when mounted.

3.24 AN/ALQ-126 DECM
The AN/ALQ-126 deception jammer is designed to detect radar threats, analyze them, select the optimum counter-
measure technique available and apply it. Available techniques for jamming are amongst others, mainlobe blanking,
inverse con-scan, range-gate pull-off and swept square modes.
In DCS this is modelled as a simple noise jammer due to engine limitations but controlled by the DECM logic as to
when it’s on or off.
3.24.1 AN/ALQ-126 Controls and Indicators
The controls for the AN/ALQ-126 DECM are all located on the right horizontal panel in the RIO pit, panel as image
above. In addition there are two indication lights co-located with the RWR threat indicators on the right side of the
TID.
The two indication lights on the threat advisory are RCV (recieve) and XMIT (transmit). RCV illuminates up when
the system detects and analyzes a threat while the XMIT illuminates up when it’s actively jamming a threat.
The control panel itself contains a STANDBY indicator light, a mode selector knob and an AUDIO volume knob.
The STANDBY light indicates that system warmup is not yet completed and when completed turns off. At other times,
illumination of this indicator indicates the presence of a fault in the system.
The AUDIO (volume) knob controls the audio volume of the RIO sound from the system. The pilot has no access to
this audio. The audio itself is generated from the PRF of recieved threats with PRF frequency being converted to audio
frequency.
The mode selector knob controls power and operational mode that the system is in.
OFF turns off power to the system. STBY begins pre-warming of the system, taking in all around 5 minutes.
TEST - HOLD 3 SEC is used to prepare the system for BIT, after 3 seconds in this mode, turn the knob to TEST -
ACT.
TEST - ACT starts the BIT in the system. The BIT takes approximately 30 seconds and the RCV light will be
illuminated the whole time while the XMIT light will flash twice. If the STANDBY light illuminates it indicates that
a no-go condition exists in the system.
REC enables the system in recieve only mode, enabling analysation of threats and also the threat audio.
RPT enables full system functionality, in addition to REC it also now tries to jam threats according to selected method.
Note In DCS jamming is always done with noise jamming, turning on as a threat is detected.
3.24. AN/ALQ-126 DECM 257

3.25 Navigation
3.25.1 Navigation System
The F-14’s primary navigation system is a multi-unit Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System (CAINS) designated
as AN/ASN-92. An INS system measures and integrates sensed inertia forces (acceleration) and rotational velocities
to calculate aircraft position and linear velocity. A good navigation system can precisely guide an aircraft on a route
to a mission objective hundred or thousand miles-long, and then back to the home base, safely and reliably. Such a
system is even more important when an aircraft is designed to operate over the ocean, far away from any ground-based
TACAN or visual references.
Designing an INS (IMU) is an engineering challenge, which requires consideration of such problems as calibration,
alignment, Earth’s rotational motion, inertia forces, thermal stability, analogue-digital converters precision, all dif-
ferent types of corrections which have to be applied to keep the device precise over extended time, and many more.
Simulating an INS platform is very similar - it is a complex undertaking.
At Heatblur, we decided to develop an entirely new mathematical model to simulate the AN/ASN-92 for our F-
14. We included all the potential sources of errors contributing to the final precision of the device, and recreated
the characteristic behaviour of a gimballed INS platform. The result is a set of algorithms providing an authentic
representation of the AN/ASN-92 in DCS, yet optimised to have almost no impact on CPU performance.
The main components of the INS are the inertial measurement unit (IMU), the power supply unit and pilot and RIO
navigation controls and displays.
Although from the crew member’s point of view, the INS is used mostly for navigation, it is also essential for proper
operations of other aircraft equipment. For example, the attitude is necessary for the radar. The attitude and the own
position are required for some weapon delivery modes, particularly for long shots. Even more distressing to the crew,
a complete failure of the INS renders the more advanced modes of weapons such as the AIM-7 and AIM-54 missiles
inoperable.
The same information is used for data-link operations - when using erroneous INS data, own tracks and targets received
from cooperating aircraft will not match and result in false contacts being displayed on the TID. These are only a few
examples, and the INS data is used whenever aircraft position or attitude is required.
Thus the inertial navigation system (INS) integrates with the AWG-9 computer (WCS computer) and the CSDC, the
computer signal data converter. Other related equipment includes the attitude and heading reference system, central
air data computer, radar altimeter, instrument landing system, and TACAN.
WCS Computer
The WCS or weapon control system computer and CSDC use several alignment routines stored on a magnetic tape to
perform the necessary computations to align the INS.
These stored alignment routines in the WCS computer are called SMAL single mode alignment program. When
alignment is initiated, the routines are loaded in the computer’s destructive readout memory from magnetic tape.
This process is called “tape read-in” and is represented by an M on the TID. During the alignment of the IMU platform,
the WCS communicates with the CSDC to address specific CSDC navigation routines.
IMU Platform Alignment
When alignment mode is selected, the IMU platform first erects to a coarse alignment with the help of accelerometer
output and gives an aircraft heading that represents the angular displacement from true north. This displacement is
referred to as wander angle. The CSDC sends inertial velocity data to the WCS during the alignment process.

The second stage – fine alignment – uses the precise measurement of gyroscope drift to calculate the aircraft’s true
heading. This is possible because of the Earth’s rotation. At no point of alignment, is the magnetic heading used, and
the whole process relies only on the sensing of the non-inertial movement of the platform within the 3d space.
The WCS calculates terms for platform alignment corrections and estimates the value of the wander angle, it then
sends this data to the CSDC. The CSDC uses these correction terms in the CSDC inertial equations to generate pulses
for the platform torquing that are then transmitted to the IMU. The CSDC in return receives velocity information from
the IMU and sends this new inertial velocity data to the WCS alignment program, upon which the cycle repeats. The
exchange of data continues until INS is entered.
The leveling process of the platform is achieved by the CSDC generating torquing pulses based on IMU accelerometer
off-level indications being sent to the IMU by the CSDC. With each data exchange, the WCS calculates an error value
(delta) between the values of the previous and current wander angle. This delta is largest at the beginning of the
alignment and smallest at the end of alignment.
The alignment is finished when the delta is near zero and near zero velocity is sensed along the platform X and Y
axes. Variable factors required to align the platform are continuously calculated, updated, and saved as calibration
data. When the alignment is complete, the system is ready to enter INS. The last used calibration data and wander
angle are stored in the CSDC upon entry into INS. When in INS, the WCS accepts the velocity and position data and
the wander angle from the CSDC.
Navigation Modes
Three navigation data mode sources are used for general navigation:
1. INS - The primary navigation mode set by the RIO once IMU alignment is complete. The IMU is the primary
sensor supplying velocity data that is used to compute all inertial outputs. The IMU is the source for roll and pitch
data.
2. IMU/AM - A backup mode that can either be selected by the RIO or is automatically entered when the CSDC
determines the IMU inertial velocity data is unreliable. In this mode, true airspeed from the CADC and stored or
entered winds are combined to provide ground speed and true heading for general navigation. The IMU is the source
for pitch and roll.
3. AHRS/AM - An even further degraded mode that can be either selected by the RIO or automatically entered when
the CSDC detects a total INS failure. Heading in this mode is derived from magnetic heading plus entered or stored
magnetic variation (MAG VAR). This heading, TAS from the CADC, and entered or stored wind are used for general
navigation. The AHRS is the source of pitch and roll.
Navigation Computations
The CSDC and the WCS are aware of the selected navigation mode. The CSDC sends the WCS navigation data
parameters (TAS from the CADC, latitude and longitude, inertial velocities, true heading, etc.) required to support
general navigation calculations. The WCS uses stored and input navigation data (based on the current navigation
mode) to perform the required navigational computations. The WCS also performs additional computations so that
the crew is provided with:
• Current latitude and longitude
• Attitude
• Heading true and magnetic
• Own ground speed and ground track
• Ability to store and display three waypoints, a fixed point (FP), an initial point (IP), a surface target (ST), a
home base (HB), a defended point and a hostile area
3.25. Navigation 259

• Range, bearing, command course, command heading and time-to-go to a selected destination point
• Calculated wind speed and direction
• Calculated magnetic variation
• Continuous monitoring of the status of the unit, and in case of failure inform the crew with advisory lights and
appropriate acronyms displayed on the TID
• Backup navigation modes in case of partial system failure
• Backup present position
Displays
Navigation information is displayed on the TID, HSD, multiple display indicator (MDI), HUD, and VDI, depending
on the mode selected by the pilot and RIO. If an IMU or navigation computer failure occurs, two backup modes are
available: IMU airmass (IMU/AM) or AHRS airmass (AHRS/AM).
3.25.2 Inertial Navigation System (INS)
An important feature of the INS is its fast alignment capability over a wide range of temperature. The INS is a dead-
reckoning system that derives speed as a function of aircraft accelerations. Two accelerometers are used to measure
acceleration in the horizontal plane. These outputs result in velocities along the X and Y axes after corrections for the
Earth’s rotational velocity (coriolis acceleration) and integration inputs. These X and Y velocities can be resolved in
the IMU platform coordinate system through wander angle and put in the Earth referenced north/east/down system.
Integration about the north and east axes also provides increments of latitude and longitude. Navigation in such manner
gives the flight crew detailed and precise knowledge of the position, direction and velocity of their aircraft at any time.
An INS device like the AN/ASN-92 requires a high precision of measurements of the acceleration and the attitude,
because even the smallest inaccuracy can result in a significant error when accumulated over extended time.
Consider an example: the inertial platform is slightly tilted from the nominal position, let’s say by 0.002°. Then, the
horizontal accelerometers are no longer parallel to the ground, and this means that they start to be sensitive to gravity.
If not corrected, this gravitational component is interpreted by the navigation computer as a horizontal acceleration. If
the wrong attitude is kept constant for one hour, it will result in an error of the measured position of over one nautical
mile. It is a significant inaccuracy, and it comes as a result of such a minimal alignment error.
The accuracy of the INS degrades with time – usually the longer they operate in the navigation mode, the higher the
error they accumulate.
Inertial Measurement Unit
The IMU is a three-axis, four-gimbal, all-attitude unit containing two gyros and three accelerometers. The gyros and
the accelerometers are mounted to a platform that is free to rotate respect to the base (aircraft). The four-gimbal
system provides gimbal-lock free rotation and uses torquer motors to correct platform attitude errors. The gyros sense
angular rotation about their sensitive axes and are the source of information about the aircraft attitude. They also
stabilise the whole platform and keep the constant orientation of the accelerometers respect to the ground (gravity).
Two accelerometers are used to measure acceleration in the horizontal plane; the third accelerometer measures vertical
acceleration. The sensitive axes of the accelerometers are orthogonal. Their displacement is sensed by pickoff coils that
develop a signal that is amplified, then applied to a torquer that restores the mass to its null position. The magnitude
of torquing current required is proportional to the acceleration. The sensed acceleration signal is integrated in the
computer and used to calculate aircraft velocity and displacement from the initial position. The attitude of the platform
is also corrected continuously to account for the effects associated with the Earth’s rotation and device inaccuracies.

This design is widespread for gimballed inertial navigation systems. It was used for the F-14, but also for the Space
Shuttle and many other aircraft of the era.
IMU BIT
In case of IMU failure, the CSDC automatically switches to a backup navigation mode. The IMU BIT monitors the
temperature, internal error signals, and electrical characteristics of the IMU.
If the CSDC detects a failure in the IMU, it informs the WCS computer and the IMU acronym indicating the component
of the INS that failed is displayed on the TID. The IMU advisory light illuminates on the RIO caution/advisory panel.
NAV COMP Light
If the NAV MODE switch is in INS, and the NAV COMP light illuminates, there is a failure in the INS or CSDC; the
navigation system will automatically switch to a backup mode. The NAV COMP light remains illuminated and the
RIO should set the NAV MODE switch to IMU/AM position. The NAV COMP advisory light indicates that the INS
is operating in a degraded mode as a result of manual selection by the RIO using the NAV MODE switch or automatic
selection because of a failure of the CSDC or the IMU.
Note
• When an IMU quantizer failure occurs in the INS mode, the system will automatically select
the IMU/ AM mode and the STBY/READY and NAV COMP lights will illuminate. The RIO
should move the NAV MODE switch from the INS to IMU/AM. The STBY/READY lights go
out - but the NAV COMP light will remain illuminated.
• With a NAV COMP light and a CSI ACRO displayed on the TID, there is no auto-switch to a
backup attitude source for the HUD or the VDI nor is the RIO able to manually switch to any
backup mode.
IMU Light
If there is a failure in the IMU, the IMU advisory light will illuminate; the navigation system switches to the AHRS/AM
mode and accuracy may become degraded Attitude information for the VDIG and missile control system are now
provided by the AHRS. The IMU light remains illuminated until the RIO selects AHRS/AM. With an AHRS light
computed magnetic variation (vC) should be verified and updated if necessary.

Standby Ready Description

light light
ON ON Selected navigational mode not functioning correctly due to failure. Normal during first 45
seconds of alignment initialization.
ON OFF Alignment under way (after first 45 seconds) or IMU/AM selected prior to coarse align. Leave
switch in selected mode to complete alignment or to wait for IMU erection.
Flash- Flash- Alignment not initialized due to parking brake not being set.
ing ing
Flash- OFF Alignment suspended (paused) due to parking brake not being set.
ing
OFF Flash- Alignment suspended due to parking brake not being set after second marker.
ing
OFF ON Alignment good enough for weapons employment (second marker on screen), or INS or
IMU/AM available when in AHRS/AM. Wait for complete alignment or select mode as de-
sired.
OFF OFF System functioning correctly in set mode or system off.
OFF Flash- If selection of IMU/AM occurs with system aligned the ready light will flash for 5 seconds
ing indicating that INS should be reselected. After this timeframe the alignment is lost.
WARNING: After RIO selection IMU/AM because of a failure, and a complete IMU failure occurs afterwards, the
system will display erroneous attitude information to the pilot. The CSDC will neither automatically exit IMU/AM
to the AHRS/AM mode (if a valid AHRS exists) nor remove VDIG/TID/DDD attitude displays. The RIO should
manually switch to the AHRS/AM mode.
Whenever the NAV COMP light illuminates the flight crew should be cautious of attitude displays and frequently
cross-reference the VDIG/TID/DDD and standby attitude indicator, particularly during non-VFR conditions and be
alert for an IMU failure. If an IMU failure is indicated by the IMU light, display of IMU acronym in OBC continuous
monitor, removal of the IM acronym in the TID attitude reference source buffer, and the NAV COMP light goes out,
the RIO should move the NAV MODE switch from the IMU/AM to the AHRS/AM and disregard the READY light.
If a valid AHRS exists, its attitude information will be displayed, otherwise the VDIG/TID/DDD attitude displays will
be removed.
AHRS Light
If the AHRS self-test has detected a failure the AHRS Light will illuminate. The magnetic heading on the HUD and
VDI is now controlled by the WCS computer. Because it uses the last known value for magnetic variation the heading
will degrade over long distances and time, unless new values of magnetic variation are entered by the RIO via the
CAP. IFR flight should be avoided completely.
Navigation Power Supply
The NPS provides electrical power for the IMU and CSDC. A nickel-cadmium battery provides power to the IMU and
CSDC for up to 10 seconds if there is a power interruption or transient.
3.25.3 INS Alignment Modes
Before INS can be used for navigation, the inertial platform must be aligned so that it is level relative to local vertical
and its orientation relative to true north. This is done automatically in two phases: coarse alignment and fine alignment.
The coarse phase begins when the initialization sequence is complete and performs initial coarse estimates of the IMU
platform wander angle. The successful completion of this phase requires a minimum local level error in the IMU
platform to proceed to the fine alignment phase.

IMU elements that require warmup are being heated by the IMU heaters. In addition, the IMU gimbals (roll, pitch,
azimuth) are caged through their respective synchros to the IMU case (airframe reference). The IMU gyros are brought
up to running speed, and coarse leveling is performed using the accelerometer outputs.
When power is applied to the NPS and IMU, the SMAL program from the bulk storage tape is read into the WCS
computer nonwrite-protected memory. The alignment program estimates a wander angle, velocity errors, and gyro-
torquing correction signals.
These values are sent to the CSDC to align the IMU and to initialize the CSDC NAV program. The following as-
semblies are used during alignment: IMU, NPS, CSDC, WCS computer, CAP (computer address panel), navigation
control and data readout panel. For carrier alignment also the data link receiver-processor is used.
There are four primary alignment modes: SAT ground and carrier alignment, and NON SAT ground and carrier
alignment. SAT operation allows OBC testing during the alignment. Either alignment mode can be used in SAT or
NON SAT. (SAT modes are not yet implemented in DCS)
The basic TID display formats are represented in the image below. The automatic sequence is the same for all modes,
except for CVA ALIGN, where the ship’s motion is inserted by the data link.
The CAT ALIGN overrides the requirement for the parking brake to be on (suspend align). There are two more
alignment submodes: stored heading and handset. The handset mode is used for CVA ALIGN when SINS data is not
available. The stored heading mode is used for rapid alignment, by using a previous alignment (reference alignment)
to align the system quickly.
Initialization of any alignment mode requires entry of the following values in either own aircraft or HB (homebase)
for the following:
1. Latitude
2. Longitude
3. Corrected pressure altitude.
In addition, if handset alignment is used on the carrier, the following values must also be entered:
1. Speed
2. Ship’s true heading.
Note The parking brake must be on during initialization of any alignment. When the parking brake is
released during coarse alignment, the STBY and READY lights flash and the align program will
reinitialize. If the parking brake is released during fine alignment, a suspend align discrete is sent to
the CSDC, the STBY or READY light blinks, and the time into alignment clock on the TID stops.

Non-SAT Alignments
Ground Alignment
For land-based operations, the ground alignment procedure is used to align the IMU. Aircraft or homebase latitude,
longitude, and altitude are entered into the WCS computer via the CAP. This may be accomplished before or after
selecting GND align. Selecting GND ALIGN on the NAV MODE switch initiates the align operation. However note
that whatever has been hooked when switching to ALIGN, is injected as your own coordinates. You can use homebase
or preset own aircraft coordinates for example, but if you didn’t, you will have between 90 to 120 seconds to enter
your own coordinates and you cannot wait for the alignment to finish, or it will trigger the observable error (O) and
alignment will have to be reinitialized.
Note If fine align has not been achieved, entry of the own aircraft’s latitude will restart the alignment. On
completion of the alignment program read-in, the alignment display appears on the TID (see image
above).
During the initialization, the TID will display an alignment time of 0.7. After 42 to 45 seconds, the NAV COMP light
on the caution/advisory panel goes out, indicating that the IMU has entered the ready state; the READY light also goes
out. The alignment program will begin with the computation of the alignment parameters.
At this time an alignment status indicator, called a caret (v), will start to move from left to right. The status of
the alignment is indicated by where the caret appears in relationship to three alignment-tick indicators. The first
tick indicator is called the coarse-align complete marker, the second is the alert launch criteria marker, and the third
indicator is the fine-align complete marker. An elapsed time indicator provides alignment time in minutes and tenths.
The clock indicator will begin with 0.7 displayed and continue after a 42-second delay. After 9.9 minutes, the clock
display will pass through zero and begin again. If the alignment is suspended (parking brake), the clock will stop
counting until alignment is resumed.
Between the first and second ticks are the telltale status indicators that indicate a failure of one of four systems: C =
calibration data fail, T = temperature (cold IMU), S = SINS data invalid, and 0 = observable (alignment data bad, i.e.,
LAT, LONG, SPEED, etc.). The letter that appears indicates which system has a failure.
A C indicates a failure in the transfer of calibration data between the IMU and the CSDC, and the alignment will not
progress.

The T appears normally at the start of alignment and disappears when the IMU has reached operating temperature. If
the T does not disappear, there is a failure in the system and a non-stored heading alignment will not progress.
The S can appear at the start of any CV alignment and will disappear shortly after. If the S does not disappear, there is
a failure and the result will be a bad alignment. The S also appears if incoming SINS data is not valid, in which case
the alignment should not be trusted.
Note
• The CSDC and IMU outputs as well as data inputs are constantly monitored and if either an
excessive value in the X or Y acceleration is sensed, or a bad value from wrong lat or long data
input, a 0 (bad observable) is posted on the TID and the alignment stalls (ceases to continue).
• The IMU may be preheated by selecting IMU/AM on the TID NAV MODE switch when oper-
ating on ground or aircraft power. This energizes the IMU and navigation power supply, which
turns on the IMU heater prior to start of a ground or carrier alignment. The IMU should not be
preheated for longer than 5 minutes.
During coarse alignment, the alignment caret moves based on the wander angle error. If the parking brake is released
during this phase, the alignment will reset.
The V will reach the first tick when coarse alignment is complete. When the program switches to fine alignment, the
caret changes into a diamond, which indicates to the pilot that he may release the parking brake (suspend alignment)
and taxi, if OBC is complete. After the parking brake is reset, alignment will continue and the diamond will move
right as alignment improves.
At the second tick, which indicates that alignment meets the minimum criteria to launch weapons, the STBY light will
go off and the READY light will illuminate. The INS mode may be entered at this point. If INS is not selected, the
diamond continues to move to the right. When it reaches the third tick, it indicates that fine alignment is completed
and a dot will appear in the diamond (<>).
You can leave the system in alignment mode even after fine align is complete, which will provide a progressively more
accurate alignment. How much more accuracy is gained depends on the quality of alignment when fine align was
completed. This can be rather minimal in some cases, but, when it is further left in alignment for long enough, it will
always provide a certain amount of improvement.
Note If alignment is suspended and the aircraft is taxied over a distance greater than 4000 feet, the
quality of the alignment becomes unknown to a point where it might be unreliable. Alignment
reinitialization is advised.
If the caret (v) or diamond stop moving, the program has stopped aligning. If they stop between the first and third
ticks (coarse and fine), it means that alignment has been suspended. The clock will stop counting if that is the case.
If alignment continues, the clock resumes counting until switched out of alignment by NAV MODE switch or if the
parking brake is released again.
Note The alignment display will not go past the coarse align tick until the IMU temperature has reached
165°. When this temperature is reached, the T symbol will disappear. The temperature interlock is
bypassed when performing a stored heading alignment. The IMU should be preheated for a stored
heading alignment, as it usually completes in under 2 minutes, which could result in a bad alignment.
Selecting INS will turn off the READY light, terminate alignment and the tactical display will appear, and the normal
navigation display will become available.
Note
• When the NAV MODE switch is set to INS, the CSDC is in navigation mode and the READY
light goes out.
• After selecting the INS navigation mode, the AWG-9 align program continues for approxi-
mately three align data cycles (18 seconds) before entering INS. This also applies if the aircraft
takes off before INS is selected.

