GRUMMAN F-14 TOMCAT

Grumman won the US Navy VFX fighter competition on January 15, 1969.
First flight of 12 development aircraft on December 21, 1970.
However, only 9 days later, on the second flight, the aircraft suffered a catastrophic hydraulic system failure, destroying the plane.
By September 1974, the F-14 made its operational debut aboard the USS Enterprise with VF-1 and VF-2 with a total of 557 aircrafts delivered by April of 1987.
After production ended, a final 102 aircrafts were delivered with an improved powerplant, the TF30-P-414A turbofans, having the same rating as the original 93 kN (20,900 lb st) TF30-P412A.
A total of 632 F-14s were built for the US Navy and 80 for the Iranian Air Force.

The initial and main version which was supplied to the US Navy and Iran.
A total of 557 built, ending on March 13, 1987.
32 modified into the F-14B and 18 into the F-14D(R).
385 remained in service 1993.
Retrofit with Tape 115B (later 116) started May 1991 permitting conventional bombing.
First two F-14A 'Bombcat' squadrons, VF-14 and VF-32, began cruise on USS Kennedy on October 7, 1992.

Known as F-14A(Plus) until May 1991 with redesignation of F-14B.
Improved version was retrofitted witht eh GE F110-GE-400 turbofans pending the introduction of F-14D.
Glove vanes eliminated, cockpit modified.
First flight with the F110-GE-400 engines was on September 29, 1986.
Fist flight of production F-14B on November 14, 1987. F-14B deliveries completed in May 1990.
An additional 32 F-14As were upgraded to F-14B with an additional 5-7 funded in FY92.

Total of 37 of 127 planned new F-14Ds were funded.
Before programme cancelled in 1989, planes continued for 400 F-14A and F-14B to be remanufactured to F-14D, with six F-14D(R) conversions funded later in FY90.
In FY91 a dozen F-14s continued to be restored into F-14D variant.
The entire F-14D programme, 37 were newly built, with 18 rebuit.
First flight of development aircraft on November 24, 1987.
First production F-14D rolled out on March 23, 1990, and the last delivered on July 20, 1992.

Upgrades provide the USN with a core force of 251 modernized Tomcats with future upgrades including:

Navy also considering further bombing upgrades (laser designator, FLIR, and AN/ALE-50 towed decoy)
Other proposed upgrades include:

Suggested first-stage development of F-14D for extended ground attack potential, providing F-15E
Eagle-like capability to the fleet, including standoff weapons.

Company funded study for US Navy multirole fighter for next century as economic alternative to
Navy version of USAF Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF).
Involves Quickstrike improvements plus new slotted flaps, extended-chord leading-edge slats, enlarged wing glove fairings containing extra fuel, and new frameless windscreen.

Suggested interim replacement for A-12 Avenger II with low-level penetration capability and nuclear as well as conventional armament.
Terrain-avoidance radar and two extra weapon stations.

Grumman proposal for alternative to Navalised ATF as F-14 evolutionary development includes avionics and power plant upgrades.

Wing sweepback variable from 20° leading-edge to 68°.
Oversweep of 75° used for carrier stowage without wing fold.
Fixed glove has dihedral to minimize cross-sectional area and reduce wave drag.
Small canards on F-14A known as glove vanes extend forward progressively to 15° from inboard leading-edge to balance supersonic trim change and unload tail surfaces.

(F-14B/D): two General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans rated at 71.56 kN (16,088 lb st) dry and 120.1 kN (27,000 lb st) with afterburning.
F110 engine has 43% more reheated thrust and 37% more military thrust (without afterburning) than TF3-_p-414A in F-14A.
Results are 20% more specific excess energy, 30% lower specific fuel consumption in afterburner, 62% greater deck launch intercept radius and 34% more combat air patrol time.
Integral fuel tanks in outer wings, each with a capacity of 1,117 litres (295 US gallons; 246 Imp gallons), in between engines in rear fuselage, with a capacity of 2,453 litres (648 US gallons; 539 Imp gallons), plus two feeder tanks with combined capacity of 1,726 litres (456 US gallons; 380 Imp gallons).
Total internal fuel capacity 9,029 litres (2,385 US gallons; 1,989 Imp gallons).
Retractable flight refuelling probe on starboard side of fuselage near front cockpit.

One General Electric M61A-1 Vulcan 20 mm gun mounted in port side of forward fuselage with 675 rounds of ammunition.
4 AIM-7 Sparrow AA missiles mounted partially submerged in the underfuselage or 4 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles carried on special pallets which attach to the bottom of the fuselage.
Two wing pylons, one under each fixed-wing section, can carry four AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles or two additional Sparrow or Phoenix missiles.
F-14D has bombing capability with the Rockeye and CBU-59 cluster bombs validated in December 1992.
GBU-16 LGB and Gator mine to follow, AGM-88 HARM ARM and SLAM ASMs planned.

DIMENSIONS, EXTERNAL
Wingspan:
Unswept:	19.54 m	64 ft 1 ½ in
Swept:	11.65 m	38 ft 2 ½ in
Overswept:	10.15 m	33 ft 3 ½ in
Length overall:	19.10 m	62 ft 8 in
Height overall:	4.88 m	16 ft 0 in
AREAS
Wings, gross:	52.49 m²	565.0 sq ft
Leading-edge slats (total):	4.29 m²	46.2 sq ft
Trailing-edge flaps (total):	9.87 m²	106.3 sq ft
Spoilers (total):	1.97 m²	21.2 sq ft
Fins (total):	7.90 m²	85.0 sq ft
Rudders (total):	3.06 m²	33.0 sq ft
WEIGHTS (F-14D)
Weight empty:	18,951 kg	41,780 lb
Fuel (usable):
Internal:	7,348 kg	16,200 lb
External:	1,724 kg	3,800 lb
Max external weapon load:	6,577 kg	14,500 lb
T-O weight:
Fighter/escort mission:	29,072 kg	64,093 lb
Fleet air defence mission:	33,157 kg	73,098
Max:	33,724 kg	74,349 lb
Max wing loading:	642.5 kg/m²	131.59 lb/sq ft
PERFORMANCE (F110)
Max level speed:	Mach 1.88	1,078 kt; 1,998 km/h; 1,241 mph
Max cruising speed:	Mach 0.72
Service ceiling:	16,150 m +	53,000 ft +
Filed range with external fuel:	1,600 n miles	2,965 km; 1,843 miles