F-14 Tomcat, United States of America
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program following the collapse of theF-111B project.
The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiGfighters during the Vietnam War.
The F-14 first flew in December 1970 and made its first deployment in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U.S. Navy's primary maritimeair superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissanceplatform.
Only the Tomcat was felt to be capable of defending the Carrier Battle Group from long-range cruise missile carriers, with its unmatched potential to fire off a salvo of up to six ultra long-range Phoenix air-to-air missiles against high- or low-flying targets, and then to deal with any leakers with AIM-9s or the internal 20-mm cannon. However, the credibility of the Phoenix has been dented by a poor showing in combat and trials, while the F-14 still cannot carry today's leading air-to-air missile the AIM-120 AMRAAM. AIM-54s fired at long range by F-14Ds in two recent, separate engagements at Iraqi MiG-25s and MiG-23s missed their targets.
Beginning in the late 1950s, the U.S. Navy sought a long-range, high-endurance interceptor to defend its carrier battle groups against long-rangeanti-ship missiles launched from the jet bombers and submarines of the Soviet Union. The U.S. Navy needed a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) aircraft with a more powerful radar, and longer range missiles than the F-4 Phantom II to intercept both enemy bombers and missiles.The Navy was directed to participate in the Tactical Fighter Experimental (TFX) program with the U.S. Air Force bySecretary of Defense Robert McNamara. McNamara wanted "joint" solutions to service aircraft needs to reduce development costs, and had already directed the Air Force to buy the F-4 Phantom II, which was developed for the Navy and Marine Corps.The Navy strenuously opposed the TFX as it feared compromises necessary for the Air Force's need for a low-level attack aircraft would adversely impact the aircraft's fighter performance.
However, weight and performance issues plagued the U.S. Navy F-111B variant for TFX and would not be resolved to the Navy's satisfaction. The F-111 manufacturer General Dynamics partnered with Grumman on the Navy F-111B. With the F-111B program in distress, Grumman began studying improvements and alternatives. In 1966, the Navy awarded Grumman a contract to begin studying advanced fighter designs. Grumman narrowed down these designs to its 303 design. Vice Admiral Thomas F. Connolly, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare, took the developmental F-111A variant for a flight and discovered it had difficulty going supersonic and had poor carrier landing characteristics. He later testified to Congress about his concerns against the official Department of the Navy position, and in May 1968, Congress stopped funding for the F-111B, allowing the Navy to pursue an answer tailored to their requirements. The name "Tomcat" was partially chosen to pay tribute to Admiral Connolly, as the nickname "Tom's Cat" had already been widely used by the manufacturer, although the name also followed the Grumman tradition of naming its fighter aircraft after felines.
The F-111B had been designed for the long-range Fleet Air Defense (FAD) interceptor role, but not for new requirements for air combat based on experience of American aircraft against agile MiG fighters over Vietnam. The Navy studied the need for VFAX, an additional fighter that was more agile than the F-4 Phantom for air-combat and ground-attack roles. Grumman continued work on its 303 design and offered it to the Navy in 1967, which led to fighter studies by the Navy. The company continued to refine the design into 1968.
In July 1968, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program. VFX called for a tandem two-seat, twin-engined air-to-air fighter with a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. It would also have a built-in M61 Vulcan cannon and a secondary close air support role. The VFX's air-to-air missiles would be either six AIM-54 Phoenix or a combination of six AIM-7 Sparrow and four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. Bids were received from General Dynamics, Grumman, Ling-Temco-Vought, McDonnell Douglas and North American Rockwell; four bids incorporated variable-geometry wings.
McDonnell Douglas and Grumman were selected as finalists in December 1968. Grumman was selected for the contract award in January 1969. Grumman's design reused the TF30engines from the F-111B, though the Navy planned on replacing them with the Pratt & Whitney F401-400 engines under development for the Navy, along with the related Pratt & Whitney F100 for the USAF. Though lighter than the F-111B, it was still the largest and heaviest U.S. fighter to fly from an aircraft carrier, its size a consequence of the requirement to carry the large AWG-9 radar and AIM-54 Phoenix missiles (from the F-111B) and an internal fuel load of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg).