The RIO and pilot can then observe an IN acronym on the attitude status readout on the TID or TID repeat.
If you want to reinitialize an alignment when observing an acronym during fine alignment or if noting a stalled
alignment, the following methods can be used:
1. Select both INS mode switch and WCS PWR switch to off. Allow TID displays to collapse. Proceed with
normal start sequence.
2. INS mode switch to desired align mode.
3. INS mode switch to INS. Verify system in INS (IN acronym on TID), cycle mode switch to off and back to
desired alignment mode.
Failing to follow above procedures when reinitializing a fine alignment will result in severely degraded alignment
quality. To reinitialize the program during coarse align, the RIO has to unselect GND ALIGN, re-enter LAT and
LONG and reselect GND ALIGN.
Carrier Alignment
When aligning on a carrier with a changing latitude, longitude and heading, the carrier alignment procedure is used.
INS can be aligned in three different ways on a carrier: with RF data link alignment and manual (handset) alignment -
deck-edge cable alignment is not implemented in DCS. TID displays the same information as during a GND ALIGN
procedure.
Note that you will get erroneous heading readings on a carrier, even if fine align is complete. The heading can
deviate up to 20 or 30 degrees, depending on the parking position on the carrier and the carrier’s heading, due to the
carrier’s own magnetic field and induced magnetic field. It is important that the flight crew know the carrier’s BRC.
The magnetic variation caused by the carrier’s magnetic distortion will go away shortly after take off. This magnetic
distortion does not impact the alignment quality.
Carrier Data Link Alignment
The primary carrier alignment mode is the RF data link alignment (CAINS). This mode uses the ship’s INS (SINS)
to align the IMU. Inertial inputs including the ship’s longitude, latitude, north and east velocity as well as roll, pitch,
heading, and heading rate are transmitted to the WCS computer via the RF data link.
The data is transmitted by the ship’s data link equipment. To align the INS by the CVA alignment method, follow
these steps:
1. Turn on the power to the data link system
2. Turn the WCS power to STBY
3. Set the D/L mode on the DATA LINK control panel to CAINS/WAYPT
4. Select CVA ALIGN on the NAV MODE switch.
The received data is processed by the data link equipment in the aircraft and transmitted to the WCS computer. The
WCS computer compares the IMU data with the ship’s INS data and sends correction signals to the CSDC to fine align
the IMU.
Note
• If CVA or CAT ALIGN is selected prior to selecting OBC BIT, data link OBC testing is inhib-
ited. (Not implemented yet)
• The fine alignment complete tick mark indicates completion of fine align and whether alignment
data is SINS or handset. When good SINS data is not received during a filter cycle, the fine

alignment complete tick mark jumps to the left approximately 0.75 inch. The jump indicates
the SINS data is intermittent, and handset alignment data is required.
CVA ALIGN is much similar to GND ALIGN, and alignment is suspended, stalled and reinitialized in the same
manner as during GND ALIGN, depending on whether it has been induced during the coarse or fine alignment phase.
Note If SINS data link is lost during taxi, a flashing HS will appear on the TID. This will disappear when
data link is reacquired; however, because of align timing requirements it may remain flashing up to
8 seconds after data link is reacquired. If the HS flashing does not stop 8 seconds after resetting
the parking brake, SINS data is lost but the alignment can continue by entering carrier speed and
true heading into the own aircraft file and completing the align in handset mode. If datalink is
reacquired during this period, the HS will disappear from the TID and a normal datalink CVA align
will continue.
To complete the alignment, set the NAV MODE switch to INS. A successfully aligned INS is indicated by both the
STBY and READY lights off and the IN acronym in the status readout on the TID.
Note
• Do not switch to INS while the ship is in a turn, even if fine align has been completed. This
will degrade the alignment quality significantly. If you wait until the ship’s turn is complete,
alignment quality will not be affected. Handset alignment is not affected.
• If during a CVA alignment the CAINS/WAYPT-TAC switch is unlatched to TAC by power
transient, or data link signal is lost, the INS will revert to a handset alignment (HS).
Carrier Cable Alignment
The deck-edge cable alignment (SINS) is an alternative to the RF data link alignment, where inputs are sent over a
secure cable to the data link from the deck-edge outlet box of the carrier. Switching from RF data link to cable inputs is
done automatically when the cable is connected. To initiate a CVA align with SINS via cable, use the same steps as for
the RF data link alignment. As cable and RF data link alignment are virtually the same, it has not been implemented
in DCS.
Note The SINS-cable is currently not implemented in DCS.
Handset Alignment
The HS alignment mode is a manual alignment option available for carrier alignment, should SINS data from RF
data link or cable not be available, inaccurate, or interrupted (indicated by the TILT light on the DDI and/or the fine
alignment complete tick mark jumping to the left about 0.75 inch). The HS is also very similar to the GND ALIGN
mode, but the RIO has to input more data and the computer takes longer to process because of the ship movement.
IF CVA ALIGN is selected with the NAV MODE switch and no SINS data is available, a flashing HS acronym will
appear on the TID. Whenever HS flashes on the TID before alignment starts and the RIO chooses to align the system
with handset align, he must enter the according ship’s data in the following order:
1. Speed
2. Ship’s true heading
3. Latitude
4. Longitude
5. Corrected pressure altitude.

If during coarse align data link is lost (RF or cable) or during any portion of a stored heading alignment, the alignment
will reinitialize and the HS acronym will be flashing. The alignment can then be continued with the handset mode as
described above.
If the reinitialization occurs during the fine align phase of a stored heading alignment, the CSDC alignment routine
must be reset first by turning the AWG-9 OFF for 6 seconds.
If data link is lost during a normal fine align phase, HS will be entered automatically, but the acronym will not flash
and the alignment will continue. If data link is regained, the HS acronym will disappear and normal CVA align via RF
or cable data link will continue. When data link is regained, the acronym can remain for up to 8 seconds.
Note If HS is not flashing, valid SINS data has already been entered. If it is flashing, SINS data has to be
entered manually.
On the CAP NAV DATA matrix use OWN AC, and the LAT and LONG prefix push buttons; to enter the ships’
heading and speed use own-aircraft HDG and SPD buttons. Once this data has been entered HS will stop flashing and
the alignment will progress like a normal GND ALIGN, but can take up to 3 times as long.
Note The carrier needs to maintain a constant speed and heading during alignment for this method to
be successful. Remember that handset alignment quality will always be inferior to a normal CVA
ALIGN fine alignment quality.
Reinitialization
To reinitialize an alignment during the fine align phase, if an observable acronym (O) or a stalled alignment has been
noticed, the RIO can use any of the following methods:
1. Set NAV MODE switch and WCS switch to OFF. Allow TID displays to collapse. Proceed with normal start
sequence.
2. Set NAV MODE switch to OFF. Set NAV MODE switch to desired align mode.
3. Set NAV MODE switch to INS. Verify system in INS (IN acronym on TID). Cycle NAV MODE switch to OFF
and back to desired alignment mode.
Failing to follow above procedures when reinitializing a fine alignment will result in severely degraded alignment
quality. To reinitialize the program during coarse align, the RIO has to unselect GND ALIGN, re-enter LAT and
LONG and reselect GND ALIGN.
Stored Heading Alignment
A feature of the INS that allows for quick-reaction response is the stored-heading alignment. The aircraft has to be
parked and tied down in the alert position (wheel-chocks in DCS) for this procedure to be successful. Additionally the
aircraft heading has to be stored with a reference alignment before the aircraft is being powered down (and back up
again).
When the aircraft is powered back up, the system takes less than 2 minutes to align the INS from the stored heading,
while providing almost the same accuracy like a full, fine ground or carrier alignment. When align is selected and
a reference alignment is available, an ASH acronym for automatic stored heading will be displayed on the TID and
STORED HDG ALIGN will illuminate on the CAP. The ASH acronym tellsl the RIO that a stored heading has been
entered automatically.
No further action from the RIO is needed, ASH align will continue and ASH will remain on the TID as an advisory.
Pressing once on the STORED HDG ALIGN on the CAP will end the ASH align and initiate normal alignment. The
ASH acronym will disappear. Pressing the STORED HDG ALIGN a second time will reinitialize the stored heading
alignment, however ASH won’t be displayed on the TID anymore.

Note STBY/READY lights should be monitored for simultaneous illumination. If simultaneous illumi-
nation appears after 42 to 45 seconds, a failure has caused the alignment to reinitiate and may result
in an erroneous alignment. The RIO must turn NAV MODE switch to OFF for 1 second, then restart
the alignment following normal ground or carrier alignment procedures.
The reference alignment can be done with either internal or external power. To do a reference alignment, enter the
latitude and longitude via the CAP into the own-aircraft file. This can be achieved by an automatic transfer from
homebase entry into own-aircraft before selecting GND ALIGN, or entry into own-aircraft file after GND ALIGN has
been selected.
The aircraft’s latitude and longitude can be entered into homebase and transferred into own-aircraft file through the
following steps:
1. Set the NAV MODE switch to GND ALIGN.
2. Select CAP category TAC DATA.
3. Depress HOME BASE and enter aircraft longitude and latitude via the CAP data entry buttons.
Aircraft latitude and longitude can be entered directly through the following steps:
1. Set the NAV MODE switch to either OFF or GND ALIGN.
2. Select CAP category NAV.
Depress OWN A/C and enter aircraft longitude and latitude via the CAP data entry buttons.
Note Depressing OWN A/C hooks own aircraft. If longitude and latitude is entered with the NAV MODE
switch set to OFF, own aircraft must be hooked when the NAV MODE switch is set from OFF to
GND ALIGN again. Be aware that whatever has been hooked (OWN AC or HB) will provide the
data that is entered when NAV MODE is set from OFF to GND ALIGN.
For a reference alignment, alignment has to reach fine align complete. Both CVA ALIGN and GND ALIGN can be
used to establish a reference alignment. The reference alignment is complete when a dot appears in the diamond.
To establish a reference alignment follow these steps:
1. WCS switch - STBY.
2. NAV MODE - CVA or GND.
3. DATA LINK - ON (CV ops only).
4. D/L MODE - CAINS/WAYPT (CV ops only).
5. Reference alignment continues to fine align complete.
To store the reference alignment: 6. NAV MODE switch to INS. 7. WCS - OFF. NAV MODE - OFF.
Note Unstable current or temporary loss of power will cause the CAINS to be deselected and will be
indicated by a flashing HS acronym. A reference alignment cannot be done through a handset
alignment, even if continued to fine align complete. For a successful reference alignment the aircraft
must not move and the parking brake must not be cycled after the reference heading has been stored.
For a valid reference alignment, it isn’t necessary to switch NAV MODE to INS, instead it can be
switched directly to OFF from either CVA or GND ALIGN.
Catapult Alignment
The CAT ALIGN mode is used to prevent suspend align when positioned on the catapult and the parking brake bas been
released. The purpose of the catapult align mode is to provide normal CVA ALIGN as long as possible. When CAT
ALIGN is selected, large roll, pitch, speed and heading changes of the ship can cause the program to automatically
switch to INS.

3.25.4 Navigational Controls and Displays
Navigational Displays
Tactical navigation information is displayed on the VDIG, MDIG, and BDHI. The type of information displayed is
determined by the flight mode and steering command selected. System navigation information is displayed on the TID
and HSD. The table below gives a summary of available outputs for each display. Refer to the navigation and steering
mode section for more detailed presentations of each navigation mode. All displays show navigation information with
respect to magnetic north.
Navigation output Display

Pilot RIO
ADF Bearing HSD, BDHI MDI, BDHI
Corrected Pressure Altitude HUD, Altimeter TID
Bearing to Destination HSD MDI, TID
Commanded Course to Destination HSD MDI
Commanded Heading to Destination HSD, VDI MDI
Commanded Altitude and Airspeed VDI
Groundspeed HSD MDI, TID
Ground Track HSD TID
Latitude and Longitude HSD (TID repeat) TID
Magnetic Heading HUD, VDI, HSD, BDHI MDI, BDHI, TID
Magnetic Variation HSD (TID repeat) TID
Range to Destination HSD MDI, TID
Roll and Pitch HUD, VDI, SAI, HSD SAI, TID, DDD
Steering Error to Destination VDI, HSD MDI
TACAN Deviation HUD, VDI, HSD MDI
TACAN Range and Bearing HUD, BDHI MDI, BDHI
Time to Go HSD (TID repeat) TID
True Airspeed HSD, Airspeed Mach indicator MDI, TID
True Heading HSD (TID repeat) TID
Vertical Speed HUD, VSI
Wind Speed and Direction HSD MDI, TID
Navigational Controls
To control the INS, use the navigation control and data readout panel and the computer address panel. See Tactical
Information Display (TID) and Associated Controls and Associated Controls and Computer Address Panel (CAP) for
a more detailed description.
The desired operation mode, alignment mode and destination point can be selected at the navigation control and data
readout panel. The CAP allows to enter navigation data and the selected information to be displayed on the TID. The
CATEGORY switch on the lower end of the panel determines the function of the MESSAGE button. The categories
used for navigation are NAV and TAC DATA. The STBY and READY advisory lights on the navigation control and
data readout panel indicate the status of the alignment program and navigation system.
Failure indicators for the main components of the navigation system are on the caution/advisory light panels in both
cockpits, however the NAV COMP and IMU indicator are only present on the RIO cockpit caution/advisory light
panel.
The pilot displays (HUD, VDI, and HSD) and the RIO multiple display indicator are controlled with either the pilot
display control panel or the multiple display indicator control panel.
Note For detailed information on CAP operation, refer to Computer Address Panel (CAP).

Navigation Category
If the CATEGORY switch is in NAV, the following matrix appears in the MESSAGE windows:
OWN TACAN
A/C FIX
STORED RDR
HDG FIX
ALIGN
VIS
FIX
WIND FIX
SPD HDG ENABLE
MAG
VAR
(HDG)
Each window has a designated button. Pressing this button tells the WCS computer which function of the matrix to
use. If OWN AC, WIND, or MAG VAR is pressed, data can be entered and displayed for each.
Own-aircraft airspeed and magnetic heading are displayed on the TID. If own-aircraft data file is hooked using the TID
cursor, heading will be magnetic. If OWN AC button was selected (hooked) via the CAP, own-aircraft true heading,
speed (groundspeed), altitude, or course can be displayed on the TID by depressing the appropriate prefix button:
1. LAT or LONG button will display own-aircraft latitude and longitude.
2. SPD button displays ground speed and magnetic course.
3. True airspeed and true heading are displayed when the HDG prefix button is depressed.
4. Altitude is displayed on the left TID readout (right is blank) when the ALT button is used.
5. When pressing the WIND button, the TID displays present wind speed (left readout) and magnetic direction
(right readout).
6. The MAG VAR button is used for displaying and entering magnetic variation (MAG VAR).
In order to change own-aircraft lat, long, true heading or altitude, press the according prefix button followed by the
desired quantity. During entry the data is displayed on the upper middle readout on the TID. At the same time, existing
data is being displayed on the two lower readouts. If new data is correct, the RIO can press the ENTER button and the
new values will appear on the readout.
To change wind data entry, press the WIND button, then either the SPD or HDG prefix button and the appropriate
numbers: knots (0 to 512) for speed or degrees (000 to 359) for magnetic direction. The multiple display indicator

data readout of WIND direction is always displayed as true.

Note In the INS mode, wind is calculated and updated constinously. The manual entry of wind is ignored
by the wind calculations even though the system accepts the entry.
Depressing the MAG VAR button displays alternating values of computed MAG VAR (vC) and manual MAG VAR
(vM) on the left readout and displays magnetic heading (MH) on the right readout. The two values alternate every 2
seconds. On the CAP sign/direction buttons, plus (+) corresponds to east variation and minus (-) to west variation.
For manual MAG VAR, press the MAG VAR button. Press HDG, E, or W, the angle in degrees and tenths, and ENTER.
Tenths of a degree must be entered even if zero. The TID displays including the NAV GRID will shift appropriately.
Computed MAG VAR is constantly calculated in the AWG-9 by comparing the IMU’s true heading with the magnetic
heading from AHRS. This difference is saved as computed MAG VAR. The table below shows the MAG VAR source
used by the computer for displays and CAP entries.
Computed MAG VAR and manual MAG VAR are compared by the AWG-9 computer. If they differ by a certain value,
the acronym MV will alternate with the IN or IM navigation mode acronym on the TID and HSD. The acronym is
cleared when the difference falls below 5°.
Condition MAG VAR source

COMP mode selected. Manual MAG VAR (vM).
RIO updating manual MAG VAR after AHRS selection. Manual MAG VAR (vM).
RIO updating manual MAG VAR after IMU or AHRS fail- Manual MAG VAR (vM).
ure.
All other situations. Current or last computed MAG VAR (vC).
If selection of AHRS/AM occurs and no update (or re-entering of same value) occurs last vC will be used.
Note When operating in SLAVED or COMP mode near a magnetic disturbance, such as aboard a carrier,
the MV acronym should be expected to appear.
The table below shows error source analysis and response to the MV acronym appearing in flight.
Step Condition Action Result

1 MV alternates Re-enter new corrected MAG MV acronym should dissappear.
with selected nav VAR.
mode on TID
without a failure
light present.
2 MV remains after Compare heading on VDIG If headings correlate, problem is likely in the IMU.
step 1 action. with standby compass while in Continue with step 3.
INS, IMU/AM or slaved com-
pass mode and level unacceler-
ated flight.
3 Source of sus- Pilot switches to COMP mode If the headings still correlate, the IMU heading is
pected vC error is on AHRS controller and again wrong.
the IMU. compares headings.
4 IMU heading is RIO selects AHRS/AM and en- MV acronym should dissappear.
wrong. ters correct MAG VAR.
5 The VDIG does Syncronize AHRS with depres- If now in COMP mode all computer and displays
not agree with the sion of the HDG button. If not will use IMU true heading with manual MAG VAR.
standby compass possible set AHRS to COMP The MV acronym might not dissappear and the
in step 2. mode. BDHI using the MAD might not be correct depend-
ing on failure.

Tactical Data Category
If the CATEGORY switch is in TAC DATA, the following matrix appears in the MESSAGE windows:
WAY HOME
PT BASE
1
WAY DEF
PT PT
2
WAY HOST
PT AREA
3
FIX SURF
PT TGT
IP
PT
TO
PT
The functions in this category have a TID symbol each, except the PT to PT FUNCTION. When pressing any one of
these MESSAGE buttons, the TID symbol brightens and the activated MESSAGE push button illuminates, indicating
a successful hook. The RIO can then use the functions for which hooking was required. Data regarding the hooked
point can be displayed on the TID by pressing the according prefix button. Additionally, the latitude, longitude, and
altitude of the hooked point can be entered by pressing either the LAT, LONG, or ALT button followed by the desired
numbers. Like before, existing data is being displayed on the two lower readouts. If the new data is correct, the RIO
can press the ENTER button and the new values will appear on the readout.
Navigational Caution Lights
In addition to the NAV COMP, AHRS and IMU lights mentioned above, the RIO caution/advisory panel contains
two other advisory lights, C&D HOT and AWG-9 COND, that are indirectly related to navigation system operation.
Illumination of either or both of these lights could mean degraded navigation operation and would require further
investigation of the WCS.

3.25.5 Navigation Fix Update
An error of latitude or longitude in the computer position of the aircraft can be corrected by a navigation fix update.
Updating is especially important in the backup modes (AHRS AM and IMU/ AM) because of the estimated winds
and magnetic variation changes. A nav fix is done via a ground-reference-point (latitude and longitude) position. The
range and bearing of this position to the present aircraft position is used to update or correct existing values. The nav
system may be updated by either a radar fix, a TACAN fix, or a visual fix.
Before performing a nav fix, the latitude and longitude of the desired update point (radar, TACAN, or visual) must be
stored in one of eight navigation point locations (three WPs, FIX PT, HOME BASE, HOST AREA, DEF PT, and IP).
This data can be stored prior to flight by data link or by manual insertion. Then follow these steps:
1. Hook the Waypoint you choose to select for the nav fix.
2. Check the stored latitude and longitude on the TID.
3. Rotate the CATEGORY switch to NAV and select the desired type of update.
Note that updating the position while in INS, and to a lesser degree while in IMU, can introduce a greater navigational
position error than already present, in particular if radar fix is used to update the nav system. Updates with a visual or
TACAN fix provide reasonable accuracy (assuming a good MAG VAR during TACAN updates). Updating your nav
system via a nav fix should be primarily used in the AHRS mode.
Radar Update
A RDR FIX may be selected before or after positioning the DDD cursors. If the RDR FIX button is depressed, the
computer computes the present position of the aircraft by measuring the range and bearing from the selected point.
The delta between the computer position and the position determined by the INS is then displayed on the TID. If entry
of this delta into the navigation computations is desired, press the FIX ENABLE button. If the delta does not appear
to be correct, the computer and the readout can be cleared by pressing the RDR FIX button. The fix may then be
attempted again. The RIO should also perform periodic checks of own aircraft system altitude and update the altitude
if necessary.
Radar updating is performed as follows:
1. TID CURSOR/CAP - Hook Desired Navigation Point for Update.
2. PULSE SRCH button - Depress.
3. On sensor control panel: STAB switch - IN. EL BARS switch - 1. AZ SCAN switch - As Desired.
4. RDR FIX button - Depress.
5. DDD CURSOR button - Depress.
6. Action switch - Half Action (first detent).
7. Cursor is displayed on DDD.
8. Manipulate hand control DDD cursor over desired ground map point.
9. Action switch - Full Action and Release. (This will cause the DDD cursor to remain at the selected position.
10. Observe the delta for LAT and LONG on TID.
11. If readouts are unsatisfactory, deselect RDR FIX and repeat steps 4 through 12.
12. FIX ENABLE button - Depress.
Note To clear previous hooked DDD cursor position, go to half action and then release prior to initiating
full action for new position hook.

