Tomcat Vs. Super Hornet

[LadyJayUSN]

As of 2000, they were still completing avionics mods on the old bird and that's a good sign they weren't leaving for awhile.

<I SWIM 'CAUSE I'M TOO DAMNED SEXY FOR SPORTS THAT REQUIRE CLOTHING>

 

[Burner]

Also I have read something about the F/A-18G "Growler" replacing the Prowler around 2010.

 

[dingo155]

Hornet wins pure BFM?? Depends on which tomcat you are talking about... yes it is bigger and slower (turning) but a D-model will definitely hang with a hornet (especially with the right pilot at the controls). I have been in the backseat of an F against the black tomcat of VX-9 and those guys can fight.... As far as the heritage hornet vs the super.... jury is still out.... yes maintainence, range and payload is better on the super, but for pure BFM they are about even, and the heritage will depart from flight easier (great in a flat scissor flight) the super's computer doesn't allow it....

check http://homepage.mac.com/schmuke for a cool VX-9 video (under the downloads section). Footage i took while stashed there last summer...

"Friends don't let friends fly junk (T-34 and T-37)"

 

[BeanFighter]

I was comparing Hornets to super hornets. Although I have only flown (not back seated) A, B, C, and Ds, I have friends who have flown and compared both. Their expert opinion is that the Super is almost comparable to a C model (not an A) in maneuverability BUT the super is a PIG when it comes to energy addition.
You are correct to imply that pilot experience plays a major factor in the fight. But if you put my clones into a Hornet, a super hornet, and a Tomcat.....I would not only win but win in the Hornet.

 

[Falcaner]

One factor in this discussion that no one has brought up is fuel consumption. I know that the hornet C models have to refuel a lot more times then the old cats do. I have read a few things that the super hornets do not have the legs that the tomcats has, but I think the jury may still be out on that one. I will also be interested to see how the new F-35 plays into all this. It might have a greater range then all of these aircraft, but we will have to wait and see on that one. But unfortunately the tomcats are just getting to old to fly, but they will be missed.

 

[Burner]

I know that VF-14 the Tophatters and VF-41 the Black Aces have already switched to the Super Hornet. The Tophatters switched to the F/A-18E, so what are they going to do with the RIOs from the squadron?

 

[Brodie143]

Gouge from an aviation maintenance duty office who just left an F-14B squadron to start flight school.

The tomcat is going away for the following reasons: Time and money, it takes too many man-hours and cost to much to take care of. Second the phoenix program has gone away at least that was the case in Nov 2002. There is a new photo recon system out that is supposed to be better than the TARPS system. With the smaller budgets, it is easier to take care of only three different airframes as opposed to the current six or seven on a carrier. The tomcat airframe does not have many hours left. Finally, the hornet mafia finally won. (Sorry hornet fans, had to get that jab in there)

The tomcat is a better bomber than the hornet. It is able to carry more and go farther plus the lantirn system is a huge improvement over the nitehawk system. For OEF we would carry a 2000# and 500# bomb plus an AIM-9 and AIM-7 and the lantrin system. The hornet could only carry up to 1000# in bombs and 1 AIM-9. The hornet had to refuel three plus times while we refueled twice and we usually had to dump some gas to get to our weight limit.

As for BFM, the hornet wins hands down. The tomcat can hold it’s own, but eventually the hornet will win. Of course the hornet would have to drop all of its drop tanks. Hope he can make it home. No point in shooting down someone if you can’t make it back to mom. If you take same scale models of the tomcat and hornet at a scaled 2 to 3 miles, the hornet is a shed while the tomcat is a house. Huge size difference. In that case smaller is better.

As for the Phoenix never having been shoot in combat, that is not true. Two were shot, but their motors did not fire. Another problem with the Phoenix, 1.2 million per missile and you have this awful motor ignition system!

The tomcats should be gone as of 2008 (As with everything in the Navy, subject to change). A sad day but the same can be said for the F-8, F-4 A-4, A-6 and so forth. And while hornet guys may gloat for now their days are numbers as well. Soon they will know the pain and anguish the tomcats are felling right now.

As for tomcats going to superhornets and if they get Es the rios will go back to other tomcat squadrons or go to the superhornet rag. Most tomcat squadrons are supposed to get Fs.
Sorry for the winded response but that is what’s up.