Tag:

F14

When a Tomcat went inverted a few feet above the ground after takeoff and both flaps and slats failed

by Till Daisd October 26, 2024

‘Out of control, I reached for the “D” ejection handle between my legs. I grasped it but did not pull it, as I realized that being inverted, the ejection would slam me into the dirt and I would die,’ John Chesire, former F-14 Tomcat pilot

‘Right after takeoff in an F-14 and upon raising the flaps and slats, on one wing they came up and the other side they did not,’ remembers John Chesire, former US Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot, on Quora.

‘With now fully asymmetric flaps and slats, I could not control the aircraft and rolled inverted, only a few hundred feet above the dirt.

‘Out of control, I reached for the “D” ejection handle between my legs. I grasped it but did not pull it, as I realized that being inverted, the ejection would slam me into the dirt and I would die.

‘Pushing negative G stopped me from crashing. Also, as my airspeed increased, I started to gain control of my wings and eventually made it roll “right side up.”’

Chesire continues;

‘I did not immediately know what caused this. However, I thought raising the flaps/slats might help. Unfortunately, when I moved the flap handle back up, nothing happened. They were still locked in position.

‘I thought I would have to still eject when I got over the water a couple of miles ahead, but I did not have to do so. Climbing to 15,000 feet, I became an ersatz test pilot, trying to see at what speed I could still maintain control. It was around 230 knots or so. Therefore I maintained 240 knots until I touched down on our 12,000-foot runway.

‘After revisiting this incident so many years later, I am now wondering if I should have let the aircraft roll all the way around, 360°.

‘Of course, my natural instinct was to fight it. I had a full opposite stick, a full left rudder, and full asymmetrical thrust (‘burner in one engine and much less in the other) before I reached for the ejection handle. But by then I was inverted.’

Chesire concludes;

‘Putting in all those extreme and opposite controls stopped the roll as intended, but they stopped the roll upside down and did nothing to roll back upright… until I gained more airspeed.’

Photo by U.S. Navy

October 26, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The F-14 Demo, which beat that of the F-15, sold the Tomcat to Shah of Iran

by Till Daisd October 15, 2024

written by Till Daisd

“The F-14 crew caught a detail in the weather briefing and flew that 95 knots pass into a shear-wind (opposed to the F-15A-pilot), and then did a few turns no F-15 could ever do…” Tom Cooper.

This 1974 movie, which is hosted by Rear Admiral Leonard “Swoosh” Snead, the Navy’s F-14 Tomcat project manager, provides an update on the ongoing efforts to integrate the aircraft with the fleet. The film shows the Grumman’s remarkable efforts to test, manufacture, and deploy this amazing fighter. Only 13 Grumman aircraft had been delivered to Miramar at this time, and the full capabilities of the aircraft were unknown. The movie depicts VF-124 operating the Navy’s newest aircraft at twice the expected rate, while VF-1 and VF-2 start independent operations.

The footage also features the Shah of Iran visiting Andrews Air Force Base (AFB) in July 1973 to observe the F-14 Tomcat performance before making up his mind about it. At 13:50, the Shah of Iran gets a demonstration of the F-14’s capabilities.

As the famous modern military aviation author Tom Cooper explains, the clip portrays an “F-14A from VF-124 performing for the Shah of Iran during the famous fly-off against an F-15A, in July 1973…

“The Tomcat was flown by Don Evans and Dennis Romano – and they had few tricks up the sleeve. For example, they were the second to take off but started their engines early, and thus burned lots of fuel to lighten their aircraft before take-off. Then they caught a detail in the weather briefing and flew that 95 knots pass into a shear-wind (opposed to the F-15A-pilot), and then did a few turns no F-15 could ever do… Even though Iranians have already made their decision – well before the fly-off”

At 15:33, the Shah sits in the aircraft cockpit. Iran would eventually become a customer, purchasing 80 Grumman F-14A Tomcats and 633 Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix missiles for $2 billion.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. Following the failure of the F-111B project, the Tomcat was created for the US Navy’s Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program. Designed to incorporate air combat experience against MiG fighters during the Vietnam War, the F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters.

The F-14 replaced the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II on its first flight in December 1970 and its first deployment with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in 1974. Up to the 1990s, the F-14 was the main fleet defense interceptor, tactical aerial reconnaissance platform, and maritime air superiority fighter for the U.S. Navy. In the 1990s, the Tomcat started carrying out precise ground-attack missions with the addition of the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) pod system.

October 15, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

Ex Northrop Grumman Vice President explaining why the F-14 Tomcat was the Ultimate Fighter

by Till Daisd October 4, 2024

written by Till Daisd

“We split S to the deck and was cruising in Mil power doing about 550 KTS when I got tally on an F-15 aggressor at our 3 O-clock /~4-5miles trying to lead turn us. I told my stick, who promptly lit the burners, and we literally walked away from that F-15 without him even coming close to getting a shot,” said Lt. Cdr. Phil Nelson, former F-14 Tomcat RIO.

This post includes an intriguing video where former Northrop Grumman Vice President Mike Ciminera provides a historical viewpoint on the evolution of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat design.

“Superb presentation and videos,” says LtnCdr Phil Nelson. “As an RIO (with 3200+ hrs in type), I had the privilege of flying all three versions of the aircraft during a tour with VX-4 from 1987-1989. During that time we reconstituted the Tomcat’s air-to-ground capabilities and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it could be the ultimate Navy strike-fighter.

“In mid-1989, during a Topgun class at Fallon, VX-4 provided the striker role. We loaded an F-14B with 4 x MK-83 in the tunnel (we were using BRU-9 ejector racks vice the certified fleet standard BRU-32), 2 x drop tanks, and 2 x AIM-7 Sparrow and 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder. Our mission was to self-escort into the B-19 target area after splitting off of our F-18 escorts. Our initial run-in altitude was 28K’, and with that load, we were doing 1.2 Mach without afterburners.

“We split S to the deck and was cruising in Mil power doing about 550 KTS when I got tally on an F-15 aggressor at our 3 O-clock /~4-5miles trying to lead turn us. I told my stick who promptly lit the burners and we literally walked away from that F-15 without him even coming close to getting a shot. So yes Mr. Ciminera you guys built one helluva of a dynamic yet graceful fighter.

“A little more historical data regarding the Tomcat 21 and other advanced F-14 concepts. When these proposals were being developed for presentation in the 5-sided wind tunnel, Sec Def Dick Chaney had just wiped out Naval Aviation ( I was in the Pentagon from 1991-1993) by canceling the A-12, A-6F, NATF and truncating the F-14D buy to 55 aircraft. Mac D [McDonnell Douglas] was all over the building getting face time with everyone touting their Hornet 2000 “upgrade” to the F-18C (which became the F/A-18E/F).

“For whatever reason, someone in SEC DEFnoffice or PA&E had a burr up their butt about Grumman and would not take the Grumman presentations. Shortly after the 1st Gulf War concluded, in a social setting, Adm. Dunleavey, OP-05 at the time, commented to RADM “Sweetpea” Allen and me that they had ‘picked’ McDonnell Douglas to proceed with the Hornet 2000 ‘Upgrade’. And that was how the Navy ended up spending $5B to grow the Hornet to the same size as an F14 but without the kinematic/range or load-carrying capability of the Tomcat. Again, thanks, Mr. Ciminera, for an awesome presentation. I spent 3-4 months in Calverton testing the F-14B/D and enjoyed the steaks at the Town Pump restaurant.”

October 4, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

F-14 pilot glided his Tomcat from 54,000ft to 33,000ft for 21 minutes after a dual flameout

by Till Daisd August 3, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The glide ratio

According to Globeair.com, the glide ratio measures the aerodynamic efficiency of an aircraft in a no-engine glide. It shows how far an aircraft can go forward for each altitude unit lost.

It measures how well an airplane can translate altitude into distance without using its engines. This concept is also important for powered aircraft, especially when an engine failure forces a glide to safety. It is also essential for the design and performance assessment of gliders.

The F-14 pilot who glided his Tomcat from 54,000ft to 33,000ft

John Chesire, former US Navy F-4 Phantom II and F-14 Tomcat pilot, explains on Quora;

‘All aircraft have what is known as a “glide ratio,” even heavy fighter aircraft like my old F-4 Phantom II.