TACAN Update
To perform a nav fix by TACAN, requires that a prestored waypoint shares identical LAT and LONG values with the
TACAN station that will be used for the fix. Select the TACAN channel for the desired station and verify by listening
to the coded identifier tone in the headset.
Press the TACAN FIX button to update the aircraft position from a TACAN station. The WCS computer then calculates
the own aircraft position error based on the range and bearing from the TACAN station. The delta is then entered in
the same manner as with a radar fix.
Perform a TACAN fix following these steps:
1. Select a TACAN channel whose latitude and longitude correspond to an update point.
2. Hook desired update point (WAYPT 1, FIX PT, HOME BASE, etc.).
3. CATEGORY switch - NAV.
4. TACAN FIX button - Depress.
5. Observe present position delta readout.
6. If delta is unsatisfactory, deselect TACAN FIX and repeat steps 2 through 7.
7. FIX ENABLE button - Depress.
Note During a TACAN FIX, the MAG VAR must be the same as the TACAN station magnetic variation,
or the update will be in error. Given a TACAN station with a range of 100 NM from ownship, a
1°MAG VAR error introduces a 1.74nm error into the ownship’s TACAN update.
Visual Update
To perform a visual fix, fly over a prestored waypoint and press the VIS FIX button. Estimate your timing, because
the aircraft nose and fuselage can obscure the fix point during overflight. It is also difficult to estimate when directly
overhead a waypoint if the aircraft altitude is greater than 10.000 feet. The delta for the visual fix is displayed on the
TID. Enter the delta by pressing FIX ENABLE.
To perform a visual fix use the following steps:
1. Hook desired update point (WAY PT, HB, IP, etc.).
2. Select NAV category on CAP.
3. Overfly the selected prestored point and when over the point, depress the VIS FIX button on the cap.
4. If the delta is not satisfactory, press VIS FIX again to clear the delta and repeat from step 1.
5. If a satisfactory delta is displayed, depress the FIX ENABLE button; this causes the delta correction of own-
aircraft position to be inserted into the computer.
Data Link Update
To perform a data link update of the aircraft INS to the TDS frame of reference, the aircraft and TDS must share a
prebriefed waypoint, identical in latitude and longitude. Enter this LAT/LONG data into the HOST AREA pseudo
target file. The TDS will uplink the common reference point as a data link waypoint. When the aircraft and TDS INS
systems agree, the data link waypoint and host area symbols will be superimposed on the TID. If they drift apart, the
two pseudo targets on the TID will drift as well.
To perform an update via data link, use the following steps:
1. Hook data link waypoint corresponding prebriefed reference point.

2. Select NAV category on CAP.

3. Overfly the hooked data link waypoint. When immediately over the point, press VIS FIX button on CAP.
4. Observe delta LAT and LONG on TID.
5. If deltas are satisfactory and update is desired, depress FIX ENABLE.
After a data link update, HOST AREA and data link waypoint should be superimposed on the TID again.
Fighter-to-Fighter Navigation Update
Net aircraft that use fighter-to-fighter data link can update their navigation system in the FF/DL mode. To update
LAT/LONG hook the net aircraft symbol of an aircraft that is in close proximity and select F/F NAV UPDATE on
the CAP. This will enter the hooked aircraft’s coordinates into the INS as own-aircraft coordinates. To update the nav
system on an aircraft that is not close, first obtain a radar STT on that aircraft, hook the STT-ed aircraft on the TID
and then press F/F NAV UPDATE on the CAP.
Note By updating to the selected aircraft’s INS, its calibration/drift can potentially introduce a larger
error into your own INS. Both aircraft will share the same error though.
Position Marking
To mark the position of a pulse radar target, a visual target or a TACAN station to be displayed on the TID, use the
SURF TGT position in the TAC DATA category. Once displayed on the TID, latitude, longitude, range, bearing, and
steering data are available, using the CAP or the navigation destination control or both.
Note Do not use the position SURF TGT to update the navigation computer. The surface target position
symbol is repositioned with respect to own aircraft instead of own aircraft being updated in reference
to the surface target.
To mark a pulse radar target on the TID, follow these steps:
1. Select the SURF TGT button.
2. Establish the location via a radar fix.
3. Select the DDD CURSOR and use the pulse system for radar mapping.
4. Designate the point of interest by placing the cursor over that point.
5. Selecting full action.
6. Select RDR FIX.
This will display a delta from the hooked point to the surface target. Ignore the delta and select FIX ENABLE to
position the surface target over the previously identified radar position. A very accurate readout of latitude, longitude,
and steering information will become available for the Surface Target Waypoint.
The method for visual targets is the same, but a visual fix is required. You can also mark a TACAN station by using
the same method and following the TACAN fix procedures. After completing any of the above procedures, the SURF
TGT symbol will be displayed on the TID at the computed latitude and longitude coordinates.
The surface target symbol can also be used as a destination point. If its position has been previously entered, the
symbol will appear on the TID. One method for special position marking is to hook any point on the TID and select
SURF TGT. The surface target symbol now appears over the hooked point and its new position will be stored in the
WCS computer.

3.25.6 Attitude and Heading Reference Set (AHRS)
The AHRS provides backup pitch and roll information to the CSDC and WCS computer, if attitude data from the INS
is not available. At any time, the AHRS provides prime magnetic heading to the BDHI for direct analog display and to
the CSDC where it is converted to digital information for the VDIG, MDIG, and the WCS. Additionally the autopilot
gets its heading reference from the AHRS.
Note The only analog cockpit display for magnetic heading is the BDHI. The HUD, VDI, TID, HSD, and
multiple display indicator are digital and receive their inputs from the AHRS through the CSDC.
Thus. in case of a CSDC failure, the only magnetic heading is displayed on the BDHI.
The main assemblies of the AHRS are a two-gyro platform (vertical and directional displacement gyros), an electronic
control amplifier, a compass controller, a magnetic azimuth detector and an electronic compensator.
In case of an IMU failure, the CSDC automatically selects AHRS attitude information for display and autopilot control.
The directional gyro smoothens the flux valve heading signal in the SLAVED mode or provides a direct heading
reference in the DG mode. The resulting heading is transmitted to thee BDHI, the CSDC, and the WCS.
Note
• In the INS nav mode IMU true heading is used and must be converted to magnetic heading by
adding or subtracting the magnetic variation to have a backup magnetic value, if needed. Under
normal operation, AHRS magnetic heading is used for all displays.
• The AHRS is unlimited in roll, but limited to 82° in pitch. If the pitch attitudes exceeds ±82, it
will precess. A gradual precession in roll, pitch, and heading can also be expected in sustained
turns at slow rates (less than 6° per minute). Large roll and pitch precession errors can be
corrected by flying straight and level, without accelerating, and pressing and holding the HDG
set button on the compass controller panel. Pressing and holding this button corrects precession
errors at a rate of 12° per minute minimum. The HDG set button should be held for a least 3
minutes. Before repeating the 3-minute cycle, it should be released for at least 1 minute.
Compass Controller Panel
Use the compass controller panel to select one of three compass modes when the AHRS is used as heading reference.
For description see Compass Control Panel.
When magnetic heading references are unreliable, operate the system in the DG mode. When magnetic reference is
reliable, operate the system in the SLAVED mode. When DG or SLAVED modes are inoperable, the COMP mode
can be used for emergencies.
Note If both the IMU and the AHRS fail, pitch and roll attitude indications from the HUD, TID, and
DDD will be removed, and the IMU and AHRS advisory lights illuminate. Select COMP mode on
the compass controller panel to possibly restore valid magnetic heading information to the HUD,
VDI, and HSD, the AHRS advisory lights will go off. Disregard the invalid pitch and roll attitude
information that will be restored to the HUD and VDI.
AHRS Operation
As a compass, the AHRS operates in three modes:

• The directional gyro (DG) mode provides a free-gyro heading reference with Earthrate correction.
• The SLAVED mode provides a gyrostabilized magnetic heading
• And the compass (COMP) mode provides an emergency magnetic heading from the compass transmitter only.

If the COMP mode is selected, the AFCS is automatically disengaged to prevent erratic steering commands. The
COMP mode cannot provide a sufficiently stable heading signal for AFCS operation and should only be used for
emergencies. To erect the AHRS, press and hold the HDG set button on the compass controller (3 minutes on, 1
minute off cycle) until the needle of the synchronous indicator is bracketing the null mark.
If nav mode is set to INS or IMU/AM, attitude displays will continue to indicate properly when the AHRS pitch limit
of 82° is exceeded, but all displays of magnetic heading will be in error and the advisory lights may be on or off. If
this is encountered, accurate and stable magnetic heading displays on the HUD, VDI, HSD, TID, and multiple display
indicator can be regained immediately by inserting the proper MAG VAR via the computer address panel.
3.25.7 TACAN System (AN/ARN-84)
The TACAN system indicates a slant range accurate to within 0.1 NM and a bearing of 0.5° to any surface station
selected. Slant range to airborne stations is provided with an air-to-air (A/A) mode. Operating range is approximately
300 NM, if line of sight is given.
The system offers 126 operating channels in each of 2 modes. Receiving frequencies for surface-to-air operation are
962 to 1024 MHz and 1151 to 1213 MHz, for air-to-air operations, the frequencies are from 1025 to 1150 MHz. The
TACAN uses two antennas that automatically switch in a 6-second interval until a threshold signal is received. Note
that the TACAN can take up to 2 minutes to warm up, when turned on for the first time after a cold start.
TACAN Modes
The system is capable of receiving valid signals from a ground station simultaneously with 99 other aircraft in either
REC or T/R mode.
In the A/A mode, the system is capable of transponding with each of five cooperating aircraft, indicating slant range
information to each, but the system will interrogate and lock on to only one at a time.
Both pilot and RIO share Identical TACAN control panels on the left consoles. Individual TACAN CMD buttons on
both the pilot and RIO left consoles provide transfer of TACAN control between pilot and RIO. Control of TACAN
is indicated by a flip-flop indicator in each cockpit showing PLT (pilot) or RIO. Either crewman may adjust the audio
level of the identification signal. For TACAN panel description see TACAN Control Panel.
TACAN Displays
Bearing and distance to a TACAN station is displayed on the BDHI, the HSD, and the multiple display indicator.
Deviation to the TACAN station is displayed on the HUD and VDI (VDIG) and the HSD and multiple display indicator.
The MDIG displays TACAN bearing marker, deviation ticks, range-to-TACAN station, and course. The HUD and
VDI display provide a TACAN deviation bar, which is coded, on the HUD: solid line - TO station, dashed line -
FROM station and on the VDI: bright bar - TO station, dark bar - FROM station.
TACAN information is also displayed on both the pilot’s and RIO’s identical BDHI. The bearing and distance functions
of the BDHI come alive when the TACAN mode select switch is set to T/R. In the REC and T/R modes, magnetic
bearings are displayed by the No.2 (large) needle, which unlocks and enters a search mode (spins) whenever bearing
information is unreliable.
Range information received in T/R or A/A mode, is displayed in nautical miles on the distance counter. An OFF
flag covers the counter window if the range information is unreliable or not available. TACAN information is also
displayed on the pilot HSD, HUD, and VDI and on the RIO multiple display indicator in other navigation modes.

TACAN Operation
If after approximately 2 minutes warm up time the range and bearing indications continue to search when a reliable
station is selected, check circuit breakers should or select another station. The system has a memory feature so that
tracking will not be interrupted by momentary disruption of received signals.
A range signal that is lost and has been previously tracked for at least 10 seconds, will be sustained by memory for 9
to 12 seconds. A bearing signal that has been tracked for at least 15 seconds will be retained for 3 to 8 seconds after
signal loss. This allows for automatic antenna switching without a loss of TACAN displays.
During the minimum warmup time, failure indications and erroneous readouts should be disregarded and self-test
results may be inconclusive.
TACAN BIT
The TACAN system has a built in test that continuously monitors the TACAN functionality and provides an interruptive
self-test. To start a 22-second interruptive self-test, use the momentary button (BIT switch) and monitor the GO (green)
and NO-GO (amber) status lights.
Note A BIT performed on TACAN stations within 2 NM can give an invalid indication. If a TCN acronym
or NO-GO response is observed while tuned to a local station, along with normal TACAN azimuth
and range, the acronym and/or the NO-GO should be disregarded.
The normal BIT sequence is as follows:
1. Set MODE switch to T/R, allow 2 minutes for warmup.
2. Press and hold BIT button.
3. Both GO and NO-GO lights illuminate (light test).
4. BDHI range OFF flag appears.
5. BDHI bearing needle rotates counterclockwise.
6. Release button; both lights go out (self-test starts).
7. After 5 to 6 seconds, BDHI and HSD range reads 2 NM, BDHI and HSD bearing reads 4° (identify TACAN
station).
8. After 22 seconds, if good, green GO light illuminates, if bad, amber NO-GO light illuminates.
3.25.8 Bearing Distance and Heading Indicator (BDHI)
A BDHI is on the right side of the pilot and RIO instrument panels, see Bearing Distance Heading Indicator (BDHI).
It displays aircraft magnetic heading with navigation bearing data and range information. The controls on the compass
panel set the BDHI compass card to operate in a slaved or nonslaved (FREE DG) compass mode. A fixed index marker
at the 12-o’clock position indicates the magnetic heading.
Two servo-driven bearing needles show magnetic bearings to the selected UHF (ADF) and TACAN stations. The No.1
(single bar) needle receives signals from the UHF (ADF) system, the No.2 (double bar) needle receives signals from
the TACAN coupler.
The No.1 needle will continue to point toward the signal source, even if the compass card is misaligned or a malfunc-
tion exists, but the bearing to the station is displayed on the indicator as a relative bearing and the top of the indicator
bezel will show 000°. The No.2 needle will also continue to show the magnetic bearing to the selected station or may
revert to the search mode.

3.25.9 Radar Altimeter System (AN/APN-194)
The radar altimeter is a low-altitude (0 to 5,000 feet), pulsed, range-tracking radar that measures the surface or terrain
clearance below the aircraft. Altitude information is obtained by radiating a short-duration RF pulse from the transmit
antenna to the Earth’s surface and measuring elapsed time until RF energy returns through the receiver antenna. The
altitude is continuously presented to the pilot on an indicator dial in feet AGL. If either Landing or Take off mode is
selected on the PDCP, radar altitude is displayed on the HUD from 0 to 1,400 feet.
The radar altimeter can operate in two modes. In the search mode, the system successively examines increments of
range until the complete altitude range is searched for a return signal. When a return signal is detected, the system
switches to the track mode and tracks the return signal to provide continuous altitude information.
If the radar altimeter drops out of the track mode, an OFF flag appears and the pointer is hidden by a mask. The
altimeter will remain inoperative until a return signal is received, at which point the altimeter will display altitude
above ground again. Reliable system operation in the altitude range of 0 to 5,000 feet permits close altitude control at
minimum altitudes. The system will operate normally in bank angles up to 45° and in climbs or dives except when the
reflected signal is too weak.
The system includes a height indicator (altimeter), a test light on the indicator, a low-altitude warning tone, a radar
receiver-transmitter under the forward cockpit, and two antennas (transmit and receive), one on each side of the IR
fairing, in the aircraft skin. During descent, the warning tone is heard momentarily when the aircraft passes through
the altitude set on the limit index. When the aircraft is below this altitude, the red low-altitude warning light on the
indicator will stay on.
Note If radar altitude is unreliable, only the OFF flag is present.
The radar altimeter has a minimum warmup time of 3 minutes. During warmup, failure indications and erroneous
readouts should be disregarded.
Radar Altimeter
The only controls for the system are on the Radar Altimeter on the pilot instrument panel. The indicator displays radar
altitude above the Earth’s surface on a single-turn dial that is calibrated from 0 to 5,000 feet in decreasing scale to
provide greater definition at lower altitudes. The control knob in the lower left corner of the indicator is a combination
power switch, self-test switch, and positioning control for the low-altitude limit bug.
Altimeter Bit
To energize the self-test circuitry press and hold the control knob and the green test light will illuminate, the indicator
will read 100 ±10 feet, and the HUD altitude scale should read approximately 100 feet. If the indicator passes below
the altimeter limit bug setting, the aural and visual warnings are triggered. To resume normal operation simply release
the control knob again.
Low-Altitude Audio Warning
A low-altitude 1,000-Hz tone provides an aural warning, modulated at two pulses per second, lasting for 3 seconds.
The tone is played to both crew members when the aircraft descends below the altitude set on the low-altitude limit
bug.
3.25.10 Navigation System Integration

Navigational Modes
3 navigational modes exist in the F-14. The primary navigation mode is inertial and is achieved by the INS, employing
the IMU (and PSU) and the CSDC. INS provides the flight crew with own-aircraft position, velocity, attitude, and
heading information.
The second mode is the inertial measurement unit/airmass (IMU/AM) mode. It serves as a backup navigation mode
and entry into this mode permanently degrades INS platform heading alignment.
The third mode is the AHRS/air mass (AHRS/ AM) mode, which utilizes the AHRS attitude and heading information
in place of the IMU and also serves as an additional backup mode if both INS and IMU/AM modes fail.
Inertial Navigation Mode
INS mode should be entered following an alignment. The READY light illuminates in GND and CVA alignment
positions and stays on after launch in CAT alignment, indicating completion of alignment. If the INS mode is selected,
both the STBY and READY lights will go out. However, if the INS mode is selected before the caret turns into a
diamond, both the STBY and READY lights will illuminate and the system will revert to the IMU/AM backup mode.
In the INS mode, IMU and CSDC provide the following outputs:
1. Aircraft latitude and longitude
2. Aircraft magnetic or true heading (depending on CAP prefix button selected)
3. System altitude (barometric damped inertial altitude)
4. Platform wander angle
5. Velocity components (x, y, z)
6. Vertical acceleration.
Aircraft magnetic heading is derived from the AHRS. If the AHRS fails, magnetic heading is then derived by subtract-
ing the MAG VAR from the true heading. The available readouts on the TID can display latitude, longitude, ground
speed, ground track, true airspeed, wind (speed and direction), MAG VAR, altitude, and aircraft true or magnetic
heading.
The WCS computer makes calculations in true north coordinates for steering and uses the magnetic heading input
from the AHRS to update the value. Wind is computed from the difference between inertial velocities and air mass
velocities. The WCS and CSDC also provide the steering and cueing functions required for display to the flight crew.
The information can be displayed on the TID, HSD, multiple display indicator, HUD, and VDI, depending on the
navigation and steering modes selected by the flight crew.
The available destination or navigation points are waypoints 1, 2, or 3, fix point, home base, surface target, and initial
point and may be designated by the DEST switch on the TID.
Additionally, navigational points (latitude and longitude) may also be inserted by the RIO using the CAP or by datalink
message (when on the deck) using either cable or the RF link.
The course to set (heading to a selected navigational point), range, bearing, and time-to-go to a point are based on
great circle calculations. The time-to-go assumes the aircraft is flown at its present groundspeed along the great circle
heading to the selected point.
Note If INS fails, the RIO should verify MAG VAR calculated and WIND data and update via manual
entries as required.

IMU/AM Navigation Mode
If a failure of the navigation computer section of the CSDC or certain failures in the IMU are detected, the IMU/AM
mode is entered automatically. The failures are indicated by the STBY and READY lights illuminating and the NAV
COMP light illuminating on the RIO CAUTION/ ADVISORY panel.
The switch to IMU/AM is indicated by the IN acronym on the TID and HSD changing to IM. The RIO should select
IMU/AM on the NAV MODE switch to extinguish the STBY and READY lights. The IMU/AM mode can be entered
manually by selecting IMU/AM with the NAV MODE switch.
If the switch is turned off before selecting IMU/AM mode, the computer cannot enter the IMU/AM mode for approx-
imately 3 to 5 minutes. This is necessary to allow the IMU to level itself after being turned off. During these 3 to 5
minutes, the aircraft must remain stationary on the ground or in level unaccelerated flight. Until the IMU is leveled,
the computer will use the AHRS/ AM mode. If the IMU is level (i.e., alignment past coarse align completed), the
entry into IMU/AM will occur immediately upon selection.
Note If an alignment past coarse exists with no NAV COMP failure and the RIO switches to IMU/AM,
the READY light will flash, indicating that if the switch is not returned to INS within 5 seconds the
INS mode cannot be re-entered without completing a new alignment.
The WCS computer performs dead-reckoning navigation in the IMU/AM mode, using heading information from the
IMU and true airspeed from the CADC. The same general navigation functions are performed in the backup mode as
for the INS mode. The accuracy of the computer outputs degrades because of the inferior available speed and heading
information.
Wind can be applied by either using the wind last computed in the INS mode or wind data manually entered through
the CAP. The IMU heading is equally referenced to the last computed INS heading or to manual entry of true heading
data via the CAP.
Note After entering the IMU/AM mode, check wind and MAG VAR values. If MV is in error, enter
own-aircraft true heading. If winds are in error, update.
IMU Reset Procedure
1. NAV MODE switch - OFF, for a few seconds.

2. NAV MODE switch - IMU.
3. Fly straight and level for 5 minutes.
4. Verify IM acronym.
AHRS/Air Mass Mode
The AHRS/AM mode is another backup mode for navigation. It uses the last known aircraft position, by either taking
the last navigation computer value or by manual data entry from the RIO. It then extrapolates the present position of the
aircraft. AHRS/AM mode is automatically selected if the IMU fails or by switching to AHRS/AM on the NAV MODE
switch. An IMU failure is indicated by the STBY and READY status lights and the IMU advisory light illuminating.
Additionally, the attitude status readout on the TID changes to AH.
WARNING: The navigation mode will not automatically switch to AHRS/AM upon an IMU failure when the navi-
gation system is in IMU/AM mode with a failed IMU quantizer and NAV COMP advisory light illuminated. Because
the VDIG/TID/DDD are displaying invalid IMU attitudes, the NAV MODE switch should be moved to AHRS/AM.
Note Although the navigation mode automatically switches to AHRS when the IMU fails, the STBY and
READY lights will remain on until the RIO selects AHRS/AM on the NAV MODE switch.

