F-14 Tomcat

[Matt Wiser]

Here's some what-ifs involving the greatest fleet defender of all: the F-14

USAF: Two NORAD CINCs in the 1970s reccommended that the AF adopt the Tomcat as the F-101/F-106 replacement in AF fighter-interceptor squadrons. Only change was to be a boom receptacle instead of probe for air refueling.

USMC: Four USMC squadrons were supposed to adopt the F-14 to provide air superiority fighters for the Corps; two are known: VMFA-122 and VMFA-531. Both sent their F-4s to other units and started ground training on the Tomcat when USMC Tomcat program axed by the Commandant in 1975. There were some very, very, angry Marines in the Miramar O-Club that night, and USN guys there say it's a miracle the club was still standing the next morning.

USN: F-14D program cancelled by SECDEF Cheney in '91, only 67 built out of 400 planned. Pick your favorite A/B squadron and put them in Ds. Also, Grumman proposed a Tomcat-21 as an alternative to the F/A-18E/F.

Canada: Evaled the Tomcat in the mid 1970s as F-101 replacement: too expensive and got Hornets.

Japan: Evaled along with F-15 to replace the F-4EJ in interceptor squadrons. Eagle won not only on cost, but McAir agreed to a license build arrangement (Grumman didn't).

Israel: Felt by IAF to be "too complicated" for the Israeli AF's AO after a eval.

Iran: 70 more on order to augment the 79 delivered 1976-78, but cancelled due to Shah being kicked out of the country in '79.

Saudi Arabia: Considered along with F-15 to replace Lightning. McAir won with the Eagle, did consider augmenting the F-15s with Tomcats after Iranian Revolution, but rejected the idea and got Tornado Fs. Would have been better off with the F-14 instead of Tornado F.

Australia: Evaled along with F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 as Mirage replacement. Hornet won.

UK: RAF and RN were both potential Tomcat operators. RAF considered F-14s as an alternative to Tornado Fs, along with F-15s. Tomcat met the weapons and range requirement, but was too expensive. Eagles met the cost, but not the other requirements. RN was a potential operator had CVA-01 program gone ahead. Likely two squadrons plus a training unit.

[Chris707]

The obligatory what-if sketch ;-)




Chris
---------------------------------------
http://www.dataviewbooks.com

[Scooterman]

After mentioning this yesterday I started thinking (which I'm sure is dangerous for all of us but....)  what would a USAF F-14 look like if TAC/ADC bought them to replace the F-106.  I've seen the F-14 IAI version but that giant belly tank is just too gross but I do like the 4 drop tank config.  But that leads to a problem....

If I mount the extra two bags under the gloves where do I put the AIM-7s?  Gotta have two AIM-54 and their pallets so that kills three belly Sparrow recesses leaving the aft most spot.  So one AIM-7, two Buffalo and two AIM-9?  Maybe modify the aft two Pheonix pallets to take Sparrow?  Four AIM-54 and just two 'winders?

Also, what about some sort of IR equipment?  Was leaning towards the standard Tomcat undernose fairing, but since the IFR probe was removed (and replaced by a USAF type boom receptical on the spine aft of the canopy) maybe use the retractible IR unit taken from late model F-106s.  I understand it was a better passive unit than the F-14s IR unit.

Of course the USAF wouldn't want the junk TF30 motors so the orginal F-14B/F401 project was proceded with.

ADC grey or non-Mod Eagle F-15 greys?  I'm thinking late 70's early 80's time frame.  F-106s stayed ADC grey to the end and even the first Eagles were that color.

BTW-anybody got two spare Tomcat tanks?

Suggestions boys?  And thanks!

The Scooterman

[Geoff_B]

Hi Scoot

I have seen some of the earlier F-14 Grumman concepts that were both fixed wing or even singled fin. As for the armament how about wing pylons as per the Tornado and F-111 to mount Winders & Sparrows. Don't forget as a land based aircraft you can make use of a longer Undercarriage possibly twin wheeled that should increase ground clearance to allow Phoenix to be mounted under the engine intakes.

Just a few ideas off the top of my head.

Cheers

Thor B)  

[Matt Wiser]

As I recall in the WAPJ book on the F-14, the IMI proposal included conformal fuel tanks underfuselage, with the Phoenix mounted under the tanks (similiar to what is now on the F-15E with pylons on CFTs). However, Grumann also did offer the baseline F-14 to the AF as a cheaper alternate to the IMI proposal, and this version is what two NORAD CINCs urged the AF in 1975 and in 1977 to purchase. Someone on rec.models.scale a year or two ago told me that he'd done three AF F-14s: one for the 318th FIS (McChord AFB, WA, near Seattle-Tacoma), one for the 5th FIS (Minot AFB, ND) and the 178th FIG (NDANG) at Fargo MAP, ND. He also mentioned that he gave the 318th FIS bird the ASM-135 ASAT missile (several F-15s at McChord and Langley AFBs were to carry this weapon and were wired for it before it was axed).  Usual load he gave the AF Tomcats from 5th and 178th was 4 AIM-54s fuselage, and two each AIM-7 and AIM-9 on the wing pylons, with the two belly tanks. Another mod would have been to give the F-14 a boom receptacle for air refueling instead of the probe (which the IIAF eventually wanted to have their Tomcats equipped for).

[Jschmus]

Consider this: the AF might've bought the F-14 sans Phoenix.

