Aircraft Carriers II (Closed to posting)

jackliu said:

F-14 is probably the best carrier air craft of all time. It is ironic the only nation that still operating it is Iran.

I say we trade some spare part to them for oil, and have them directly ship to LA, it is getting really bad up here.

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The F-14 was specifically designed to operate from an aircraft carrier, it is a very beautifull and effective aircraft, but it did have its share of issues, specifically engine related, it also lacked the terminal performance of say the F-15, because it is/was heavy. The movie TopGun did illustrate several of the F-14s issues, and also that it was rather difficult to engage a more agile aircraft in the turn and burn mode. It is and was fast, most of the F-14s have been disposed of in a manner that prohibits the civilian acquisition of any aircraft or parts, specifically to keep the Iranians from acquiring spares for their aircraft. There is one about 70 miles from here at the Bloomington, Il aviation museum, which I have yet to find open, but may be seen behind the fence, Hey anybody got some cash, there are however three mig-21s in Trade a Plane, the two holer UM version, one close to Chicago 100gs should buy the best of them?

Found an article that talks a bit about LHA 8 and follow on ships. It describes some of the changes that will be bade following USS Tripoli;

"So this February, after months of study, the Marine Corps Commandant and the Chief of Naval Operations signed an official memorandum of agreement that restores the well deck to LHA-8 and subsequent ships. A modification of the LHA-6 America design, LHA-8 will have a slightly smaller hanger than the America and a slightly smaller well deck than past amphibs like the Kearsage. (A redesign of the "island" structure will free up more room on LHA-8's flight deck to do maintenance on V-22s, compensating for some of the hanger space lost inside the ship)."

The entire article can be found here (I can't post links, so I had to insert a space):
http ://defense.aol.com/2012/10/03/navys-newest-lha-6-a-dead-end-for-amphibious-ships/?icid=trending1

bd popeye said:

Perhaps someone goofed...the pilot. Who knows for sure?

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I remember a photograph of a F-8 that had just landed on an airfield near Rome - with its outer wing panels vertical - in the condition it had been launched from a flattop nearby. Someone had goofed then but without serious consequences - at any rate for the aircraft. It happened some forty years ago I think.

jackliu said:

at 0.33, is it me or does it seems they only turn on the afterburner after the plane is in the air?

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I took this into a video editor and looked at it frame by frame. The ABs light up, left and then right, right at the start of aecond .34 as the aircraft is just clearing the deck...or right at the end of the deck.

As others have said, I have never seen that before.

Am now (when I have the time) going to look for more French launches to see if that is their practice, or if this is a "one off."

Thanks for the research Jeff and good job Jackliu for bringing that up.

The Tomcat , while beautiful and an true air superiority fighter, was a maintenance nightmare. Particular with the TF 30 engines and hydraulics on the A models. The GE F110-400 engines were better but still required heavy maintenance.

bd popeye said:

The Tomcat , while beautiful and an true air superiority fighter, was a maintained nightmare. Particular with the TF 30 engines and hydraulics on the A models. The GE F110-400 engines were better but still required heavy maintenance.

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Yes, I will never forget my first and only up close and personal with the big cat, some little Navy driver put on a big show in Springfield Illinois at the Air Rendezvous a number of years ago. LOTS of FULL AB action down low, wings swingin, I was most impressed by a LOW altitude, full AB turn at airshow center, he concluded the show with a pull to the near vertical and a roll through some low hanging puffy cumulus clouds. To say it was a show stopper would be a tremendous understatement, I nearly killed myself trying the same thing in my front yard in our old 172, to say it just lacked the Hoss to pull that kind of crank and bank, would be true, I had to back out of that as the force of gravity was getting the best of old blue, but I did pull through most of the first 180, wow! Anyway, may she rest in peace, she was what she was designed to be, and the real star of the movie Topgun!

The thing about a Tomcat most people do not understand.. Just today a retired US Navy Captain wrote this about the fabled Tomcat.

One last thought because it's kind of part and parcel of this conversation. The F-14 was a great airplane, but what most people don't understand is that it was just one third of an entire weapons system; the other two thirds being the AIM-54 Phoenix Missile and the E-2C Hawkeye. With Link 4A and later Link 16, both forms of tactical data links, the F-14 and E-2C onboard track while scan weapons control systems "talked" to each other without a word ever spoken by the Hawkeye crew or the RIO in the backseat of the Tomcat. I won't tell you how many targets those systems could track and engage, but let's just say it was a "grunch."

