Coyotes Den production of the F-14

[Coyote 0]

I just wanted to check in and let everyone know that The Den is still live, I havent had a chance to work on any skins lately because I have a new project. I started modelling again. I have done some modelling for Microsoft flight Sim 2k. I dusted off my tools and begun production on my favorite plane, the F-14. I figured this game needs the Tomcat. I have some basic model stuff down, and am working on getting the wing sweep working. I also am hoping to get a working canopy. My main objective is to get the wing sweep to coincide with the thrust levels. I'm working closely with some of my buddies from the MSFS comminuty to get this bird lookin sweet.

I will put out skins as time permits, but my main focus is on the Tomcat. If anybody could post tech data, or even a cockpit pick (dont know if it exists) that would help me out when I get to those steps.

I will post pics when I got something worth lookin at!

Thank you guys for you continued support!

 

Yote

[MadJeff 3]

Oh, that news is definately worth some front-page time... :D Keep us posted Coyote!

[jag 0]

Well, now thats something a lot of us sim pilots have been wanting to fly for a long time. I agree the F-14 would be a great addition to strike fighters. Sorry to say, I cannot find any cockpit pictures anywhere. Maybe if you had TOP GUN the movie you might get some pictures. Its been so long since Ive seen the movie I cant remember if there is a good pic in there or not. Sorry I couldnt help more.

[jag 0]

Hey Coyote, just found the perfect web site for the F-14.

http://www.anft.net/f-14/

It has everything you could ever want on F-14's, including pilot and rio cockpits. Paint schemes, cut aways, the whole nine yards. Make sure you do the walk around.

[Cylix=JW= 0]

GREAT news yote, If I had to 3D knowgalge some of u do, the f-14 would be the frist I would make. BTW make sure the wingers folder back ya hear? :P

[Swede 0]

F-14.. yummie! :D

[Cylix=JW= 0]

I'm sure Fast Eagle will be all over this one, I think hes the one thats been awaiting the F-14 :D I'm TOO! :)

[Coyote 0]

thanks fir the site Jag, it'll help alot..yeah my main objective is to get the wing sweep on this bad boy, or it wont be worth doin..

[CowboyTodd41 133]

what is it you guys always say? oh yes, SIERRA HOTEL!

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

go check modding and skinning forum for ATTENTION COYOTE

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

I got all the data that MATS has then some!!! Hell my picture is there in a few pics. I sent him alot of info

 

It is a great site though

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

***EDIT***

 

I don't want to take up too much space here so this is in my post ATTENTION COYOTE now.

 

Sorry for the inconvenience of moving the pic on you guys but space is $$

and I posted it there first, so no need to double up

 

<S>

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

I'm sure Fast Eagle will be all over this one, I think hes the one thats been awaiting the F-14  :D  I'm TOO!  :)

 

OH YEAHHHHHHHHH

[jag 0]

Coyote, Fast eagle posted the F-14A cockpit. If you want the F-14D cockpit it is at MATS also. Just trying to help. Love to see the Tomcat soon.

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

D model wasn't even a thought then

 

A and A+ were the only tomcats available in that timeframe, and the A+ is pushing it as the game only goes to 1975 and the A+ upgrades started in 79

 

F-14A BuNo. 157986 was the first to have an upgrade, thus bringing it to A+ standards. It wasn't till 1991 that the A+ model was redesignated to F-14B. It wasn't till 1998 that the D model was established. And thats way out of SF"P1's timeframe!!

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

So a little combat history oF the Cat in the early days

 

The first carrier deployment by F-14A Tomcats was made by VF-1 and VF-2 aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise (CVAN-65), in 1973. The Big E sailed to Vietnam to assist in the evacuation South Vietnam. In the absence of air threats the Cats had no chance to engage in combat.

First blood was drawn for the Cats in August of 1981, when U.S.S. Nimitz (CVN68) was deployed to the Mediterranian Sea. During routine exercises, 2 F-14A from VF-41 Black Aces were engaged by 2 Lybian Su-22J Fitters. When the first Fitter fired an AA-2 Atol, the 2 Cats immediatly jumped the Su-22s, shooting one Su-22 down with guns, and the other with a Sidewinder.

Again the Cats were challenged by Lybian planes, this time a few years later, and challenged this time by a pair of marauding MiGs, The Cats of VF-41 from U.S.S John F Kennedy (CV-67) quickly defeated the MiGs.

 

Current combat history

 

This was the end of combat for the Cat until Desert Storm where 10 Squadrons (including VF-143) flew countless CAP missions over the Gulf, Straffing Iraqi naval vessels. The Cats also flew escort for Strike Packages, as well as 781 reconnaissance missions. The only A2A for the Cat was when an Iraqi Mi-8 Hip was shot down by LT Broce and his RIO CDR McElraft with a Sidewinder.

The next combat the Cats saw was during Operation Enduring Freedom, where we flew in the first strikes. On a side note, that is the only combat I have ever seen as of yet, and I must say...for an air superiority fighter, it sure does make a hell of a light bomber.

 

This is a very lightened version of the events that have helped to shape the Cat to what it is today, and what the Cat has done recently.

Sorry to bore ya with this, but I could go on all night.

[Coyote 0]

mmmmmmmm......Tomcats..........anybody every play that old DOS game called Fleet Defender? It was ahead its time, awesome! I've been tryin to find a copy of it, I have the addon disks but not the game...Best and basically only Cat sim I have ever seen..

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

Of course I have this game. Its kinda old, and never gets played cause it looks terrible on my newer PC, but it was ahead of its time.

As a matter of fact I haven't seen a decent game that has a Tomcat since then

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

Some specs for ya

 

Two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A/414A turbofans, each rated at 12,350 lb.s.t. dry and 20,900 lb.s.t with afterburning. Maximum speed: 1544 mph (Mach 2.34) at 40,000 feet, 912 mph at sea level. Cruising speed 610 mph. Initial climb rate 32,500 peet per minute. Service ceiling 55,000 feet, maximum unrefuelled range 2400 miles. Landing speed 132 knots. Minimum takeoff distance 1400 feet. Radius on combat air patrol with six Sparrows and four Sidewinders 766 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 64 feet 1 2/1 inches (swept forward), 83 feet 2 1/2 inches (swept back), length 62 feet 8 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area 565 square feet. Weights: 40,104 pounds empty, 59,7614 pounds loaded, 74,349 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel 2385 US gallons. A 267 US-gallon drop tank can be carried on a hardpoint underneath each air intake. Armament: One 20-mm General Electric M61A1 Vulcan in the nose with 675 rounds. Provision for six AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or six AIM-54A/C Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders, or four AIM-54A/C Phoenix missiles underneath the fuselage and two AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders on the wing glove pylons.

 

The Central Air Data Computer (CADC) is an AiResearch CP-1166B/A. It uses data from sensors which measure pitot and static pressures, air temperatures, and angle attack to select the optimal wing sweep angle and sends commands to the control surfaces. It also passes to the Air Inlet Control Systems (AICS) the information it needs to set the inlet ramps to their optimal positions. The AN/ARA-63 aircraft approach control system uses the AN/SPN-41 and the AN/TRN-28 transmitting sets. It provides primary or backup instrument approach capability.

The spine of the Tomcat contains blade antennae for the UHF/TACAN and data link/IFF. Radio and navigation equipment on board the aircraft include the APX-71 IFF transponder, AXX-76 IFF interrogator, ARC-51 (later switched to ARC-159) UHF radios, ARR-69 auxiliary receiver, KY-58 cryptographic system, ASN-92 CAINS II (Carrier Aircraft Inertial Navigation System II) inertial navigation system, APN-154 beacon augmenter, APN-194 radar altimeter, Gould ARN-84 TACAN and ARA-50 automatic direction finder. A Harris ASW-27B digital datalink provides high speed data communication between the Tomcat and ship-based command and control systems. This system can also be used to link to the Airborne Tactical Data Systems of Grumman E-2C Hawkeye early warning aircraft. This system can be used to pass target data back and forth between aircraft, extending the effective radar range.

