Grumman F-14 Tomcat Carrier Borne Air Defence / Air Superiority Fighter (1974)
The mighty F-14 Tomcat is now officially retired from active service with the USN.
The F-14 Tomcat was designed from the ill-fated attempt for an F-111 Aardvark with carrier capabilities. The idea behind the system was a joint collaboration effort between General Dynamics and Grumman to produce a fleet defense fighter, and that collaboration produced the G-303 model as a private venture. The F-14 Tomcat utilized a variable geometry swing-wing design that would allow for added drag during take-off and landing on the carrier, but provide for a slimmed down delta-wing approach when reaching supersonic speeds in excess of Mach 2. The system would also utilize a high-power long range targeting radar (the rear cockpit position was devised for just the radar operator) and be built around the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile - also known as the "million dollar missile" due to its hefty price tag. By the time the system debuted, it was the first swing-wing fighter to conduct full operational service flights from a moving carrier platform.
The F-14 went on to maintain a stellar service record, recording kills in several early engagements, particularly against outdated and outclassed Libyan (Soviet) jets. These early successes proved the value of such a powerful system and the F-14 series would remain in service for decades. No fewer than 79 were exported to Iran before the fall of the Shah, though the operational condition of these fighters is unknown.
Not to be outdone by its contemporaries, the F-14 was later outfitted and trialed for air-to-ground strike operations with equal success. Utilizing an array of laser-guided munitions and conventional iron bombs, the system performed against targets in the 1995 conflict in the skies over Bosnia. These particular Tomcats were later assigned the comical nickname of "Bombcats" to identify their new role.
As time would have it, the successful performance of the newer F/A-18 Hornet and F-18 Super Hornet series would spell the end of the Tomcat series and, in 2006, were officially labeled as "retired" by the United States Navy. A classic warbird in its own time, the F-14 Tomcat will forever be revered as one of the best aircraft designs of the last century, adored by pilot, RIO and warbird fan alike. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Carrier Borne Air Defence / Air Superiority Fighter
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Grumman - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1974
Production: 712
Focus Model: Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Crew: 2
Length: 62.66ft (19.1m)
Width: 64.14ft (19.55m)
Height: 16.01ft (4.88m)
Weight (Empty): 39,763lbs (18,036kg)
Weight (MTOW): 70,427lbs (31,945kg)
Powerplant: 2 x Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-412A turbofan engines with afterburn generating 20,900lbs of thrust.
Maximum Speed: 1,545mph (2,486kmh; 1,342kts)
Maximum Range: 450miles (725km)
Service Ceiling: 60,007ft (18,290m; 11.4miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 30,000 feet per minute (9,144m/min)
Hardpoints: 10
Armament Suite:
STANDARD:
1 x GE M61A1 Vulcan 20 mm internal cannon
OPTIONAL:
Mission-specific ordnance can include any of the following:
AIM-54 Phoenix long-ranged air-to-air missiles
AIM-7 Sparrow medium-ranged air-to-air missiles
AIM-9 Sidewinder short-ranged air-to-air missiles
Ability to carry conventional and laser guided bombs ("Bombcat"). Can self-designate LGBs when fitted with a LANTIRN pod.
GBU-10 laser guided bomb
GBU-12 laser guided bomb
GBU-16 laser guided bomb
GBU-24/GBU-24E laser guided bomb(s)
GBU-31 laser guided bomb
GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)
Mk-20 Rockeye II general purpose bomb
Mk-82/-83/-84 general purpose bomb(s)
Paveway I/II/III laser-guided bomb(s)
Variants:
G-303 - Developmental Model Series Designation
YF-14A - Preproduction Model Series Designation; 12 produced.
F-14A - Initial Production Model
F-14A/TARPS - Reconnaissance Model Designation fitted with ventral equipment pod.
F-14B
F-14D - Fitted with General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofan engines.
Operators: Iran; United States (retired)
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
