The Tomcat Legacy; 35+ years from Fleet Air Defender to Recce to Precision Strike

[gilly]

So who thinks the F-14 will defeat an enemy target (more deader : ) ) than a F-18?
I have heard comments that in slow speed manuvering, nothing can outmatch a F-18. (One pilot's opinion)
Much criticism on the F-18 on having "short legs", addressing the issue on range.
Wasn't the F-18's first role to provide support for the F-14?
Now with the introduction of the Super Hornet, it is to be a replacement of the F-14?

I am not diminishing the fact that everyone Priveledged enough to fly either one of these
awesome aircraft deserve anything but the very best.

Are there advantages of ease and time of maintainance? A responsive aircraft that makes
landing on a moving target realitively easier? (If that could ever be considered easier)

What a great country to have a forum, arguing which aircraft can eliminate a target (dead or more deader?

I still believe that to a large degree it is the superior aviators that makes the difference.

 

[paikea]

dude there is thai cuisine place near where i live called Phucket Thai. i know this is random but i'm telling everyone. THE WORD MUST BE SPREAD. anyways who cares if i'm wrong doesnt matter. **** i just posted here cuz i like the turkey thas all didnt know so many chumps be hatin'. HA joke

 

[Ryoukai]

^ Phucket Thai, right next to Fook Yuen. Though nothing beats Curry House...except that everybody what works there is Viet.

 

[paikea]

haha my local sushi place is ran by all chinese but damn does the man make a good dragon roll

 

[Archangel]

Let me start off by saying that I love the Tomcat, but a lot has changed since 1970. No I don't think the Super Hornet is an adequate replacement, but the F-14 either needs a major overhaul (not likely) or a plane that can absolutely out preform it.
In NFWS, the Tomcat has to be able to get the advantage over the F-16, a plane whose manouverability is equal or better than the F/A-18s, so really, a lot depends on the pilot when you question manouverability. Also, what version of Tomcat is it? "A" models that could pull 9.4gs in 1974 can pull 6.5 today. 6.5g's is not a lot in a dog fight anymore.
The F-14's AIM-54 can knock enemy missiles and bombers out of the sky, but a manouverable fighter is a bit tougher. The Tomcat would have to fire outside detectable range to have a better chance of hitting the target...if you don't know you're being shot at, it's less likely you'll try to get out of the way.
Without the AMRAAM, the Phoenix is the best bet at BVR engagements. The F/A-18 has no fleet defense capabilities. It can dogfight, but it can't lock up a cruise missile, or hit it for that matter, can lock 2 targets, potentially fire at both, but not track 24 and fire at 6.
The F/A-18 is a Fighter/Attack plane, not a Fighter/Interceptor, and it is slower and can't go as far as the Tomcat. The Tomcat can get within range quickly, 2.41M is an incredable speed that the Hornet can't attain.
Unfortunately, the Tomcat is expensive, and the cold war is over, and so, odds are that there aren't going to be cruise missiles being fired at a Carrier any time soon, making the primary role of the Tomcat obsolete. The F/A-18 is a good fighter, and should continue to be in the air-superiority role for a good long time. Both have above average attack capabilities, and both are very deadly American fighters, but the Tomcat's fate has already been decided, so, so long as no carriers are sunk due to CM's, I'm not sure the Tomcat will live past 2008 on the front.
As for whose the best of the best in close range manouvering world wide, go to Russia and order some SU-37's or MiG-1.44's and you'll have that answer for anyone still skeptical.

 

[The_Animal]

Question for former Tomcat Drivers

I know that this will probably elicit snorts of laughter, but I'm curious as to the ground-first rung height of the boarding ladder of an F-14 Tomcat. (I'm a creative writing fanfic author and I'm picky about details...and who better to ask than at a Naval Aviator forum) :icon_mi_1 I just like to make my fic a little believable, since I'm not able to fly the things, but I prefer realism in my stories.

Hope I can get some help on this.

 

[paikea]

Exactly one bajillion nanometers.

Just kiddin'...

I saw on eBay the manual or something for the 14D that could be legally sold on CD format. Take a look.

 

[Texan]

Downsides to the Tomcat

Ok, everyone knows that the F-14 was a bada$$ airplane. Big, fast, beautiful, and very potent.

But what were the downsides to the Tomcat? did it have any funny flight characteristics? I'm guessing it's size made it easy to spot via radar?

Any of you -14 guys have any thoughts?

-Texan

 

[SteveG75]

OK, I am not a Tomcat guy but I did stay at Holiday Inn Express last night (actually Tues/Wed night, but I digress ).

Spins, especially flat spins, bad.
F-14A with TF-30 was underpowered especially if you lost an engine off the cat.
B & D engines had a couple of can burn thru's resulting in some spectaculat mid air explosions.

I'll leave it at that and pass it off to the Tomcat bubba's.

 

[Blutonski816]

Spins, especially flat spins, bad.

It's funny how older pubs can BS you... I have 1977 book on USN fighter Aircraft and for the F-14 entry, the aircraft is hailed as being so stable that it is "spin proof" :icon_lol:

gotta wonder how they messed that up...

 

[wink]

It's funny how older pubs can BS you... I have 1977 book on USN fighter Aircraft and for the F-14 entry, the aircraft is hailed as being so stable that it is "spin proof" :icon_lol:

gotta wonder how they messed that up...

I bet they ment the typical upright spin. A flat spin is a very different aerodynamic event.

 

[squeeze]

...all the Tomcat fanboys it attracts.

 

[Fly Navy]

The real question is: Does it matter? It's going out of service.

kidding, kidding. I would have liked to have flown the F-14.

 

[bunk22]

I think there's only 1 Tomcat aviator on this site. He will eventually chime in I'm sure.

 

[A4sForever]

....what were the downsides to the Tomcat?

Downside to the F-14??? It's not in the front-line inventory anymore .....

But seriously, I had many engagements against the Tomcat over the years while flying Adversary. The F-14 was not a "great" ACM/dogfighter, but then again, it was never designed to be a great dogfighter. It was designed to provide fleet air defence. Whenever the "Turkey" would throw up a wing across the "circle" in a fight, everyone in the same hemisphere was able to quickly get a visual ID on it.

But then, on the other hand, I guess it doesn't matter whether or not it's a good dogfighter when you can shoot Joe Gomer in the face with a Phoenix at ranges > 100 nm.

....