When AHRS/AM is selected on the NAV MODE switch, the AHRS provides heading information required for DR
navigation in place of the IMU platform and the CSDC provides barometric altitude, altitude rate, and true airspeed as
in the IMU/ AM mode. To update wind speed and direction and magnetic variation, use the CAP.
The AHRS can be operated in any of three subheading modes selected on the compass controller panel:
1. SLAVED - Magnetic north referenced (flux value), directional gyro is slaved to flux value, used where reliable
magnetic heading reference is available.
2. DG - Free azimuth gyro, compensated for drift because of Earth’s (polar operations), used where magnetic
reference is unreliable.
3. COMP - Magnetic north reference direct (flux value), no gyro damping. The HUD, VDI, HSD, and multiple
display indicator use manual magnetic variation (vM) automatically in this mode.
The RIO can switch from either INS mode to AHRS/AM mode or from IMU/AM mode to AHRS/AM mode for
comparison, without fear of degradation, since the AHRS is a separate system. This cannot be done with the INS
and IMU/AM modes since the IMU is used in both cases and it would result in permanent degradation to the IMU
alignment. In the case of an IMU failure the nav system will automatically operate in the AHRS/AM mode with the
navigation and data readout panel in INS, as long as the WCS computer receives heading from the AHRS and airspeed
from the CADC.
Note If takeoff is performed in the AHRS/AM mode, MAG VAR and WIND must be manually inserted
via CAP for proper navigation computations.
When the platform is aligned and the AHRS/AM backup navigation mode is selected, the STBY light is off but the
READY light is on, indicating that the inertial navigation mode can be selected if desired. The same functions and
outputs for display are computed as in INS, however since different inputs are used for some calculations a degraded
navigation performance is to be expected.
Steering
There are two basic types of steering: navigation and attack. Attack steering modes will be covered in the Weapons
and Weapons Employment overview.
Navigation steering is computed on either a great circle course or rhumb line to a fixed point on the Earth’s surface or
as a deviation from a selected course or heading. In general, great circle computations are used for long ranges and
rhumb line for short distances (where it is close to great circle course). The point used for steering can be the RIO’s
selected destination (three waypoints, fixed point, identification point, surface target, or home base), a TACAN station,
ADF information, ACLS information, or a data link waypoint.
Flight Modes and Steering Submodes
The pilot can choose between five VDIG display formats (HUD modes) on the pilot display control panel. These five
flight modes are arranged as five vertical, mutually exclusive buttons:
1. Take Off (T.O.)
2. Cruise (CRUISE)
3. Air to Air (A/A)
4. Air to Ground (A/G)
5. Landing (LDG)
Note ACM cover open selection overrides all modes, except the T.O. and LDG modes.

Apart from the VDIG displays, the flight mode selections also control AFCS, armament, and WCS logic. In addition
to the essential data such as altitude, vertical speed indicator etc. the VDIG format also provides steering cues.
In each of the flight modes, the pilot can choose between the following five types of steering commands:
1. TACAN (TACAN)
2. Destination (DEST)
3. AWL/PCD
4. Vector (VEC)
5. Manual (MAN)
The five selections are arranged horizontally along the bottom of the PDCP. These steering modes determine the
display format on the pilot HSD and the RIO multiple display indicator. The HSD and multiple display indicator
present, in a horizontal plane, steering to the selected point. The HSD follows the five submodes when the pilot places
the HSD-MODE switch to NAV.
The RIO can do the same by setting the MODE switch on his multiple display indicator control panel to NAV. Also,
when LDG is selected, the pilot has the option of displaying ICLS or ACL information via switches on the PDCP that
can be used to individually and independently select the HUD and VDI for display. A typical choice would be to select
ICLS (SPN-41 /ARA-63) for the HUD and for D/L the VDI.
A/A (air-to-air) and A/G (air-to-ground) modes are further explained in the Weapons and Weapons Employement
overview.
Note The STEERING indicator drum on the navigation control and data readout panel provides a readout
for the RIO to inform him of what steering submode the pilot bas chosen.
Takeoff Steering
To enter the takeoff steering mode, press the T.O. button on the display control panel. The VDIG will display a
vertical speed indicator on the left side and an altitude scale on the right side in the HUD. Before takeoff, the pilot
should check the magnetic heading on top of the HUD and VDI against a known reference (i.e. runway heading and
most importantly BRC on the carrier, due to the large magnetic distortion on the ship). The vertical speed indicator
should be used to verify a positive climb after takeoff.
After takeoff, the navigation system normally computes wind and magnetic variation, which are needed for steering.
For backup modes, the WCS uses the last computed or RIO-entered wind speed, direction, and magnetic variation.
Take-Off-TACAN Steering
The TACAN steering submode works the same, whether used for takeoff, cruise, or landing, by providing the pilot with
a TACAN deviation. The pilot can set the course or TACAN radial with the CRS control on the HSD. The TACAN
displays are available on the HUD, VDI, HSD, and multiple display indicator. The HSD and the CMD display TACAN
range and the relative bearing to a selected TACAN station.
To enter the submode, press the TACAN button on the PDCP. After selection of TACAN course, the HUD and VDI
display the TACAN deviation symbol and a TO and FROM symbology. This indicates whether the TACAN course is
toward or away from the TACAN station. On the HSD and multiple display indicator, an arrow on the deviation bar
pointing in the same direction as the TACAN course indicates a course toward the station, an arrow pointing in the
opposite direction indicates a course away from the station. On the HUD, a dashed line indicates FROM, a solid line
indicates TO. On the VDI, a dark bar indicates FROM, a bright bar indicates TO.
On the HUD, the deviation symbol moves 3° (linear) in the field of view for a 6° deviation from the selected TACAN
radial. These limits prevent the symbol from leaving the field of view or interfering with the scales on the left and
right side. On the VDI, the deviation symbol is scaled to move 1.5 inches (linear) for a 6° deviation.
Takeoff Manual Steering

The manual steering mode is similar to the basic takeoff mode. The mode is entered by pressing the MAN button
and selecting a desired course with the CRS control on the HSD. The navigation system will then display a command
heading on the VDI as a small diamond under the magnetic heading scale.
Cruise Steering
To enter the cruise flight mode. press the CRUISE button on the PDCP. There are four steering submodes available dur-
ing cruise operations: TACAN, destination, manual and vector. While it is physically possible to press the AWL/PCD
steering button on the display control panel, the action is without function in cruise mode.
Note Should the AWL/PCD submode be selected while in CRUISE, it will inhibit the display of other
steering cues.
Cruise TACAN Steering
This submode works in the same way as take off TACAN steering and provides the same readouts and displays to the
flight crew as described under take off TACAN steering.
Cruise Destination Steering
To enter the cruise destination steering mode, press the DEST button on the PDCP. This will provide steering as a
command heading symbol on the VDI and HSD to a waypoint selected by the RIO on the navigation control and data
readout panel. The RIO can change latitude/longitude of the destination by hooking the point on the TID and inserting
new data.
Note
• Destination steering to the defended point is provided by the RIO selecting MAN with the TID
DEST switch. This option is not available in TARPS.
• In the destination steering submode, the destination selected by the RIO and the NAV MODE
in use will be alternately displayed on the bottom center of the HSD.
Fig. 7: ECMD showing the navigational display for Cruise with Manual steering selected.

Fig. 8: VDI and HSD showing navigational displays for Cruise with TACAN steering selected.
Fig. 9: HSD showing navigational display for Cruise with Waypoint 1 set as Destination.

Landing Steering Modes
To enter the landing steering mode, press the LDG button on the PDCP. Usually the LDG mode is engaged at any
point from marshal point on. In the case of a go around, waveoff or bolter, the pilot can press the T.O. button on the
PDCP to engage the take off steering mode.
The landing mode symbology is in general the same as the takeoff mode symbology. Exceptions are the addition of
angle-of-attack error symbol on the HUD (the E-bracket, referenced towards the displayed aircraft wings and not the
velocity vector) and the velocity vector symbol, as well as 5° pitch increments on the VDI.
Note In all landing submodes, a VDIG breakaway symbol can be displayed upon receipt of a D/L waveoff
message.
There are three steering submodes available during landing. These are TACAN, VEC, and AWL/PCD. For the TACAN
or VEC submodes of LDG, the HUD, VDI, and HSD displays are similar to the same submodes in CRUISE except
that in LDG the HUD display includes the velocity vector symbol, the radar altitude symbol and the vertical speed
indicator symbol.
AWL Steering
If ICLS information from the ARA-63 is available at the marshalling area, the pilot can select the AWL/PCD sub
mode. To observe glideslope displays, the HUD and VDI AWL switches on the pilot display and control panel should
be placed in the ILS position.
The HUD and VDIG will then provide vertical and lateral precision course vector symbols, forming crossed pointers
that are driven by the ICLS. On the HUD, full-scale vector deflection is limited to 2°. Full-scale vector deflection on
the VDI is 1.5°. In the AWL/PCD submode of LDG, the HSD will additionally display TACAN information if the
HSD is set to NAV mode on the PDCP.
At the acquisition window, the pilot can either continue with the ILS display, or, if ACL information from the SPN-42
data link is available, he can select ACL of the AWL switches for either the VDI or HUD displays or both. The ACL
display uses the same vertical and lateral precision course vector symbols as the ICLS, but these are now driven by the
SPN-42 data link. A typical display combination during the final stages of landing is ILS on the HUD and ACL on the
VDI. With valid ACL data available, the AFCS may be engaged by selecting ACL on the VEC/PCD, OFF, and ACL
switch located on the AFCS control panel.
Fig. 10: HUD showing Landing mode display with TACAN set as destination source.

Fig. 11: HUD showing Landing mode with AWL/PCD set as Destination source, ACL set as source of glideslope and
localiser.
Fig. 12: VDI showing Landing mode with AWL/PCD set as Destination source, ILS (ICLS) set as source of glideslope
and localiser.

3.26 Communications Systems
3.26.1 Antennas
Four VHF/UHF/L-band dual-blade antennas provide omnidirectional coverage for VHF/UHF voice, UHF data link,
TACAN, and identification friend or foe/selective identification feature transponder (APX-72) operation. TACAN
and VHF/UHF 2 voice communications use one set of antennas; UHF 1 voice communications, the data link and
IFF transponder, another set of antennas. Refer to general arrangement illustration for antenna locations. The IFF
interrogator (APX-76) antenna is an integral part of the AWG-9 WCS antenna.
Each individual system is connected to the appropriate portion of an upper or lower antenna through a coaxial switch
and diplexer. The V/UHF 2 ANT switch on the RIO communication TACAN CMD panel must be used to select
the upper or lower antenna manually; there is no automatic actuation function in these aircraft. The data link (DIL)
antennas are similarly selected manually. Upper or lower antenna is selected by means of ANTENNA switches on
the DATA LINK control panel. The UHF 1 voice communication ARC-159 antenna is shared with the DIL antenna
system and is always on the opposite antenna from the one selected by the ANTENNA switch.
The upper V/UHF 2/TACAN antenna is the first one aft of the canopy on the turtleback, and the lower antenna is
imbedded in the bottom of the left ventral fin. Only one antenna is used at a time. Automatic switching between
antennas prevents loss of TACAN information. If a signal is lost or is too weak to hold receiver lockup, the TACAN
automatically cycles between the two antennas every 6 seconds seeking a stronger signal.
During this cycling and search period, memory circuits retain range tracking for 8 to 12 seconds and bearing tracking
for 8 seconds. The IFF antenna lobing switch is controlled by the IFF ANT switch on the RIO right outboard console.
In AUTO, the lobing switch cycles the receiver transmitter between upper and lower antenna. In the LWR (lower)
position, only the lower antenna is used to receive and transmit signals. The upper antenna pattern has a slight forward
tilt; the lower pattern a slight aft tilt.
Note In real life it is often necessary to select LWR to improve ground station reception. However due
to the limitations of DCS, antenna switching is not modeled and thus not functional. The use of
antennas is automated and/or neglected for the player. All radios and radio functions work through
proper keying.
3.26.2 ICS - Intercommunications System
The ICS provides normal, backup, or emergency communications between crewmembers. It also combines and ampli-
fies audio signals received from other electronic receiving equipment (ECM, Sidewinder tone, IFF/SIF, radar altimeter,
and voice radios, etc.). Identical ICS control panels are on the pilot and RIO left side consoles. The ICS consists of
four amplifiers, two at each cockpit station, which permit duplex operation during normal operation. If one amplifier
fails, it may be bypassed by selecting either the B/U (backup) or EMER (emergency) position on the ICS control
panel. This permits continued ICS operation.
Note If two amplifiers fail at the same station, intercommunication is impossible.
Note2 By selecting EMER on respective ICS control panel and using the other crewmember’s amplifier
you can listen in on audio normally only available at that station (like SW-tone or ALQ-126 PRF)
but you lose ability to control the volume of the audio you listen to.
The external interphone connection is in the nose-wheel well. When pilot ICS switch is set to HOT MIC, ground
personnel can communicate with the cockpit stations. In DCS this works through selecting the ground crew commu-
nication menu in the DCS radio communication menu when activating ICS PTT.
3.26. Communications Systems 289


1. Pilot Radio ICS button • ICS – Permits intercommunication when COLD
MIC is selected on function selector. Overrides
UHF/VHF communications.
• Both – Keys both radios for operation. Not func-
tional in DCS.
• UHF 1 – Keys ARC-159 radio for operation.
• UHF 2 – Keys ARC-182 radio for operation.
Controls intercommunication audio level at that cockpit

2. VOL control
station. Audio level at other station not affected.
3. Amplifier selector • B/U – (Backup) used to bypass a fault amplifier

and uses a backup output amplifier at own station.
• NORM – (Normal) used when all amplifiers are
functioning properly.
• EMER – (Emergency) used to bypass faulty am-
plifier and makes use of input amplifier of other
station. No HOT MIC.
CAUTION With the front cockpit ampli-
fier selector switch in the EMER posi-
tion, engine stall/overtemperature and
Sidewinder tones will not be available
to the pilot.
4. Function selector • RADIO OVERRIDE – Attenuates noncritical ra-

dio audio to emphasize intercommunication when
urgent.
• HOT MIC – Intercommunication without keying.
• COLD MIC – Intercommunication only when pi-
lot actuates ICS keying switch on inboard throttle
or RIO actuates keying switch on left foot rest.
RIO’s ICS button (Left Foot Rest) Permits intercommunication if COLD MIC is selected
on the function selector control. Overrides UHF com-
munication.
RIO’s MIC button (Right Foot Rest) Permits transmission of UHF 1 or UHF 2 radios as se-
lected on the communications/TACAN command panel.
Note that BOTH is not functional in DCS.
Note The two RIO footpedals have axis bindings in DCS to allow sim rudder pedals to trigger these
functions.
3.26.3 Audio Warning Signals
Audio warning signals from the weapon system are available to either or both crewmen through the ICS. Each signal
has a distinct tone. A visual display accompanies most audio signals so that the flightcrew can expect the tone and
interpret its meaning. Most audio signals may be attenuated or turned off if not required, allowing the flightcrew to
concentrate on more critical tones.
Critical warning tones cannot be attenuated by any mode of ICS operation. The table below provides a glossary of
audio warning signals available within the aircraft weapon systems. Approximately 1 minute of warmup is required

in order to achieve normal operating temperature.
Tone Po- Controls Function Characteristics

si-
tion
Sidewinder Pilot Volume/TACAN Command Panel Missile lock tone High frequency, increases
with lockon indication.
ALR-67 Pilot Volume/TACAN Command Panel Threat indication Low to high frequency, de-
& (pilot) & Radar Warning Receiver termined by threat level.
RIO Panel (RIO)
AN/ALQ- RIO DECM Control Panel Threat indication Raw PRF sound.
126
Radar Pilot Radar Altimeter Indicator (Pilot) Low altitude warn- 1 000 Hz tone, modulated at
Altimeter & ing 2 pulses per second for 3 sec-
RIO onds.
TACAN Pilot TACAN Control Panel Station identifica- TACAN station morse code.
& tion
RIO
AN/ARC- Pilot UHF 1 Control Panel (Pilot) Own aircraft DF 1 020 Hz
159 (UHF & & RIO Communication/TACAN transmission
1) RIO Command Panel
AN/ARC- Pilot V/UHF 2 Control Panel (RIO) & Other aircraft DF 1 020 Hz, morse code or
182 (V/UHF & Volume/TACAN Command Panel transmission voice.
2) RIO (Pilot)
Engine Pilot None Engine stall de- Modulated 320 Hz for 10
Stall/Overtemperature tection & EGT seconds or until fault is re-
overtemp warning moved if before.
3.26.4 Pilot Volume/TACAN Command Panel
The Volume/TACAN command panel on the pilot left side console has three volume controls for regulating audio
signals from the ALR-67, Sidewinder (SW) and V/UHF 2.

Controls volume for pilot ALR-67 indication.
1. ALR-67 Volume control
Controls volume of pilot’s Sidewinder tone.

2. SW (Sidewinder) Volume control
Controls volume of pilot audio from V/UHF 2

3. V/UHF 2 Volume control
(AN/ARC-182).
Controls and indicate crewmember in control of
4. TACAN CMD control switch/indicator
TACAN.
3.26.5 RIO Communication/TACAN Command Panel
Allows RIO to select either UHF 1 (AN/ARC-159), V/UHF 2 (AN/ARC-182), or both radios for transmitting.
Note BOTH is not functional in DCS.
The V/UHF 2 ANT switch allows selection of upper or lower antenna to minimize interference between dual UHF or
data link operation. Opposite antenna selection, frequency separation greater than 55 MHz, or turning one radio off
is recommended. In addition, the DATA LINK panel provides lower or upper antenna selection for UHF 1 and DIL
operation.
Note Antenna Switching is not functional in DCS.
The TACAN CMD push buttons provide for transfer of TACAN control functions between pilot and RIO. The
crewmember (PLT or RIO) in control illuminates when selected.
The UHF 1 VOL control allows the RIO to adjust the audio level of the ARC 159 UHF 1 radio. The KY MODE switch
is operative only when the KY-58 is installed.
Note The Heatblur F-14B version uses the KY-28 only.

1. XMTR SEL switch
Selects desired VHF/UHF radio for use.
UHF 1 - Selects ARC-159 UHF 1 radio.
V/UHF 2 - Selects ARC-182 VHF/UHF radio.
Both - Selects both radios. (Not functional in DCS)
2. V/UHF 2 ANT switch

UPR - Selects upper antenna for V/UHF 2.
LWR - Selects lower antenna for V/UHF 2.
Note Non-functional in DCS.
Controls and indicate crewmember in control of

3. TACAN CMD control switch/indicator
TACAN.
Controls volume of RIO audio from UHF 1 (AN/ARC-
4. UHF 1 VOL control
159).
5 KY MODE switch Non-functional with KY-28.
3.26.6 AN/ARC-159 (UHF 1) Radio
The UHF 1 (ARC-159) radio provides air-to-air and air-to-surface voice communications. Radio frequency range
extends from 225.000 to 399.975 MHz. The equipment allows AM mode transmission and reception on any of the
20 preset channels and a guard channel (243.000 MHz). Guard frequency may be monitored simultaneously with any
other frequency selected. The ARC-159 has a possible 7 000 frequencies available by manually tuning in 25-kHz
steps. The ARC-159 radio is a solid-state, self-contained unit with a minimum RF output of 10 watts. All controls for
operation of the radio are on the front panel of the radio. The radio is located on the pilot left console.
Note: The UHF 1 (ARC-159) ADF position is non-functional in the modelled version of the F-14; use the DF mode
of V/UHF 2 ARC-182.

Controls volume of pilot audio for UHF 1.
1. VOL control
On/off control for radio squelch (noise-blanking when

2. SQL (Squelch) switch carrier is not present).
Four frequency tuning switches are used to tune

3. Frequency Tuning switches (Springloaded to transceiver when the mode selector switch is set to
Center) MANUAL. The left switch controls the hundreds and
tens digits, the second switch controls units, the third
switch controls tenths, and the right switch controls
hundredths and thousandths. Forward deflection of the
switch increases the numeric reading, and aft deflection
decreases the numeric reading.


Displays frequency when mode selector switch is in
4. FREQ/(CHAN) display MANUAL and displays UHF channel when mode
switch is in PRESET.
Deflection of the switch causes the frequency display to
5. READ switch show the preset channel frequency.
Controls brightness of radio FREQ/(CHAN) display.

6. BRT/TEST control Turn past max to show 888.888 test display.
Depressing button saves displayed frequency to selected

7. LOAD button preset channel.
8. Function selector ADF – The UHF 1 ARC-159 ADF function is not

functional; use the DF mode of the V/UHF 2 ARC-182.
BOTH – Energizes both the main transceiver and the

guard receiver.
MAIN – Main transceiver is energized permitting

normal transmission and reception. Receive or transmit
function is selected by the microphone push-to-talk
switch.
OFF – Secures UHF 1 radio.
Selects one of 20 preset frequency channels to use when

9. CHAN SEL control the tuning selector switch is set to PRESET.
Used to record preset channel frequencies. Frequencies

10. Frequency Chart preset in the mission editor will be automatically dis-
played here in DCS.
11. Mode Selector switch GUARD – Main transceiver is energized and shifted to
guard frequency of 243.0 MHz permitting transmission
and reception. In this position, both preset and manual
frequency selections are not available.
MANUAL – Frequency tuning controls are used to

tune the main transceiver to any frequency (7 000
available) within the range of the set. The frequency
selected is displayed in the readout window. In this
position, PRESET selections are not available.
PRESET – Used to tune the transceiver to any of 20

preset channels using the PRESET channel selector.
The selected channel is displayed in the readout
window.


Depressing button causes a steady tone (1 020 Hz) to be
12. TONE button transmitted on the frequency or channel selected.
Note UHF communication interference with the D/L may cause the TILT light to illuminate and the
autopilot ACL or VEC/PCD mode to disengage. Data link interference with the UHF radios may
cause audible chirping at the D/L message reply rate. Note: Although antenna switching is not
implemented in DCS, it is still recommended to use a frequency separation greater than 55 MHz,
and if necessary along with turning UHF 1 or V/UHF 2 radio OFF to avoid mutual interference
between UHF communications.
Note2 Transmissions on both UHF 1 and V/UHF 2 radios, while operating on the same frequency, may
result in a squeal. This feedback is a normal condition caused by RF interaction between the two
radios operating on the same frequency in close proximity to each other.
3.26.7 AN/ARC-182 (V/UHF 2) Radio
The ARC-182 radio provides multimode, multichannel, air-to-air/air-to-surface voice and tone communications. The
ARC-182 control panel is located on the RIO left console. Frequency range extends in four bands from 30 to 88, 108
to 156, 156 to 174, and 225 to 399.975 MHz on any of 11,960 channels (separated by 25 kHz).
Note The “Have Quick” anti-jam function is not implemented in DCS.
Transmission and reception are available in AM or FM bands. The modulation is selected automatically by the radio
except in the 225 to 399.975 band (toggle switch). 30 preset channels are available. Guard frequency of each band
may be monitored simultaneously with any other frequency selected. The radio is used with the ARA-50 to provide
automatic direction finding (ADF) to the transmitting station. The ARC-182 operates with secure-voice equipment
(KY-28, the KY-58 is not implemented in DCS). Upper and lower antenna installations provide reliable line-of-sight
communications to 200 NM (depending on altitude and atmospheric conditions). A remote indicator on the pilot
instrument panel indicates the channel or frequency selected.
Controls volume of RIO audio for V/UHF 2.
1. VOL control


On/off control for radio squelch (noise-blanking when
2. SQL (squelch) switch carrier is not present).
Four frequency tuning switches are used to tune

3. Frequency Tuning switches (Springloaded to transceiver when the mode selector switch is set to
Center) MANUAL. The left switch controls the hundreds and
tens digits, the second switch controls units, the third
switch controls tenths, and the right switch controls
hundredths and thousandths. Forward deflection of the
switch increases the numeric reading, and aft deflection
decreases the numeric reading.
Displays frequency when mode selector switch is in
4. FREQ/(CHAN) MAN and displays V/UHF channel when mode switch
is in PRESET.
5. UHF Mode switch Operational when tuned to frequencies in the 225.000

to 399.000 MHz band.
AM – Selects amplitude modulation signals. Varies

with atmospheric conditions, susceptible to
electromagnetic interference.
FM – Selects frequency modulation signals. Reduces

electromagnetic interference.
Controls brightness of radio FREQ/(CHAN) display.

