Description:
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin engine,
variable sweep wing, two-place strike fighter. The Tomcat's primary missions
are air superiority, fleet air defense and precision strike against ground targets.
Background:
The F-14 entered the fleet in 1973, replacing the F-4 Phantom
II. The F-14B, introduced in November 1987, incorporated new General Electric
F-110 engines. In 1995, an upgrade program was initiated to incorporate new
digital avionics and weapon system improvements to strengthen its multi-mission
competitive edge. The F-14D, delivered in 1990, was a major upgrade with F-110
engines, new APG-71 radar system, Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint
Tactical Indicator Distribution System (JTIDS) and Infrared Search an Track (IRST). Additionally, all F-14 variants were given precision strike capability
using the LANTIRN targeting system, night vision compatibility, new defensive
countermeasures systems and a new digital flight control system.
Boasting up to six AIM-54C Phoenix AAMs, the F-14A is
capable of destroying six separate targets at ranges in excess of 100 miles.
After problems with the initial TF30 engine, Grumman produced a Tomcat powered
by a pair of GE-400 turbofans. The aircraft became the prototype for the F-14A+,
or later the production F-14B. A vastly improved model, the F-14D Super
Tomcat of which 37 were built, first took to the air on February 9, 1980 and
includes enhanced radar and cockpit, a dual IRST/TV under-nose pod, and increased
AAM capability. Tomcats are now being equipped for night-attack bombing duty with the use of
LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pods.
Placed on an external point beneath the right wing, the LANTIRN pod will allow
the F-14 to drop laser-guided bombs under the cover of darkness.
The wings are shoulder-mounted and are programmed for automatic sweep during
flight, with a manual override provided. The twin, swept fin-and-rudder vertical
surfaces are mounted on the engine housings and canted outward. The wing pivot
carry- through structure crosses the central structure; the carry through is 22
ft (6.7 m) long and constructed from 33 electron welded parts machined from
titanium; the pivots are located outboard of the engines. Normal sweep range is
20 to 68 deg with a 75-deg "oversweep" position provided for shipboard
hangar stowage; sweep speed is 7.5 deg per second.
For roll control below 57 deg, the F-14 uses spoilers located along the upper
wing near the trailing edge in conjunction with its all-moving, swept tailplanes,
which are operated differentially; above 57-deg sweep, the tailplanes operate
alone. For unswept, low-speed combat maneuvering, the outer 2 sections of
trailing edge flaps can be deployed at 10 deg and the nearly full-span
leading-edge slats are drooped to 8.5 deg. At speeds above Mach 1.0, glove vanes
in the leading edge of the fixed portion of the wing extend to move the
aerodynamic center forward and reduce loads on the tailplane.
The sharply raked, 2-dimensional 4-shock engine intakes have 2 variable-angle ramps, a
bypass door in the intake roof, and a fixed ramp forward; exhaust nozzles are mechanically
variable. Viewed from ahead, the top of the intakes are tilted toward the aircraft
centerline; from above, the engines are canted outward slightly to reduce interference
between intake airflow and the fuselage boundary layer. The engines exhaust through
mechanically variable, convergent-divergent nozzles.
The AWG-9 is a pulse-Doppler, multi-mode radar with a designed capability to track 24
targets at the same time while simultaneously devising and executing fire control
solutions for 6 targets. The cockpit is fitted with a Kaiser AN/AVG-12 Head-Up Display
(HUD) co-located with an AN/AVA-12 vertical situation display and a horizontal situation
display. A chin mounted Northrop AN/AXX-1 Television Camera Set (TCS) is used for visual
target identification at long ranges. Electronic Support Measures (ESM) equipment include
the Litton AN/ALR-45 radar warning and control system, the Magnavox AN/ALR-50 radar
warning receiver, Tracor AN/ALE-29/-39 chaff/flare dispensers (fitted in the rear fuselage
between the fins), and Sanders AN/ALQ-100 deception jamming pod.
The F-14 has visual and all-weather attack capability to
deliver Phoenix and Sparrow missiles as well as the M-61 gun and Sidewinder missiles for close in air-to-air combat. The F-14 also has
the LANTIRN targeting system that allows delivery of various laser-guided bombs
for precision strikes in air-to-ground combat missions. The F-14, equipped with
Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) is the Navy's only manned tactical
reconnaissance platform.
The Tomcat has an internal 20-mm Vulcan Gattling-type gun fitted on the left side, and
can carry Phoenix, Sparrow, and Sidewinder AAMs. Up to 6 Phoenix missiles can be carried
on 4 fuselage stations between the engines and on 2 pylons fitted on the fixed portion of
the wing; 2 Sidewinder AAM can be carried on the wing pylons above the Phoenix mount.
