Tribute to the f-14 tomcat

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

The true tribute to the Tomcat...

[2ndclasscitizen]

What is it?

[IBrake4Rainbows]

The Rover 400 Coupe, In other words.

Typical British Industry Thing - The US Come up with a mega aircraft, the British Modify a Honda Civic

[Birdman]

Guys, your all over the place.

1) Tomcats are being retired on both cost and airframe life. Parts are hard to come by and many of these airframes are a minimum of 17 years old.

2) They were to originally be replaces with single seater F/A-18E but the pilots liked the divided jobs of a two seater.

3) The AIM-54 Phoenix has a range of 150+Km, travels at up to mach 5, has a lock on jam capability of 20 km and cost half a million per missile. The Tomcat has the capabillity to launch 6 missiles at once. Under testing this netted 4/6 which is reasonable. The Phoenix can also, in latest versions, be fired against cruise missiles.

4) f-14a suck
f-14A+(B) are good
F-14D rock

5) The f-16 is a good aircraft but a Mig-29 can out manuver it. The F-16 has fly-by-wire, the mig-29,like the Tomcat, doesn't have any fly-by-wire system( unless we're talking 29M).

[aNOBLEman]

5) The f-16 is a good aircraft but a Mig-29 can out manuver it. The F-16 has fly-by-wire, the mig-29,like the Tomcat, doesn't have any fly-by-wire system( unless we're talking 29M).

The very first F-16s didn't have fly-by-wire if I remember correctly. They hardly had anything in them at first, but over the years the air force added more and more stuff to it.

[NSXType-R]

The F-18 Superhornet is a two seater right?

[NSXType-R]

Izzat so!?

Last I check the F-35 is a completely different airframe than the F-22. 1 vs 2 engines, and a whole different body. I don't think that it's possible to mod the Raptor into the JSF.

Edit: Here are two threads from right here in UCP
F-22. http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...ht=F-22+Raptor
F-35 http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum...light=F-35+JSF

You're completely correct. The JSF was created because they realized that the F-22 was WAY too expensive to mass produce and supply to the entire Armed Forces of the US. Therefore, the JSF was made, and is a semi-cheaper and updated multiuse aircraft that is probably similar to the F-15. The F-22's role is air superiority and to blow away the defenses. The F-35 is to finish off the enemy. Although not every version of the F-35 has VSTOL like the Harrier, the Marines have the version of the F-35 with VSTOL.

[cmcpokey]

The F-18 Superhornet is a two seater right?

F-18E is single seater
F-18F is 2 seater

I'll add my bit on this. Being the token Navy guy here.

The F-18 is a good plane. it was the premier air superiority fighter jet for 25 years, but it is old. It needs replacing, not just by being outmoded, which it is, but because the airframes are getting to be worked just a bit too hard. they were built for one purpose, to launch the Phoenix missile, and since that missile has long since been bested by aircraft around the world, it serves less purpose. the switch to the JSF will be slow, but necessary. The Superhornet is taking on every role in the fixed wing navy, with the exception of the E-2C and the C-2. The F-18G will be replacing the EA-6B in the next 5 years. This relience on one type of airframe means that if one major fault is found, it could potentially down the entire fleet of fighter jets. not a good thing. but there will be changes, and like everything, there will be resistance. My commanding officer is a F-14 pilot, and he is extremely sad to see them go. He wont even learn to fly an 18. As a Surface Warfare guy, I could give a rat's ass about any of em, as they are just more targets for me to shoot down.

Some one mentioned the F-15 as being a superior plane... until it can hit a 400 foot runway that is pitching and rolling in the middle of the ocean, it CAN NEVER be as good of a plane.

[KonaGreen]

CMC as in Command Master Chief??
(You gotta correct your first sentence before everyone gets confused. It should say "The F-14..." not-18)

Anyway. I do agree on the issues of reliance on airframe for a whole bunch of roles. While it is good for commonality, I agree with the "one bug could ground them all" Also, just how are they going to make a "queer" hornet? The EA-6B has 4 men in it. 1 pilot, and 3 EWO guys. Are they going to stuff the -18 frame full of gear, and possibly shorten it's legs even more? I mean, I know that improved and shrunk everything in the EA-6B probably a million times over, and the the EF-111 Raven only has two men, but I just don't see how well this is going to work... Ah well have fun with the inbound targets!!!

[quattro_20v]

Some one mentioned the F-15 as being a superior plane... until it can hit a 400 foot runway that is pitching and rolling in the middle of the ocean, it CAN NEVER be as good of a plane.

You know examples of F15s shot down? I dont...

Check out the israeli airforce, they have used F15s a lot.

And yes it's not made to land onto aircraft carriers so it cant.

[CdocZ]

The Israeli Air Force once participated in a war-game that included America and Turkey. Turkey lost every fighter in its force practically. The vast majority were killed by a quick Israeli first strike, before American fighters had time to get to the scene of the fight. In the end, America lost less then 36 fighters, but still lost way more then they would be happy about in an entire war (To Israel). Israel lost less then 5

I don't like the concept of the JSF. I know it is very possible to do, to make something that can take on multiple roles....especially with todays technology. But I don't like the idea of one fighter being our primary everything. Sure, to equip a military as big as the one the United Stats has, you need SOME things that can take on multiple roles. But I do not believe a single type of fighter should take on that much...

[aNOBLEman]

The Israeli Air Force once participated in a war-game that included America and Turkey. Turkey lost every fighter in its force practically. The vast majority were killed by a quick Israeli first strike, before American fighters had time to get to the scene of the fight. In the end, America lost less then 36 fighters, but still lost way more then they would be happy about in an entire war (To Israel). Israel lost less then 5

I don't like the concept of the JSF. I know it is very possible to do, to make something that can take on multiple roles....especially with todays technology. But I don't like the idea of one fighter being our primary everything. Sure, to equip a military as big as the one the United Stats has, you need SOME things that can take on multiple roles. But I do not believe a single type of fighter should take on that much...

And when one plane has to do many different things it could become a jack of all trades, master of none.

[NSXType-R]

That's why we have the Raptor for the air superiority and the JSF for the everyday roles.

[aNOBLEman]

That's why we have the Raptor for the air superiority and the JSF for the everyday roles.

What do you classify as "everyday" roles?

[Birdman]

As a Surface Warfare guy, I could give a rat's ass about any of em, as they are just more targets for me to shoot down.

Isn't that friendly fire?

IIRC the -18G is meant to be loaded with jammers set to the expected radars in the area. To go with this will be a reactive jammer system to respond to unknown threats.