The famous F-14!

[Ivan]

[quote]Say it aint so

[Jared]

lol, I'll fly it the way it is! I don't care if it's accurate or not! :-)

[A/SGT.Mav316]

I sure am going to miss the tomcat when it is gone  :(. I grew up admiring this fighter plane since the movie Topgun came out. It takes me back to when I was in Jr.Highschool in '86. I could remember making a Tomcat mock up cockpit at the foot of my bed and make beleiving I was "Maverick" shooting down migs.

Then there was the many Model aircrafts (one of which I have kept all this years) I always put together. Then Finally there was Flight Simulator 2002 when I got to take my first real virtual flight and experience virtual catapult launching and landing off and on a carrier.

The F14 Tomcat will always live on way past the days when it retires from service. But just as much I like the F/A-18F Super Hornet. Which will be a great successor to the Tomcat until those ugly but very versitile F-35 Joint Strike fighter take over the scene.!

[Jared]

Roger that, it is indeed a beautiful aircraft with tremendous capabilities considering how old it really is.. :-)

"..This is Maverick requesting a flyby.."

[A/SGT.Mav316]

But sadly we will have to come to grips that the Ole' cat won't be able to do the tango with fighter planes of the future. Can you see a tomcat againsts a modern fighter with better weapons, better manueverability capabilities than itself.

Maverick pulled a stunt in the movie where he hit the airbrakes and made a target zip right in front of his missile range! Put that same scene with the tomcat against a modern aircraft that will be able to detect the missile launch and have the capability to dodge that missile via an autopilot overide system. Then that fighter being able to launch a weapon that can be shot foward and swing around and hit the tomcat.

It would be a sad day indeed. That is why planes like the B2 bomber, C130 Hercules are still in service because they are not attack fighers. They are survielance aircraft and weapons ordance delivery vehicles. That take on a less hostile job. No need for retirement. Tomcats will still be inservice after the US retires them. But they will probably be flown by some country that doesn't have money to create a formidable airforce. Why should the US care, they are going to be building aircrafts that will do loop da loops around the ole Cat.

It;s like a toy, when you get bored of it and find something new and much better. You trade it off to someone that has never played with it and veiw it as something better then what they have now!

[Jared]

Long-live the F-14! :-)

[A/SGT.Mav316]

Sad thing Is the US has a bad habit of giving away toys and wind up having them been used against them (case in point Osama Bin Laden and Saadam Hussein)!

Definately be a sad day when an enemy flying a tomcat decides to take on a F-35 JSF or F22 Raptor. The sad part it will give new definition to the term "It's raining cats and dogs". Because the US pilot will definately put the Tomcat out on permanent retirement, making them rain from the sky in a ball of fire  :'(.

[Jared]

So what say me and you go together and buy one?

I'll take it odd days, you can have even???

oh, and we'll send uncle sam the bill... :-)

[Ivan]

But sadly we will have to come to grips that the Ole' cat won't be able to do the tango with fighter planes of the future. Can you see a tomcat againsts a modern fighter with better weapons, better manueverability capabilities than itself.

Probably... if dubya gets the mad idea to go after iran...

Maverick pulled a stunt in the movie where he hit the airbrakes and made a target zip right in front of his missile range! Put that same scene with the tomcat against a modern aircraft that will be able to detect the missile launch and have the capability to dodge that missile via an autopilot overide system. Then that fighter being able to launch a weapon that can be shot foward and swing around and hit the tomcat.

Like Pugachev's Cobra, but predictable, as you can see the airbrake move...

Only thing capable of making a kill in that situation is the 'backwinder' (anyone knows if that ever became a production version?)
A Su-37 will get you as soon as you pass the wing... R-73 mounted backwards and radar in the tail

Tomcats will still be inservice after the US retires them. But they will probably be flown by some country that doesn't have money to create a formidable airforce.

Don't think so... last thing they want in their gulf backyard is a F-14D with Exocet and R-73/R-77 on the wing

[A/SGT.Mav316]

Well Logic has it that if the technology is outdated and worthless. What harm can an old plane do to a modern fighter that can cloak itself from the radar system of an F14.

To be truthful would you destroy a 30 million dollar aircraft instead of selling it to someone that is of no threat to you at the time of sale!

[Jared]

Exactly, that's why he needs to give us each one! :-)

then we can fly tight formatoin together!

[Ivan]

Well Logic has it that if the technology is outdated and worthless. What harm can an old plane do to a modern fighter that can cloak itself from the radar system of an F14.

Rumours go that the iranian f-14a is only an f-14 in looks and engines, rest is said to be replaced or extended with russian and french tech. They had AG mode before the Navy got it

[A/SGT.Mav316]

So Iran has a modified F-14 Tomcat ???! Guess the US didn't think about an enemy taking a damn good jet and upgrading it with more sophisticated equipment. But I still beleive aerodynamicaly the F14 still won't stack up against a modern fighter plane.

Though it might not need to be if it an upgraded weapons and radar system aboard!

Wow nice point Ivan!  8) But what can you say! Our president ships soldiers to war without armored vehicles into a hostile environment. Does that make any sense to you?  >:(

[jordonj]

This is very interesting...but we are on thin ice here in regards to the "no politics" rule...

It may be a good idea to confine your conversation to PMs...

[ozzy72]

You have to remember that when Iran brought its F-14s the Shah still ruled, and there was no obvious signs of the Islamic Revolution that would occur. The Ayatollah was still living in Paris. Time indeed does change the world.
I somehow doubt that the Iranian F-14s are still flying, spare parts etc not being openly available!
The Cold War produced many such situations however, with both sides sponsoring governments and organisations that have turned out to be problematic. The beauty of hindsight is that it is twenty-twenty