F-14 Tomcat Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| F-14 Tomcat | ||
|---|---|---|
| (2003).]] | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Fleet Defense Interceptor | |
| Crew | 2, Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer | |
| First Flight | 1970 | |
| Entered Service | 1973 | |
| Manufacturer | Grumman | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 62 ft 8 in | 19.1 m |
| Wingspan | 64 ft 1 in (extended) 38 ft 2 in (swept) | 19.54 m 11.65 m |
| Height | 16 ft 0 in | 4.9 m |
| Wing area | 565 ft² | 54.5 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 39,762 lb | 18,036 kg |
| Loaded | 68,649 lb | 31,139 kg |
| Maximum takeoff | 74,438 lb | 33,724 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | 2 × General Electric F110-400 turbofans | |
| Thrust | 20,900 lbf each | 9,480 kg each |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 1,544 mph (Mach 2.34) | 2,485 km/h |
| Combat range | 576 mi | 927 km |
| Ferry range | 2,000 mi | 3,220 km |
| Service ceiling | > 56,000 ft | > 17,070 m |
| Rate of climb | 30,000 ft/min | 9,145 m/min |
| Wing loading | 113.4 lb/ft² | 553.9 kg/m² |
| Thrust/Weight | 0.72:1 | |
| Avionics | ||
| Avionics | AN/APG-71 radar, AN/ASN-130 INS, IRST, TCS | |
| Armament | ||
| Guns | M61A1 20-mm Vulcan multibarrel cannon | |
| Bombs | maximum 14,500 lb (6,578 kg) | |
| Missiles | 6 AIM-54s + 2 AIM-9s 6 AIM-7s + 2 AIM-9s 2 AIM-54s + 3 AIM-7s + 2 AIM-9s 4 AIM-54s + 2 AIM-7s + 2 AIM-9s | |
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a United States Navy supersonic, twin-engine, variable sweep wing, two-seat strike fighter. The Tomcat's primary missions are air superiority, fleet air defense and precision strike against ground targets.
The F-14 was developed to take the place of the aborted General Dynamics F-111B, a navalized version of the USAF tactical strike aircraft. Intended to provide fleet air defense, the F-111B proved unmaneuverable, overweight, and, in general, poorly suited to aircraft carrier operations, leading to its cancellation in 1968.
The Tomcat was intended as an uncompromised air superiority fighter and and interceptor, charged with defending carrier battle groups against Soviet aircraft armed with cruise missiles. It carried the Hughes AN/AWG-9 long-range radar originally developed for the F-111B, capable of detecting bomber-sized targets at ranges exceeding 160 km (100 miles), tracking 24 targets and engaging six simultaneously. The F-14's primary weapon is the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, which is capable of engaging a target at up to 200 km (120 miles). The F-14 is the only aircraft in service to carry this weapon. Medium-range armament is provided by the AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar homing missile, backed by AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared missiles and a single M61 Vulcan 20mm cannon for close-in use. The F-14 was designed with some air-to-ground capability, but this was not explored until late in its career; Tomcats have now been equipped to carry the LANTIRN targeting system for the use of laser-guided bombs and other precision-guided weapons. Some F-14s are also equipped with the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod (TARPS), giving the Navy its only manned tactical recce platform.
The F-14 is perhaps the most maneuverable and agile of all swing-wing aircraft. The flat, pancake-like section between the engines acts as an airfoil to provide additional lift, giving the Tomcat an effective wing area about 40% greater than its actual wing dimensions. This results in relatively low effective wing loading. The Tomcat also has a Mach Sweep Programmer (MSP) that automatically adjusts the wing angle for optimum flight performance (the only VG aircraft so equipped -- a similar system was tested but not used for the Panavia Tornado ADV), and movable glove vanes that improve airflow over the wings in fast turns. Most variable-geometry aircraft are optimized for fast, low-altitude attack, emphasizing good gust response rather than maneuverability. Despite the Tomcat's considerable size, its agility compares well to many other fighters, although that created problems with the TF30 turbofans, which are subject to stalls in violent maneuvers or high alpha.
The F-14 entered the fleet in 1973, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. The F-14B, introduced in November 1987, incorporated new General Electric F-110 engines. In 1995, an upgrade program was initiated to incorporate new digital avionics and weapon system improvements to strengthen its multi-mission competitive edge. The F-14D, delivered in 1990, was a major upgrade with F-110 engines, new AN/APG-71 radar system, Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) and Infrared Search and Track (IRST). Additionally, all F-14 variants were given precision strike capability using the LANTIRN targeting system, night vision compatibility, new defensive countermeasures systems and a new digital flight control system.
The F-14 is rapidly disappearing from USN service. It originally was slated to remain in service through at least 2008, but all F-14As have already been retired, and the remaining -B and -D aircraft are now expected to be gone by 2006. It is being replaced by the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Super Hornet.
The Tomcat is said to be named for late Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly, whose testimony before the Senate was critical in the cancellation of the deeply-flawed TFX project (hence, "Tom's Cat"). Ironically, much of the F-14's equipment was re-used from the TFX, including the radar, Phoenix missile, and the Pratt & Whitney TF30; engines.
The Tomcat had extremely limited foreign export sales, but its foreign export sales make for one of the more colorful events in its history. The United States in the late 1970s supplied F-14's to Iran, only to have them fall into the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the 1979 revolution. From that point forward, Iran used the fighter primarily as an airborne radar controller, escorted and protected by other fighters. Iran was unable to regain any substantial ability to maintain the aircraft after that (despite receiving spare parts and missiles for the aircraft during the Iran-Contra affair) and their ability to operate the aircraft as of 2004, while unknown, is estimated to be extremely limited. This may in part be due to purported sabotage of the aircraft or their missile systems by Grumman engineers during the revolution. Some rumors suggest that a few of the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles supplied to Iran before the revolution were sold to the Soviet Union, where they may have strongly influenced the development of the similar Vympel R-33 (NATO AA-9 'Amos') long-range missile.
General Characteristics
, in the old color scheme from the beginning of its service.]]
Operators
| Related content | |
|---|---|
| Related Development F-111B | |
| Similar Aircraft
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| Designation Series | F-10 - F-11 - YF-12 - F-14 - F-15 Eagle - F-16 - F-17 Cobra F/A-18 Hornet |
| Related Lists | List of military aircraft of the United States - List of fighter aircraft |
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