F-14 Tomcat

[Blade]

Just saw an episode on Modern Marvels "The F-14" on the History Channel. I must say it was the most informative peice I have ever seen on the F-14. If you missed it you missed a great history. The F-14 is still the worlds most powerful and advanced fighter/bomber, more advanced than the EF2000 or F-22. It can shoot six AIM-154's at the same time, at 150 mile range, and detect targets at 200 mile ranges. Its radar has ECM coded into it so when you lock the AWG-9 on to an enemy fighter, it can't detect that you are being tracked. It can carry a recon pod that can see out to 300 miles. Its infrared pod under the nose can detect the heat trail of an aircraft at 40 miles. It can still out turn most fighters and is one of the fastest in the world. After I saw this episode just now I'd say that if you were in a Su-27 vs. F-14 battle, I'd be turning that Su-27 on its tail and fl like a bat outta hell, because at 150 miles the Pheonix will take 30 seconds to reach you at Mach 6. Beware people that diss the Tomcat, you tread on dangerous ground.

[visitor]

I've seen the show, Great!!

2 F-14s, 2 A-10s, take over half the world!!

But, which half do you want

X

[Blade]

Why not both? 1 F-14 and 1 A-10  ;D

[BMan1113VR]

saw most of the show. . .was pretty good

[packercolinl]

Didn't see the show but it makes you wonder what is next when that is available now!!

[Whitey]

The F-14s drawback is that it's a beast to land on carriers because even the F-14D is missing the technology that the Hornet has to help it down.  That's why students who pass with top marks in pilot training always get the Hornet...sometimes whether they like it not!

Right BMan?

[Blade]

It said on the show that the F-14 could be in service until 2007, when it will be replaced by the JSF. They keep it in service because the Hornet just can't do the job the Tomcat can. When we were in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, the F-14 was the only aircraft that could get there, the Hornet could not. Also the Hornets radar is no where near as powerful as the Tomcat, its slower, it maybe more agile but the Tomcat would win easily in any case. Back in the 80's when we gave about 80 Tomcats to Iran they ran a contest. F-15 vs F-14. The F-15 went first, did its trick. Then the F-14 went, took off, swept wings full back, pulled a hard 180, came back down the runway at 500 knots, while in a 90 degree turn, it extended its wings, Iran was very impressed. But when the Shah of Iran fell, the F-14's were in enemy hands now, but useless. Before leaving Iran Grumman engineers removed the firing computers from the Tomcat. Also without spare parts or even knowing how to maintain them they went into disrepair. It is now beleived most if not all of the Tomcats are now in the desert in storage or rotting away.

[visitor]

2 F-14s, 2 A-10s, take over half the world!!  

But, which half do you want  

I thought Ozzy would have added a Spitfire
to the list by now!

X

[Tequila Sunrise]

The F-14 is a great fighter but, it also about as old as its current crews  :(.
I don't know where the info on the Iranian F-14s missing their firing computers came from, the saw active service against Iraq, and claimed a Mirage F.1 and maybey a few migs (can't remember. There was also a claim by the Iraqi airforce that a Mirage downed a Tomcat.
The JSF is intended to replace the F/A-18 not the F-14, thats the job of the F/A-18E/F, which frankly arn't up to the task.
Also I wouldn't say that the F-14 is more capable than the F-22 or EFA as both will be able to turn well inside the F-14, climb faster and the F-22 will be undedtectable.
Still my fav. naval fighter though .

[visitor]

The F-14 is a great fighter but, it also about as old as its current crews

This is a bit off topic,
I heard some where that no member of a B-52 crew
at that time, was alive when the plane they were on
was built!!

X

[Blade]

The F-14 can shoot down your EFA from 100 miles within 38 seconds from firing. Hasta la vista... Even though it is more agile it can still out preform the EFA in range and payload, the F-22 would be a different story. Yes the F/A-18E/F was intended to replace the F-14 but it didnt cut it. So the JSF will be replacing the F-14 and F/A-18C's I beleive. The F-14 has the IRTS like the EFA does, to track aircraft by infrared from 40 miles. It doesn't matter if its older than most of its pilots, it can still crush the any adversary it comes up against. The F-22 has to close to within 30 miles from an AMRAAM launch and by then the F-14's IRTS could have picked it up and be high tailing it out of there, its still an extremely fast fighter. New or old. Watch this video of it going by at top speed, (make sure your sound is turned down hehe) http://www.voodoo.cz/tomcat/an/boom.mpg
and this one http://www.voodoo.cz/tomcat/an/sonicbm3.avi

[Tequila Sunrise]

I'm not trying to start a flamewar, I agree its a great fighter, but it is still handicapped by its age. The airframes arn't capable of what they used to be able to do. And the IR traking is great for detection but it can't engage a contact until its within sidewinder range meaning that the F-22 has blown it out of the air.
US rules of engagement also prevent the F-14 reaching ts full potential. Of all its kills none were acheived with the AIM-54, as the crew had to ID their contacts meaning they were too close to use the Pheonix. On the one occasion I'm aware of the F-14 being involved in a BVR engagement the 2 Libiyan aircraft were brought down by a combination ofr AIM-7s and Aim-9s.

[Blade]

Yes per US ROE targets must be IDed first. The AIM-54C is not at first designed to attack fighters. It was designed to engage at long range groups of bombers or cruise missles inbound to the carrier. Also the MiG engagements, there were two, and four Libyan MiG's were shot down. My NJROTC instructor was one of three controllers in an E-2C Hawkeye directing the engagements of one of the battles.

[Craig.]

its impossible to compair the EF and F-14 they really are to differant aircraft, and remember, the eurofighter may be our newst fighter, but its still an outdated aircraft, like most that come into service, the planning for this thing came in the 70's, if they had sorted everything out the thing could have been flying in the mid 90's, but due to various reasons it wasnt. as for the F-22 again by the time it enters full time service, it will be outdated, it may be the most advanced fighter up there but it'll still be an old design. the true mark of a good aircraft is one that can not only stand up against the newest planes flying but also beat them, the F-14 F-22 and EF all do that

[Crumbso]

I can't seriously believe that the f-14 is all that amazing. On saturday at RIAT if you listened to commentary on the A-10 display you'd think it can kill any and every aircraft. I don't think that it could beat an f-22 or an EFA. It might put up a big fight but I don't know if it would win.