X-Plane 8 - Flying an F-14
For some time now, I’ve been searching for a flight simulator that would let me fly an F-14. I was especially interested in finding something that had some realistic shipboard operations. I seem to have found what I was looking for in X-Plane 8.
Admittedly, an F-14 model is not natively included in the sim. But the ability to launch and land from the ship, to practice formation flying, and to practice air-to-air refueling is present, albeit with some limitations. However, there is a large community of X-Plane fliers and some of them are into building models of aircraft that are not included. The F-14 model I’m flying is one of those and was manufactured by someone by the screen name of Piglet and to whom I am eternally grateful. I’ve tried several F-14 models, including one built for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. I believe the model in X-Plane to be superior to it, though each model sports something the other doesn’t.
I bought X-Plane 8 Deluxe from Fry’s late last week and spent a lot of time the past weekend loading it up and flying it. Despite the fact the package was labeled as a Mac only Universal Binary product, the CD contained Windows, Mac OS, and Linux versions. The installation of the basic sim only took 1 GB of space (Windows or Mac); however, that did not include the files necessary to yield photorealistic ground textures anywhere. I added in most of the North American continent (which is on its own DVD) and that added approximately 8 GB of files. The package included a total of 7 DVD’s that contained the simulator and all the graphics files needed to cover the entire Earth; if you install it all, the installation will take 60 GB of space.
Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that the version in the box was not the latest and had to contact the X-Plane website to download it. Unlike most other software applications, the software is not updated by replacing changed files but is updated by replacing it with a complete download of the latest version. This required me to be online for about 30 minutes or so using a fast cable modem. Secondly, I had already added the graphic files to the earlier version before I discovered that fact, so I had to reinstall them as well. Overall, that put me online and at the computer for at least an extra hour. If you buy and install X-Plane out of the box, be sure you look for any updates before you do anything else.
I have run the Mac version on my dual 2 GHz G5 PowerMac (4GB RAM) and on my 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (2 GB RAM) and saw no problems. I have also run the Windows version on the MBP and saw what looked to me like equivalent performance. Note though that the MBP runs were performed with copies of X-Plane installed to external Firewire 400 7200 RPM hard drives vice the MBP’s internal 5400 RPM drive.
The F-14 model shows a very accurate though incomplete cockpit reconstruction; still, it is one of the better ones I have seen to date. The biggest disappointment is that the angle of attack gauge doesn’t work, and that is one of the major tools a Naval Aviator uses to help him fly aboard. The tailhook control is a big red button instead of a hook shaped lever on the pilot’s right, the wingsweep doesn’t work, and the landing gear handle on the pilot’s left is missing as well as any other indicator that the gear is down. I’d have to guess the landing gear position by judging how the aircraft was responding and whether an automated voice harped at me on final that the gear was up. There were no DLC (Direct Lift Control) or Autothrottle functions, though I didn’t miss these and most guys I flew with tried to avoid using DLC to control glide path except as a last resort. Still, I’m not fussing; I’m glad to have something reasonably close.
The Carrier Approach is listed under the Special Approach menu function; the approach starts probably about ten miles out at about three thousand feet. In reality, this is kind of a no man’s land since an instrument approach generally starts at 1200 feet and a VFR approach (break, downwind) is at 800-1000 and abeam the ship. The gear appears to be out but the airplane is incredibly fast, and there is no shipboard MLS (Microwave Landing System) anywhere to be had. Navigation is strictly visual. In the real world, if this were the case, the airplane would be flying into the break. However, it is possible to fly VFR to the deck by trying to slow the airplane down (the use of speedbrakes helps) and using the HUD’s (Heads UP Display) velocity vector to target the landing area. (This was a strict no-no in real Naval Aviation, but the ball simply doesn’t show up until you’re in close.) As you get within the last few miles of the ship, the Fresnel Landing Lens (the pilots called it “the ball”) will be visible, though somewhat blossomed, and can be used to provide accurate glide path information. In fact, the mechanization of the ball is one of the joys of this sim; you can use it to fly aboard just like is done in the real world.
If you trap in the landing area, the hook will abruptly stop you; if not, you’ll know you boltered as you go ripping off the ship’s pointy end.
There is also a catapult launch you can experience, though the deck run is a bit shorter than the real thing. It’s controlled by the brakes, which would be okay except full engine power will slide the airplane forward with them engaged, forcing you to release them quickly. Obviously, in the real world, no catapult shot ever begins without the jet’s engines either at Military or, in the case of the F-14A, full burner.
Amazingly, you can even decide to try your hand at air-to-air refueling, choosing between a flying boom technique the USAF uses or the “basket” approach used by the USN/USMC. However, the basket is missing in the “basket approach”, leaving you without any real target to fly into.
On top of all that, there is a “formation flying” entry. The sim puts you several miles behind your target with much too much closure at the beginning (somewhere on the order of 100 knots), so the only way to salvage any run was to immediately go to Idle on the throttles and open the speedbrakes to Full until you got close.
All that sounds like a bitch, I know; but I’m happier than a lark right now that X-Plane supports all of that, as flawed as it might be. The application also includes a space shuttle landing simulator I haven’t yet explored, and I’m looking forward to getting some time to see how it compares to the shuttle simulators I’ve flown.
If you ask me which flight simulator I prefer, I’m going to answer that it depends on what I’m going to do. X-Plane is providing me military flight experiences I can’t find anywhere else. But for brushing up on my real IFR pilot rating skills, I’m going to stick with Microsoft Flight Simulator, at least for now. I don’t believe there is a Grumman Cheetah model for X-Plane and there is for MS Flight Simulator. But, for the moment, I’m spending most of my time learning to master the F-14 and see how close to my memories I can get.