The Tomcat initially carried APR-25 and APR-27 radar warning receivers. These have largely been replaced by the Magnavox ALR-50 which is designed to warn crews of SAM launches. A major upgrade updated this equipment to deal with the SA-6 Gainful missile and its associated Straight Flush radar. The Tomcat is equipped with the Goodyear ALE-39 chaff and flare dispensing system, which has replaced the ALE-29 originally carried. The Tomcat entered service with the Sanders Associateds ALQ-100 noise deception jammer, but this has been replaced with the Sanders AN/ALQ-126A

[snapple2993 0]

As soon as I saw F-14 model for SF, I knew the skip would be all over this one, Jesus.... look at all those posts.

 

FREAK!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But I'm gonna be all over this bird when it comes out.

 

Thanks, Coyote

 

Cheers,

Jay

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

Sorry guys this is a long one, but very informative

 

Even today, the armament of the F-14A Tomcat remains the most potent of that of any interceptor currently in service. It has four basic components--an internal cannon and Sidewinder infrared homing missiles for short-range encounters, Sparrow semi-active radar homing missiles for intermediate-range encounters, and Phoenix missiles for long-range encounters. All of these weapons are directed and controlled by the powerful AN-AWG-9 fire control system.

Fire-Control System:

The heart of the Tomcat's weapons system is the powerful Hughes AN/AWG-9 fire control system. The AWG-9 has the ability to carry out near-simultaneous long-range missile launches against up to six targets while tracking 24 more. The set incorporates a lightweight 5400B digital computer. The antenna is a 36-inch flat plate unit. The IFF antennae are mounted directly on the plate and take the form of an array of dipoles. The output power is 10.2 kilowatts. The AWG-9 can look down into ground or sea clutter, detecting and tracking small targets flying at low level. The clutter is removed by a signal processor which uses analog filtering.

Phoenix:

The Hughes AIM-54A Phoenix missile is the primary armament of the F-14A, and the Tomcat was originally designed with this missile in mind. The Phoenix missile is propelled by a single-stage Rocketdyne MK47 solid-fuel rocket motor, which gives a velocity at burnout of Mach 3.8 at low altitudes, although Mach 5 can be achieved at high altitudes in the long-range mode. The missile has four fixed delta-shaped wings and is steered by tail-mounted control surfaces. On trials, the missile has been able to maneuver at 17 g. The fuselage and aerodynamic surfaces of the Phoenix are made from metal, but the fuselage is covered with ablative thermal insulation. The missile is 13.2 feet long, the body is 13 inches wide, and the wing span is 3 feet. The launch weight is about 985 pounds The missile has a 132-pound high-explosive warhead. So far as I am aware, the Phoenix is not nuclear-capable.

After launch, the Phoenix can use three different types of guidance - autopilot, semi-active radar homing, and fully-active radar homing. For long-range shots, the missile generally flies a pre-programmed route immediately after launch under autopilot control. At midcourse, the nose-mounted radar seeker takes over, operating in semi-active mode, homing in on radar waves reflected off the target from the Tomcat's AWG-9 radar. Once it gets within about 14 miles of the target, the Phoenix's own radar takes over for the final run in to the target, and the missile operates in fully-active radar homing mode.

At this time the missile is completely independent of its launching aircraft, and becomes "fire-and-forget". Some reports have suggested the existence of a "flyout" mode in which the missile can be launched at heavily-jammed targets upon which the AWG-9 radar is unable to achieve a lock. In such a mode, the missile flies most of the way to the target under autopilot control, switching over to its built-in seeker for the final approach.

One of the more advanced features of the AWG-9/Phoenix weapons system is the ability to track and engage multiple targets at the same time. Track-While-Scan (TWS) mode is used for multiple-target tracking and multi-shot Phoenix engagements. As each target within the region of sky being scanned is detected, the AWG-9 determines its range and angular position and this information is passed along to the computer where it is compared to the predicted positions of the targets already detected. If the newly-detected target can be correlated with an already-known target, the target's track file is updated with the current position. If not, then a new track file is opened for what is presumed to be a new target. The computer then assigns threat priorities to each track. In this mode, each target is not continually illuminated by the radar, and the Phoenix missile guidance system receives only samples of radar data. Maximum missile range in this mode is about 90 km.

In Range-While-Search (RWS) mode, the set provides range and angular data without stopping the normal antenna TWS search pattern.

The Pulse-Doppler Single-Target Track (PDSTT) mode is used when a single target is to be tracked. The AWG-9 antenna is locked on to a single long-range target at ranges of up to 130 km. The missile can be launched at 100 km range. A Jam Angle Track (JAT) facility can be use to provide range, speed, and angular information on targets being protected by ECM. In this mode, the radar can be slaved to the aircraft's electro-optical sighting unit. The AWG-9 also has conventional pulse modes for use at short and medium ranges.

On maximum-range missions, the Phoenix is usually lofted into a high trajectory designed to reduce interference between the AWG-9's powerful transmitter and the missile's receiving system. The flight time on such missions can be up to three minutes.

The Tomcat has the capability of carrying up to six Phoenix missiles, four on individual pallets mounted underneath the fuselage and one on each of the fixed wing glove pylons. However, in typical operations, the usual weapons load is four Phoenix, two Sparrows, and two Sidewinders. The original specification called for six Phoenix missiles, but it was found that the deck impacts during carrier landings were too hard when carrying six Phoenix missiles, so the full load of six Phoenixes is rarely carried.

The first Phoenix launch from a Tomcat took place on April 28, 1972. During a later test, a Phoenix missile hit a target which had been flying at a distance of 116 miles when the missile was launched. In November 22, 1973 a single Tomcat fired six Phoenix missiles in 38 seconds while flying at Mach 0.78 at 24,800 feet over Point Mugu, California. The targets were six drones. One Phoenix missile failed and a second was released against a drone which veered off course, but the other four scored direct hits. In other tests, the AWG-9/Phoenix combination has scored hits against Bomarc missiles simulating the MiG-25 Foxbat and against drones simulating the Tu-26 Backfire. Others test verified the capability of the Phoenix against sea-skimming anti-ship cruise missiles and against violently-maneuvering targets. The AIM-54A was approved for service use on January 28, 1975.

The AIM-54B had improved resistance to jamming, and was introduced into service in 1983. It had sheet-metal wings and fins instead of honeycomb structure, non-liquid hydraulic and thermal conditioning system, and somewhat simplied engineering. The AIM-54C had a higher-thrust motor, an improved warhead, fully solid-state electronics, and an improved fuse that was better capable of detonating the warhead at the precise moment to maximize its destructive effect on the target. The AIM-54C has better electronic counter-countermeasures capability, allowing it to cope with small, low-altitude targets, being able to discriminate between the true target and any "chaff" that might be released in an attempt to break lock-on. The AIM-54C has the ability to take on targets at greater range or higher altitudes than can the A version, and can cope with higher degrees of target maneuverability. The goal was to make the Phoenix a better counter against the Soviet AS-4 Kitchen and AS-6 Kingfish stand-off missiles. The move to field an improved Phoenix missile may have been at least partly spurred by the fear that the Soviets may have been able to get their hands on one or more of the earlier AIM-54As that had been supplied to Iran before the fall of the Shah and the rise of the Islamic fundamentalist regime that now controls that country.

It is not very often that Phoenix missiles are fired during training, since they cost over a million dollars a shot. The Phoenix missile has never been fired in actual combat.

Sparrow:

The AIM-7C, D, and E versions of the Sparrow semi-active radar homing missile were used in Vietnam with disappointing results. The Sparrow had originally been designed to attack subsonic, non-maneuvering, large targets such as bombers. If fired against maneuvering targets or against targets flying below 5000 feet, it usually missed. In the Vietnam War, only 9 percent of the Sparrows launched in anger actually hit their targets. In all fairness, however, some of the disappointing results with the Sparrow can be blamed on the Rules of Engagement that were in force at the time, which generally forbade the launch of Sparrows during beyond visible range encounters (where they could have been the most effective), lest they inadvertently be fired against friendlies.

The first Sparrow version to be used by the F-14A was the AIM-7E-2, which had been used in the latter stages of the Vietnam war. It contained numerous "fixes" intended to to cure some of the problems of reliability that had been encountered in Vietnam. Among these were the use of clipped wings, an improved autopilot, and better fusing. In the AIM-7F that was first introduced in 1977, solid-state electronics were substituted for the miniature vacuum tubes of the earlier versions. This miniaturization enabled the warhead to be moved forward of the wings, with the aft part of the missile being devoted almost entirely to the rocket motor. The extra space that was made available by the introduction of solid-state miniaturization made it possible to introduce a dual-thrust booster/sustainer rocket motor that enabled the effective range of the Sparrow to be essentially doubled (up to 28-30 miles) in a head-on engagement. The AIM-7L had fewer tubes and more solid state features. The AIM-7M introduced in 1982 featured a inverse-processed digital monopulse seeker which was more difficult to detect and jam and provided better look-down, shoot-down capability. The AIM-7P was fitted with improved guidance electronics including an on-board computer based on VLSIC technology. It is intended to have better capability against small targets such as cruise missiles and sea-skimming antiship missiles.

