Perhaps the largest potential order for the Tomcat (other than the Navy) was from the US Air Force. The Air Force instituted a series of studies (Advanced Manned Interceptor, CONUS Interceptor, etc.) during 1971-72 for a new interceptor and had considered a wide variety of possibilities, including a modified Lockheed YF-12A, an improved General Dynamics F-106, the McDonnell Douglas F-15 and the Grumman F-14. The YF-12 and F-106 were dropped from consideration in late-1971, and the F-14 was generally rated at par or slightly superior than the F-15 in the interceptor role. The studies later included a stretched, F100 powered F-111, designated F-111X-7, and a modified North American RA-5C powered by three J79s and designated NR-349. […]
In early 1989, Grumman proposed an upgraded F-14D to the Navy as an alternative to buying the Navy Advanced Tactical Fighter. This program is generally thought of as the Tomcat 21 project, especially after Aviation Week ran a series of articles on that aircraft. However, in reality Tomcat- 21 referred to just one of three proposals for an Advanced Tomcat. In order from the least expensive and quickest upgrade to the most sophisticated, the proposals were called QuickStrike, Tomcat 21, and ASF-14. […]
In August 1984, the Navy awarded Grumman a $984 million fixed-price contract for improved versions of the F-14 and A-6. The new Tomcat would be known as the F-14D or Supertomcat.
The F-14D designation had originally been unofficially 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, and since the designation was never officially used, it was available for the next production version. […]
The F-14B Tomcat was developed version of the F-14A, with the primary difference being that advanced turbofan engines would be used. These engines would overcome the one significant shortcoming of the basic F-14A. that of being slightly overweight and thus somewhat underpowered. It was anticipated that essentially the same avionics suite used in the F-14A would be employed in the F-14B and the seventh development F-14A served as a testbed for the F401 engines originally intended for the F-14B. The new engine had been expected to be available for installation in the 68th aircraft. It was anticipated that the F-14B would have a 40 percent better turning radius, 21 percent better sustained g-capability, and an 80 percent greater radius of action. […]
Between 1976 and 1978 the Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) took delivery of 79 F-14As from Grumman. These aircraft retained the AN/AWG-9 radar and Phoenix missile capability, but differed in other electronic systems, primarily in having some ECM systems deleted. The aircraft retained their in-flight refueling capability, and the IIAF uses modified Boeing 707 airliners, with a probe-and-drogue system on each wingtip, as tankers. The last of the 80 aircraft Iranian order was retained at Grumman/Calverton for various test programs, and was never delivered to the IIAF. The aircraft was later sent to the storage area at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and was subsequently refurbished and delivered to the Pacific Missile Test Center (PMTC) at Point Mugu, California. […]
A total of 19 aircraft were assigned to the F-14A flight test program, with each assigned a unique set of flight trials. The first aircraft had been intended for envelope expansion flights and high-speed testing. Since it was necessary to conduct these tests early in the program, the uncompleted twelfth airframe (BuNo 157991) was completed in record time, renumbered “1X” and assigned the tasks originally scheduled for the ill-fated first aircraft. […]
The second flight, on 30th December, did not fare as well. Early in the flight a chase plane observed smoke or fluid trailing the aircraft. As the chase plane came in for a closer look, Miller reported that the primary hydraulic system had failed. The aircraft turned to head home, and four miles from the Calverton runway the emergency nitrogen bottle was used to blow down the landing gear. At the same time the secondary hydraulic system failed, and the aircraft automatically switched to the emergency system. This is a minimal hydraulic system driven by an electric pump and designed to power the rudders and stabilators only. A mile or two later this system also failed, and the aircraft pitched into a dive, crashing a mile from the end of the runway. Both Smythe and Miller ejected successfully, and sustained only minor injuries, although the aircraft was totally destroyed. […]
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a two-seat carrier-based multi-role fighter that incorporated a number of advanced design features including a variable-geometry wing, an advanced fire control system, and excellent performance for its primary role of fleet air defense and adequate for its secondary air-to-ground mission. Its primary construction materials are aluminum and titanium, with limited use of boron composites and steel. […]
The F-15 MTD – STOL (Maneuver Technology Demonstrator / Short Takeoff and Landing) is a version of F-15E Strike Eagle developed for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). It was first flown on September 7, 1988. This aircraft would later be used in the Intelligent Flight Control System programs from 1999 to 2008.
The aircraft is highly modified and is not representative of production F-15 aircraft. It was selected to serve as the research testbed for the S/MTD program because of the flexibility of its unique flight and propulsion control system. […]
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II (nicknamed Warthog) is an American single-seat aircraft. It is a one of the best ground-attack aircraft on the world. The A-10 was designed for a USAF requirement to provide close air support for ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and all other ground targets.
The A-10 has superior maneuverability at low speeds and altitude because of its large wing area, high wing aspect ratio, and large ailerons. It is powered by two General Electric […]