The F-14 was conceived during the peak of the Cold War primarily as an interceptor to protect the fleet against Soviet bombers carrying huge, long-range antiship missiles. Flying at speeds more than twice the speed of sound, Tomcats were to shoot down enemy bombers as far away as possible, before they could launch their antiship missiles, using the long-range Phoenix air-to-air missile. Lessons from the Vietnam War also required the F-14 to be able to engage enemy fighters in short-range dogfights, so the designers gave the aircraft computer-controlled variable-geometry (or swing) wings that reconfigure in flight. The wings would sweep forward for maximum lift and low-speed agility, and sweep back for reduced drag at high speed.
An F-14D making a near-supersonic fly-by above USS Theodore Roosevelt on July 28, 2006
(U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class Nathan Laird)
The 1986 movie Top Gun turned the Tomcat into a movie star, making it one of the most recognizable military aircraft of the twentieth century. My favorite movie featuring the Tomcat, though, was the 1980 The Final Countdown, when two very modern (at the time) Tomcats shot down two (very ancient) Japanese Zero fighters. The F-14 was also the inspiration for the VF-1 Valkyrie variable (or Veritech) fighter in the anime Super Dimension Fortress Macross (Robotech).
The US Navy upgraded and modified the F-14 after the end of the Cold War to carry smart laser- and satellite-guided bombs to attack ground targets, transforming the Tomcat into a true multirole strike fighter. In its ultimate guise, the F-14D featured a new glass cockpit, new engines, a new radar and many other improvements that put it head to head with contemporary fighters.
Even with the upgrades the Tomcat was becoming more and more expensive to operate and maintain, so the US Navy decided to retire the fighter. The F-14 Tomcat was officially retired on September 22, 2006 in a ceremony at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. It is replaced in US Navy service by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
__________
QUICKIE: The only other operator of the F-14 is Iran. The Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) took delivery of 79 Tomcats before the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) continues to operate the Tomcat till today – a testimony of Iranian resourcefulness and ingenuity.
We're Gonna Miss You! Perhaps an overdose of 'Top Gun' is required....
ReplyDelete