The F-14 first flew on 21 December 1970, just 22 months after Grumman was awarded the contract, and reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 1973. The United States Marine Corps was initially interested in the F-14 as an F-4 Phantom II replacement; going so far as to send officers to Fighter Squadron One Twenty-Four (VF-124) to train as instructors. The Marine Corps pulled out of any procurement when development of the stores management system for ground attack munitions was not pursued. An air-to-ground capability was not developed until the 1990s.
Firing trials involved launches against simulated targets of various types, from cruise missiles to high-flying bombers. AIM-54 Phoenix missile testing from the F-14 began in April 1972. The longest single Phoenix launch was successful against a target at a range 110 nmi (200 km) in April 1973. Another unusual test was made on 22 November 1973, when six missiles were fired within 38 seconds at Mach 0.78 and 24,800 ft (7,600 m); four scored direct hits.
The F-14 Tomcat was designed as both an air superiority fighter and a long-range naval interceptor. The F-14 has a two-seat cockpit with a bubble canopy that affords all-round visibility. It features variable geometry wings that swing automatically during flight. For high-speed intercept, they are swept back and they swing forward for lower speed flight. It was designed to improve on the F-4 Phantom's air combat performance in most respects.
The F-14's fuselage and wings allow it to climb faster than the F-4, while the twin-tail arrangement offers better stability. The F-14 is equipped with an internal 20 mm M61 VulcanGatling cannon mounted on the left side, and can carry AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-9 Sidewinder anti-aircraft missiles. The twin engines are housed in nacelles, spaced apart by 1 to 3 ft (0.30 to 0.91 m). The flat area of the fuselage between the nacelles is used to contain fuel and avionics systems such as the wing-sweep mechanism and flight controls, and the underside used to carry the F-14's complement of Phoenix or Sparrow missiles, or assorted bombs. By itself, the fuselage provides approximately 40 to 60 percent of the F-14's aerodynamic lifting surface depending on the wing sweep position.
The F-14's wing sweep can be varied between 20° and 68° in flight, and can be automatically controlled by the Central Air Data Computer, which maintains wing sweep at the optimum lift-to-drag ratio as the Mach number varies; pilots can manually override the system if desired. When parked, the wings can be "overswept" to 75° to overlap the horizontal stabilizers to save deck space aboard carriers. In an emergency, the F-14 can land with the wings fully swept to 68°, although this presents a significant safety hazard due to greatly increased airspeed, thus an aircraft would typically be diverted from an aircraft carrier to a land base if an incident did occur. The F-14 has even flown and landed safely with an asymmetrical wing-sweep even on an aircraft carrier during emergencies.
The wings have a two-spar structure with integral fuel tanks. Much of the structure, including the wing box, wing pivots and upper and lower wing skins is made of titanium, a light, rigid and strong material, but also difficult and costly to weld. Ailerons are not fitted, with roll control being provided by wing-mounted spoilers at low speed (which are disabled if the sweep angle exceeds 57°), and by differential operation of the all-moving tailerons at high speed. Full-span slats and flaps are used to increase lift both for landing and combat, with slats being set at 17° for landing and 7° for combat, while flaps are set at 35° for landing and 10° for combat. The twin tail layout helps in maneuvers at high AoA (angle of attack) while reducing the height of the aircraft to fit within the limited roof clearance of hangarsaboard aircraft carriers. Two under-engine nacelle mount points are provided for external fuel tanks carrying an additional 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) of fuel.
