cgold 0 Posted June 24, 2007 Super Hornets are very good aircraft and they could probably outrank the F-14 Tomcat anyday. It's hard to believe that Tomcats are truely gone. For my post on the last topic on Super Hornets in SFp1, I am truely wrong. Maybe I should stop "slander-izeing" the F-18 in general. They DO defend our country and keep democaracy in power. Marcelo, you rock! I do appreciate the aircraft you have come out with. Good luck on the Super Hornets, Frogfoots, and any others that I have missed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Planejunky 0 Posted June 28, 2007 Super Hornets are very good aircraft and they could probably outrank the F-14 Tomcat anyday. It's hard to believe that Tomcats are truely gone. For my post on the last topic on Super Hornets in SFp1, I am truely wrong. Maybe I should stop "slander-izeing" the F-18 in general. They DO defend our country and keep democaracy in power. Marcelo, you rock! I do appreciate the aircraft you have come out with. Good luck on the Super Hornets, Frogfoots, and any others that I have missed. The Tomcat was a wonderful machine, but like any warplane, it's time comes to retire. I worked with the F-4 with the RAF many years ago, and was very sad at its departure, especially when seeing them being broken up for scrap over on the fire dump. Unlike the Phantom though, the Tomcat has a worthy successor in the F/A-18E/F, in fact I remember reading a magazine article a couple of years back where a newly converted ex-Tomcat RIO said he'd much rather go to war in the Super Hornet than his previous mount. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Viggen 523 Posted June 29, 2007 I know the pilot of an EA-6B. He told me that he was quite, as were almost every one ,but some Super Hornet jockies, sad when the last Tomcats left his carrier. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Caesar 305 Posted June 29, 2007 I don't think the SH can outrank the Tomcat in very many ways at all; it was never initially intended to replace the Tomcat in the first place, rather be a gap filler for "inadequacies" in the legacy Hornets (range, payload, et cetera). It lacks the speed, loiter time, range, and even accuracy that the Tomcat brought to the field. In other words, it can't get to the target as quickly even in afterburner, it can't wait over the target/buddy laze as long, it can't fly as far without refueling to get to the target, and the NiteHawk system hasn't proven itself to be much better than LANTIRN, if it is at all. On top of that, the Navy lost any possibility of filling the hole left by the A-6 by selecting the SH over the ST-21, which would have given the Navy a near equivalent in strike power to the F-15E. And it's not like the SH is cheap either! But in the end, the Big Cat got nixed and ceased production in '91; nothing to do but let the frames get older and run out of life, and with Grumman landing a part in the SH project, people who backed the 'Cat were fighting a loosing battle. I don't think I'll ever like the Super Bug, but it's what the Navy's got now, and they've got great air and ground crews to fly and maintain those planes. And I would still like to see the Navy's latest fighter in the TW series. Keep up the good work, Marcelo! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted July 2, 2007 Article in CNN today about the F-14s being shredded at AMARC to prevent their parts from getting to Iran. Talk about odd paranoia. They ARE on a US installation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eraser_tr 29 Posted July 2, 2007 OH NOES!!!!!!!!!!! No boneyard? No museums, or restoration projects or offering pleasure flights?! :cray: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Typhoid 231 Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) "On top of that, the Navy lost any possibility of filling the hole left by the A-6 by selecting the SH over the ST-21, which would have given the Navy a near equivalent in strike power to the F-15E. And it's not like the SH is cheap either! " yabut the ST-21 would still have cost twice what the SH does. So for anticipated resource constraints anticipated through the FYDP, the ST-21 route would have further reduced the deck loads on our carriers from their current 2/3 of an airwing to something less than 1/2. it was pure cost and $$$. a lot of us then in Naval Aviation objected strongly to that decision, most of us now having "Ret." at the end of our titles........ Edited July 2, 2007 by Typhoid Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eraser_tr 29 Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) If it wasn't for the old airframes and lack of spare parts, we could have sold her to an allied nation, maybe Israel. The tomkitty would look good in desert camo AND as a friendly blip on the radar at the same time. I'm eagerly awaiting Marcelo's super hornets for SFP1. In the real world, my contingency plan in the event of a draft was joining the Navy and flying the F-14, with her gone, now it's joining the Air Force and hoping I'll get a raptor or at least settle for an eagle. Googled. Maybe after 2008 us godless commie tax and spend liberals won't mind the cost of an ST-21 over the superbug. Or maybe if the right people lobbied for her. And its not like the superbug would go to waste, it'd still replace the early F/A-18s and A-6/EA-6B. Where the F-18E would perform admirably, just not in fleet defence/A2A as a primary role, which it simply is at a disadvantage in. Giving the ST-21 or what I read would be called the F/A-14D (or F-14E?) thrust vectoring nozzles like the latest flankers or mig-35. 21st century air dominance defined. Who needs stealth? *goes off to dream of doing cobras, hooks and mongoose manuevers in a tomcat* Edited July 2, 2007 by eraser_tr Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Saganuay82 Posted July 2, 2007 Gooooooooooooogle.... http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/planes/q0132.shtml http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f14_13.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hawk MMS 0 Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) OUCH picture from foxnews.com Edited July 3, 2007 by USMC Hawker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Crusader 2,066 Posted July 3, 2007 looks like the US really fear the 30-40 Iranian Tomcats...... if they take such drastic measures to make sure no spare parts can get into Iran LOL... btw this thread is about Super hornets .. no......interesting.. :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Typhoid 231 Posted July 3, 2007 looks like the US really fear the 30-40 Iranian Tomcats...... if they take such drastic measures to make sure no spare parts can get into Iran LOL...btw this thread is about Super hornets .. no......interesting.. :D fear no. but no reason to make things easy for the $##@^$@&!%!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Viggen 523 Posted July 3, 2007 OUCH picture from foxnews.com Tophatters...imagen how the pilots feel. I bet the Super Hornet pilots love these pics! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Crusader 2,066 Posted July 3, 2007 fear no. but no reason to make things easy for the $##@^$@&!%!!!! I agree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