The AIM-7M is 12 feet long and has a launch weight of about 500 pounds. The missile carries a 85-pound high-explosive blast fragmentation warhead. It has two sets of delta-shaped fins--a set of fixed fins at the rear of the missile and a set of movable fins at the middle of the missile for steering.

The AIM-7M is usually carried in pairs on the bottom rail of the wing glove pylons of the Tomcat, but up to four additional Sparrows can be carried semi-recessed in slots underneath the belly. However, this space is usually reserved for four AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. After Sparrow missile launch, the F-14 must continue to illuminate the target with its radar in order for the missile to home in for a kill. For the F-14, this means staying within a 65-degree cone so that the antenna of the AWG-9 will be able to follow the target.

Sidewinder:

The Sidewinder infrared homing missile dates back to 1956, but the missile has been continuously upgraded over the years. The Tomcat can carry four AIM-9 Sidewinders (two on each wing glove pylon), but the usual load is two, mounted one each on outboard shoulder pylons attached to the fixed wing glove section.

Early F-14As carried the AIM-9J, which was the first major post-Vietnam improvement of the Sidewinder missile. The J model had an expanded target-engagement cone which enabled it to be launched at any spot in the rear half of a target aircraft rather than merely at its exhaust. Compared with the Vietnam-era AIM-9G, it had a more powerful motor and an improved warhead. The AIM-9J introduced the Sidewinder Expanded Acquisition Mode (SEAM), which slaved the seeker head of the missile to the radar when in "dogfight" mode, which enabled the AIM-9J seeker head to be uncaged, slewed toward a specific target by the aircraft radar, and made to track that particular target only. The AIM-9H introduced some minor improvements. The AIM-9L introduced in 1979 was "all-aspect", and was no longer limited to engaging an enemy aircraft from the rear. The seeker head was more sensitive and was able to pick up heat from the friction off the leading edges of an aircraft's wing and was able to distinguish between aircraft and decoy flares. The AIM-9L also uses a higher-impulse rocket motor, a more powerful warhead, and a proximity fuse rigged to blow outward toward the target in order to ensure better probability of a kill. The AIM-9M introduced in 1982 had better capability to distinguish between aircraft and decoy flares, and has a low-smoke rocket motor so that it is less likely to be seen by its prey. The number of vacuum tubes was reduced to two.

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is 9.4 feet long, has a wingspan of 25 inches and a diameter of 5 inches. The missile has four tail fins on the rear, with a "rolleron" at the tip of each fin. These "rollerons" are spun at high speed by the slipstream in order to provide roll stability. The missile is steered by four canard fins mounted in the forward part of the missile just behind the infrared seeker head. The Sidewinder missile has a launch weight of about 180 pounds, and a maximum effective range of about 10 miles. The blast-fragmentation warhead weighs 21 pounds. Despite the advanced age of the basic design, the all-aspect Sidewinder remains a potent threat, exceeded in effectiveness perhaps only by the Russian-built Molniya/Vympel R-73 (known in the West as the AA-11 Archer) which combines aerodynamic and thrust-vectoring control systems.

Cannon

For really close-in encounters, the Tomcat is provided with an internally-mounted cannon. The 20mm General Electric M61A1 Vulcan rotary cannon is carried on the port side of the forward fuselage. A muzzle gas diffuser is fitted to prevent gun gases from getting sucked into the engine intakes where they could cause engine flameouts. A total of 675 rounds of ammunition are carried in a drum. When the guns are fired, the empty cases are returned to the drum rather than being ejected overboard.

Bombs:

The F-14A can carry up to 14,500 pounds of bombs and rockets, although it was not assigned a ground-attack mission. The under-fuselage pallets which ordinarily carry Phoenix missiles can also mount bomb racks for 1000-pound Mk 83 or 2000-pound Mk 84 bombs or other free-fall weaponry. VF-122 dropped the first bombs from a Fleet Tomcat on August 8, 1990. For a while, an advanced bomb-equipped F-14 Tomcat was pictured as a replacement for the General Dynamics A-12 Avenger II, cancelled in December 1990. Today, the training syllabus includes some emphasis on air-to-ground strike, although such missions would only be carried out in a relatively permissible combat environment because of the high cost of the Tomcat. The Tomcat can carry only conventional "dumb" bombs, and has no precision-guided munition capability except when operating in conjunction with a separate laser designator aircraft.

Specification of the Grumman F-14A Tomcat:

Two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A/414A turbofans, each rated at 12,350 lb.s.t. dry and 20,900 lb.s.t with afterburning. Maximum speed: 1544 mph (Mach 2.34) at 40,000 feet, 912 mph at sea level. Cruising speed 610 mph. Initial climb rate 32,500 peet per minute. Service ceiling 55,000 feet, maximum unrefuelled range 2400 miles. Landing speed 132 knots. Minimum takeoff distance 1400 feet. Radius on combat air patrol with six Sparrows and four Sidewinders 766 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 64 feet 1 2/1 inches (swept forward), 83 feet 2 1/2 inches (swept back), length 62 feet 8 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area 565 square feet. Weights: 40,104 pounds empty, 59,7614 pounds loaded, 74,349 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel 2385 US gallons. A 267 US-gallon drop tank can be carried on a hardpoint underneath each air intake. Armament: One 20-mm General Electric M61A1 Vulcan in the nose with 675 rounds. Provision for six AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or six AIM-54A/C Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders, or four AIM-54A/C Phoenix missiles underneath the fuselage and two AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders on the wing glove pylons.

F-14A in service with US Navy

The first F-14A was finally ready for rollout in late 1970. Taxi trials of the first F-14A Tomcat (BuNo 157980) began at Calverton on December 14, 1970. On December 21, project test pilot William (Bob) Millar and company chief test pilot Robert Smythe made the first flight, which was a short hop with the wings kept in the fully-forward position. This flight was uneventful.

Disaster struck on the second test flight on December 30. During this flight, the aircraft suffered a primary hydraulic system failure and began to trail smoke. Millar and Smythe immediately turned the plane back to the Calverton field, and used the emergency nitrogen bottle to blow down the landing gear in preparation for an emergency landing. However, just before reaching the end of the runway, the secondary hydraulic system also failed and both crewmen were forced to eject. Both Millar and Smythe survived with only minor injuries, but the aircraft was destroyed.

The second Tomcat (157981) went aloft for the first time on May 24, 1971, piloted by Robert Smythe. Twenty Tomcats were built in the initial run for flight trials. Tomcat #2 (157981) was assigned the job of the exploration of the low-speed flight regime and also was to carry out the stall/spin trials. It had its wings locked in the 20-degree (fully-open) position and the air intakes locked in the fully-open configuration. Tomcat #3 (157982) was to explore the outer reaches of the performance envelope and flew trials with steadily increasing loads and speeds. Tomcats Nos. 4, 5, and 6 (157983, 157984, and 157985) went to NAS Point Mugu, California for weapons system integration work. No. 7 (157986) later became the test ship for the F-14B with F401 engines. Nos. 9 and 11 (157988 and 157991) went to Point Mugu for radar evaluation and auxiliary weapons trials, respectively.

Tomcat #10 (157989) was delivered to the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland for structural trials and carrier compatibility work. On June 30, 1972, it crashed into the water while preparing for an airshow at Patuxent, killing test pilot Bob Millar, who had survived the crash of the first F-14. It was replaced on carrier-compatibility tests by No. 17. No. 12 replaced the lost No. 1 on high speed flight trials. Completing the trials fleet were No. 8 (aerodynamic trials and production configuration), No. 13 (anechoic chamber work for compatibility of the electromagnetic systems), No. 14 (maintenance and reliability work), No. 20 (climatic trials at Point Mugu), and Nos. 15, 16, 18, and 19 (initial pilot conversion).

