F-14D PTID powered up or not during aircraft start-up?

[One-Oh-Four]

Hi guys,

 

The PTID (Programmable Tactical Information Display) is what I see as the radar scope of the F-14D. When an F-14D would start up on the flight deck, the radar wouldn't be powered up, of course. At least it wouldn't be radiating. Would the RIO/WSO use the PTID for other purposes at that time, or was the PTID only used for the different radar modes?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

 

Cheers,

Erik.

 

[Juggernut]

I imagine it can have several uses.  Even with the radar in STBY, the scope can be used for programming other sensors, etc.  Of course this is just a wild-#@!#%-guess on my part as I have no  real knowledge of the avioncs/weapons systems on this aircraft.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Juggernut

[One-Oh-Four]

Hey Jug,

 

Exactly my thoughts. I'm hoping someone may know for sure. I'm taking the Tamiya 1/48 F-14D with me on our vacation to Austria (for a rainy day and the evenings) since it is a model that is very fit to be built OOB. I want to put the crew in, and seeing they already have their oxygen masks on, my assumption is that I need to build the kit as if during start-up procedures with the engines already running. So I "need" to know if the RIO/WSO would have the PTID powered up or not, during this phase. 

 

But I'm probably over-thinking this as I usually do. Fretting about tiny little details that don't really matter, that keep me from progressing with a model.... 

 

 

 

[Pete Fleischmann]

I can tell you that after engine start in the F-16 I would run a BIT on the radar every time. The only exception was when we first arrived in Saudi for combat, it took several days for the jets to acclimate to the heat, so we would wait until just prior to takeoff to keep the radar from overheating. Eventually the jets got used to it.

I could see leaving the radar off or at least locking the antenna until after the Cat shot.. but that is pure conjecture.

 

I think if you power it on after start you’d be making a pretty reasonable guess-

 

cheers

 

Pete

[Oldbaldguy]

Pete, do you realize what you just said?  You said it took the jets a couple of days to get used to the heat.  I’ve been flying since 1979 and have never met an airplane that did not have a personality or a soul.  Some are likable and friendly; some are more cantankerous, but each one will tell you what makes it happy if you’ll just listen.  You are the first person to agree with me, whether you realize it or not.  This has nothing to do with F-14 displays and all that, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

[Pete Fleischmann]

2 hours ago, Oldbaldguy said:

Pete, do you realize what you just said?  You said it took the jets a couple of days to get used to the heat.  I’ve been flying since 1979 and have never met an airplane that did not have a personality or a soul.  Some are likable and friendly; some are more cantankerous, but each one will tell you what makes it happy if you’ll just listen.  You are the first person to agree with me, whether you realize it or not.  This has nothing to do with F-14 displays and all that, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

I totally get it.

everything has a soul! I have talked to every aircraft, car, truck, and motorcycle I’ve been associated with.

My FJ40 likes to be encouraged and congratulated. My Tacoma likes to know where we are going…what its “mission” is. The L-39 likes me because we have so much fun together. You can feel it’s excitement come up through the stick when I push the power up for takeoff. It really does speak to me, just as you say- I know that it does. The emergency gear-up landing was a pivotal moment in our relationship. I was so proud of the way it performed. We took care of eachother..and we definitely had a very private, personal moment together when the event was over.

Glad to know that you get it. It is a real thing, and something very special.

 

cheers

Pete

 

[One-Oh-Four]

Thanks for your answers, guys. Pete, does BIT mean Built-In Test? I assume that under no circumstances the radar is allowed to emit on the ground / flight deck, to prevent microwaved crew chiefs / plane captains?

 

BTW, have you learned a couple of Czech words to humor your Albatross? Have a look how it reacts when you say Dobrì Dèn when approaching it for your next flight...!

[Pete Fleischmann]

43 minutes ago, One-Oh-Four said:

Thanks for your answers, guys. Pete, does BIT mean Built-In Test? I assume that under no circumstances the radar is allowed to emit on the ground / flight deck, to prevent microwaved crew chiefs / plane captains?

 

BTW, have you learned a couple of Czech words to humor your Albatross? Have a look how it reacts when you say Dobrì Dèn when approaching it for your next flight...!

Yes- built in test

I will definitely speak those words to the jet! I’ll let you know what happens!
 

cheers

Pete

[Cajun Two One]

23 hours ago, Pete Fleischmann said:

Yes- built in test

I will definitely speak those words to the jet! I’ll let you know what happens!
 

cheers

Pete

Pete,

I think it means "Good girl"? Dobri means good.

Like you every a/c I flew had it's own personality, the one I had to eject from I could feel the sorrow and almost hear her cry.

Cheers

Itch

[Citadelgrad]

There is a guy on youtube, Ward Carrol is his name. He is a retired F14 RIO, and seems like a great guy.  He has several videos about F14 operations.  Check his videos out, and if he doesnt tell you in a video, reach out to him in the comments, he seems like a great guy. 
 

 

 

[James Rademaker]

My suggestion if you really want to get the reply “skinny” your question is to go to YouTube and look for the podcasts of Ward Carrol, retired US Navy RIO. Listen to one of his podcasts and ask your question. He has extensive knowledge of all the systems in the  F-14 community. 
 

Jim

[Padubon]

On 7/9/2021 at 6:24 PM, Oldbaldguy said:

Pete, do you realize what you just said?  You said it took the jets a couple of days to get used to the heat.  I’ve been flying since 1979 and have never met an airplane that did not have a personality or a soul.  Some are likable and friendly; some are more cantankerous, but each one will tell you what makes it happy if you’ll just listen.  You are the first person to agree with me, whether you realize it or not.  This has nothing to do with F-14 displays and all that, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

I flew CH-47s in the US Army and I can honestly testify that each one of our birds had a personality. 
Sometimes they were like a Golden Retriever ready for a walk. Sometimes they acted like my dear wife, after finding out how much money was “invested” on the Sprue Brothers box just delivered by the mailman.

 

… And yes, some birds like the heat some don’t.

[bushande]

Just my 2 cents: The PTID had several functions and modes not just displaying radar data. On many occassions it would be slaved to the TCS/IRST systems in the chin pod or the systems of the LANTIRN. The RIO would usually do his/her programmings (at least the data available during pre flight briefing such as GPS data etc.) for the PTID and the slave unit pre launch or upon launch so if I were you I'd portrait the PTID display as active. It just doesn't necessarily have to be in radar mode but even that would not be out of this world because as mentioned, the RIO would do some programming frequently.

Edited September 7, 2021 by bushande