Without the Phoenix and the E-2C, the Iranian F-14s were very pretty, very expensive, and very labor intensive paper weights.

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Can some one explain why the F-14 Tomcats where dropped for the F/A-18 Hornets that was a inferior plane compared to the Tomcats.

Can some one explain why the F-14 Tomcats where dropped for the F/A-18 Hornets that was a inferior plane compared to the Tomcats.

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Money & maintenance.

1)Tomcats were maintenance intensive. Requiring many more man hours per flight hour of maintenance than the Hornet.

2) The USN wants a common airframe for it's air wing. That's why there an E/F-18 Growler. This makes for commonality of parts and lower cost.

3) Precision guided munitions & other "stand off weapons" and superior electronic counter measures help make the Tomcat obsolete.

The F-14 Tomcat in all her glory.

An F-14 “Tomcat” assigned to Fighter Squadron One Four Three (VF-143) based at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, returned to Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, after completing a bombing run during a training exercises in the region. Navy Photograph by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class David M. Tilton (Released)

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Tomcat at full military power. Fifth stage after-burner...

At sea aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Jan. 2, 2002 - As the sun rises an F-14 "Tomcat" from the "Checkmates" of Fighter Squadron Two One One (VF-211) goes to full afterburner as it is launched from the flight deck of USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Stennis and Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW 9) are deployed supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class (AW) Jayme Pastoric. (RELEASED)

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At sea aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) Dec. 24, 2001-- A row of F-14 “Tomcats” assigned to the "Diamondbacks" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VF 102) await their next mission. Theodore Roosevelt and her embarked Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Carly Joy Cranston (Released)

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At sea aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) Apr. 26, 2002 -- An F-14B “Tomcat” assigned to the “Jolly Rogers” of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103), assigned to Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) performs a high-speed pass while conducting integrated training exercises in the Caribbean. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class James Vidrine. (RELEASED)

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At sea aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) Apr. 18, 2002 -- An F-14 “Tomcat” assigned to the "Red Rippers" of Fighter Squadron One One (VF-11) is launched from one of four steam catapult systems on the ship’s flight deck. Kennedy and her embarked Carrier Airwing Seven (CVW-7) are conducting combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Apprentice Joshua Karsten. (RELEASED)

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Aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (Jan. 26, 2001) -- An F-14D "Tomcat" from the "Tomcatters" of Fighter Squadron Three One (VF-31) flies over the Landing Signal Officer (LSO) platform aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) after returning from a successful proficiency flight. The Lincoln is on her final leg of a scheduled six-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Daniel Wolsey. (RELEASED)

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Operation Enduring Freedom (Aug. 8, 2002) -- An F-14 "Tomcat" assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) conducts a mission over Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. 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. U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Dana Potts. (RELEASED)

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At sea with USS George Washington (CVN 73) Oct. 14, 2002 -- An F-14 "Tomcat" from the “Jolly Rogers” of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) flies over the Mediterranean Sea at sunset. The George Washington, homeported in Norfolk, Va., is participating in the NATO exercise “Destined Glory 2002.” Washington and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) are approaching the end of scheduled deployment in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Dana Potts. (RELEASED)

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Atlantic Ocean (Oct. 17, 2002) -- An F-14 “Tomcat” heads back to Key West Naval Air Station (NAS) after intense “dog fight” training over the Atlantic Ocean during exercise Cope Snapper 2002. Cope Snapper is a multi-aircraft exercise that engages dissimilar air combat training with on fighter data link and joint operations with the Navy. The members involved in Cope Snapper consist of the 159th Fighter Wing from Louisiana, the 169th AGS McEntire Air National Guard from South Carolina, and the Navy's F/A-18 “Hornet” and F-14 “Tomcat” fighter jets. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo. (RELEASED)

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Pula, Croatia (Oct. 28, 2002) -- An F-14B "Tomcat" assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of Fighter Squadron One Zero Three (VF-103) flies in formation with a pair of MiG-21’s assigned to the Croat Air Force. VF-103 is part of a detachment from Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW-17) embarked aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) participating with the Croat Air Force in Joint Wings 2002. Joint Wings is a multinational exercise between the U.S. and the Croat Air Force designed to practice intelligence gathering. George Washington is homeported in Norfolk, Va., and is nearing the end of a scheduled six month deployment after completing combat missions in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Southern Watch. U.S. Navy photo by Capt. Dana Potts. (RELEASED)

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