157984, Tomcat #5 assigned to Point Mugu for armament trials, had the rather dubious honor of shooting itself down on June 20, 1973. A AIM-7E-2 Sparrow missile pitched up moments after being launched, striking the Tomcat. The crew ejected safely.

Block 70 (beginning with 159978) introduced the production standard wing glove fairing with shorter outboard wing fences on the top.

The beaver tail and air brake were modified from BuNo 159241 onward (the first Block 75 Tomcat). Earlier aircraft had their beaver tails cut down (with dielectric fairings removed) to a similar shape. The last Block 85 aircraft (159588) introduced the new AN/ARC-159 UHF radio in place of the AN/ARC-51A.

From 159825 (the first Block 90), a small angle of attack probe was added to the tip of the nose radome. High angle of attack performance was also improved by the provision for automated maneuvering flaps.

From Block 100 onward, a slip clutch and coupler installation was added to the flap/slat system, fuel system changes were made, AN/AWG-9 reliability improvements were incorporated, and numerous anti-corrosion measures such as seals, baffles, and drain holes were introduced.

The last aircraft of Block 110 (BuNo 161168) introduced AN/ALQ-126 antenna to the beaver tail and above and below the wing gloves.

10 early Block 60/65 F-14As (BuNos 158613/158618, 158620, 158624, and 158626/158637) were refurbished and modified to Block 130 standards for service with VF-201 and VF-202 at NAS Dallas.

The original Tomcat contract signed in 1969 covered 12 prototypes and options for 429 production aircraft at an agreed-upon fixed price. The fixed-price contract was an innovation of the McNamara years at the Defense Department. However, a wave of high inflation hit the economies of the US and most Western nations during the early 1970s, and the price terms of the original contract soon became unworkable and Grumman started losing money on each plane it delivered to the Navy. In March of 1971, the company asked the Navy to re-negotiate the contract. Initially, the Navy refused, but Grumman angrily retorted that the company could not continue much longer to deliver Tomcats at the promised price without going out of business. In March of 1973 it reached a compromise with the Navy under which the first 134 production aircraft would be delivered under the original fixed price, with the price of the follow-on Tomcats being re-negotiated with the Navy. The Navy agreed to provide Grumman with a $200 million loan to keep the company going until the re-negotiated prices became effective.

This loan agreement stirred up controversy in the press, with Grumman being accused (somewhat unjustly) of turning around and investing the Navy loan it had just received in short-term government securities for a quick profit. In August of 1974, Congress voted to terminate the Grumman loan as a result of the controversy. However, by this time Grumman had a new customer for the Tomcat, the Shah of Iran. The Iranian state Bank Melli provided a $75 million loan to Grumman, and armed with this backing Grumman approached a consortium of US banks and was able to get a loan for the remaining $125 million, ensuring that the Tomcat program could continue.

Three early F-14As were delivered in the autumn of 1972 to VX-4 at NAS Point Mugu, California for operational evaluation. The replacement squadron VF-124 at NAS Miramar received its first Tomcats in June of 1972. The job of VF-124 was to train Tomcat crews for duty with operational carrier-based squadrons. The first two operational Tomcat squadrons were VF-1 Wolfpack and VF-2 Bounty Hunters, both based at NAS Miramar. These units deployed aboard the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in mid-1974.

The first East Coast squadron to become operational with the Tomcat was VF-14 Tophatters, joined shortly thereafter by VF-32 Swordsmen. These units put to sea in June of 1975 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy (CVA-67). Over the next nine years, almost all Navy deployable fighter squadrons exchanged their Phantoms for Tomcats. The last to do so were VF-21 and VF-154, which traded in their F-4Ns for F-14As in September of 1983. Two new squadrons, VF-191 and VF-194, were formed with F-14As in 1986, but were both disbanded in April 1988 when budget cuts led to a reduction in force.

F-14As began replacing F-4S Phantoms in the reserves in October of 1984. Tomcats currently equip four Reserve Fighter Squadrons, VF-201 and VF-202 at NAS Dallas and VF-301 and VF-302 at NAS Miramar.

Two Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A/414A turbofans, each rated at 12,350 lb.s.t. dry and 20,900 lb.s.t with afterburning. Maximum speed: 1544 mph (Mach 2.34) at 40,000 feet, 912 mph at sea level. Cruising speed 610 mph. Initial climb rate 32,500 peet per minute. Service ceiling 55,000 feet, maximum unrefuelled range 2400 miles. Landing speed 132 knots. Minimum takeoff distance 1400 feet. Radius on combat air patrol with six Sparrows and four Sidewinders 766 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 64 feet 1 2/1 inches (swept forward), 83 feet 2 1/2 inches (swept back), length 62 feet 8 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area 565 square feet. Weights: 40,104 pounds empty, 59,7614 pounds loaded, 74,349 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel 2385 US gallons. A 267 US-gallon drop tank can be carried on a hardpoint underneath each air intake. Armament: One 20-mm General Electric M61A1 Vulcan in the nose with 675 rounds. Provision for six AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or six AIM-54A/C Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders, or four AIM-54A/C Phoenix missiles underneath the fuselage and two AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders on the wing glove pylons.

However, TARPS-capable Tomcats must be specially wired in order to carry the pod. This system was first deployed in the second half of 1981, with VF-84 aboard the Nimitz and with VF-122 aboard the Constellation. With the retirement of the last RF-8G Crusaders in the spring of 1982, TARPS- equipped Tomcats became the Navy's primary tactical reconnaissance system. One of the tasks assigned to TARPS-equipped F-14As was the photograph Soviet long-rang surveillance aircraft, documenting and cataloging the different types of equipment carried by these aircraft. It is possible that TARPS- equipped F-14As were used in Central America to spy on the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.

The Tomcat initially carried APR-25 and APR-27 radar warning receivers. These have largely been replaced by the Magnavox ALR-50 which is designed to warn crews of SAM launches. A major upgrade updated this equipment to deal with the SA-6 Gainful missile and its associated Straight Flush radar, which were initially so successful against Israeli aircraft during the Yom Kippur War. The Tomcat is equipped with the Goodyear ALE-39 chaff and flare dispensing system, which has replaced the ALE-29 originally carried. The Tomcat initially entered service with the Sanders Associates ALQ-100 noise deception jammer, but this was later replaced with the Sanders AN/ALQ-126A.

The Tomcat was in service just in time to see the closing stages of the Vietnam war in 1975. It flew top cover during Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of US personnel from Saigon in April of 1975 just before that city fell to the North. The North Vietnamese air force did not interfere with the operation, but one Tomcat was slightly damaged by antiaircraft fire.

On September 14, 1976, during a cruise off the Orkney Islands, Tomcat BuNo 159588 went out of control while taxiing and rolled off the deck of the USS John F. Kennedy and fell into the sea. The crew safely ejected before the Tomcat went over the edge, but the plane ended up intact on the ocean floor. Fearful that the Soviets might recover the Tomcat and learn valuable secrets (especially about the Phoenix missile), the Navy mounted a recovery operation designed to fish the aircraft out of the water. After about two months, the lost Tomcat was finally hauled back to the surface.

In August of 1981, the USS Forrestal and Nimitz entered the Gulf of Sidra in the southern Mediterranean to carry out routine training exercises. The Libyan government claimed the entire Gulf of Sidra as its own territorial waters, a claim which the US government did not accept and chose to contest. Libyan aircraft were sent out to monitor the operation. On August 19, two Libyan Su 22 Fitter- J fighters were shot down by a pair of VF-41 Tomcats after one the Fitters fired a missile at the American fighters. Both kills were with AIM-9L Sidewinder missiles. This was the first air battle between variable-geometry fighters.

In late 1983, Tomcats from the USS Eisenhower and Independence flew numerous missions over Lebanon in support of Marines stationed there. TARPS-equipped Tomcats flew reconnaissance missions while other F-14s flew top cover. The Tomcats were fired on by surface-to-air missiles on several occasions, but none were hit. Open conflict between Tomcats and Syrian fighters was avoided.

In April of 1983, two Tomcats operating from the carrier USS America were fired upon by Somali troops while flying over the port of Berbera on the Gulf of Aden. These planes were on a prearranged mission, but the Somali forces apparently mistook the Tomcats for Ethiopian attackers. No Tomcats were hit.

In combat operations in Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada in October of 1983, TARPS-equipped Tomcats provided intelligence on troop movements and gun emplacements for invading Marines and Army Rangers.