Although the F-14 was tested with conventional "iron" bombs on its external
hard points in the 1960s, the BRU-10 ejection racks were not strong enough to provide a
clean separation. Tests in 1988-1990 showed that BRU-32 racks could drop Mk 80-series
bombs safely. Later tests would qualify the AGM-88 HARM and the AGM-84 Harpoon.
Since the early 1980s F-14s have had provision for the attachment of the Tactical Air
Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS), carrying optical and infrared cameras and permitting
the aircraft to perform the photo reconnaissance role without degrading its performance in
other roles. The only modifications required are wiring changes and cockpit readouts.
In 1989, the Navy decided to phase out the F-14's reconnaissance mission in favor of
using F/A-18 Hornets. During Operation Desert Storm in January-February 1991, however,
F-14s flew 781 TARPS missions.
Design
It is ironic that , though the F-14 has a wing able to take any angle automatically between 20 to 68 degrees according to the varying demands of the mission , it actually usage has been almost totally in the fighter/interceptor role. The main advantages of the swing wing for the F-14 includes to reduce take off and landing speed , facilitating cat ( accelerated ) launches at high gross weight and to reduce fuel consumption in subsonic loiter and enable higher altitude to be reached at low subsonic speeds.
Although the Tomcat and the A-6 Intruder are hardly more different in other way, both planes share a similar inlet duct , wing and landing gear geometry, the Latter folding forward alongside the duct into compartment faired under the wing roots. Unlike the A-6 the long fully augmented engines extend far down stream to variable nozzles at the extreme rear of the aircraft , widely separated throughout by fuselage tankage and with a canted vertical tail above each engine and the airbrake above and below the wide gap between the nozzles
The pilot and his RIO sits well separated in a capacious tandem cockpit . Aerodynamics of the
F-14 tomcat are complex with a large fixed wing glove carrying the outer wing pivot 17ft and 10 inches apart and incorporating retractable canards .
When a F-14 Tomcat crashed on USS Kennedy while landing , a decision was made to replace engines on the F-14A (plus) version. This replaced the F-14A production from November 1987. The F110 engine are also being fitted to the F-14D version which introduces an almost complete suite of digital avionics which includes the APG-71 radar and a new
infrared search/track unit.
Avionics
The Tomcat is believed to have been the world first fighter to have a look down and shoot down capability.
This capability was the last major gap to be closed in air defense. It is also claimed that the
Tomcat not only have capability against hostile aircraft but also Sea Skimming anti-ship missiles.
AWG-9 radar is a large ( 1,293 lb./586.5 kg ; 28 cu ft/0.79m cube) liquid cooled package with the vital coherent pulse
Doppler mode for look down capability. The Tomcat was also the first fighter to have a TWS ( track while scan), enabling the Tomcat to have a range over 100 miles ( 160 km) to detect and select and track up to 20 target and pick out the 6 most threatening targets and launch phoenix missiles against them . Each phoenix is coded with its own target . With the help of Northrop TCS ( TV Camera Set ) the problem of long range recognition is greatly assisted .
One of the problem involving using the AIM-7 AAM was that the Tomcat needs to constantly flying toward the hostile fighter to provide target illumination for the missile
Kaiser provided the AVG-12 vertical situation display and electronically separated but mechanically integrated HUD , the HUD simply uses the inside face of the wind screen instead of a latter combiner glass .
Other kits included in a F-14 are an expandable memory digital computer, laser gyro INS ( being retrofitted when funds permit) , Westinghouse/ITT ASPJ and Hughes ITT JTIDS combined with the ITEK ALR 67 threat warning system .
49 Tomcat have been fitted to carry TARPS ( Tac Air Recon POD system ) with camera and IR
Linescan.
Structure
Wing carry-through is a one-piece electron beam welded structure of T1-6A1-4V titanium alloy with 6.71m span.
The fuselage has machined frames, titanium main longerons and light alloy stressed skins.
The radome hinges upward for access to radar, fuel dump pipe at extreme tail, fins and rudder of light alloy honeycomb sandwich,
tail-plane have multiple spars, honeycomb trailing edges and boron/epoxy composites skins.
Landing Gear
Retractable tricycle type . Twin wheel nose unit and single wheel units retract forward. Main unit inward into bottom of engine air intake trunks.
Arrest hook under rear fuselage , house in small ventral fairing.
Power Plant F-14B/D
Two General Electric F-110-GE-400 turbo fans rated at 71.56 kN and 120.1 kN with afterburn . Garret ATS 200-50 air turbine starter. F110 engine has 43 % more reheated thrust and 37% more military thrust (no after burn) than TF-20-P-414A in F-14A resulting in 20% more specific excess energy and 30% lower fuel consumption . The engine also have 62% greater launch deck intercept radius and 34 % more combat air patrol time .
Total fuel capacity is 9,029l liters plus 2 external tank each capable of carrying 1,011 liters .
Technical Information:
