Was the F-14 Tomcat any good?

The F-14 Tomcat was among the most capable fighters in the sky back in 1979. With a top speed in excess of Mach 2.4 and a rate of climb of around 45,000 feet per minute, the F-14 would leave even America’s current top-of-the-line F-35 in the dust if they were to drag race.

Is the F-14 better than the f18?

The F-14 is also equipped with more weapons that the F-18 is. On top of this, the F-14 is much faster than the F-18, as well as being able to pull more g’s in total (mostly negative g’s, although this was restricted later on in the F-14’s service life). The F-14 also has a higher service ceiling.

Are there any operational F-14 Tomcat?

The Tomcat was retired by U.S. Navy on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Several retired F-14s have been put on display across the US. The F-14 remains in service with Iran’s air force, having been exported to Iran under the Pahlavi regime in 1976.

What fighter jets were used in the movie Top Gun?

It is also interesting to note that the aircraft carrier shots in Top Gun were filmed on the USS Enterprise, and some of the planes were F-14 squadron jets, including the VF-114 “Aardvarks” and the VF-213 “Black Lions” planes.

What kind of engine does the F-14 Tomcat have?

F-14’s Jet Engines Todays F-14s are powered by two different engines (not two different engines in one F-14, but two types in the F-14 fleet), the old TF30 and the new and more reliable General Electric F110. The new engine has increased power and enables the Tomcat to launch from a catapult without the use of afterburners…

What does the F110 mean for Tomcats?

The new engine has increased power and enables the Tomcat to launch from a catapult without the use of afterburners and even allows to climb away after catapult launch when one engine is lost. The F110 was considered so reliable that it entered service even without clearance for afterburner take-offs!

What was wrong with the tf-30-p414a?

The TF-30-P414A engines had a habit of experiencing a compressor stall at high angles of attack if the throttles were moved, especially in afterburner, causing a flame out.

What is the difference between the two engine variants of F-14A?

Today the F-14’s two engine-variants can easily be distinguished comparing the exhaust nozzles. TF30-P-414A:This is the engine that is still operable in the F-14A, an engine that made a lot of trouble and caused some loss of life and aircraft. F110-GE-400: P&W TF30 Engine: GE F110 Engine: Diameter 1245 mm 1180 mm Weight 1825 kg 1740 kg