The Tomcat was instrumental in capturing the Palestinian terrorists who had hijacked the Italian cruise liner Achille Lauro and had murdered an American tourist. The hijackers had found refuge in Egypt, where arrangements had been made to fly them to sanctuary in Libya aboard an Egyptair Boeing 737 airliner. On October 19, 1985, seven Tomcats from VF-74 and VF-103 flying from the USS Saratoga (CV-60) intercepted the airliner and forced it to land at Sigonella in Italy. Unfortunately, the intervention of Italian guards prevented Delta Force commandos from snatching the terrorists away to American soil for trial, but the terrorists were prosecuted in Italy.

During operations in the Gulf of Sidra on March 24-26, 1986, numerous strikes were carried out by Navy carrier-based aircraft against Libyan targets, with Tomcats flying top cover, keeping Libyan fighters at bay and dodging SAMs.

Operation El Dorado Canyon took place against Libya on April 15, 1986, with USAF F-111Fs attacking Tripoli while Navy strike aircraft went after Benghazi. The latter raid was top-covered by F-14s.

On January 4, 1989, two F-14As (BuNos 159437 and 159610) from VF-32 flying off the John F. Kennedy (CV-67) shot down a pair of Libyan MiG-23 Floggers. This action was the source of much controversy, since the Libyan fighters did not this time actually fire on the Tomcats. However, the maneuvering pattern of the MiGs in which they repeatedly turned their noses toward the Tomcats even after the F-14s deliberately turned away several times was deemed to be indicative of hostile intent, and the Tomcats were given clearance to fire. Both MiG pilots ejected safely, but the Libyan Air Force was unable to recover them. The TCS provided valuable documentation of the incident, and video tape images of the MiGs demonstrated that they were indeed armed.

There were some Sidewinder firings by Tomcats flown by VF-21 operating aboard the USS Independence (CV-62) during the 1988-1989 reflagged tanker escort operations in the Persian Gulf. At one point, there was an engagement between two VF-21 Tomcats and a pair of Iranian F-4s, with Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles actually being fired. However, these launches were all well out of parameters, and scored no kills. So far as is known, USN and Iranian F-14s never challenged each other.

During Operation Desert Storm of January 1991, Tomcats flew mostly top cover operations in protection of the fleet's carriers and in the escort of strike packages, and did not participate in very much air-to-air combat. The Tomcats are credited with only one kill, which came on February 6 when a pair of F-14s of VF-1 shot down a Mil Mi-8 Hip helicopter with AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. One F-14 Tomcat was lost in action on January 21 when it was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile. The crew ejected safely, with one crewman being picked up by helicopter and the other being taken prisoner.

The last F-14A (162711) was delivered to the Navy on March 31, 1987. After that time, the plans were for production was to shift over to the more advanced F-14D version. However, Tomcat production was abruptly halted in February of 1991 in an economy move. Originally, plans called for the conversion of 400 F-14As to F-14D standards. However, only 18 F-14As have been converted to F-14D® configuration, and 32 other have been converted to F-14A Plus (F-14B) configuration.

NASA had operated two F-14A Tomcats at its Dryden Research Facility at Edwards AFB. BuNo 157991 arrived at Dryden on August 8, 1979, and was used in an investigation of flight at low altitude and high angles of attack under asymmetric thrust flight conditions. This plane was returned to the Navy on September of 1985. BuNo 158613 was delivered to Dryden on April 8, 1974 and was assigned the NASA number of 834. It was used for a variable-sweep flight transition experiment. It was returned to the Navy in September of 1987.

The following Navy squadrons have operated the F-14A:

VF-1 Wolfpack, VF-2 Bounty Hunters, VF-11 Red Rippers, VF-14 Top Hatters, VF-21 Freelancers, VF-24 Fighting Renegades, VF-31 Tomcatters, VF-32 Swordsmen, VF-33 Starfighters, VF-41 Black Aces, VF-51 Screaming Eagles, VF-74 Bedevilers, VF-84 Jolly Rogers, VF-101 Grim Reapers, VF-102 Diamondbacks, VF-103 Sluggers, VF-111 Sundowners, VF-114 Aardvarks, VF-124 Gunfighters, VF-142 Ghostriders, VF-143 Pukin' Dogs, VF-154 Black Knights, VF-191 Satan's Kittens, VF-194 Red Lightnings, VF-201 Hunters, VF-202 Superheats, VF-211 Fighting Checkmates, VF-213 Black Lions, VF-301 Devil's Disciples, VF-302 Stallions, VX-4 Evaluators.

Even today, the F-14A Tomcat is still a potent fighter. Against aircraft such as the F-4 or the MiG-23 Flogger the F-14A would have few problems in maintaining air-to-air superiority, but its rate and radius of turn, thrust-to-weight ratio, and high-angle of attack capabilities would leave it at a serious disadvantage against later aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, MiG-29 Fulcrum, or Su-27 Flanker. Nevertheless, its BVR kill capacity is still unmatched.

Serial numbers of F-14A Tomcat:

 

157980 Grumman F-14A-1-GR Tomcat

w/o 12/30/1970

157981 Grumman F-14A-5-GR Tomcat

157982 Grumman F-14A-10-GR Tomcat

157983 Grumman F-14A-15-GR Tomcat

157984 Grumman F-14A-20-GR Tomcat

157985 Grumman F-14A-25-GR Tomcat

157986 Grumman F-14A-30-GR Tomcat

modified as F-14B and then as F-14A(Plus).

157987 Grumman F-14A-35-GR Tomcat

157988 Grumman F-14A-40-GR Tomcat

157989 Grumman F-14A-45-GR Tomcat

157990 Grumman F-14A-50-GR Tomcat

157991 Grumman F-14A-55-GR Tomcat

158612/158619 Grumman F-14A-60-GR Tomcat

158614 modified for TARPS pod.

158613/158618 later modified to Block

130 standards.

158620/158637 Grumman F-14A-65-GR Tomcat

158620,158637 modified for TARPS pod.

158620,158624,158626/158637 later modified

to Block 130 standards.

158978/159006 Grumman F-14A-70-GR Tomcat

159007/159025 Grumman F-14A-75-GR Tomcat

159421/159429 Grumman F-14A-75-GR Tomcat

159430/159468 Grumman F-14A-80-GR Tomcat

159588/159637 Grumman F-14A-85-GR Tomcat

159591,159606,159612 modified for TARPS pod.

159610(DR-1),159613(DR-4),159600(DR-5),

159629(DR-7),159628(DR-8),159619(DR-9),

159592(DR-10),159595(DR-12),159603(DR-14),

159635(DR-15),159633(DR-16),159618(DR-17),

159630(DR-18) converted to F-14D®.

159825/159874 Grumman F-14A-90-GR Tomcat

160299/160378 Grumman F-14A Tomcat

for Iran under serial numbers

3-863/3-892 and 3-6001/3-6050. Last one not

delivered.

160379/160414 Grumman F-14A-95-GR Tomcat

160652/160696 Grumman F-14A-100-GR Tomcat

160696 modified for TARPS pod

160887/160930 Grumman F-14A-105-GR Tomcat

160910, 160911,160914,160915,160920,

160925,160926,160930 were TARPS capable

161133/161168 Grumman F-14A-110-GR Tomcat

161134, 161135,161137,161140,161141,

161146,161147,161150,161152,161155,

161156,161158,161159,161161,161162,

161164,161168 were TARPS capable

161159(DR-1),161158(DR-3),161166(DR-6),

161133(DR-11),161154(DR-13) were converted

to F-14D®.

161270/161299 Grumman F-14A-115-GR Tomcat

161270,161271,161272,161273,161275,161276,

161277,161280,161281,161282,161285 were

TARPS capable.

161287(KB-5) converted to F-14A(Plus), later

redesignated F-14B.

161416/161445 Grumman F-14A-120-GR Tomcat

161424(KB-1),161426(KB-2),161429(KB-3),

161418(KB-4),161428(KB-6),161433(KB-7),

161417(KB-8),161419(KB-9),161440(KB-10),

161444(KB-11),161427(KB-12),161416(KB-13),

161442(KB-14),161437(KB-15),161441(KB-16),

161421(KB-17),161422(KB-18),161425(KB-19),

161430(KB-22),161432(KB-24),161434(KB-25),

161435(KB-26),161438(KB-27) converted to

F-14A(Plus), later redesignated F-14B.

