Is F-14 Tomcat a good plane?

If the mission is strictly fleet defense, the F-14 was a perfect platform. Indeed, the Tomcat is known to be a very fast airplane, with great sustained energy performance and, since it carried a great quantity of fuel which gave it a good endurance, the F-14 was also very good for high speed strike missions.

What is the F-14 known for?

The F-14 Tomcat was designed as both an air superiority fighter and a long-range naval interceptor, which enabled it to both serve as escort attack aircraft when armed with Sparrow missiles and fleet air defense loitering interceptor role when armed with Phoenix missiles.

How many Gs could the F-14 pull?

According to documents, the F-14 is limited to 6.5Gs.

Is the F-15 better than the f16?

The F-15 is considered one of the most successful and formidable fighter aircraft ever built, with over 100 aerial dogfight victories and zero dogfighting losses. The F-16 is a cheaper, lighter, slightly less powerful aircraft, but was designed with an emphasis on ease of maintenance and maneuverability.

Why did the F-14 have Tomcat radar?

“The Tomcat/AUG-9 radar/Phoenix trio were conceived to protect the fleet from supersonic Soviet bombers whose only goal was destruction of the carrier,” Paco Chierici, former F-14 pilot and author of Lions of the Sky, tells Popular Mechanics. The AWG-9 system was so capable that the F-14 could even target and engage airborne cruise missiles.

What is the longest serving F-14 Tomcat in the Navy?

On loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida. Nicknamed “Christine”, it was the longest-serving F-14 Tomcat in U.S. Navy. Remanufactured from F-14A to F-14D (R) configuration, it was originally built in 1976 and made the final combat deployment/cruise of the F-14 in 2006.

How many F-14 Tomcats were shot down in Iraq?

Iran claimed their F-14s shot down at least 160 Iraqi aircraft during the war (only 55 of these confirmed according to historian Tom Cooper), while 16 Tomcats were lost including seven losses due to accidents. The Tomcat was retired by U.S. Navy on 22 September 2006, having been supplanted by the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

What happened to the F-14 stealth fighter?

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. In November 2015, reports emerged of Iranian F-14s flying escort for Russian Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-160, and Tu-22M bombers on air strikes in Syria.