Two triangular shaped retractable surfaces, called glove vanes, were originally mounted in the forward part of the wing glove, and could be automatically extended by the flight control system at high Mach numbers. They were used to generate additional lift ahead of the aircraft's center of gravity, thus helping to compensate for the nose-down pitching tendencies at supersonic speeds. Automatically deployed at above Mach 1.4, they allowed the F-14 to pull 7.5 g at Mach 2 and could be manually extended with wings swept full aft. They were later disabled, however, owing to their additional weight and complexity. The air brakes consist of top-and-bottom extendable surfaces at the rearmost portion of the fuselage, between the engine nacelles. The bottom surface is split into left and right halves, the arrestor hook hangs between the two halves, an arrangement sometimes called the "castor tail".
The F-14 was designed to combat highly maneuverable aircraft as well as the Soviet cruise missile and bomber threats. The Tomcat was to be a platform for the AIM-54 Phoenix, but unlike the canceled F-111B, it could also engage medium and short range threats with other weapons. The F-14 was an air superiority fighter, not just a long-range interceptor. Over 6,700 kg (15,000 lb) of stores could be carried for combat missions on several hardpoints under the fuselage and under the wings. Commonly, this meant a maximum of two–four Phoenixes or Sparrows on the belly stations, two Phoenixes/Sparrows on the wing hardpoints, and two Sidewinders on the wing hardpoints. The F-14 was also fitted with an internal 20 mm M61 Vulcan Gatling-type cannon.
Operationally, the capability to hold up to six Phoenix missiles was never used, although early testing was conducted; there was never a threat requirement to engage six hostile targets simultaneously and the load was too heavy to recover aboard an aircraft carrier. During the height of Cold War operations in the late 1970s and 1980s, the typical weapon loadout on carrier-deployed F-14s was usually only one AIM-54 Phoenix, augmented by two AIM-9 Sidewinders, two AIM-7 Sparrow IIIs, a full loadout of 20 mm ammunition and two drop tanks. The Phoenix missile was used twice in combat by the U.S. Navy, both over Iraq in 1999, but the missiles didn't score any kills.
A total of 712 F-14s were builtfrom 1969 to 1991. F-14 assembly and test flights were performed at Grumman's plant in Calvertonon Long Island, NY. Grumman facility at nearby Bethpage, NY was directly involved in F-14 manufacturing and was home to its engineers. The airframes were partially assembled in Bethpage and then shipped to Calverton for final assembly. Various tests were also performed at the Bethpage Plant. Over 160 of the U.S. aircraft were destroyed in accidents.
F-14A
The F-14A was the initial
two-seat all-weather interceptor fighter variant for the U.S. Navy. It first
flew on 21 December 1970. The first 12 F-14As were prototype
versions (sometimes called YF-14As). Modifications late in its service
life added precision strike munitions to its armament. The U.S. Navy received
478 F-14A aircraft and 79 were received by Iran. The final 102 F-14As were
delivered with improved TF30-P-414A engines. Additionally, an 80th F-14A was
manufactured for Iran, but was delivered to the U.S. Navy.
F-14B
The F-14 received its first
of many major upgrades in March 1987 with the F-14A Plus (or F-14A+). The
F-14A's P&W TF30 engine was replaced with the improved GE F110-400 engine. The F-14A+ also received the
state-of-the-art ALR-67 Radar Homing and Warning (RHAW) system. Much of the
avionics as well as the AWG-9 radar were retained. The F-14A+ was later
redesignated F-14B on 1 May 1991. A total of 38 new aircraft were manufactured
and 48 F-14A were upgraded into B variants.
The TF30 had been plagued
from the start with susceptibility to compressor
stalls at
high AoA and during rapid throttle transients or above 30,000 ft
(9,100 m). The F110 engine provided a significant increase in thrust,
producing 27,600 lbf (123 kN) with afterburner. The increased thrust
gave the Tomcat a better than 1:1 thrust-to-weight ratio at low fuel
quantities. The basic engine thrust without afterburner was powerful enough for
carrier launches, further increasing safety. Another benefit was allowing the
Tomcat to cruise comfortably above 30,000 ft (9,100 m), which
increased its range and survivability. The F-14B arrived in time to participate
in Desert Storm.