161597/161626 Grumman F-14A-125-GR Tomcat

161604,161605,161611,161620,161621,161622,

161624,161626 were TARPS capable.

16159?(KB-20),161610(KB-21),161608(KB-23),

161610(KB-30) converted to F-14A(Plus), later

redesignated F-14B.

161623 used as F-14D testbed and later

redesignated NF-14D.

161850/161879 Grumman F-14A-130-GR Tomcat

161851(KB-28),161871(KB-29),161870(KB-31),

161873(KB-32) converted to F-14A(Plus) and

later redesignated F-14B

161867 modified as F-14D testbed, later

redesignated NF-14D.

161865 modified as F-14D testbed.

162588/162611 Grumman F-14A-135-GR Tomcat

162595 modified as F-14D testbed.

162688/162717 Grumman F-14A-140-GR Tomcat

712/717 cancelled

Tomcat in Iranian service

The F-14A Tomcat was exported to only one foreign customer, the Nirou Havai Shahanshahiye Iran, or Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF).

The government of the Shah of Iran had been granted large amounts of military assistance by the United States government in the hope that Iran would act as a bulwark against Soviet expansions southward into the region of the Persian Gulf. In addition, Iranian oil revenues made it possible for the Shah's government to purchase massive amounts of Western-manufactured arms, including advanced warplanes such as the Northrop F-5A and E, the McDonnell F-4D and E Phantom, and the Lockheed P-3F Orion. In addition, large numbers of Chieftain and Shir main battle tanks were purchased from Britain.

In May of 1972, President Richard Nixon had visited Iran and the Shah had mentioned to him that MiG-25 Foxbat aircraft of the Soviet Air Force had regularly been flying unimpeded over Iranian territory. The Shah asked Nixon for equipment which could intercept these high-speed intruders, and Nixon told the Shah that he could order either the F-14 Tomcat or the F-15 Eagle.

In August of 1973, the Shah selected the F-14 Tomcat, and the sale was approved by the US government in November of 1972. The initial order signed in January of 1974 covered 30 Tomcats, but in June 50 more were added to the contract. At the same time, the Iranian government-owned Melli Bank agreed to loan Grumman $75 million to partially make up for a US government loan of $200 to Grumman which had just been cancelled. This loan enabled Grumman to secure a further loan of $125 from a consortium of American banks, ensuring at least for the moment that the F-14 program would continue.

The Iranian Tomcat was virtually identical to the US Navy version, with only a few classified avionics items being omitted. The base site for Iranian Tomcat operations was at Isfahan. Imperial Iranian Air Force aircrews began to arrive in the USA for training in May of 1974, and shortly thereafter the first Grumman pilots arrived in Iran.

The Iranian Tomcats were fairly late on the production line, and were therefore delivered with the TF30-P-414 engine, which was much safer than the compressor-stall-prone P-412 engine. The first of 80 Tomcats arrived in Iran in January of 1976. By May of 1977, when Iran celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Royal House, 12 had been delivered. At this time, the Soviet Foxbats were still making a nuisance of themselves by flying over Iran, and the Shaw ordered live firing tests of the Phoenix to be carried out as a warning. In August of 1977, IIAF crews shot down a BQM-34E drone flying at 50,000 feet, and the Soviets took the hint and Foxbat overflights promptly ended.

The IIAF Tomcats bore the US Navy serial numbers of 160299/160378, and were assigned the IIAF serial numbers 3-863 to 3-892 and 3-6001 to 3-6050. The last of 79 Tomcats were delivered to Iran in 1978. One Iranian Tomcat (BuNo 170378) was retained in the USA for use as a testbed. Iran also ordered 714 Phoenix missiles, but only 284 had been delivered at the time of the Revolution. These Phoenix missiles were of slightly-reduced capability as compared with those delivered to the US Navy.

Toward the end of the 1970s, there was increasing chaos in Iran. On January 16, 1979, the Shah fled the country and on April 1, an Islamic republic was declared, with the Ayatolla Khomeini as the head of state. The Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). The new government rapidly took on an anti-Western stance, denouncing the United States as the "great Satan". Following the Islamic revolution, massive numbers of contracts with Western arms suppliers were cancelled by the new government, including an order for 400 AIM-54A Phoenix missiles. Relations with the USA became increasingly strained, especially by the occupation of the US embassy in Teheran by militant students and the holding of 52 Americans hostage. The US responded with a cutoff of all political and military ties to Iran and the imposition of a strict arms embargo.

This arms embargo against Iran imposed by the West caused a severe spare parts and maintenance problem. Even the best-equipped units were often poorly trained and could not operate without Western contractor support. The political upheavals and purges caused by the fundamentalist revolution made the situation much worse, with many pilots and maintenance personnel following the Shah into exile. As a result, by 1980 the IRIAF was only a shadow of its former self.

This embargo was to have a especially severe long-term effect on the Tomcat fleet, since the embargo prevented the delivery of any spares. In addition, by August of 1979, all 79 of the F-14A Tomcats had supposedly been sabotaged so that they could no longer fire their Phoenix missiles. According to various accounts, this was done either by departing Grumman technicians, by Iranian Air Force personnel friendly to the US shortly after the fall of the Shah, or even by Iranian revolutionaries in an attempt to prevent operations by an Air Force perceived to be too pro-Western. The Iran-Iraq war began on September 22, 1980 with an Iraqi air attack on six Iranian air bases and four Iranian army bases. It was followed by an Iraqi land attack at four points along a 700-kilometer front. Before the war ended in 1988, somewhere between 500,000 and a million people were dead, between 1 and 2 million people were injured, and there were two to three million refugees. Although little-covered in the Western media, the war was a human tragedy on a massive scale.

Air power did not play a dominant role in the Iran-Iraq war, because both sides were unable to use their air forces very effectively. Fighter-vs-fighter combat was rather rare throughout the entire course of the Iran-Iraq war. During the first phase of the war, Iranian aircraft had the fuel and the endurance to win most of these aerial encounters, either by killing with their first shot of an AIM-9 or else by forcing Iraqi fighters to withdraw. However, at this stage in the war the infrared homing missiles used by the fighters of both sides were generally ineffective in anything other than tail-chase firings at medium to high altitudes. Initially, Iranian pilots had the edge in training and experience, but as the war dragged on, this edge was gradually lost because of the repeated purges within the ranks of the Iranian military which removed experienced officers and pilots who were suspected of disloyalty to the Islamic fundamentalist regime or those with close ties or sympathies with the West. As Iranian capabilities declined, Iraqi capabilities gradually improved. After 1982, Iraq managed to improve its training and was able to acquire newer and better arms from French manufacturers, especially the Dassault Breguet Super Etendard and the Mirage F-1. The Mirage F-1 was capable of firing the Matra R-550 Magic air-to-air missile, which had a 140-degree attack hemisphere, a head-on attack capability, high-g launch and maneuver capability, and a 0.23 to 10-km range. The Magic could also be launched from the MiG-21, and proved to be far superior than the standard Soviet-supplied infrared homer, the Atoll. Mirage F-1s were reported to have shot down several Iranian aircraft with Magic missiles and as having scored kills even at low altitudes. After 1982, Iraq generally had the edge in most air-to-air encounters that took place, with Iran losing most of the few air-to-air encounters that took place after 1983 unless it used carefully-planned ambushes against Iraqi planes that were flying predictable routes. The Iranians could not generate more than 30-60 sorties per day, whereas the number of sorties that Iraq could mount steadily increased year after year, reaching a peak as high as 600 in 1986-88.

The Tomcat never proved very effective in IRIAF service, since only a relatively small number could be kept airworthy at any one time. Very often, they served in a mini-AWACS role by virtue of their powerful radars and were deliberately not risked in combat. Several Iranian Tomcats were reported lost in action, most of the reported losses being kill claims by Iraqi sources. Iraq first claimed to have shot down an Iranian F-14Aa on November 21, 1982, the kill reportedly being made by a Mirage F1EQ. In March 1982, a downed Iranian pilot is reported to have told his captors that he was really surprised to see an Iraqi MiG-21 shoot down such an advanced aircraft as an F-14. On September 11, 1983, two Iranian Tomcats attempting to intercept Iraqi aircraft attacking Iranian positions were claimed to have been shot down. One Tomcat was lost in a dogfight with Iraqi aircraft on October 4, 1883, another in an air battle over Bahragan on November 21, 1983 and single examples were lost on February 24, and July 1, 1984. Iraq claims to have shot down three F-14As in a single day on August 11, 1984. It is impossible to judge the reliability of these claims, but there is probably nothing intrinsically implausible about them. Iranian F-14As are known to have shot down at least three Iraqi fighters, including two Mirage F1s and one MiG-21. An Iranian Tomcat achieved a kill against an Iraqi Mirage F1 as late as the spring of 1988, indicating that the IRIAF was able to keep at least one Tomcat operational.

