F-14 Tomcat
D
esigned to protect the US Nav y’s
aircraft-carrier operations at long
ranges against Soviet aircraft and
missiles, the Grumman Corporation-built
F-14 Tomcat has been
entrenched in military
histor y and public
consciousness for decades. Made
famous by its numerous high-profi le
operations – including missions in the
Vietnam, Gulf and Iraq wars – and
extensive usage in the Eighties classic fi lm
Top Gu n, the F-14 has been sy nony mous
with prestige, advanced technology and
dynamic, aggressive fl ight performance.
This reputation emanated from its
next-generation, multi-use design,
which allowed it to be utilised as both a
long-range naval interceptor and air
superiorit y fi ghter, making it capable of
fi ghting in any aerial engagement. Key to
this was the F-14’s variable geometry
wings, a sweeping system that could
modify the wing position between 20 and
68 degrees depending on the nature of the
operation. At high speeds, which the F-14
was capable of w ith great ease, the w ings
would be swept back, while when
undertaking long-haul patrol missions at
lower speeds, the w ings could f ully extend
out, ma ximising its lift-to-drag ratio and
improving fuel effi ciency.
While in fl ight, its power was supplied
by t wo Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofans, jet
engines each capable of delivering a
massive 27,800 pounds of thrust with
afterburners engaged. This gave the F-14 a
top speed of 1,544mph (2,484kph), over
twice the speed of sound, as well as a rapid
rate of climb of 229 metres (751ft) a second
and overall thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.91.
However, due to the F-14’s design brief as a
multi-role aircraft, the TF30s could not only
provide huge thrust but were also
designed to be fuel-effi cient when cruising
at low speeds to maximise fuel economy.
The Tomcat was also notable for its
adoption of numerous advanced electronic
systems to aid fl ight and navigation, as
demonstrated in its Central A ir Data
Computer (CADC) and Hughes AWG-9
X-band digital radar. The former utilised a
MOS-based LSI chipset, the MP944 – one of
the fi rst microprocessor designs – and
could control the primar y fl ight system,One of the most iconic fi ghter jets ever built, the F-14
Tomcat dominated modern warfare for decades,
delivering great performance across the
wide spectrum of aerial engagement
Avionics
In the nose, the Hughes AWG-9
X-band radar allowed the F-14 to
track up to 24 targets
simultaneously from as far away
as 120 miles (193km). Targets
could be locked onto from as far
out as 90 miles (14 4 k m) using
multiple tracking programs.Fuselage
The distinguishing feature of the F-14’s f uselage was its
large fl at area bet ween the engine nacelles, referred to as
the ‘pancake’. This area provided over half the F-14’s total
aerody namic lif ting surface and housed the f uel tanks,
fl ight controls and wing-sweep mechanisms.w ing sweep and fl aps automatically,
while the latter prov ided next-generation
search and tracking modes that could
monitor and lock onto targets hundreds
of miles away.
Once enemy targets had been
discovered, the F-14 was more than
capable of taking them dow n, fi tted to
counter every aspect of air combat.
Missiles included the formidable AIM-54
Phoenix, a long-range air-to-air missile
system, as well as both the AIM-9
Sidew inder and AIM-Sparrow III systems
to deal with short- and medium-range
targets. A ir-to-ground options were also
not in short supply (the F-14 was adopted
late on in its service period as a bomber)
with JDAM precision-guided munitions,
the Paveway series of laser-guided bombs
and the MK 80 and MK 20 series of iron
bombs capable of being fi tted to one of its
ten hardpoints. Finally, the F-14 was
installed w ith the ferocious M61 Vulcan
si x-barrelled gatling cannon, a system
capable of fi ring over 6,000 20mm rounds
every 60 seconds.Crew: Two
Length: 19.1m (62.6ft)
Wingspan: 19.55m (64ft)
Height: 4.88m (15.7ft)
Weight: 19.83m (65ft)
Powerplant:
Two x General Electric F110-
GE-400 afterburning turbofans
Max thrust: 13,810lbf
Max speed:
Mach 2.34
(1,544mph/2,484kph)
Combat radius: 575mi/ 925km
Max altitude:
15,200m (49,868ft)
Armament: One x 20mm
M61 Vulcan gatling cannon
Hardpoints: 10 (six under
fuselage, two under nacelles, two
on wing gloves)
Missiles: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7
Sparrow, AIM-9 Sidewinder
Bombs: JDAM, Pavewave, Mk 80,
Mk 20 Rockeye II
Cost: $38 millionF-14 Tomcat
The statistics...
MILITARY
Wings could be
fully extended for
long-haul missions