There might still be a way to rig the centerline CFT to accept pylons for mounting the Sparrow (then again, there might not).  Maybe the pylons under the intakes (that in Navy F-14s carry the fuel) could be rigged for missile carriage.  There's always the glove pylons.

[viper29_ca]

I know a normal load out for a Bombcat these days are a pair of sidewinders, a LANTIRN pod on one wingglove and a Phoenix or Sparrow on the other, usually a Phoenix, a pair of LGBs on the front pallets, and a Sparrow behind. With the Sidewinder, Sparrow, Phoenix load out....it still gives the Tomcat a good long and medium range A2A capability when its running some mud moving missions.

So tanks on the on the wingglove pylons, a pair of Phoenix up front and a sparrow in behind wouldn't be out of the question.

Here is a good pic with the belly mounted Sparrows.....don't know if you could get 2 Sparrows on the belly with the front 2 pallets installed or not.

Sparrow Belly

Actually one of the better pages about the F-14 lots of info and pics.
F-14

Here is another good page for lots of F-14 pics
Tomcat Alley

[elmayerle]

how about a belly CFT that essentially fairs in between enlarged Phoenix pallets with the AIM-54's below it?  This would leave the under-nacelle hardpoints for other uses as well as the glove pylons.  I think you'd more likely see a TF41 variant powering these than a resurrected F401 (it had all the F100's problems plus a few of it's own).  Allison/RR demonstrated an afterburning TF41 in 1967 that gave 26,000 lb. of static thrust in full burner; that should've been sufficient.    

[uk 75]

USAF F14s were a distinct possibility if the Vietnam War had not eaten up the Budget.  It would have taken over from the F106 Delta Dart and the F102 Delta Dagger.  There are large numbers of schemes on these aircraft in the 60s/70s to choose from.

From the modellers point of view the early sixties all metal with planty of markings schemes would look great on the F14.  Missiles are also a fun possibility. If you have access to a good spares box try some of the various Falcon missile variants- right up to the Phoenix sized version carried on the SR 71 fighter version (A11?).
There were also some cool Sidweinder replacement kicking around which were never built (agile? seek something or other).

You could also go for a Canadian version with full all metal finish, RCAF colorful markings, plus Falcon and Genie (nuclear of course) warload. The F14 has so many pylons that you can hang a bit of everything on.

Of course if Camo is your thing, you can go to the other extreme and give the F14 all up South East Asia colours plus teeth and combat kill markings.  Just the thing for the closing days of the Vietnam War over Hanoi.

Tomcats were just coming in when I left school and they were way coool...

UK75

[elmayerle]

The AF sure missed out on a great airplane. NORAD wanted it, but the AF leadership wouldn't go along. I'd imagine McAir also had something to say to the Missouri Congressional delegation.

I'd imagine it would also depend on when the proposal was made.  If it was made before the F110-powered F-14 was developed, the problems that the Navy had with the TF30-powered variant would be enough to cause second and third thoughts.  And I know the party, now-deceased, who can be "thanked" for the demise of the F401 without developing a replacement engine until it became blindingly obvious that one was needed.  Besides, there were Congresscritters, like the party I just mentioned, who wanted to kill the F-14, anyway.

[Matt Wiser]

The two NORAD CINCs who made the proposal did so first in 1975, and then the second one in 1978. Neither proposed the IMI version: they wanted something fast, and with a AF recepticle for in-flight refueling, AF compatible radios,etc. Only minor mods that could be done right on the assembly line in Calverton. They would have had the TF-30 engine, though.

[Joe C-P]

Were there any other countries interested? Only Iran received them, but did other nations consider the F-14?

What other countries _might_ have considered it, or one of the variants?
Japan, Canada, Norway all faced long-range Soviet bombers coming over the ocean just like US carrier groups, so they might consider a plane designed for defense against such aircraft.
Australia might have better used a long range fighter with bombing capability instead of the fighter-in-name-only FB-111.

[elmayerle]

I wonder...if there'd been more foreign procurement of the F-14 and, hence, more pressure to develop a replacement engine or engines, might, as I've mentioned before, the afterburning TF41 have been chosen for the initial role, there?  I can see some interesting possibiliites there, too.

[Matt Wiser]

Four USMC squadrons were to have operated the F-14: two are known-VMFA-122 and VMFA-531 actually stood down as F-4 units and started transition in 1975 to the F-14. Commandant of the Marine Corps cancelled the USMC F-14 program to free up funds for what became the AV-8B program. Story has it that a LOT of USMC pilots and NFOs cussed out the Commandant at the Miramar O-Club when the decision was made....
Saudis did consider F-14s, but McAir offered a good deal with the F-15, and Riyadh went for it.
Australia was also approached by Grumman, but the Tomcat was too expensive.

[Davey B]

I've been thinking of a cut-price Grumman/BAC Tomcat for a while, before I was distracted by the Mirage 4000. Idea was that Grumman proposed a cheaper 'export' f-14 to compete with the F-15 in international sales. BAC approached Grumman over this with a view to replace the Arrow/FD3 in RAF service and the Phantom/Sea Lightning with the RN. Alterations were Brit engines, APG-63 radar (Sparrow/Skyflash only) and two Adens instead of a Vulcan cannon. Also used tailerons instead of tail/spoiler combination (don't know if it'd make a difference to BLC ability, but I prefer using the tail for roll control)

This cheap Tomcat was also snapped up by Japan, but Saudi and Israel both took the Eagle.

Dave  B)