6. BRT control
7. MODE selector OFF – Secures VHF/UHF radio, unless frequency

mode switch is set to 243.
T/R – Energizes transmitter and main receiver.
T/R&G – Energizes transmitter, main, and guard

receivers.
DF – Provides automatic direction finding from 108 to

399.975 MHz.
TEST – Indicates built-in-test (BIT) AT; displayed on

FREQ/(CHAN) indicator.


8. Frequency Mode switch (Outer Dial) 243 – Turns on the transceiver (takes precedence over
(outer dial) operational mode control) and causes the
main transceiver, and guard receiver to tune to 243.000
MHz (UHF guard frequency). All functions except
VOL SQL and BAT are disabled.
MAN – Allows manual selection of an operating

frequency using the frequency tuning switches.
Transceiver is disabled during a frequency change.
G – Tunes the transceiver to the guard frequency in the

band to which the radio was last tuned.
PRESET – Allows selection of any one of 40 present

operating frequencies with the CHAN SEL switch.
Selected channel is displayed on the FREQ/(CHAN)
display. Channels 31 through 40 are for Have Quick
(antijam) use and are not implemented in DCS.
READ – Displays the frequency (rather than channel)

of preset channel selected.
LOAD – Automatically places the displayed frequency

into the memory for the selected preset channel.
Selects one of 40 preset frequency channels to use when

9. CHAN SEL switch (Inner Dial) the tuning selector switch is set to PRESET.
3.26.8 Loading (saving) Preset Channel(s) on UHF 1 and V/UHF 2
1. MODE selection- T/R or T/R&G.

2. Frequency mode control - PRESET.
3. CHAN SEL switch- Select desired channel.
4. Frequency mode control- READ.
5. Frequency select switches - Slew to desired Frequency.
6. Frequency mode control - LOAD (frequency is stored in memory for selected channel).
7. Frequency mode control- READ, Verify frequency display.
8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 for subsequent channels.
3.26.9 AN/ARC-182 BIT (Built-in Test)
BIT isolates faults in AN/ARC-182. BIT should be started if the FREQ/(CHAN) display blanks, indicates an erroneous
readout or the transceiver otherwise malfunctions.

Proceed as follows:
1. MODE selector - TEST.
2. BRT control- As Required.
3. BIT requires approximately 10 seconds, observe FREQ/(CHAN) display.
1. No fault is indicated by 888.888.
2. Faults are indicated by a number that identifies the module or modules at fault.
Mode Display Fault Interpretation

RCV ‘ RMT or RT Select test mode
XMT ‘ LOW PWR Select test mode
TEST ‘ RMT CTRL Defective control
TEST 888.888 NONE RT and CTRL ok
TEST 465 RT Modules 4, 5 or 6 bad
TEST 061 VSWR RT or antenna system
TEST 651 FWD PWR RT or antenna system
TEST 157 RT Modules 1, 5 or 7 bad
TEST 333 RT Module 3 bad
3.26.10 AN/ARC-159 and AN/ARC-182 Remote Displays
Both the pilot and RIO has remote displays for the currently set channel or frequency of the radios. The pilot has
remote displays for both UHF 1 and V/UHF 2 and the RIO only for UHF 1.

1. UHF 1 Remote Channel/Frequency Indicator (Pi-
lot) Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the UHF 1 radio.

in 888.888 readout.
2. V/UHF 2 Remote Channel/Frequency Indicator

(Pilot) Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the V/UHF 2 radio.

in 888.888 readout.
3. UHF 1 Remote Channel/Frequency Indicator

(RIO) Displays a readout of the frequency or channel set for
the UHF 1 radio.

in 888.888 readout.
3.26.11 AN/ARA-50 UHF Automatic Direction Finder
The UHF automatic direction finder is used with the ARC-182 radio. ADF provides relative bearings to transmitting
ground stations or other aircraft. It can receive signals on any 1 of 30 preset channels or on any manually set frequency
in the 108 to 399.975 MHz range. The system has a line-of-sight range, varying with altitude.
The system requires a 5-minute warmup period. During the warmup time, failure indications should be disregarded.
The system uses the AS-909/ARA-48 ADF antenna. Bearing to transmitting stations is displayed on the pilot/RIO
BDHI (No. 1 needle), pilot HSD, and RIO multiple display indicator. The ADF signal is interrupted during voice
UHF transmissions.
3.26.12 TSEC/KY-28 Voice Security Equipment
The security equipment is integrated, and operates, with the VHF/UHF 2 and UHF 1 communication sets to enable
secure voice in a hostile environment. The KY-28 control panel on the RIO left side console is the only cockpit control
for operating the KY-28 in either cipher or plain-language modes.
The KY-28 has two basic modes of operation: plain (P) and cipher (C). The plain mode is used during normal UHF
communications. The cipher mode is used when secure voice communications are desired. The radio sets must be

ON to attain secure operation. The receiving station must be properly equipped to receive transmissions in the proper
cipher mode.
1. ZEROIZE switch
By lifting the guard the preloaded codes are erased and
must be loaded on the ground before cipher mode can
be used again.
In DCS this is done via the ground crew

communications menu.
2. Power-mode switch
P/OFF - UHF radio is used as a plain-language
transceiver. Removes power from the system.
C - Used to transmit and receive in secure mode

(cipher) using preloaded codes. Also applies power to
the system. To preload codes the system must be in this
mode and power be applied.
DELAY - Provides a time-delay between ptt and actual

transmission.
3. Radio-select switch
RELAY - Re-transmits information acting as a relay for
other stations, increasing their range. (Not functional in
DCS)
RAD-2 - Selects V/UHF 2 for secure voice.
RAD-1 - Selects UHF 1 for secure voice.
3.26.13 KY-28 Operation
Prelaunch
1. Determine that proper code has been set by personnel qualified in voice security equipment. In DCS and in
combination with SRS (Simple Radio) this is done through the ground crew communication menu in the DCS

communications menu.
2. VHF/UHF radios - ON.
3. Power mode switch - C.
4. Radio selector - RAD-1 or RAD-2.
5. If a ground test of equipment is desired, establish two-way, plain-text radio communications on the plain-voice
radio with a suitable remote station and request an equipment check. (In DCS another player is needed)
6. After a 2-minute warmup period, on the cipher selected radio listen for a steady, unbroken tone in the headset
followed by a double-pitched broken tone.
7. Key the appropriate radio selected for transmission, hold for approximately 2 seconds, and release. Double-
pitched broken tone will cease and no sound will be heard.
8. Key radio and hold. A single-beep tone will be heard in approximately 1-1/2 seconds. When this tone is heard,
the equipment is ready to cipher transmission.
9. After beep tone is heard, establish two-way cipher radio communications with a cooperating ground station and
check for readability and signal strength.
10. Set power mode and radio selector switches in accordance with the tactical situation.
Note: The above procedures may be used to perform an in-flight check of the equipment.
Postlaunch
The speech security equipment shall be operated as briefed.

Note: If ZEROIZE is pressed during flight, ciphered communication is not possible. The code can only be reset (or
changed) through the ground crew communications menu after landing.
After Landing
1. ZEROIZE switch - ZEROIZE (as briefed).

2. Power switch - OFF.
Note: If ZEROIZE has been pressed and the POWER MODE switch is in C, both crewmembers will be warned by a
continuing beeping sound.
3.26.14 Link 4A & C Data Link
The F-14 Tomcat is equipped with the Link 4 data link system to allow for transmission and reception of target track,
waypoint information and steering commands. Link 4 exists in two versions, the first being Link 4A which allows
a surface ship or airborne AWACS to control the aircraft and also Link 4C, unique to the F-14, which is a fighter to
fighter data link.
The Link 4A or TADIL C data link allows the F-14 to connect to a data link network controlled by a surface ship or an
AWACS. The data source (or really its operator) will then provide the F-14 with target tracks, waypoints and control
commands. Additionally, it’s also used for the carrier automatic landing system (ACLS).
Link 4C on the other hand allows up to four F-14 Tomcats to interconnect and share target tracks to coordinate their
engagements.
The system does not allow an F-14 to use both at the same time as the same transmitter and receiver are used for both
A and C links. The Link 4 system itself, operates using the UHF radio band at 5,000 bits per second.

The Link 4 is controlled using the Data Link Control Panel and the Data Link Reply and Antenna Control Panel.
Received control signals are displayed on the pilot VDI indicators (Vertical Display Indicator (VDI)) and the RIO DDI
panel (Digital Data Indicator (DDI)).
Link 4 Controls
The Data Link Control Panel contains the main Link 4 system power switches and the frequency selection wheels.
The first switch (1) controls the Link 4 built in test and also enables the anti-jam (A-J) function, this control is currently
non-functional in DCS and should be set to NORMAL.
The frequency thumbwheels (2) are used to set used data link frequency, note that the first digit (3) is set and displayed
as a fixed number before the first wheel. The allowable frequency range is 300.0 MHz to 324.9 MHz.
The third switch (3) controls power and operational mode of the Link 4. ON turns on and enables the Link 4A data
link, OFF disables the system and AUX enables the Link 4C data link.
The Data Link Reply and Antenna Control Panel is used to select what antenna to use, own aircraft data link address,
whether to transmit and which mode the Link 4A is used in.
The ANTENNA switch (1) sets if the data link uses the upper or lower antenna. As these are the same antennas that
the UHF 1 (AN/ARC-159) uses it automatically sets that radio to the other antenna.
The REPLY switch (2) sets whether own aircraft replies to data link messages. NORM allows for normal operation
while CANC turns off the transmitter and sets the data link to receive only.
The MODE switch (3) controls whether the Link 4A operates in the normal TAC (Tactical) mode or the
CAINS/WAYPT (Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System/Waypoint) mode. The TAC mode is the normal air-
borne mode while the CAINS/WAYPT mode is used while on the carrier deck to receive preflight waypoints and INS
alignment data from the ships INS system. The switch is solenoid held and springloaded to the TAC position, if the

data link reception is lost or the power lost the switch automatically returns to the TAC mode, forcing an ongoing INS
alignment to the backup handset mode. If the aircraft takes off with the switch in the CAINS/WAYPT position the
weight on wheels sensor will also release it to TAC.
The two address thumbwheel sets the least significant bits (two lowest numbers) of the aircraft data link address, the
rest has to be set by the ground crew.
Link 4 in DCS
The Link 4 implementation in the Heatblur DCS F-14 implements both the Link 4A and C versions.
To use Link 4A the data link has to be powered on, set to Link 4A mode (ON) and tuned to the correct data link
frequency for the desired host which can be found on the kneeboard. On the ground and set to the CAINS/WAYPT
mode the data link will receive the ME set waypoints and allow for CVA alignment if on a carrier. The frequency does
not need to be set to use CAINS/WAYPT as that frequency is set with jumpers on the actual equipment by the ground
crew.
When set to TAC the data link will then receive the 8 target tracks with the highest priority from the TDS controller.
The Link 4A also allows for automatic carrier landings with the data link set to use the carrier as a host.
To use Link 4C the data link should be set to Link 4C (AUX) and be tuned to a frequency agreed upon between
participating aircraft. Up to four aircraft can participate within a flight and all four aircraft should have different
adresses set. As the ground crew set the two most significant bits to be the same for a flight automatically the link can
only be used within the same flight currently.
In Link 4C the participating aircraft shares up to 4 target tracks, selected by the RIO using the CAP as well as own
aircraft position. The CAP also allows the RIO to update own aircraft INS position to another aircraft on the link to
correlate track transmissions.


CHAPTER 4
Weapons and Weapons Employment Overview
4.1 M-61 Vulcan Six-Barreled Gatling Cannon
The M-61 Vulcan is a six-barreled hydraulically driven 20 mm automatic cannon capable of firing over 6,000 rpm
(rounds per minute).
The F-14 carries the gun internally mounted beneath the cockpit with the muzzle being located on the lower left side
of the fuselage. 676 20 mm rounds are carried in the ammunition drum for the gun and retains the spent cases after
the rounds have been fired.
The gun itself is mounted to be elevated slightly more than 3° from the ADL to provide built-in lead for dog-fight
situations.
To fire the gun, no input is needed from the WCS, the gun can be fired by the trigger on the pilot stick when selected
by the weapons selector on that same stick, provided master arm is on.
Selection of the gun is indicated on the bottom of the hud by a capital G with remaining hundreds of rounds indicated
below.
307
Fig. 1: U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate Airman Kristopher Wilson. (041129-N-5345W-034)
308 Chapter 4. Weapons and Weapons Employment Overview

Apart from the indication on the HUD the rounds remaining indicator on the pilot right vertical panel also shows
remaining rounds. The indicator counts down from 650 but can manually be reset by rotating the knob below the
indicator to the desired quantity.
The gun is capable of a 4 000 rpm or 6 000 rpm mode. The lower rate normally used for air-to-ground engagement
and the higher rate for air-to-air engagement. The gun rate is selected by the GUN RATE switch on the ACM which
also indicates selected option. Selection of ACM will set it to high automatically. The WCS can however provide
symbology on the HUD to increase gun accuracy. For both air-to-air and air-to-ground modes the gun has two sights
available. For air-to-air it’s the manual sight and the RTGS (real-time gun sight).
4.1. M-61 Vulcan Six-Barreled Gatling Cannon 309

Manual Air-to-Air Sight
In manual the HUD displays the ADL, the armament legend and the manual pipper. This mode is accessed by depress-
ing and releasing the CAGE/SEAM pushbutton on the left throttle when in the air-to-air mode with the gun selected.
In this mode the pilot has to manually aim the gun using the manual pipper as reference to hit the target. Real target
range and needed deflection needs to be estimated by the pilot.
The manual piper is adjustable to enable selection of desired lead. The GUN ELEV panel on the pilot right vertical
panel sets the lead, normally this should be set to 53 milliradians to place the manual pipper on the gun sight line.


Real-Time Gunsight (RTGS)
The real-time gunsight mode is the standard gun mode when in the air-to-air mode with the gun selected.
In RTGS the WCS computes the bullet trajectory and displays the location the bullets will pass through at 1,000 and
2,000 feet, if no target data is available from the WCS. The diamond representing bullet location at 1,000 feet and the
pipper representing the bullet location at 2,000 feet.

If target data is available from the WCS (target tracked in an STT mode) the pipper instead displays bullet location at
the target’s current range out to 4,000 feet. The diamond will display radar line of sight to the target (target location).
This means that when having a target track the pilot should fly the aircraft to place the pipper over the target to hit it.
In addition to computing the solution to put bullets at the targets location the RTGS sight will also calculate where
the bullets actually are in relation to the target when at target range. When the bullets fired are computed to be at the
target’s location the diamond switches from target indication to indicating bullet position at target range (BATR). This
is also indicated by the diamond flashing.
Using this symbology it’s possible to see where the target would have needed to be to be hit by the bullets. If the
gun engagement was executed successfully this means that the diamond should still be on top of the target, blinking,
indicating that the bullets passed through the target’s location.

Manual Air-to-Ground Sight
The manual air-to-ground sight works and looks the same way as the manual air-to-air sight except that it’s set by
the RIO using the ATTK MODE selector on the armament control panel that’s located on the RIO left vertical panel.
Selecting MAN on that selector enables the same HUD symbology as in the manual air-to-air sight upon selection of
the air-to-ground mode, the only additional HUD symbology being the display of the radar altitude on the right side of
the HUD. The gun deflection should instead be set according to a pre-calculated setting depending on airspeed, target
range and dive angle.
Computer/Pilot Mode
Computer/pilot mode is used to have the WCS continuously compute a weapon impact point for, among other air-to-
ground weapons, the gun. It is set by the RIO on the ATTK MODE selector, as for manual air-to-ground sight, by
selecting CMPTR-PLT.
In this mode the AN/AWG-9 radar is slaved to the weapon impact point for accurate range measurements and enable
the HUD display of that same impact point.
The HUD uses the pipper to indicate real-time weapon impact point and the diamond to indicate out of range. When
the diamond dissappears, the gun is in range to engage a target under the pipper. The pull up cue moves vertically on
the HUD and when it’s at or above the weapon impact point (pipper) it indicates that an immediate pull up is required
to avoid striking the ground and that the target is too close to engage safely.
The right side of the HUD displays the barometric altitude scale.

Mixed Gun Mode
The gun can also be used at the same time as another air-to-ground munition is selected by setting the A/G GUN
switch on the armament panel (on the RIO left vertical panel) to MIXED. This enables the trigger to fire the gun but
no HUD symbology is available for the gun as it’s being used to display release data for the selected munition. In this
mode the pilot needs to estimate the gun impact point manually with the ADL as the only reference on the HUD.

4.2 Air-to-Air Weapons
4.2.1 HUD Symbology for Air-to-Air Missiles
The above image shows the HUD with Phoenixes selected while in air-to-air display mode.
As standard the HUD shows the Closure Rate on the left side in hundreths of knots, from -200 to +1,000 knots.
Current closure rate as displayed by a <.
Additionally it displays the Target Range Scale on the right side, showing target range at the displayed scale, 10 NM
in this case as display at the upper end. The target range scale shows the current target range with a > and selected
weapon max and minimum ranges as indicated by the dashes (-).
The Movable Reticle (called pipper for air to ground and gun employment) and the Target Designator can show
different things depending on current situation.
The Movable Reticle shows current TCS line of sight if it exists at the same time as a radar STT lock except for when
AIM-9s are selected. In the AIM-9 case it instead shows current AIM-9 seeker head line of sight.

The Target Designator diamond shows current radar STT line of sight if present and if not it instead shows the current
TCS line of sight.
So effectually the TCS line of sight can be shown either by the movable reticle or the target designator depending on
if a radar STT is also present and if a radar STT is present with AIM-9 selected it’s not shown at all.
4.2.2 AIM-7 Sparrow
Fig. 2: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Joshua Karsten. (041108-N-8704K-008)
The AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile is a supersonic boost-glide missile capable of engaging both aircraft and missiles
in all weather conditions. AIM-7 Sparrow missile is a medium range air-to-air missile with a max range of at least 16
NM (30 km) for the AIM-7E and at least 38 NM (70 km) for the AIM-7F and AIM-7M. The all weather capability
comes from the missile being radar guided, more exactly SARH (semi-active radar homing). This means that the
seeker of the Sparrow relies on the AN/AWG-9 painting the targets for it and following the radar emissions being
reflected off the target.
The F-14 can carry the AIM-7E, AIM-7F and AIM-7M on four dedicated recesses on the aircraft fuselage and one
each on the glove pylons.
Apart from the various improvements to the missile range, seeker and warhead, the major difference between the
different versions is that the AIM-7F and newer missiles can also be guided via pulse doppler illumination in addition
to CW as opposed to only CW.
4.2. Air-to-Air Weapons 317

Missile Preparation
Before launch the AIM-7 missiles need to be prepared by selection of the MSL PREP-ON pushbutton on the pilot
ACM panel. This commands the WCS to start missile preparation for the AIM-7 and AIM-54.
In the case of the AIM-7 the WCS applies electrical power to the missile to pre-heat the electronics and gyros. It also
injects CW radar video from the radar to the missiles via an emitter on the aft end of the rail to a receiver at the aft
end of the missile. This video is used to tune the AIM-7 missile to the selected CW frequency on the RIO DDD panel.
When the individual missiles are tuned and ready the corresponding missile status windows turns white to indicate a
ready missile.
Launch Modes
The two available launch modes for the AIM-7 on the F-14 is the normal mode and the boresight mode. To select the
AIM-7 for launch the pilot selects the SP/PH (sparrow/phoenix) position on the stick weapon selector. Selection of
which Sparrow to launch is done automatically by the WCS.
Depression of the weapon selector switches from SP to PH and vice versa. If a STT target is available the WCS will
automatically use the normal mode for launch unless BRSIT (boresight) is selected on the MSL MODE (missile mode)
switch on the ACM panel. In all other cases the boresight mode will be used.
Normal Mode
As the normal mode is used to engage a target tracked in STT the WCS is capable of using both CW and pulse doppler
for guidance. When using CW in the normal mode the AN/AWG-9 radar uses a dedicated CW antenna to spotlight the
tracked target more directly than via the flood antenna. While CW is the normal guidance mode for all AIM-7 variants
it is possible to select the pulse doppler guidance mode instead when using the AIM-7F and AIM-7M missiles.
This is done on the RIO’s armament panel with the MSL OPTIONS switch by setting it to SP DP (sparrow doppler).
When selected this causes the WCS to guide the sparrow missiles using pulse doppler illumination instead.
Regardless of guidance mode the WCS calculates the missile LAR (launch acceptance region) and displays the missile
launch ranges on the VDI and TID. The HUD shows the target diamond and current target range, Rmin and Rmax,
while the VDI, DDD and TID displays the attack guidance symbology as well as the above mentioned missile LAR
indications.

Boresight Mode
The boresight mode uses the CW flood antenna on the AN/AWG-9 radar and will cause the missile to track the
strongest target return within the flood area. In addition to when launched in boresight mode the radar will also switch
to flood mode when a target is lost, either before launch or after launch, enabling the pilot to try and save the shot by
keeping the target within the flood area.
4.2.3 AIM-9 Sidewinder
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a short range air-to-air missile. It uses an infrared seeker locking on to a targets IR signature
making it capable of tracking a target both during daytime and at night.
The F-14 Tomcat is capable of carrying all navy versions of the AIM-9 Sidewinder from the AIM-9D up to the AIM-
9M. The Heatblur F-14B Tomcat is currently modelled as carrying the AIM-9L and AIM-9M.
The F-14 is capable of carrying the AIM-9 on stations 1A & B and 8A & B. Stations 1 & 8 are the glove pylons which
both can carry two AIM-9s for a total of 4. Station 1A & 8A are dedicated to carry only the AIM-9 and are normally
used when only carrying two to allow station 1B & 8B to carry other munitions.
Missile Preparation
The cooling of the AIM-9 seeker head needs to be enabled before launch. This is done by pressing the SW COOL
switch on the pilot ACM panel or by selecting the ACM mode on the same panel. This commands cooling of the

Fig. 3: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Kristopher Wilson. (050112-N-5345W-066)

missiles seeker head, the missile will immediately show ready but full seeker head performance will take at least 60
seconds.