It is extremely difficult to get any reliable estimates of just how many Iranian F-14As were in service at any one time during the war. Western intelligence estimates tended to put the number of serviceable Tomcats flying with the IRIAF at a very low level, often less than ten, with planes having been deliberately cannibalized to keep at least a few flying. In the summer of 1984, the Pentagon estimated that Iran could field only 15-20 Tomcats, maintaining them largely by cannibalization. Iranian sources tended to discount these Western estimates as "imperialist propaganda", and placed the number of in-service Tomcats at a much higher value.

An indication that Western intelligence may have consistently underestimated Iranian capabilities in this area may have taken place on February 11, 1985, when no less than 25 Iranian F-14A Tomcats took place in a mass flypast over Teheran. In spite of the Western arms embargo, Iran seems to have been able to maintain a more-or-less steady supply of spare parts for its fleet of Tomcats, Phantoms, and F-5Es. Some of these parts seem to have been smuggled into Iran by collusion with Israel. Some may have come in as a result of the "arms-for-hostages" deal in which the US government supplied arms to Iran in exchange for its assistance in getting hostages held in Lebanon released.

The Phoenix missiles and/or their guidance avionics were reportedly rendered inoperative by sabotage before the war began and have not been operational since. There are no reports of any Phoenix missiles being fired during the Iran-Iraq war. However, the AN/AWG-9 radar did remain operational, and the Iranian Tomcats could still fire AIM-7 and AIM-9 missiles. Most IRIAF Tomcats flew with a missile load of four Sparows and two Sidewinders.

The accidental shootdown of Iran Air Flight 655 by missiles launched from the USS Vincennes on July 3, 1988 with the loss of 290 lives may have been caused by the accidental misidentification of the Airbus A300 as an IRIAF F-14A by the ship's radar system operators. Rumors had been going about that Iranian F-14As had been fitted with the capability to launch air-to-surface anti-ship missiles.

Despite the Iranian regime's official anti-Communist stance (the Communist Party is officially banned in Iran), there are persistent rumors that one or perhaps several IRIAF F-14A were delivered to the Soviet Union in exchange for other arms assistance. At least one Iranian F-14A crew has reportedly defected to the Soviet Union. There is every reason to believe that the F-14A, its AWG-9 fire control system, and its Phoenix missiles were completely compromised at this time. An examination of the Phoenix supposedly helped the Soviets to build the Vympel R-33 (known in the West as AA-9 Amos) long-range missiles which arm the MiG-31 Foxhound. However, Gennadiy Sokolovskiy of the Vympel Design Bureau denies that the R-33 was based on the AIM-54 Phoenix, maintaining that he has never actually seen a live Phoenix.

I believe that some F-14As are still flying in Iran, but I am not sure of the number.

F-14B

Almost from the start of the Tomcat project, Grumman was aware that the TF30-powered F-14A would be somewhat underpowered. On February 27, 1970, almost a year before the first flight of the F-14A, Grumman had suggested that a Tomcat derivative be built powered by the winner of the Advanced Technology Engine competition, the two contestants being the General Electric GE1/10 and the Pratt & Whitney JTF22. The Navy wrote up an new requirement (which they named VAX-2) which would eventually lead to a new designation of F-14B being assigned. It was anticipated that the F-14B would have 40 percent better turning radius, 21 percent better sustained g-capability, and 80 percent greater radius of action. At this stage of the Tomcat project, the F-14A was considered only an interim type, pending the introduction of the definitive F-14B. It was also proposed that all existing F-14As be brought up to F-14B standard.

The winner of the engine contest was the Pratt & Whitney entry, which was later redesignated F401-P-400. This engine was a derivative of the JTF22 Advanced Technology Engine, which had also spawned the F100 turbofan that was used by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. The F401-P-400 offered 16,400 pounds of thrust dry and an afterburning thrust of 28,000 pounds.

The seventh Tomcat (BuNo 157986) was set aside to serve as the prototype. It flew for the first time on September 12, 1973 with the F401-P-400 engine. With the new engine, the thrust-to-weight ratio of the F-14B was raised to greater than unity, offering a much improved performance.

Original plans called for the F-14B to start rolling off the production line with the 67th production edition, with earlier F-14As being converted to F-14B configuration when sufficient numbers of F401s became available. However, the development of the F401 turbofan soon ran into serious trouble, and failed its initial flight rating tests. Since the F-14A had already encountered severe cost overruns, and since the Navy's budget had been severely cut back at the end of the Southeast Asia war, the Navy decided to stick with the TF30-powered F-14A, and plans for the production of the F-14B were abandoned in April of 1974.

Following the cancellation of the F-14B, 157986 was put into storage. It was brought out of storage in 1981 for evaluation of the General Electric F101 DFE engine, paving the way for the development of the F-14A(Plus) and F-14D versions.

F-14C, never built

The F-14C was to have been a version of the F-14B fitted with upgraded avionics system that provided for all-weather attack and reconnaissance capability. Like the F-14B, the F-14C was to have been powered by a pair of F401-P-400 turbofans. However, the high costs of the F-14C caused the Navy to order more Grumman A-6 Intruders instead and to initiate the VFAX program which resulted in the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. The F-14C was abandoned before any examples could be built.

F-14A(Plus), F-14B, F110 engines

Following the cancellation of the F-14B, F-14A BuNo 157986 was put into storage. In 1981, it was taken out of storage and re-engined with two General Electric F101 DFE (Derivative Fighter Engine) turbofans, each rated at 16,400 lb.s.t. dry and 27,400 lb.s.t. with afterburning. The F101-DFE used the core engine from the F101, which had originally been developed for the B-1B, and was modified by adding a scaled-up fan and augmenter nozzle taken from the F404 engine used by the F/A-18A Hornet.

The first flight of the Super Tomcat (as the aircraft was unofficially known) took place on July 14, 1981 at Calverton. Grumman test pilot Chuck Sewell called this aircraft "a fighter pilot's dream". The test program showed significant performance gains, including a 62 percent increase in intercept radius, and such vast improvements in takeoff performance that non-afterburning carrier takeoffs were now a distinct possibility.

In the meantime, the Air Force had decided to adopt an alternative engine strategy for both the F-15 and F-16 fighters, splitting engine orders between Pratt & Whitney and General Electric. With each new fiscal year, a new set of engine orders would be issued. Having a second source would help to ensure a steady supply of engines, and competition between these two companies would, it was hoped, keep prices down. The Navy announced that it too would move to competitive yearly engine evaluations in selecting a new powerplant for the Tomcat. Initially, the Navy announced that the candidates would be the General Electric F110 and the Pratt & Whitney PW1128 turbofans. However, in the summer of 1983, the Navy abandoned this plan and announced that they would rely on the results of the USAF's competitive evaluation.

The two USAF candidates were the General Electric F101 DFE (now redesignated F110) and a revised Pratt & Whitney F100. In February 1984, the USAF announced that General Electric had been awarded with 75 percent of the total contract for engines for the FY1985 run of F-16 fighters. All of the FY 85 F-15 Eagles and the remaining FY 85 F-16s would use the upgraded Pratt & Whitney F100. The F110 was to be phased into the General Dynamics F-16 production line as soon as production engines became available, but it was agreed that individual USAF F-16 units would never operate a mix of engine types, the choice of engine being made at the wing level. Future models of the F-15 would be designed to accept either the F110 and F100.

The Navy liked the F110 better than the F100 since the F110 had greater thrust and promised to have lower overall support costs. The Navy announced that they would be adopting the F110 for all future Tomcats, and would not be doing USAF-style annual procurement competitions.