Admittedly, an F-14 model is not natively included in the sim. But the ability to launch and land from the ship, to practice formation flying, and to practice air-to-air refueling is present, albeit with some limitations. However, there is a large community of X-Plane fliers and some of them are into building models of aircraft that are not included. The F-14 model I’m flying is one of those and was manufactured by someone by the screen name of Piglet and to whom I am eternally grateful. I’ve tried several F-14 models, including one built for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004. I believe the model in X-Plane to be superior to it, though each model sports something the other doesn’t.
I bought X-Plane 8 Deluxe from Fry’s late last week and spent a lot of time the past weekend loading it up and flying it. Despite the fact the package was labeled as a Mac only Universal Binary product, the CD contained Windows, Mac OS, and Linux versions. The installation of the basic sim only took 1 GB of space (Windows or Mac); however, that did not include the files necessary to yield photorealistic ground textures anywhere. I added in most of the North American continent (which is on its own DVD) and that added approximately 8 GB of files. The package included a total of 7 DVD’s that contained the simulator and all the graphics files needed to cover the entire Earth; if you install it all, the installation will take 60 GB of space.
Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that the version in the box was not the latest and had to contact the X-Plane website to download it. Unlike most other software applications, the software is not updated by replacing changed files but is updated by replacing it with a complete download of the latest version. This required me to be online for about 30 minutes or so using a fast cable modem. Secondly, I had already added the graphic files to the earlier version before I discovered that fact, so I had to reinstall them as well. Overall, that put me online and at the computer for at least an extra hour. If you buy and install X-Plane out of the box, be sure you look for any updates before you do anything else.
I have run the Mac version on my dual 2 GHz G5 PowerMac (4GB RAM) and on my 2.33 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro (2 GB RAM) and saw no problems. I have also run the Windows version on the MBP and saw what looked to me like equivalent performance. Note though that the MBP runs were performed with copies of X-Plane installed to external Firewire 400 7200 RPM hard drives vice the MBP’s internal 5400 RPM drive.
The F-14 model shows a very accurate though incomplete cockpit reconstruction; still, it is one of the better ones I have seen to date. The biggest disappointment is that the angle of attack gauge doesn’t work, and that is one of the major tools a Naval Aviator uses to help him fly aboard. The tailhook control is a big red button instead of a hook shaped lever on the pilot’s right, the wingsweep doesn’t work, and the landing gear handle on the pilot’s left is missing as well as any other indicator that the gear is down. I’d have to guess the landing gear position by judging how the aircraft was responding and whether an automated voice harped at me on final that the gear was up. There were no DLC (Direct Lift Control) or Autothrottle functions, though I didn’t miss these and most guys I flew with tried to avoid using DLC to control glide path except as a last resort. Still, I’m not fussing; I’m glad to have something reasonably close.
The Carrier Approach is listed under the Special Approach menu function; the approach starts probably about ten miles out at about three thousand feet. In reality, this is kind of a no man’s land since an instrument approach generally starts at 1200 feet and a VFR approach (break, downwind) is at 800-1000 and abeam the ship. The gear appears to be out but the airplane is incredibly fast, and there is no shipboard MLS (Microwave Landing System) anywhere to be had. Navigation is strictly visual. In the real world, if this were the case, the airplane would be flying into the break. However, it is possible to fly VFR to the deck by trying to slow the airplane down (the use of speedbrakes helps) and using the HUD’s (Heads UP Display) velocity vector to target the landing area. (This was a strict no-no in real Naval Aviation, but the ball simply doesn’t show up until you’re in close.) As you get within the last few miles of the ship, the Fresnel Landing Lens (the pilots called it “the ball”) will be visible, though somewhat blossomed, and can be used to provide accurate glide path information. In fact, the mechanization of the ball is one of the joys of this sim; you can use it to fly aboard just like is done in the real world.
If you trap in the landing area, the hook will abruptly stop you; if not, you’ll know you boltered as you go ripping off the ship’s pointy end.
There is also a catapult launch you can experience, though the deck run is a bit shorter than the real thing. It’s controlled by the brakes, which would be okay except full engine power will slide the airplane forward with them engaged, forcing you to release them quickly. Obviously, in the real world, no catapult shot ever begins without the jet’s engines either at Military or, in the case of the F-14A, full burner.
Amazingly, you can even decide to try your hand at air-to-air refueling, choosing between a flying boom technique the USAF uses or the “basket” approach used by the USN/USMC. However, the basket is missing in the “basket approach”, leaving you without any real target to fly into.
On top of all that, there is a “formation flying” entry. The sim puts you several miles behind your target with much too much closure at the beginning (somewhere on the order of 100 knots), so the only way to salvage any run was to immediately go to Idle on the throttles and open the speedbrakes to Full until you got close.
All that sounds like a bitch, I know; but I’m happier than a lark right now that X-Plane supports all of that, as flawed as it might be. The application also includes a space shuttle landing simulator I haven’t yet explored, and I’m looking forward to getting some time to see how it compares to the shuttle simulators I’ve flown.
If you ask me which flight simulator I prefer, I’m going to answer that it depends on what I’m going to do. X-Plane is providing me military flight experiences I can’t find anywhere else. But for brushing up on my real IFR pilot rating skills, I’m going to stick with Microsoft Flight Simulator, at least for now. I don’t believe there is a Grumman Cheetah model for X-Plane and there is for MS Flight Simulator. But, for the moment, I’m spending most of my time learning to master the F-14 and see how close to my memories I can get.
posted by Andy Foster at 6:09 AM
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