Seeker Head Modes
The AIM-9G introduced a seeker head capable of the Sidewinder expanded acquisition mode (SEAM) and all later
Sidewinders carried by the F-14 are also capable of that mode. The SEAM allows the missile seeker head to be
uncaged to track a target within the seeker limits (40° from ADL) allowing the pilot to lead the target, improving
missile performance. It also allows for the WCS on the F-14 to slave the seeker to a tracked target within 20° from
ADL, allowing for off boresight acquisition.
The AIM-9 on the F-14 can still use the old boresight mode where the seeker head remains slaved to ADL (2.5° field
of view) but normally SEAM is used to scan the seeker about either ADL or a tracked target. This seeker scan is along
a back-to-back double-D scan pattern, basically a scan cone about 6° wide covered in around 3 seconds. (Pictured
above.) Like in all Sidewinders target detection is indicated by an aural tone. That growling tone is present while
scanning but increases in intensity while the seeker is looking at an IR-source.

Missile Operation
The AIM-9 Sidewinder is selected for launch with the weapon selector on the pilot stick. The weapon selector can be
used to cycle which AIM-9 that is selected for launch by depressing it, indicating on the ACM panel which missile is
selected by a checkerboard indication in the corresponding status window. When using the AIM-9 the HUD uses the
diamond to indicate a tracked target and the pipper (crosshair) to indicate current seeker head position. If a WCS track
with range is available the HUD also displays range to target and Rmin and Rmax. The VDI, DDD and TID displays
the attack guidance symbology if a WCS track is present.
The basic missile boresight mode without SEAM (no scan) is commanded by depressing the BRSIT (boresight) switch
on the pilot ACM panel while not having the ACM mode active. In this mode the pilot puts the target at ADL and fires
when the aural tone is present.
If the BRSIT switch is not used or the ACM mode is active the AIM-9 will use the SEAM and set the missile to use
the double-D scan pattern. If a WCS target is present the seeker head will scan around the radar or TCS line of sight,
otherwise the missile will scan around the ADL.
To enable lock-on to a target in SEAM the pilot depresses the CAGE/SEAM pushbutton on the left throttle. This
illuminates the SEAM LOCK light on the ACM panel and uncages the seeker for 4.5 seconds and allows it to track a
target present in the seeker field of view. If no IR sources is found the missile is again caged and the SEAM LOCK
light is deactivated.
If lock-on is successful the aural tone will remain and the SEAM LOCK light stays illuminated allowing the pilot to
launch the missile by pressing the stick trigger. After launch the next AIM-9 will automatically be selected.

4.2.4 AIM-54 Phoenix
Fig. 4: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Felix Garza Jr. (030320-N-4142G-013)
Note Depicted missile has yet to have the forward fins attached.
The AIM-54 Phoenix is a long range air-to-air missile which was originally designed to be used with the F-111B fleet
air defence fighter which never materialised. When the F-111B project was scrapped the AIM-54 and the correspond-
ing AN/AWG-9 WCS eventually found its way to the F-14 instead.
The F-14 is capable of carrying up to 6 AIM-54 missiles, four on rails on the fuselage and one each on the glove
pylons. Because of the missile cooling system used the two front phoenix pylons must always be mounted meaning
that the rear fuselage pylons can’t be used if the front ones aren’t present. The glove pylons contain their own cooling
systems.
The missile is capable of engagement both against a single target in STT and multiple targets using track-while-search
(TWS).
The AIM-54 is available in two different versions, the AIM-54A and the AIM-54C. The Heatblur Simulations F-14B
Tomcat is modelled with both versions as well as modelling the AIM-54A with both mk47 and mk60 rocket motors.
The two motors on the AIM-54A differing in effective range while the AIM-54C differs by having a digital seeker
instead of an analog one, increasing its performance, as well as an improved, smokeless, mk47 rocket motor.
The AIM-54 has a range of at least 60 NM against a fighter sized target at high altitudes in pulse doppler STT. When
using TWS for engagement against multiple targets this drops to about 50 NM. It has a greater range against large
targets and vice versa against smaller targets.
If launched in active mode the range drops to about 10 NM for a fighter sized target, varying slightly with target size.
Notable though that the missile will revert to SARH mode if no target is detected if selected for active launch in a
SARH mode.

Missile Preparation
The AIM-54 missile preparation is started with selection of the MSL PREP switch on the pilot ACM panel or by
activation of the ACM. This enables power and cooling to the missile and also starts the built in tests in the missile
(BIT).
As with the AIM-7 the AIM-54 is tuned before launch using a transmitter on the rear end of the missile rail, transmitting
to the rear receiver of the missile. The whole missile preparation cycle is completed after around 2 minutes at which
time the AIM-54 missiles are indicated ready in the corresponding missile status windows on the pilot ACM.
Launch Modes
The seeker head used in the AIM-54 is capable of both semi-active radar homing (SARH) and active radar homing
(ARH).
Normally the launch to eject (LTE) cycle of the missile is 3 seconds meaning time from trigger depression to missile
ejection. The exception is the ACM active mode where the LTE is shortened to 1 second if within 10° from ADL.
TWS SARH/ARH
In TWS the AN/AWG-9 is capable of supporting the launch of up to 6 AIM-54 missiles against 6 different targets
concurrently. In the first stage of the AIM-54 engagement, the missile is guided semi-actively by the AN/AWG-9
radar using both guidance commands transmitted via the radar and radar energy reflected off the target. Then when
the missile is within range of its seeker’s ARH mode the AN/AWG-9 commands the missile to switch to ARH.
Absence of this command via the AN/AWG-9 radar means that the missile won’t switch to the ARH mode. The
AN/AWG-9, however, continues to transmit guidance commands to the missile as a fallback in case the missile can’t
acquire the target autonomously. This means that the AIM-54 isn’t a “fire and forget” missile per se but it can be
considered autonomous after transfer to ARH.
PD STT SARH
In pulse doppler STT the AIM-54 uses SARH all the way to the target receiving guidance commands at a greater rate
than in TWS and also continous spotlighting of the target because of the STT mode being used. This increases the
effective range of the AIM-54 seeker slightly.
Active-Radar Homing (ARH)
The AIM-54 can also be commanded to go active directly after launch in both TWS and pulse doppler STT modes
by setting the MSL OPTIONS switch to PH ACT before launch. This tells the WCS to immediately command the
AIM-54 to go active in the first guidance command after launch. If launched at a target within 6 NM if in the targets

rear hemisphere or 10 NM miles if in its forward hemisphere the WCS will also automatically command this mode
instead of a SARH mode.
If the target is not detected actively by the seeker it will still fall back to SARH until the seeker can acquire on its own
like in the two SARH modes.
ACM Active
The last mode is ACM active in which the missile is commanded active before launch making this the only mode
where the missile is truly fire and forget. The AIM-54 missile receives the active message before launch from the
WCS in addition to a command prepositioning the seeker-head to have it look at the current WCS track if available.
ACM active is commanded when BRSIT (boresight) is selected on the pilot ACM panel, when having the ACM active
without a WCS track and when using a non pulse doppler radar mode or TCS track. When using boresight or ACM
without a track the missile will launch along the ADL locking onto the first target seen while launching at a non pulse
doppler radar track the seeker head will be prepositioned onto that track.
ECM Mode
In all of the guidance modes the seeker head automatically switches to a passive ECM follow if jammed, angle-tracking
the target until it can again track the target using SARH or ARH. This is done without crew action and is not indicated
to the operator.
Missile Operation
The AIM-54 missile is selected with the weapon selector on the pilot stick by selecting the SP/PH (sparrow/phoenix)
position and then depressing the selector to switch from SP to PH. It is possible to switch back to SP by again
depressing the weapon selector.
When used in boresight or ACM without a WCS track the HUD will not indicate any symbology apart from the ADL
which is used to aim the missile.
When selected with a WCS track in STT the HUD will display the Target Designator and if a TCS track exists, the
Movable Reticle overlaying the target, the former indicating WCS track and the latter TCS line of sight. The range
scale on the right side of the HUD indicates range to target and Rmin and Rmax, while the VDI, DDD and TID
displays the attack guidance symbology.
TWS
When using the AIM-54 with TWS the WCS automatically prioritizes the tracked targets, giving them a firing order
number indicating missile launch order. As the first target is launched at the first track’s number is removed and the
other tracks’ numbers are decreased by one.
To continue to engage track 2 through 6 the pilot thus depresses the trigger once for each target, waits until the missile
is clear and then depresses the trigger again for the next missile and so on until the desired number of missiles are
away.
After missile launch the prioritisation numbers on the right side of the targeted tracks are replaced with the TTI or
Time to Impact number, showing calculated time until missile hits the target. Additionally when the AN/AWG-9 have
sent the active command to the missile the TTI numbers blink, indicating that the missile targeting the track has been
commanded to active mode.

The targets currently under missile attack brightens until estimated time to target plus 15 seconds has elapsed and
when at 15 seconds past estimated time to last target the break-away cross is also displayed on the VDI, DDD and
TID.
For more info regarding the applicable TID symbology see TID Symbology.
It is possible to force the WCS to include a target by setting it to mandatory attack using the CAP and also to exclude
a target by setting it to do not attack on the same panel. In addition it is possible to command the WCS to set a track
as priority 1 in the firing order by hooking it and pressing NEXT LAUNCH on the RIO armament panel.
If not already in TWS AUTO the WCS automatically switches to this mode thus assuming control over the AN/AWG-
9 radar to keep the engaged targets illuminated. In addition to the track numbering the TID also displays a steering
centroid indicating the center weight of the TWS scan pattern.
The HUD and VDI displays a steering cue guiding the pilot towards optimal target illumination and also displays range
and Rmin and Rmax to target number 1. The TID displays the complete attack symbology with target prioritisation
numbers and individual optimum launch ranges, for more info see Track While Scan (TWS).

4.3 Air-to-Ground Weapons
Despite being primarily designed as an air superioty fighter and an interceptor the F-14 was from the very start cleared
and tested to carry all of the modern American general purpose bombs (GP) of the Mk-80 series. In addition it was
also cleared to carry the Mk-20 Rockeye cluster bomb and the 5” Zuni folding-fin aircraft rocket (FFAR).
As the F-14’s combat role changed to include the precision ground attack mission it was also cleared to carry several of
the guided bomb unit (GBU) versions of the Mk-80 series bombs, more specifically, some of the laser guided versions.
4.3.1 Air-to-Ground Weapon Settings
The air-to-ground weapon delivery is set up by the RIO on his armament panel on the left vertical panel of the RIO
cockpit.
The type of munition for delivery is set up by the wheel on the top of the panel, turning it to the correct munition. This

configures the WCS with the correct parameters for the selected munition.
Note The Mk-81, 82 and 83 have both a L and a H option being for low-drag and high-drag versions
respectively.
Under DLVY MODE (delivery mode) it is possible to set STP/RPL (step/ripple) and SGL/PRS (single/pairs). The
possible combinations are:
• STP and SGL - Releases one store with each depression of the bomb relase button on the pilot stick.
• STP and PRS - As with STP and SGL but each depression of the bomb release button on the pilot stick releases
a pair of stores. Only works for paired stations, 1 with 8, 3 with 6 and 4 with 5.
• RPL and SGL - Used with all attack modes, each depression of the bomb release button on the pilot stick
releases set amount of stores set by the QTY (quantity) wheels with the interval set by the INTERVAL wheels
(in milliseconds).
• RPL and PRS - As RPL and SGL but each release pulse releases a pair of stores, QTY still sets total amount of
stores to be released.
The MECH FUSE switch sets which mechanical fuse to arm on the stores. NOSE arms the nose fuse, SAFE inhibits
arming of the fuses and NOSE/TAIL arms both fuses.
The ELEC FUSE selector knob sets the electrical fuse of the store to be released:
• SAFE - Inhibits electrical bomb fusing.
• VT - Sets air-burst mode at preset burst height for compatible stores.
• INST - Sets instantaneous burst mode.
• DLY 1 - Sets preset time delay 1.
• DLY 2 - Sets preset time delay 2.
The INTERVAL and QTY (quantity) wheels set the release interval (in milliseconds) and quantity of stores to be
released, compatible with the delivery modes as seen above under DLVY MODE.
Lastly, the 6 STA SEL (station select) switches set which pylons to use for store delivery. (Also used for selection
of what stores to jettison.) To select a pylon for store delivery, set the corresponding switch to SEL. Stations 1 and 8
should be set to B for selection, SW was used to jettison AIM-9 Sidewinders but is now inoperable.
Note All F-14 bombs in DCS are assumed to have both types of fuzes so need both the mechanical and
electrical fuze set. GBUs, Mk-20s and Mk-81 to 84s need the mechanical fuze set to either N or
N/T settings, the Mk-82AIR (ballute) and Mk-82 Snake-Eye can be dropped in free-fall with N and
retarded with N/T.
4.3.2 Air-to-Ground Weapon Delivery
Air-to-ground delivery is initiated by pilot selection of the A/G mode on the display control panel. After tape read-in
(about 30 seconds) the WCS initiates the Air-to-ground mode and enables relevant symbology on the displays.
The weapon selection automatically switches to ordnance (ORD on the HUD) unless the pilot has selected another
weapon. All other options are set by the RIO in the back seat.
The available attack modes in the F-14B are set by the ATTK MODE selector in the RIO pit and are:
• CMPTR TGT - Computer target, a semi-automatic computer guided mode similar to a CCRP mode in newer
aircraft.
• CMPTR IP - Computer initial point, an extended CMPTR TGT mode using a known initial point (IP) as refer-
ence for store delivery. Mostly used in situations where the actual target is expected to be hard to locate visually
and is located closely to an easily identifiable reference point/landmark.
4.3. Air-to-Ground Weapons 329

• CMPTR PLT - Computer pilot, a manual computer and pilot guided mode using the WCS for store impact point
indication on HUD. Similar to a CCIP mode in newer aircraft.
• MAN - Manual, manual backup mode in which the HUD displays a pipper (crosshair) on the HUD at the
deflection set by the pilot. Used in case of a systems failure prehibiting the other modes.
• D/L BOMB - Data-link bomb, an automatic mode in which the pilot is steered via data-link cues for remotely
controlled store delivery. (Not implemented in DCS at this point in time.)
Computer Target
The computer target mode allows the pilot to designate a target onto which the WCS then guides the pilot towards
store release. This mode is usable for all air-to-ground stores, including rockets.
When selected the HUD displays the diamond as target designator and the bomb fall line (BFL) through the velocity
vector and store impact point pipper (crosshair).
To designate a target the pilot steers the aircraft in azimuth to place the target along the BFL. Then UP/DN on the
target designate switch on the left wall of the pilot cockpit is used to slew the target designator along the BFL until it
overlays the target. At that point the target is designated by pressing the target designate switch to DES.
After designation the target designation diamond becomes stabilized to the designated position on the ground and the
AN/AWG-9 is slewed to it for range measurements. The BFL now remains overlaying the designated target while the
store impact point pipper and aircraft velocity vector continues to follow aircraft movements. In addition the HUD
now displays the upper and lower solution cues on the BFL.
The pilot should now fly the velocity vector and store impact point over the BFL until the solution cues reaches them.
The lower solution cue indicates imminent store release when passing the velocity vector and the pilot should by now
be holding the bomb release button depressed to authorize WCS store release. When the upper solution cue reaches the
velocity vector the WCS automatically releases set stores on the condition that the bomb release buttons is depressed.
The pull up cue (bracket on the HUD) moves upwards on the HUD towards the velocity vector with decreasing altitude.
When it reaches the velocity vector it indicates that the aircraft is below safe altitude for store release.

Computer Initial Point
Functionally identical to the Computer target mode except that a preset initial point (IP) is designated instead of the
actual target. The IP is preset before takeoff using data-link or manually by the RIO using the CAP.
The IP waypoint should be a terrain feature expected to be visually identifiable by the pilot even if the target is not.
To set the CAP the RIO designates the location of the IP waypoint as per the other waypoints in the system. (See CAP
heading under AN/AWG-9 in the General design and systems overview section or the Navigation systems heading in
the same section)
The message (function) IP TO TGT on the CAP under the TAC DATA category is then used with the prefixes ALT,
RNG and BRG to readout and set the following datapoints: * ALT - Sets altitude difference of the target relative the
IP waypoint. * RNG - Sets range to target from the IP waypoint. * BRG - Sets the bearing to the target from the IP
waypoint.
When the pilot designates the IP visually on the HUD the WCS recalculates the target location using the data set under
the IP TO TGT function on the CAP, moves the target diamond to that location and instead displays guidance towards
the real target location.
All other functions of this mode are identical to the Computer target mode.
Computer Pilot
The computer pilot mode uses the WCS to continually calculate and display an impact point for the configured store
on the HUD.
When selected the HUD displays the current store impact point in real-time using the pipper (crosshair). The target
designation diamond is used when the WCS is configured for rockets and overlays the pipper to indicate that the
configured store is out of range when displayed. As in the Computer target and IP modes the pull-up cue is used to
indicate aircraft below safe store release altitude when at or above the velocity vector.
To correctly engage the desired target the pilot flies the impact point pipper on the HUD over the target and then
depresses the bomb release button.
When using rockets the pilot should wait until the diamond dissappears, indicating that the selected store is within
range and then use the control stick trigger to fire the rockets.

Manual
The manual Air-to-ground mode is used as a back-up when the other modes are unavailable.
By principle it works the same as the Computer pilot mode in that the pilot should fly the pipper on the HUD over the
desired target. The pipper is in this mode not updated by the WCS however but instead set at a deflection from the
ADL according to desired engagement speed, dive-angle and release altitude.
This is set using the elevation lead panel on the pilot right side vertical panel using weapon engagement tables or by
pilot estimation.
4.3.3 Mk-81, 82, 83 and 84 GP Bombs
The Mk-80 series bombs are the standard general purpose bombs used by the US Navy and allies and where first
dropped in combat during the Vietnam war. The Mk-82 also has the capability to mount a retardation system using
either folding fins or an inflated ballute to brake the bomb after release allowing them to be dropped at lower altitudes

Fig. 5: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Justin S. Osborne. (030321-N-0382O-506)

as the dropping aircraft has more time to move away from them. Those versions are called the Mk-82 Snake Eye (fins)
and Mk-82AIR (ballute) in DCS.
The F-14B is capable of carrying all the various bombs in the Mk-80s series, 81 through to 84. While the ground
attack mission never really materialised for the F-14 in the navy it was tested for and cleared to deliver these weapons
from the start.
The F-14 uses the Phoenix rails (stations 3-6) and the glove pylons’ lower stations to mount the bombs. The rails
themselves can carry all four variants while the 81 to 83 can also be mounted on substations along the sides of the
phoenix rails as well as on TERs on the glove pylons.
All of the Mk-80 bombs has nose fuzes only and should be dropped with the nose (N) fuze setting on the mechanical
fuze switch on the RIO armament panel. The Mk-82AIR and Snake Eye variants use the tail fuze wire to enable bomb
retardation meaning that the nose/tail (N/T) mechanical fuze option should be used if retardation is needed.
The total amount of the different bombs carried depends on weapon weight and weapon clearance between the rails,
the actual number varies from 18 for the 81s and 82s to just 4 for the 84s as those can only be mounted on the rails
themselves. For more info see the F-14 loadout diagrams.
4.3.4 GBU-10, 12, 16 and 24
Fig. 6: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Milosz Reterski. (040105-N-9742R-001)
The GBU (guided bomb unit) are bombs from the Mk-80s series with an attached seeker unit and fin (control) unit
converting them into guided precision bombs, and in the case of the GBU-10, 12, 16 and 24 carried by the F-14B,
laser guided bombs to be more precise.

When the F-14B gained the ability to mount and use the LANTIRN pod it was also cleared to carry some of the GBU
variants of the Mk-80 series bombs. It can either deliver them onto designation from a self-carried LANTIRN pod or
onto a laser designation from another aircraft or ground source.
The GBUs carried are mounted on the Phoenix rails themselves on stations 3-6 as the additional size of a GBU
compared to a normal Mk-80 series bomb makes it impossible to use the substations on the rails for those. Each
station is capable of carrying one GBU up to the size of the GBU-16. As for the GBU-10 and 24, the 10 can be carried
on the front rails (3 and 6) and the 24 on one front rail and one back rail as they need to be carried on opposite sides
of the aircraft due to the larger wing assembly.
Note GBU laser codes are set as per DCS Mission Editor Functions Specific to the HB DCS F-14 or via
the kneeboard.
4.3.5 Mk-20 Rockeye
The Mk-20 Rockeye is a conventional free fall bomb like the Mk-80 series bombs but instead of a conventional charge
it carries anti-tank submunitions. The Rockeye contains 247 of these anti-tank submunitions which are released at a
set height using a radar altimeter, the design being that the submunitions are dispersed over a large area for greater
effect.
The fuze height itself is set by the ground crew as they’re loaded and can’t be changed by the pilot. To arm the Rockeye
correctly the mechanical fuse should be set to nose (N).
The F-14B can carry up to 10 Mk-20 Rockeyes using the Phoenix rails and substations as well as TERs on the glove
pylons.
Note Additional fuse settings (FMU-140 fuse) pending additional weapon code implementation.
4.3.6 Zuni Rockets
The Zuni 5-inch folding-fin aircraft rocket (FFAR) was developed to replace the high velocity aircraft rocket (HVAR)
of world war 2 vintage. As part of its design it’s modular and capable of using different warheads as well as different
fuzes.
The Zuni rockets are carried in LAU-10 pods, each carrying 4 rockets. The pods can fire in either salvo mode or ripple
mode, salvo launching one rocket and ripple all.
The F-14B Tomcat can carry LAU-10 rocket pods on stations 1B, 3, 6 and 8B using TERs, each TER holding up to
two pods except on of either 3 or 6 which must only carry one as not to clash with a pod on the adjacent station. The
TERs are used to gain separation from the station for safe rocket firing and the reason for not being able to use three
pods on the TERs are that on the glove pylons the inner TER station would conflict with the main landing gear and on
stations 3 and 6 with the fuselage.
The Zuni rockets are set up for launch by the RIO on the armament panel as with bombs, the delivery mode (DLVY
MODE) switches being used to configure how many pods to activate at a time.
4.3.7 BDU-33 Practice Bombs
The BDU-33 practice bomb is a training round used to simulate a Mk-82 general purpose bomb for training purposes.
They can be carried three to a TER on each of station 3, 4, 5 and 6 on the F-14B Tomcat.
They are set up for release as with the real general purpose bombs.

