F-14 Tomcat

F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic fighter swing wing, which held power and double seater. F-14 is the primary air superiority fighter of the United States Navy from 1972 to 2006. This aircraft also has a ground-attack capability after a system equipped with LANTIRN. The aircraft began to be developed after the failure of F-111B project, and is a fighter-4 first generation United States, which is designed based on experience with aircraft battled Soviet-made MiGs in Vietnam War.

It entered the U.S. Navy in 1972, replacing the F-4 Phantom II. This aircraft could also be exported to Iran in 1976. On September 22, 2006, this aircraft was retired and replaced by the official F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

History

F-14 Tomcat program began when the development of the F-111B, U.S. Navy variant of the Tactical Fighter Experimental program (TFX), is considered to be unsatisfactory, because it was too heavy and less agile. U.S. Navy needed a fleet defense fighter (water fleet defense fighter, FADF) that its main role was to intercept Soviet bombers before they could launch missiles toward Sea fleet, in addition to U.S. Navy also wants a plane that has good air superiority capabilities.

In May 1968, the United States Congress to stop funding for the F-111B programs, making the U.S. Navy could develop a new aircraft that meets their needs. U.S. Navy and then launch a tender for new aircraft development. Of the five companies that provide proposals (four of them offer the airplane with folding wings like the F-111), McDonnell Douglas and Grumman was selected as a finalist in December 1968, and finally Grumman won the contract in January 1969. Before this time, Grumman was a partner in the development of the F-111B, and they've started to think about and design a new aircraft when it felt that the F-111B program will fail. The initial design and cost estimates had previously been distributed to Navy officials as an alternative to the F-111B. F-14 first flew on December 21, 1970, just 22 months after the Grumman won this contract.

Variant

712 F-14 was produced between 1969 until 1991 at the Grumman plant in Calverton, Long Island.

* YF-14A: Prototype and preproduction version. 12 pieces.
* F-14A: First production version, double-seat interceptor for the U.S. Navy. Modifications in the final moments of adding ground-attack capability. 545 pieces were sent to the U.S. Navy, and 79 units to Iran. 102 F-14A TF30 engine-last using P-414A newer. In addition, the F-14A-80 to be produced for Iran, but eventually used the U.S..
* F-14A + or F-14B Plus: Updates from the F-14A with the GE F110-400 engine. Produced 38 new aircraft, and 48 Fruit F-14A is updated to the B insisted. In the late 1990s, 67 F-14B fuselage updated with new and advanced avionics equipment. Modification of aircraft is named F-14B Upgrade. [6]
* F-14D Tomcat Super: last variant of the F-14. Engine TF-30 was replaced with GE F110-400, like the F-14B. F-14D also added the latest digital avionics equipment including the Glass Cockpit, and APG-71 radar replaces the AWG-9. Produced 37 new aircraft, and 18 F-14A updated to version D.

Specifications (F-14D Super Tomcat)

General characteristics:

* Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
* Length: 61 ft 9 in (18.6 m)
* Width of wing:
* Spread: 64 ft (19 m)
* Swept: swept 38 ft (11.4 m)
* Height: 16 ft. (4.8 m)
* Wing area: 565 ft ² (54.5 m²)
* Airfoil: NACA 64A209.65 root mod, mod 64A208.91 tip
* Weight empty: 42.000 lb (19.000 kg)
* Weight filled: 61.000 lb (28.000 kg)
* Maximum takeoff weight: 72.900 lb (32.800 kg)
* Engines: 2 × General Electric-GE F110-400 afterburning turbofans
o Encouragement dry: 13.810 lbf (72 kN) each
o Encouragement with afterburner: 27.800 lbf (126 kN) each

Performance:

* Maximum speed: Mach 2:34 (1.544 mph, 2.485 km / h) at high altitude
* Combat radius: 500 nm (576 mi, 927 km)
* Distance Ferry range: 1.600 nm (1.800 mi, 3.000 km)
* Rate of climb:> 45.000 ft. / min (230 m / s)
* Expenses wings: 113.4 lb / ft ² (553.9 kg / m²)
* Encouragement / weight: 0.91

Weaponry:
13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of ordnance including:

* Guns: 1× M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling Gun
* Missiles: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air
* Loading configurations:
o 2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-54
o 2× AIM-9 + 2× AIM-54 + 4× AIM-7
o 2× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54 + 2× AIM-7
o 2× AIM-9 + 6× AIM-7
o 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-54
o 4× AIM-9 + 4× AIM-7
* Bombs: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-24, GBU-24E Paveway I/II/III LGB, GBU-31, GBU-38 JDAM, Mk-20 Rockeye II, Mk-82, Mk-83 and Mk-84 series iron bombs