In August 1984, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract for improved versions of the F-14 and A-6. The new Tomcat would be known as the F-14D. The troublesome TF30 would be replaced by the F110-GE-400, the avionics would upgraged from analog to digital, the aircraft would receive an enhanced radar, a new computer, a stores management system, new controls, new displays, and a digital INS. While the full F-14D avionics suite was being developed, an interim aircraft, designated F-14A(Plus), would be produced which would introduce only the F110 engines and keep the F-14A electronics suite. However, all F-14A(Plus) aircraft would eventually be upgraded to full F-14D status.

The go-ahead for the interim F-14A(Plus) and the definitive F-14D program was given in July of 1984, when Grumman was awarded a contract. Both these versions were to be powered by General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans, rated at an afterburning thrust of 27,000 lb.s.t. each. The engines were to be fitted with a computerized fuel control system to prevent compressor stalls in all flight regimes. In addition, the F-14A(Plus) was to be fitted with the AN/ALR-67 threat warning and recognition system.

The basic F110 was considerably shorter than the TF30 which it replaced. In order to avoid having to completely redesign the air intake ducting, the Navy version of this engine was "stretched" in length by adding a new section between the engine and the afterburning section. Apparently, this created no significant engineering difficulties. The nozzle is positioned 11 inches further aft, which should reduce the aerodynamic drag of the boat-tail area of the rear fuselage. Very few structural changes were needed to adapt the F-14A to the new F110 engine. Almost the only changes needed were the rearrangement of the engine accessories and their drive gearbox, plus minor modifications of the surrounding F-14 secondary structure.

F-14A BuNo 157986 (which had also served as the F-14B prototype) was chosen as the engine development aircraft for the new aircraft and was fitted with a pair of F110-GE-400s in 1986 and took off on its first flight on September 29, 1986, piloted by Joe Burke. This engine offered considerable extra thrust over the old TF30 turbofan, and offered a considerable better performance. The new F110 engines offered the additional benefit of fewer compressor stalls, a more unrestricted throttle movement throughout the entire flight regime, and improved fuel economy. In addition, the F110-GE-400 had over 80 percent commonality with F110 variants used by the Air Force.

The increased power of the F110 engine dramatically improved all-round combat performance. It also made it possible to make catapult takeoffs from carriers without afterburner. The fuel consumption of the F110 was also much better than that of the TF30, increasing the mission radius by 62 percent. Time to reach high altitudes was reduced by 61 percent. Last and by no means least, the pilot could at long last forget about his engine during combat maneuvers and move the throttles shut or wide open no mater what the angle of attack or airspeed without having to worry about the danger of a compressor stall.

The F-14A(Plus) program called for the manufacture of 38 new aircraft and the rebuilding of 32 existing F-14As. BuNo 158630, the first F-14A(Plus) rebuilt from a TF30-powered F-14A, flew on December 11, 1986, and the first new-build F-14A(Plus) (BuNo 162910) flew on November 14, 1987. A second new-build F-14A(Plus) was accepted in 1987, 17 were delivered in 1989.

Externally, the F-14A(Plus) can be distinguished from the F-14A by its larger engine exhaust nozzles, the deletion of the wing glove vanes, a modified door near the gun port, and the installation of the new AN/ALR-67 radar warning receiver with antennae below the wing glove area. A new Direct Lift Control/Approach Power Control system was installed, and the gun bay was redesigned, incorporating a gas purging system with NACA-type inlets replacing the original grilles. A fatigue/engine-monitoring system was added and AN/ARC-182 UHF/VHF radios are installed. The modernized and modified radar fire control system was redesignated AN/AWG-15F.

In May of 1991, the Navy decided to redesignate the F-14A(Plus) F-14B, using the same designation as that of the stillborn F401-powered aircraft of 1973. A total of 38 F-14Bs were newly built. 32 additional F-14Bs were produced by conversion from existing F-14A airframes. These conversions were allocated the sequential KB-series identifications KB-1 to KB-32 respectively. About 17 more conversions have since been funded. Most F-14Bs may be upgraded to F-14D standards under a general depot-level update program that was used for some of the earlier F-14As.

Serials of Grumman F-14A(Plus) (F-14B) Tomcat:

 

157986 Grumman F-14A-30-GR Tomcat

modified as F-14B and then as F-14A(Plus).

161270/161299 Grumman F-14A-115-GR Tomcat

161287(KB-5) converted to F-14A(Plus), later

redesignated F-14B.

161416/161445 Grumman F-14A-120-GR Tomcat

161424(KB-1),161426(KB-2),161429(KB-3),

161418(KB-4),161428(KB-6),161433(KB-7),

161417(KB-8),161419(KB-9),161440(KB-10),

161444(KB-11),161427(KB-12),161416(KB-13),

161442(KB-14),161437(KB-15),161441(KB-16),

161421(KB-17),161422(KB-18),161425(KB-19),

161430(KB-22),161432(KB-24),161434(KB-25),

161435(KB-26),161438(KB-27) converted to

F-14A(Plus), later redesignated F-14B.

161597/161626 Grumman F-14A-125-GR Tomcat

16159?(KB-20),161610(KB-21),161608(KB-23),

161610(KB-30) converted to F-14A(Plus), later

redesignated F-14B.

161850/161879 Grumman F-14A-130-GR Tomcat

161851(KB-28),161871(KB-29),161870(KB-31),

161873(KB-32) converted to F-14A(Plus) and

later redesignated F-14B

163217/163229 Grumman F-14B-150-GR Tomcat

163407/163411 Grumman F-14B-155-GR Tomcat

Specification of Grumman F-14A(Plus) (F-14B) Tomcat

Two General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans, each rated at 14,000 lb.s.t. dry and 23,100 lb.s.t with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed (with four semi-recessed Sparrow missiles) Mach 1.2 (912 mph) at sea level, Mach 2.34 (1544 mph) at 40,000 feet. Combat air patrol loiter time 2.05 hours (at 173 mile radius with two 280 US gallon drop tanks). combat air patrol radius (with 1 hour loiter) 423 miles. intercept radius (Mach 1.3) 319 miles. Weights: 42,000 pounds empty, maximum takeoff weight, 75,000 pounds. Dimensions: wing span 64 feet 1 1/2 inches (unswept), 37 feet 7 inches (fully swept), length 61 feet 11 7/8 inches, wing area 565 square feet. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel 2385 US gallons. A 267 US-gallon drop tank can be carried on a hardpoint underneath each air intake. Armament: One 20-mm General Electric M61A1 Vulcan in the nose with 675 rounds. Provision for six AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, or six AIM-54A/C Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders, or four AIM-54A/C Phoenix missiles underneath the fuselage and two AIM-7F/M Sparrow and two AIM-9L/P Sidewinders on the wing glove pylons.

F-14D

The F-14D designation had originally been assigned to a cost-reduced, stripped version of the Tomcat, proposed at a time when the rapidly-increasing cost of the F-14A was causing great concern. This project never achieved fruition.

The F-14D that is known today originated back in 1984 as an advanced Tomcat derivative that was to be developed in parallel with the F-14A(Plus). Both variants were to be powered by the 27,600 lb.s.t. Pratt & Whitney F110-PW-400 turbofan, designed to remedy some of the defects of the TF30, particularly the problems with compressor stall, but the F-14D was to possess a much more advanced avionics suite.

The avionics suite of the F-14D was to be centered around the Hughes AN/APG-71 radar. The APG-71 radar is a digital processing system that replaces the AWG-9 of the F-14A and gives the F-14D improved detection and tracking range. The APG-71 is a development of the APG-70 used in the F-15E Strike Eagle. It features a low-sidelobe antenna, a sidelobe-blanking guard channel, and monopulse angle tracking, all of which are intended to make the radar less vulnerable to jamming.

The F-14D is equipped with dual AYK-14 Standard Airborne Computers. The F-14D is a "digital ship", based on a multiprocessor MIL-STD-1553B da

[jag 0]

Good God Almighty. That was a pretty good book. Lots of info there Fast Eagle. I just thought coyote might want to keep his options open and see the D model cockpit. CALM DOWN, take a deep breath. Whatever you decide coyote the F-14 will be great im sure. All your other skins are top notch. Even though this is a little more in depth im sure we will all have a great F-14 to shoot down migs. Keep up the good work.

 

 

 

Do ya think Fast Eagle likes the Tomcat?

[*Fast Eagle* 0]

Do ya think Fast Eagle likes the Tomcat?

 

Do you think it's his day job?

[Sledge 0]

I totally understand, Eagle! Let's just hope our wives never find out about our "other" loves, eh? -Sledge