4.4 Special Munitions
4.4.1 ADM-141 TALD
Fig. 7: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 3rd Class Mark J. Rebilas. (041018-N-6213R-021)
The ADM-141 tactical air-launched decoy (TALD) is a gliding decoy simulating real aircraft using active and passive
means. There are several versions of the TALD, examples being a version equipped to launch chaff and another version
using a Luneberg lens to increase its cross-section to simulate a larger aircraft.
All versions are pre-programmed before take-off and are unpowered, gliding through the air on fold-out wings.
The F-14B can carry up to four ADM-141 TALDs, one each on stations 3 through 6, using a TER each to gain
separation from the aircraft fuselage.
Note In DCS these currently glide straight ahead until they run out of speed and altitude.
4.4.2 LUU-2 Parachute Flare
The LUU-2 parachute flare is an air-launched flare suspended by a parachute used to illuminate the ground during
night-time.
The F-14B can carry up to 16 LUU-2 flares in up to 4 SUU-25 flare dispensers on TERs at stations 4 and 5, each TER
capable of carrying up to 2 dispensers in order not to conflict with the fuselage.
The LUU-2 parachute flare is launched and set up in the same way as a general purpose bomb.

4.4.3 Smokewinder
The Smokewinder is a smoke pod used for aerial displays simulating an AIM-9 missile to the aircraft interface.
To enable and disable a Smokewinder, select AIM-9 for launch using boresight (BRSIT) and select the corresponding
weapon station using the weapon selector on the pilot stick. When set up thusly and with master arm on, each pull of
the trigger enables or disable the Smokewinder discharging smoke.
4.5 Pods and Tanks
4.5.1 LAU-138 Chaff Adapter
The LAU-138 chaff adapter (or BOL rail) was designed by Celcius Tech in Sweden to enhance a combat aircraft’s
capability to carry chaff countermeasures. The chaff launcher is unusual in that it doesn’t use pyrotechnics to fire the
chaff packages but instead uses a mechanical action.
While each adapter can carry up to 160 chaff packages in total, each package is not the equal to a standard chaff
bundle. Because of this fact, each launcher is set to eject four packages in total for each release impulse. This means
that the pair of LAU-138s ejects in total 8 chaff packages per impulse and that 40 dispensation cycles are available.
The adapter itself replaces the normal LAU-7 Sidewinder launch rail allowing the F-14B to carry additional chaff
without impacting the ability to carry other weapons. While technically capable of carrying the LAU-138 on both A
& B stations on the glove pylons, in practice it was impossible to access the cooling bottle for an AIM-9 carried on
the B station meaning that operationally only the A stations were loaded with LAU-138 adapters.
For more information about the LAU-138 and its use, see the section about the AN/ALE-29 and 39 under the General
design and systems overview chapter.
4.5.2 TACTS Pods
The TACTS pod is an analysis pod used during training missions, it is carried on LAU-7 rails instead of AIM-9s,
normally on station 1A and 8A. They are normally carried as a pair of two, one on each side.
Note In DCS their functionality is purely cosmetic.
4.5.3 FPU-1 Fuel Tank
The FPU-1 fuel tank is carried by the F-14B Tomcat on stations 2 and 7 on each engine nacelle. They each carry up to
2 000 pounds of fuel and can be jettisoned in the same way as other stores using the normal procedures.
4.5.4 LANTIRN
The LANTIRN was adapted for use on the F-14 Tomcats during the 1990s as the F-14’s role started to gravitate
towards including the precision strike role.
The version carried on the Heatblur DCS F-14B Tomcat represents the earliest integrations of the LANTIRN, the pod
being carried only on station 8B and hardwired to the control panel in the RIO cockpit and to the video input on the
TID/VDI.
For more information regarding the use of the LANTIRN pod, see the section about it under the General design and
systems overview chapter.
4.5. Pods and Tanks 337

Fig. 8: U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate Airman Jason Frost. (030122-N-9403F-002)

4.5.5 CNU-188 External Baggage Container
The CNU-188 external baggage container is a converted fuel tank used to carry equipment and supplies during aircraft
transfer. One such container can be carried by a F-14B on either station 4 or 5, maximum load carried being 350
pounds.
Note Pending implementation in DCS.
4.6 F-14B Loadout Diagram
Weapon Station 1A 1B 2 3 4 5 6 7 8B 8A Total

AIM-9 1 1 1 1 4
AIM-7 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
AIM-54 1 1 1 1 1 1 6
Mk-81 2 4 3 3 4 2 18
Mk-82 2 4 3 3 4 2 18
Mk-82AIR 2 4 3 3 4 2 18
Mk-82 Snake Eye 2 4 3 3 4 2 18
Mk-83 1 3 1 1 3 1 10
Mk-84 1 1 1 1 4
Mk-20 2 2 1 1 2 2 10
GBU-10 1 1 2
GBU-12 1 1 1 1 4
GBU-16 1 1 1 1 4
GBU-24 1 1 2
BDU-33 3 3 3 3 3 3 18
LAU-10 (ZUNI) 2 2 1 2 7(28)
ADM-141A TALD 1 1 1 1 4
SUU-25 F/A Flare Dispenser 2 2 4(16)
LAU-138 Chaff Adapter 1 1 2
Smokewinder 1 1 1 1 4
TACTS 1 1 2
LANTIRN 1 1
FPU-1 Fuel Tank 1 1 2
CNU-188 External Baggage Container 1 1 1
4.6. F-14B Loadout Diagram 339


CHAPTER 5
Procedures
5.1 Checklists - Pilot
5.1.1 Interior Inspection
1. OXYGEN - Check. Turn OXYGEN switch ON, check for airflow in mask.
Turn OXYGEN switch OFF, check for no airflow.
Set thumbwheel to desired cockpit ventilation airflow.

2. VENT AIRFLOW thumbwheel - Set.
3. Tone VOLUME controls - Set.
4. TACAN function selector - OFF.

• Channel - Set.
• Mode switch - Set.
• VOL knob - Counterclockwise.
5. ICS panel - Set.

• VOL knob - As desired.
• Amplifier - NORM.
• Function selector - COLD MIC.
6. STAB AUG switches - OFF.
341
7. UHF function selector - OFF.
8. Wing-sweep switch - MAN. CAUTION

Wings may move if wing control system fails
with electrical and/or hydraulic power on.
9. Left and right throttles - OFF.
10. Speed brake switch - RET.
Set in accordance to standard procedures for current sit-

11. Exterior lights master switch - Set. uation.
Set to current flap position.

12. FLAP handle - Corresponding.
13. ASYM LIMITER switch - ON (guard down).
14. L and R ENG MODE SELECT switches - PRI.
15. BACKUP IGNITION switch - OFF.
16. THROTTLE TEMP switch - NORM.
17. THROTTLE MODE switch - BOOST.
18. L and R INLET RAMPS switches - AUTO.
19. ANTI SKID SPOILER BK switch - OFF.
20. FUEL panel - Set.

• WING/EXT TRANS switch - AUTO.
• REFUEL PROBE switch - RET.
• DUMP switch - OFF.
• FEED switch - NORM (guard down).
21. LDG GEAR handle - DN.
342 Chapter 5. Procedures

22. NOSE STRUT switch - OFF.
23. Parking brake - Pull.
24. Radar altimeter - OFF.
Set current elevation.

25. Altimeter - Set.
26. Left and right FUEL SHUT OFF handles - In.
27. ACM panel - Set.

• ACM switch - OFF (guard down).
• MASTER ARM switch - OFF (guard down).
28. Weapon select - OFF.
29. HUD and VDI filters - As required.
30. Standby attitude gyro - Caged.
31. G-meter - Reset.
32. Clock - Wind and Set.
33. Fuel Bingo - Set.
34. Circuit breakers - Checked.
35. Brake accumulator pressure - Check in Green.
Check that pumping builds pressure on brake pressure

36. HYD HAND PUMP - Check. gauge.
Set to current hook position.

37. HOOK handle - Corresponding.
5.1. Checklists - Pilot 343

38. DISPLAYS panel - Set.

• MODE pushbutton - T.O.
• HUD DECLUTTER switch - OFF.
• HUD AWL switch - OFF.
• VDI MODE switch - NORM.
• VDI AWL switch - ACL.
• HSD MODE switch - NAV.
• STEER CMD pushbutton - DEST.
• DISPLAYS POWER switches - OFF.
39. ELEV LEAD knob - Set.
40. INBD and OUTBD spoiler switches - NORM

(guard down).
41. L and R generator switches - NORM.
42. EMERG generator switch - NORM (guard

down).
43. Air-condition controls - Set.

• TEMP mode selector switch - AUTO.
• TEMP thumbwheel control - As desired (5-7
equals medium setting).
• CABIN PRESS switch - NORM.
• AIR SOURCE pushbutton - OFF.
44. WSHLD AIR switch - OFF.
45. ANTI-ICE switch - AUTO/OFF.
46. COMPASS panel - Set.

• Mode selector knob - SLAVED.
• Hemisphere N-S switch - Set.
• LAT knob - Set.
47. ARA-63 panel - OFF.

• CHANNEL selector - Set.
• POWER switch - OFF.

48. MASTER LIGHT panel controls - As required.
49. MASTER TEST switch - OFF.
50. EMERG FLT HYD switch - AUTO (guard down).
51. HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch - SHUT OFF

(guard up).
52. CANOPY air diffuser lever - CABIN AIR.
53. VIDEO CONTROL switch - OFF.
5.1.2 Prestart
Wait for confirmation.

1. Order plane captain to connect and apply starter
air and apply external power.
2. If wings are not in OV SWP: CAUTION

• WING SWEEP DRIVE NO. 1 and WG SWP Wings will move to emergency handle position
DRIVE NO 2/MANUV FLAP cb’s (LE1, LE2) regardless of
- Pull. wing-sweep circuit-breaker (cb) position.
• Emergency WINGSWEEP handle
- Extend and match captain bars with wing
position tape.
3. ICS - Check.
Check gear position indication down and transition light

4. Landing gear indicator and transition light - off.
Check.

5. MASTER TEST switch - Check.

• LTS - Check that all warning, caution and
advisory lights illuminate. Coordinate with RIO.
Set brightness of the ACM panel and indexer lights
during test.
• FIRE DET/EXT - Check that L and R FIRE and The DATA LINK switch must be on to check DDI
GO light illuminate. lights.
• INST - Check for following responses on
instruments after 5 secs:
– RPM - 96%.
– EGT - 960 °C.
– FF - 10500 Pph.
– AOA - 18±5.
– Wing sweep - 45°±2.5°.
– FUEL QTY - 2000±200 Pounds. Makes L STALL and R STALL warning lights flash.
– Oxygen quantity - 2 Liters.
– L and R FUEL FLOW lights - Illuminated.
– MASTER TEST switch - OFF.
Verify RIO FUEL QTY.
Verify RIO seats armed.

6. Ejection seats - Armed.
7. CANOPY handle - Close.
Verify consistency with loaded armaments.

8. ACM panel - Set.
• Gun rate - Set and check rounds remaining.
• SW COOL - OFF.
• MSL PREP - OFF.
• MSL MODE - NORM.
• Station loading status windows - Check.
9. EMERG STORES JETT pushbutton light - Out.
Order plane captain to stow boarding ladder and steps.

10. LADDER light - Out.
11. Inform RIO - Ready to start.
5.1.3 Engine Start

1. Check AIR SOURCE switch is set to OFF.
2. Set HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch to OFF.

(Guard up)
3. EMERG FLT HYD switch to LOW,

Check for ON flag in EMER FLT LOW
hydraulic pressure window.
Verify control over horizontal

and rudder control surfaces on surface position
indicator.
4. EMERG FLT HYD switch to HIGH,

Check for ON flag in EMER FLT HI hydraulic
pressure window.
Should have a higher deflection rate than LOW.
Verify control over horizontal
and rudder control surfaces on surface position
indicator.
5. EMERG FLT HYD switch to AUTO(LOW),

Check for OFF flags in both EMER FLT LOW
and HI.
6. ENG CRANK switch to R (Right engine). Switch is held in position automatically by solenoid
Check for oil and hydraulic pressure at roughly until engine is at roughly 50% RPM.
20% RPM.
Check START/VALVE caution light indication.
7. Right throttle to IDLE at 20% RPM. Will automatically actuate ignition system and fuel
flow.
Light off (EGT temperature rise) should occur within
5-15 secs.
EGT temperature should peak around 40-50% and not
exceed 890 °C
which constitutes a hot start.

8. Check ENG CRANK switch returns to OFF If ENG CRANK stays at R manually set it to off before
around 50% rpm 60% rpm.
and START/VALVE caution light turns off. If START/VALVE caution light is still on, disconnect
starter air.
At around 59% rpm.

9. Check R GEN caution light turns off.
Before idle rpm.

10. Check R FUEL PRESS caution light turns off.
11. Check engine idle instrument readings.

• RPM - 62 to 78%.
• EGT - 500 °C (nominal).
• FF - 950 to 1400 Pph (nominal).
• NOZ position - 100%.
• OIL - 25 to 35 psi (nominal, 15 minimum).
• FLT HYD PRESS - 3000 psi.
12. Order plane captain to disconnect external electri-

cal power.
13. ENG CRANK switch to L (Left engine).
When combined hydraulic pressure reaches 3000

psi switch ENG CRANK back to OFF.
14. HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch to NORMAL. Will operate from flight side to maintain
combined side at between 2400-2600 psi.
If it does not pressurize combined side within 10
secs,
immediately set HYD TRANSFER PUMP
switch to SHUTOFF.
15. HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch to SHUTOFF.
16. Repeat steps 6 to 11 for left engine.
17. Order plane captain to disconnect starter air.


Verify cockpit airflow at all positions.
18. Cycle AIR SOURCE switch to L ENG, R ENG,
then set it to BOTH ENG.
19. HYD TRANSFER PUMP switch to NORMAL.
5.1.4 Poststart
1. STAB AUG switches - All ON.
2. MASTER TEST switch - EMERG GEN. NO GO light should illuminate for about 1 sec before
GO light illuminates.
When disconnecting AHRS light might illuminate

momentarily.
Advise RIO test complete.
RUDDER AUTH light will not go out until reset by

3. VMCU operation - Check. MASTER RESET pushbutton and PITCH and ROLL
STAB AUG switches will have turned OFF.
Following disengagement of MASTER TEST -
EMERG GEN the following lights should
illuminate for just under 2 secs:
• PITCH STAB 1 and 2.
• ROLL STAB 1 and 2.
• YAW STAB OP and OUT.
• SPOILERS.
• HZ TAIL AUTH.
• RUDDER AUTH.
• AUTO PILOT.
• MACH TRIM.
4. Advise RIO that test and check is complete.
5. STAB AUG switches - All ON.

6. AFTC - Check.
• L ENG MODE SELECT switch - SEC.
L ENG SEC light illuminates, left NOZ indicator
• L ENG MODE SELECT switch - PRI. points below zero.
• R ENG MODE SELECT switch - SEC. L ENG SEC light goes out, NOZ indicator to 100%.
• R ENG MODE SELECT switch - PRI.

R ENG SEC light illuminates, right NOZ indicator
points below zero.
R ENG SEC lights goes out, NOZ indicator to 100%.
7. Emergency WING SWEEP handle - 0V SW.

• If wings are not in oversweep, move the wing-
sweep emergency handle to 68° in raised position.
• Then raise handle to full extension and hold un-
til HZ TAIL AUTH caution light goes out and
OVER flag appears on wing-sweep indicator.
• Move handle to full aft OV SW and stow.
8. Wing-sweep mode switch - AUTO.
9. WING SWEEP DRIVE NO.1 and WG SW DR

NO. 2/MANUV FLAP cb (LE1, LE2) - In.
10. WING/EXT TRANS switch - OFF.
11. MASTER RESET pushbutton - Depress.
12. COMM/NAV/GEAR/DISPLAYS - ON.

• UHF function selector - TR+G or BOTH.
• TACAN function selector - T/R.
• ARA-63 POWER switch - ON.
• DISPLAYS control switches - ON.
• RADAR ALTITUDE - ON.
13. Trim - Set 000.
Do this at least two minutes before take-off.

14. Standby attitude gyro - Erect.

Coordinate with RIO and plane captain.

16. MASTER TEST switch - OBC.
As part of above test.

17. Autopilot - Engage.
18. Speed brake switch - EXT, then RET. First test partial extension and retraction, then full.
Check for fluctuations in stabilizer to verify integrated

trim operation.
Check normal function and that transition light illumi-

19. REFUEL PROBE switch - All EXT, then RET. nates normally.
20. WSHLD AIR switch - Cycle.
If engaged, verify that autopilot disengages.

21. OBC - OFF.
22. WING/EXT TRANS switch - OFF.
23. Trim - Checked and Set 000.
FOR CV OPERATIONS OMIT STEPS 24 - 42.
24. Emergency WING SWEEP handle - 20°. CAUTION - WING MOVEMENT
After moving handle to 20° (full forward), engage

spider detent.
Stow handle and guard.
HZ TAIL AUTH light will illuminate momentarily

coming out of OVSW.
According to situation.
26. External lights - Check.

27. Flaps and slats - DN. Check for full deflection and operation of outboard
spoiler module.
Also check for 3° trailing edge up of stabilizer.
Verify full range of motion on control surfaces and nor-

28. Flight controls - Cycle. mal speed and operation of said surfaces.
Verify horizontal tail shift with DLC input.

29. DLC - Check.
30. ANTI SKID SPOILER BK. switch - SPOILER

BK.
31. MASTER TEST switch - STICK SW. SPOILER light illuminates and all spoilers fall down.
GO light should illuminate with 1 inch of movement of

stick in each direction.
32. Spoilers and throttles - Check.
34. Flaps and slats - UP.
35. Maneuver flaps - DN.
If sweep does not stop at 50° immediately select AUTO.

36. WING SWEEP MODE switch - MAN 50.
37. Maneuver flaps - Crack Up.
Check maneuver flap retraction.

38. WING SWEEP MODE switch - BOMB.
39. Emergency WING SWEEP handle - 68°.
40. Emergency WING SWEEP handle - OV SW.

41. WING SWEEP MODE switch - AUTO.
CHECKLIST FOR CV RESUMES
43. ANTI SKID SPOILER BK switch - BOTH.
Ensure coarse gyro alignment complete before releasing

44. ANTI SKID - BIT. parking brake.
46. Radar altimeter - BIT.
Depress SET knob, display should show 100 feet

and indicator green light illuminates.
Release and indicator should show 0 feet,

warning tone should sound in both cockpits and
ALT LOW illuminates correspondingly.
47. Displays - Check.
48. TACAN - BIT.
49. ARA-63 - BIT.
50. HUD-VIDEO - BIT.
51. Altimeter - SET/RESET MODE.
Check IMU heading on HUD, VDI, HSD and BDHI.

52. Compass - Check.
53. Flight instruments - Check.

5.2 Checklists - RIO
5.2.1 Interior Inspection
1. OXYGEN - Check. Turn OXYGEN switch ON and check for airflow.
Turn OXYGEN switch OFF and check that airflow

ceases.
2. VENT AIRFLOW thumbwheel - OFF.
3. SYS TEST - SYS PWR ground check panel -

Closed.
4. KY-28 or KY-58 - P/OFF.
5. ICS panel - Set.

• VOL knob - Set.
• Amplifier - NORM.
• Function selector - COLD MIC.
6. TACAN function selector - OFF.
7. U/VHF MODE selector - OFF.
8. LIQ COOLING switch - OFF.
According to squadron policy.

9. EJECT CMD lever - Set.

10. ARMAMENT control panel - Set.

• WPN type thumbwheel - OFF.
• ATTK MODE knob - MAN.
• DLVY MODE switch - STP.
• DLVY MODE switch - SGL.
• ELECT FUZE knob - Safe.
• A/G GUN switch - OFF.
• MECH FUZE switch - Safe.
• SEL JETT switch - Safe.
• JETT OPTIONS switch - MER TER.
• INTERVAL - Set.
• QTY - Set.
• Station select switches 1 to 8 - Safe.
• MSL OPTIONS switch - NORM.
• MSL SPD GATE knob - NOSE QTR.
11. Standby attitude gyro - Caged.
12. NAV MODE knob - OFF.
13. Clock - Set and Wind.
14. WCS switch - OFF.
15. IR/TV power switch - OFF.
16. RECORD switch - OFF.
17. RADAR WARNING RCVR PWR switch - OFF.
18. DECM selector knob - OFF.
19. AN/ALE-39 PWR/MODE switch - OFF.
20. DATA LINK ON-OFF-AUX ON switch - OFF.
21. APX-76 - OFF.
5.2. Checklists - RIO 355

22. INTERIOR LIGHTS panel - Check.
23. IFF MASTER knob - OFF.
24. MODE 4 switch - Out.
25. IFF ANT and TEST panel - SET.

• IFF ANT switch - Off (center).
• IND LT-DDI BIT switch - Off (center).
• GND CLG switch - OFF.
26. RADAR BEACON switch - OFF.
27. RADAR BEACON MODE switch - Single or

Double.
28. POWER SYS TEST switch - OFF.
29. DATA/ADF switch - OFF.
5.2.2 Prestart

1. Verify that external power and air is connected.

CAUTION
Starting WCS and or displays without external air can

cause damage to those systems as external air is used
for cooling when no on-board air is available.
Verify two-way communication between crewmembers

2. ICS - Check.
and adjust volume.
Set in accordance with mission parameters.
3. DL, TACAN and U/VHF - Set.
4. Fuel quantity - Check.
Adjust console and instrument lighting if required.

5. Lights - Check.
6. LTS test - Check.

• Check that all caution and advisory lights, ECM This is done when pilot selects LTS test on MASTER
lights and DDI lights illuminate. TEST switch.
NOTE When pilot selects INST test, RIO fuel counter

should decrease to 2000 pounds and MASTER
CAUTION, FUEL LOW and OXY LOW lights should
illuminate.
Visually check that pilot locking tab is depressed.

7. Ejection seats - Armed.
Verify that pilot is ready to close canopy.

8. CANOPY handle - Close.
Inform pilot, ready to start.

9. Acknowledge - Ready to start.
5.2.3 Engine Start
The RIO monitors pilot procedures and plane captain signals to ensure maximum safety during engine start sequence.
5.2.4 Poststart
Note
• The RIO must ensure that the EMERG GEN check is completed before commencing poststart checklist.
• The ECS (Environmental Control System) should run for at least 3 minutes before avionics and AWG-9 power-
up.

Verify that AWG-9 COND light illuminates.