In the late 1990s, 67
F-14Bs were upgraded to extend airframe life and improve offensive and
defensive avionics systems. The modified aircraft became known as F-14B Upgrade or as
"Bombcat".
F-14D
The final variant of the
F-14 was the F-14D Super Tomcat. The F-14D variant was first delivered in 1991.
The original TF-30 engines were replaced with GE F110-400 engines, similar to
the F-14B. The F-14D also included newer digital avionics systems including
a glass
cockpit and
replaced the AWG-9 with the newer AN/APG-71 radar. Other systems included the
Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Distribution
System (JTIDS), SJU-17(V) Naval Aircrew Common Ejection Seats (NACES) and Infra-red search and track (IRST).
Although the F-14D was to
be the definitive version of the Tomcat, not all fleet units received the D
variant. In 1989, Secretary of Defense Dick
Cheney refused
to approve the purchase of any more F-14D model aircraft for $50 million
each and pushed for a $25 million modernization of the F-14 fleet instead.
Congress decided not to shut production down and funded 55 aircraft as part of
a compromise. A total of 37 new aircraft were completed, and 18 F-14A models
were upgraded to D-models, designated F-14D(R) for rebuild. An upgrade to the F-14D's computer
software to allow AIM-120 AMRAAM missile capability was planned but was later
terminated.
While upgrades had kept the
F-14 competitive with modern fighter aircraft technology, Cheney called the
F-14 1960s technology. Despite an appeal from the Secretary of the Navy for at
least 132 F-14Ds and some aggressive proposals from Grumman for a replacement, Cheney
planned to replace the F-14 with a fighter that was not manufactured by
Grumman. Cheney called the F-14 a "jobs program", and when the F-14
was canceled, an estimated 80,000 jobs of Grumman employees, subcontractors, or
support personnel were affected.Starting in 2005, some F-14Ds received
the ROVER III upgrade.
Projected variants
The first F-14B was to be an improved
version of the F-14A with more powerful "Advanced Technology
Engine" F401 turbofans. The F-14C was a projected variant of
this initial F-14B with advanced multi-mission avionics. Grumman also offered an interceptor
version of the F-14B in response to a U.S. Air Force proposal to replace
the Convair F-106 Delta Dart as an Aerospace Defense Commandinterceptor in the 1970s. The F-14B program
was terminated in April 1974.
Grumman proposed a few
improved Super Tomcat versions.
The first was the Quickstrike,
which was an F-14D with navigational and targeting pods, additional attach
points for weapons, and added ground attack capabilities to its radar. The
Quickstrike was to fill the role of the A-6 Intruder after it was retired. This was not
considered enough of an improvement by Congress, so the company shifted to
the Super Tomcat 21 proposed
design. The Super Tomcat 21 was a proposed lower cost alternative to the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter (NATF). The Grumman design would have
the same shape and body as the Tomcat, and an upgraded AN/APG-71 radar. New GE F110-129 engines were to
provide a supercruise speed of Mach 1.3 and featured thrust vectoring nozzles.
The version would have increased fuel capacity and modified control surfaces
for improved takeoffs and lower landing approach speed. The Attack Super Tomcat 21 version
was the last Super Tomcat proposed design. It added even more fuel capacity,
more improvements to control surfaces, and possibly an Active Electronically
Scanned Array (AESA)
radar from the canceled A-12attack aircraft.
The last "Tomcat"
variant was the ASF-14 (Advanced
Strike Fighter-14), Grumman's replacement for the NATF concept. By all
accounts, it would not be even remotely related to the previous Tomcats save in
appearance, incorporating the new technology and design know-how from the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) and Advanced
Tactical Aircraft (ATA)
programs. The ASF-14 would have been a new-build aircraft; however, its
projected capabilities were not that much better than that of the (A)ST-21
variants. In the end the Attack Super Tomcat was considered to be too
costly. The Navy decided to pursue the cheaper F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to fill
the fighter-attack role.