1. WCS switch - STBY.
Select AWG-9/AIM-54 if AIM-54 is loaded. Verify that

2. LIQ COOLING switch - AWG-9 or AWG- AWG-9 COND light goes off and that AUTO BIT 2 is
9/AIM-54. running (on TID).
3. IR/TV power switch - STBY/IR/TV.
4. CATEGORY knob - NAV.
5. NAV MODE switch - Align.
6. Communications - ON and Set.

• U/VHF MODE selector - T/R G.
• DATA LINK switch - ON.
9. TACAN function selector - T/R.
10. RADAR WARNING RCVR panel - Set.

• Display type switch - NORM.
• PWR switch - ON.
• TEST switch - SPL.
• MODE button - LMT.
11. DECM knob - STBY.

• When STBY light goes off, select hold 3
SEC, then ACT for OBC.
12. IFF MASTER knob - STBY.

• Set CODE knob - As required.
• IFF panel - Test.
– MC switch - OUT.
– M1, M2 and M3 - Test.
– MC - Test. Select NORM and observe that TEST light
– IFF ANT switch - AUTO. illuminates.
On TID.
13. AUTO BIT 2 - Verify Complete.
14. CAP - Enter own aircraft latitude, longitude and

field or ship elevation.

15. Altimeter - Reset.
WP, FP, etc, according to mission.

16. Computer address panel - Enter desired data.
17. DDD - Set.
18. TID controls - Set.

• CONTRAST - Set.
• BRIGHT control - Set.
• CLSN - OFF.
• ALT NUM - ON.
• SYM ELEM - ON.
• DATA LINK - As required.
• JAM strobe - As required.
• NON ATTK - As required.
• LAUNCH ZONE - As required.
• VEL VECTOR - As required.
• RANGE scale - As required.
19. Multiple display indicator - Set.

• TEST button - Depress and Check.
• BRIGHTNESS - Set.
20. DATA/ADF switch - BOTH.
21. Hand control panel - Set.

• Light test - Depress and Check. All AWG-9 lights should illuminate.
• El Vernier - Set 0° elevation on radar.
22. AN/ALE-39 - Set.

• BURST switch - 3.
• BURST INTERVAL - 0.1.
• SALVO - 2.
• SALVO INTERVAL - 0.4.
23. CANOPY DEFOG-CABIN AIR lever - CABIN

AIR.
24. D/L reply - As required.

25. AAI control panel - Set.

• TEST/CHAL CC switch - Test. Check DDD display.
26. Indicator lights - Test.
27. DDI BIT - Test.
28. After alignment complete:

• NAV mode - INS.
• Program restart - Depress.
• STBY/READY lights - OFF.
• TID NAV mode - INS.
29. DEST data - Verify.
30. BRG/DIST to destination - Check.
31. OWN A/C groundspeed - Check.
32. MAG VAR - Check.
33. KY-28/KY-58 - As required.
34. Standby attitude gyro - Erect.
35. Notify pilot - Ready to taxi.

CHAPTER 6
Emergency Procedures
6.1 Engine Airstart
The F110-GE-400 engines can be airstarted one by one or both at the same time.
The three possible restart types are: spooldown, cross-bleed or windmill and all three should be attempted in the
AFTC selected engine mode. Normally this should be the primary engine mode but if the AFTC has already chosen
the secondary mode that should be used for the first attempt.
6.1.1 Spooldown Airstart
The spooldown airstart can be attemped immediately after engine loss before significant spooldown has occured. This
is the fastest way to restart an engine.
Depending on engine RPM it might take up to 10 seconds to notice any RPM increase and up to 90 seconds to reach
commanded RPM. If the engine mode selected by the AFTC was PRI, a renewed attempt may be made in SEC.
361
Spooldown Airstart Checklist
IDLE or above
1. Throttle
If no relight occurs:
OFF then IDLE
2. Throttle
If still no relight:
SEC
3. ENG MODE SELECT switch
If no start after mode switch, OFF then IDLE

4. Throttle
After successful airstart in SEC:

PRI if possible
362 Chapter 6. Emergency Procedures

6.1.2 Cross-Bleed Airstart
A cross-bleed airstart can be attempted with one engine running if the spooldown airstart was not successfull or the
engine is already at or near windmill rpm.
Cross-Bleed Airstart Checklist
OFF
1. Non-running engine throttle
Check handle in in position

2. FUEL SHUT OFF handle
Minimum 80% RPM

3. Running engine throttle
ON
4. BACK UP IGNITION switch
Set to non-running engine

5. ENG CRANK switch
IDLE immediately after ENG CRANK on

If no start occurs:
OFF then IDLE
If still no start:
SEC
8. ENG MODE select switch
OFF then IDLE

After successfull airstart:

OFF
10. BACK UP ignition switch
PRI if possible
6.1.3 Windmill Airstart
The windmill airstart uses aircraft airspeed to turn the engine turbines using wind speed. Required airspeed is at or
above 450 knots indicated airspeed and should only be attempted if airspeed and altitude allows it.
6.1. Engine Airstart 363

Windmill Airstart Checklist
At or above 450 KIAS

1. Airspeed
IDLE or above
2. Throttle
ON
If no relight occurs:
OFF then IDLE
4. Throttle
If still no relight:
SEC
If no start after mode switch, OFF then IDLE

6. Throttle
After successful airstart:

OFF
PRI if possible
364 Chapter 6. Emergency Procedures

CHAPTER 7
DCS Specific Functions
7.1 Jester
The Jester AI aims to be a functional AI radar intercept officer, RIO, for the Heatblur DCS F-14B, enabling a multicrew
experience in a single player (per aircraft) environment.
He is fully integrated into the rear cockpit controlling nearly all back seat systems with a focus on systems not con-
trollable from the pilot seat. He is also modelled to take into account the limitations of a real human meaning that,
amongst other things, his current headposition, visual spotting range and what his hands are doing are modelled fully.
When controlling the systems at the RIO seat he performs all actions that a human RIO would have to do.
To order/control Jester a command wheel is used for quick access, this wheel is dynamic depending on current mode
selected and also depending on current situation. Feedback to the pilot from Jester is via the ICS using a library
of recorded audio, simulating the experience of having a RIO actually talking to you and apart from acknowledging
orders he will also communicate pertinent information to the pilot depending on situation.
365
Finally, in a multiplayer environment a RIO joining a Tomcat in flight will find all controls at the rear seat in the
position where Jester left them and if the human RIO disconnects Jester will resume control of the systems in the
configuration the human player left them.
7.1.1 Functionality
The Jester menu is by default brought up using A and selection of a menu item (1 to 8) are done using CTRL + 1 to
8. These keycommands can be changed or set to a controller using the Jester category under F-14 Pilot in the DCS
keybinds. The keycommands for the menu petals are designed in a way as to enable them to be mapped to an eight
way hat on a game controller. In addition it’s possible to use the viewing angle in the cockpit to select a petal while
holding the Jester menu keybind for more than 0.5 seconds. This can be enabled or disabled in the F-14B options.
Pictured above is the main Jester menu which contains all the different available contextual menus. The first press of
the Jester menu command normally brings up one of the contextual menus depending on which mode and situation
the aircraft is in. Air to air mode while airborne as an example lands the user directly into the BEYOND VISUAL
RANGE - RADAR menu while airborne and in air to ground mode brings up the AIR TO GROUND - WEAPONS
menu. In addition the take-off and landing modes have their own contextual menus only available when in those
modes.
After pressing the Jester menu command and landing in the relavant contextual menu another press of the same
command then brings up the main Jester menu enabling selection of a different contextual menu than the automatic
one.
The normal sequence pressing the Jester menu command (defaulting to A) is thus, Menu OFF -> Contextual menu
depending on mode and situation -> Main Menu -> Menu OFF.
From these menus it is then possible to control the various systems at the RIO seat. Depending on previous commands
options in the different contextual menus might change and some systems use the petals of the menu as inputs/keypads
to set frequencies and other numbers in those systems.
366 Chapter 7. DCS Specific Functions

As an example it is possible to tell Jester to set a waypoint in the navigational systems like this but it will require a lot
of consecutive keypresses, as a shortcut it is in this case also possible have him enter a waypoint from a map marker
set in the F10 view. To help with selecting a marker in this case the menu will show the user time since created and
the name entered for the marker.
In the case of a system needing to select a specific symbol, like choosing a target on the TID to lock in STT, the menu
will allow the pilot to tell Jester to either lock the closest target, closest hostile target and so on. In addition it is also
possible to specify a specific symbol/track to look using an azimuth/range system.
Lastly, Jester is also able to read out the startup checklist helping the pilot to coldstart the F-14 in the assisted startup
detailed further down.
7.1.2 Iceman
In addition to Jester, or rather, as a subset of the Jester AI, the Heatblur DCS F-14B also has Iceman, a basic autopi-
lot/AI. This is intended for use in singleplayer where a player might jump between the front and back seats to control
both positions and enables a basic autopilot controllable from the back seat using the same methodology as the Jester
controls from the front seat.
The basic functionality is that when the player switches to the RIO seat, Iceman takes control and on the current
heading and altitude. The, now Iceman, menu then allows the player to set heading, altitude and speed. Heading and
altitude can be set relative a target or as absolutes not referencing an external target.
7.1. Jester 367

7.1.3 Assisted Startup
For aircraft cold start, Jester can either perform his checklist like a real RIO would, or he can also help the pilot with
an assisted startup in which he reads the pilot’s checklist to him while starting.
To access the normal, unassisted startup, select startup, Jester will then go through his checklist. He will at times ask
the pilot if he has completed certain checks or ask for specific tests, this is answered via the Jester menu using the
options appearing there. As an example he will start by asking for a comms check which is answered via the Jester
menu. Note that after engine startup and EMERG GEN Master test he will ask for what INS alignment to go for, select
this via the Jester menu as well.
To access the assisted startup select assisted start on the Jester menu. Jester will now read out the checklist to the pilot
and highlight the relevant indicators and switches during startup. Use the Jester menu to tell Jester when a check/step
is complete.

7.2 HB DCS F-14 Specific Configuration Options
The Heatblur F-14 in DCS has a set of options available affecting only the F-14. These are located under OPTIONS
-> SPECIAL -> F-14B on the main DCS menu.
The available options are:
Control Function
Radio Menu and PTT Behavior Sets up how the radio PTT buttons affect the DCS radio menu, useful
if PTTs are used for SRS.
Jester AI Options:
Use Head Movement in Order to Select Enable use of head movement with VR or Track-IR to select Jester
Items in Jester Menu Menu items.
Boring Jester Disables Jester embellishments and jokes. Currently not imple-
mented.
Switch PD-STT to P-STT lock when going Jester will automatically switch to P-STT within ACM ranges.
WVR
Jester Menu Camera Enables or disables live Jester view on the Jester Menu Radial.
7.3 DCS Mission Editor Functions Specific to the HB DCS F-14
The F-14 has special options and waypoints available in the DCS Mission Editor.
Aircraft specific options are set up under the Additional Properties for Aircraft page available when setting up an
aircraft group containing F-14s.
The waypoints, apart from waypoint 1-3 and Home Base are set up using the Navigation Target Points page also
available when configuring an aircraft group containing F-14s.
7.3.1 Heatblur DCS F-14 Specific Options in the Mission Editor
Option Sets
M-61 Burst Mode Sets M-61 maximum burst length, manual lets cannon fire until empty.
AN/ALE-39 Loadout Sets AN/ALE-39 countermeasure launcher loadout.
Fill LAU-138 With Chaff Sets whether LAU-138s are empty or loaded with chaff on aircraft spawn.
INS Reference Alignment Stored Sets whether a Reference Alignment is prestored for the INS on aircraft spawn.
TACAN Channel Presel (0 = Sets preselected TACAN channel on aircraft spawn. 0 sets closest station on
Auto) spawn.
TACAN Band Sets preselected TACAN band on aircraft spawn. X or Y.
ILS Channel Presel Sets preselected ICLS channel on aircraft spawn.
KY-28 Encryption Key Sets what encryption key is loaded into the KY-28 on aircraft spawn.
Laser Code 1st-4th Digit Sets preset laser code for loaded laser guided munitions on aircraft spawn.
7.3.2 F-14 Waypoints in the Mission Editor
As the F-14’s navigational system only has three numbered waypoints, most other waypoints are set using Navigation
Target Points.
Waypoint 1 through 3 are set from their respective waypoints in the mission editor.
7.2. HB DCS F-14 Specific Configuration Options 369

Home Base is set to the landing waypoint.

The rest are set by creating and naming Navigation Target Points as per below list.
Waypoint Set by waypoint with name

Fix Point FP
Initial Point IP
Surface Target ST
Defended Point DP
Hostile Area HA
Datalink Waypoint 1 Through 3 DLWP1, DLWP2 and DLWP3
Datalink Surface Target DLST
Datalink Fixed Point DLFP

CHAPTER 8
Acronyms and Abbreviations
8.1 A
Acronym/Abbreviation Meaning
ACL Automatic Carrier Landing
ACLS Automatic Carrier Landing System
ACM Air Combat Maneuver
ACQ Aquisition
ADF Automatic Direction Finder
ADI Attitude Director Indicator
ADL Armament Datum Line
AFCS Automatic Flight Control System
AFTC Augmenter Fan Temperature Control
AHRS Attitude Heading Reference System
AICS Air Inlet Control System
AOA Angle of Attack
APC Approach Power Compensator
ASH Automatic Stored Heading
ATC Active Transfer Command
ATLS Automatic Thrust Limiting System
ATTK Attack
AVTR Airborne Video Tape Recorder
AWL All-Weather Landing
371
8.2 B
BATR Bullet at Target Range
BDHI Bearing-Distance-Heading Indicator
BIT Built-in Test
BRC Base Recovery Course
BRST Boresight
BRU Bomb Rack Unit
8.3 C
CADC Central Air Data Computer
CAINS Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System
CANTCO Can’t Comply
CAP Computer Address Panel
CCIP Continuously Computed Impact Point
CICU Computer Integrated Converter Unit
CLSN Collision
CM Continuous Monitor
CRS Course
CRT Cathode Ray Tube
CSA Continuous Semi-Active
CSDC Computer Signal Data Converter
CTVS Cockpit Television Sensor
CV Aircraft Carrier
CW Continuous-Wave
8.4 D
DDD Detail Data Display
DDI Digital Data Indicator
DECM Defensive Electronic Countermeasures
DEF PT Defended Point
DES Designate
DEST Destination
DF Direction Finder
D/L Data Link
DLC Direct Lift Control
DME Distance Measuring Equipment
DPLR Doppler
372 Chapter 8. Acronyms and Abbreviations

8.5 E
ECA Expanded Chaff Adapter
ECM Electronic Countermeasures
ECCM Electronic Counter-Countermeasures
ECMD Electronic Countermeasures Display
ECS Environmental Control System
EGT Exhaust Gas Temperature
EIG Electronic Instrument Group
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
EXP Expand
FAR False Alarm Rate
8.6 F
FCLP Field Carrier Landing Practice
FEMS Fatigue Engine Monitoring System
FF Fuel Flow
FLOLS Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System
FMR Frequency Ranging
FOV Field of View
FRL Fuselage Reference Line
FSK Frequency-Shift-Keyed
FWD Forward
8.7 G
GACH Gimbal Angle Crosshair
GCI Ground Controlled Intercept
GCS Gun Control System
GM Ground Map
GPS Global Positioning System
GSS Gun Scoring System
GT Ground Track
8.5. E 373
8.8 H
HB Homebase
HCU Hand Control Unit
HDG Heading
HOJ Home-on-Jam
HOST Hostile
HPRF High Pulse Repetition Frequency
HSD Horizontal Situation Display
HSI Horizontal Situation Indicator
HUD Heads-up Display
8.9 I
IAS Indicated Airspeed
ICLS Instrument Carrier Landing System
ICS Intercommunications
IFF Identification Friend or Foe
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
IFT In-Flight Training
ILS Instrument Landing System (ICLS)
IMN Indicated Mach Number
IMU Intertial Measurement Unit
INS Intertial Navigation System
IP Initial Point
IR Infrared
IRAT IR Angle Tracking
ITER Improved Triple Ejector Rack
ITS Integrated Trim System
8.10 J
JAM Jamming
JAT Jam Angle Track
8.11 K
KCAS Knots Calibrated Airspeed
KTS Knots

8.12 L
LAR Launch Acceptable Region
LCD Liquid Crystal Display
LCOS Lead Computing Optical Sight
LOS Line of Sight
LPRF Low Pulse Repetition Frequency
LSO Landing Signal Officer or “Paddles”
LTE Launch-to-Eject
8.13 M
M Mach
MA Missile Alert
MAD Magnetic Azimuth Detector
MAG VAR Magnetic Variation
MAN Manual
MAND Mandatory
MDIG Multipurpose Display Indicator Group
MEC Main Engine Control
MIL Military
ML Missile Launch
MLC Mainlobe Clutter
MLG Main Landing Gear
MOAT Missile on Aircraft Test
MMGS Multiple Mode Gun Sight
MRL Manual Rapid Lockon
MSL Mean Sea Level
8.14 N
NAV GRID Navigation Command and Control Grid
NBR Number
NFO Naval Flight Officer
NFOV Narrow Field of View
NM Nautical Miles
NOZ Nozzle
NTDS Naval Tactical Data System
8.12. L 375
8.15 O
OBC On-Board Check
8.16 P
Paddles See LSO
PAL Pilot Automatic Lockon
PCD Precision Course Direction
PD Pulse Doppler
PDCP Pilot Display Control Panel
PDRSL Pulse Doppler Radar Slaved
PDS Pulse Doppler Search
PDSTT Pulse Doppler Single Target Track
PH AIM-54 Phoenix Missile
PLM Pilot Lockon Mode
PRF Pulse Repetition Frequency
PRI Primary
PRSL Pulse Radar Slaved
PS Pulse Search
PSTT Pulse Single Target Track
PT Point
8.17 Q
QADL Cue-to-ADL
QDES Cue-to-Designate
QHUD Cue-to-HUD
QSNO Cue-to-snowplow
QWP Cue-to-waypoint

8.18 R
RACH Radar Angle Crosshair
RDR Radar
RDROT Radar on Target
RECON Reconnaissance
RIO Radar Intercept Officer
RNG Range
RNGRT Range Rate
ROT Range on Target
RTGS Real-Time Gun Sight
RWS Range While Search
8.19 S
SAM Surface to Air Missile
SAS Stability Augmentation System
SAT Simultaneous Alignment and Test
SCP Sensor Control Panel
SD/A Sample Data/Active
SEAM Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode
SINS Ship Inertial Navigation System
SP AIM-7 Sparrow Missile
ST Surface Target
STAB Stabilization
STAB AUG Stability Augmentation
STBY Standby
STC Sensitivity Time Control
STT Single Target Track
SW AIM-9 Sidewinder Missile
8.18. R 377
8.20 T
TACAN Tactical Air Navigation
TARPS Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System
TAS True Airspeed
TCS Television Camera Set
TDS Tactical Data System
TER Triple Ejector Rack
TGT Target
THRLD Threshold
TID Tactical Information Display
TIT Turbine Inlet Temperature
TTG Time-to-Go
TUIR Time Until in Range
TUMR Time Until Maximum Range
TUOR Time Until Optimum Range
TWS Track While Scan
TWSA Track While Scan Automatic
TWSM Track While Scan Manual
8.21 U
UHF Ultra High Frequency
UTC Coordinated Universal Time
8.22 V
Vc Closing Velocity Rate
vC Computed MAG VAR
VDI Vertical Display Indicator
VDIG Vertical Display Indicator Group (HUD & VDI)
VEC Vector
VFR Visual Flight Rules
VID Visual Identification
vM Manual MAG VAR
VMCU Voltage Monitor Control Unit
VSL Vertical Scan Lockon
VTR Video Tape Recorder

8.23 W
WCS Weapon Control System
WFOV Wide Field of View
WILCO Will Comply
WOD Wind over the Deck
WOW Weight on/off Wheels
8.24 Y
YY Geographic Reference Point for NAV GRID
8.23. W 379

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Heatblur F-14A/B Tomcat

Mar 12, 2019

3 General Design and Systems Overview 165

4 Weapons and Weapons Employment Overview 307

6 Emergency Procedures 361

7 DCS Specific Functions 365

8 Acronyms and Abbreviations 371

1.1 Historical background

1.1.1 F-14 Tomcat

Fig. 1: U.S. Navy photo by LT J.G. Thomas Prochilo. (DN-SC-83-06680)

1.1.2 Service Life Upgrades

1.1.3 Ground Attack

Fig. 2: Photo by LCDR Dave Parsons. (DN-SC-93-01299)

1.1. Historical background 5

1.1.5 End of Service

Fig. 3: IRIAF photo circa 1986.

1.1.7 AIM-54 Phoenix

Fig. 4: U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Dana Potts. (020924-N-1955P-001)

1.1. Historical background 7

1.2 General Specifications

1.2.1 Technical Data

Wingspan (Fully Extended) 64‘1.5” (~19.5 meters)

2.1 F-14B Cockpit Layout

2.1.1 Pilot Cockpit Layout

1 Left Side Console

10 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

2.1.2 RIO Cockpit Layout

1 Left Side Console

2.1. F-14B Cockpit Layout 11

2.2 F-14B Pilot Cockpit

2.2.1 Left Side Console

Pressed to test inflation of g-suit.

12 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

Oxygen-Vent Airflow Control Panel

2.2. F-14B Pilot Cockpit 13

Volume/TACAN Command Panel

Panel controlling volume to Pilot headset and crewmember in control of TACAN.

Controls volume of Sidewinder audio tone to the pilot.

Controls volume of audio from AN/ARC-182 to the pi-

14 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

TACAN Control Panel

2.2. F-14B Pilot Cockpit 15

Button initiating TACAN BIT.

Switches mode for TACAN operation and selects X or

OFF - TACAN is off.

REC - Receive only.

T/R - Transmit and receive, enables range readout.

A/A - Air to air TACAN mode.

BCN - Beacon TACAN mode. (Non functional)

16 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

ICS Control Panel

Control panel for ICS.

2.2. F-14B Pilot Cockpit 17

2. Amplifier selection knob

B/U - Backup amplifier.

NORM - Normal amplifier.

EMER - Emergency amplifier. Uses RIO’s amplifier

RADIO OVERRIDE - Makes ICS audio override radio

HOT MIC - Allows talking to the RIO without pressing

COLD MIC - Allows talking to the RIO only while the

18 Chapter 2. Cockpit Overview

AFCS Control Panel

Control panel for AFCS and autopilot.

2.2. F-14B Pilot Cockpit 19