F-14 pilot recalls when he glided his Tomcat from 54,000ft to 33,000ft, for 21 minutes after a dual flameout during a large F-14s Vs F-15s exercise (then the engines restarted)

‘I once had a dual flameout in my F-14 at around 54,000ft/19,459m. I could not attempt an engine restart until I glided down to the restart envelope which, as I recall was around 33,000ft/10,058m. It was a very long glide, and also very quiet with no engine noise while getting down. Thankfully, both engines then started right up and I flew back to base.

‘It was a many vs. many, F-14s vs. F-15s DACM exercise, Air Force against the Navy… and great fun! Both aircraft were new at the time and this exercise was very, ‘unofficial’. It was done quietly between two squadron COs and without higher authority’s knowledge or approval.

‘I got on an F-15 ‘s tail, and he went way up in the vertical, which they liked to do. Of course, we were not supposed to fly above 50,000 feet but I was looking at him instead of my altimeter, although I knew were “way up there.” (My RIO later said we topped out just above 54,000 feet). As the F-15 ran out of airspeed above me and started coming back down, I pulled a little too hard on the stick and at a dwindling airspeed myself to cut him off early by pulling lead at the top of “the tactical egg”* to get a shot on him.’

A slow and long glide

He continues;

‘In an F-4, my engines would have been fine. But with the notorious TF30, they flamed out as I increased angle-of-attack up in that rarified air.

‘It wasn’t so bad. With that problematic TF30 engine, I had a single engine failure due to engine stalls many times before and I never had any problems restarting them, so I was comfortable that they would start once I glided down. It was a slow and long glide, and actually slightly relaxing following the high-G exercise I was in when the engines both quit.

‘The wings went forward automatically with their inputs from the CADC (Computer Air Data Computer) based upon speed.

The F-14 pilot who glided his Tomcat for 21 minutes

‘Even though the engines had failed they still provided enough hydraulic power by windmilling in the dive to move the wings forward. We also had a backup hydraulic pump if needed, which it was not in this instance. And for electrical power, we had an external ram-air-turbine generator (RAT). This was like a little propeller that popped out into the airstream and spun rapidly, thus providing emergency electrical power.

‘My RIO was making too much noise. He broadcasted, “Mayday, Mayday, November Fox 101 is going down.” Since it was a large exercise, the radios were jammed with other aircraft wanting information. I was upset because I knew we were not in serious trouble yet, unless the engines did not restart later. But there was not much to do gliding from 54,000 feet down to 33,000 feet.’

Chesire concludes;

‘At about a 2,000 feet per minute glide it would take us 21 minutes to glide down to restart altitude. (But I went a little faster.)’

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

August 3, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

US Navy F-14 pilot recalls when he and his RIO fired 6 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles against 6 different targets

by Till Daisd July 3, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The AIM-54 Phoenix

The controversial F-111B, which was being developed for the Navy’s carrier fighter inventory, was replaced by the F-14 Tomcat in 1968. The F-14 Tomcat was built with a focus on close-in fighting with “claws” and standoff missile fighting.

Overall, among the Free World fighters of the Cold War, the F-14 was unmatched. The AWG-9 weapons control system on the Tomcat could guide six long-range AIM-54A Phoenix missiles against six different threat aircraft.

The AIM-54 was a large missile with a 1,000lb weight and a Mach 5 speed. It has the potential to reach a height of 100,000 feet, where, in loft mode, it can fly unheard-of distances before tipping over and using its own terminally active radar to complete an intercept upwards of a hundred miles away.

US Navy F-14 pilot recalls when he and his RIO fired six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles against six different targets simultaneously during the six-on-six missile shot test

The six-on-six missile shot test

The ability to launch six Phoenix against six different targets was unprecedented and became a force multiplier as F-14 Tomcat pilot John ‘Smoke’ Wilson explains in the book Half Century, Baby! by David ‘Hey Joe’ Parsons and Mads Bangsø.

‘As the F-14 gang at Pt Mugu were aware (sometimes painfully) Program Office (PMA) 241’s deputy for weapons trials was Clyde Tuomela. I came back from a flight and had a message that he wanted to see me. Clyde said to me ‘Swoose’ (as in Snead, the PMA at the time) was getting a lot of pressure from Congress to demonstrate the six-on-six shot: “He wants YOU to do it ASAP but don’t screw it up.”

‘As the senior pilot of the Joint Evaluation Team (JET) and the Flight Test Officer of the Naval Missile Center, I probably could have opted for the test, but Swoose designating me was a convenient cop out. Jack Hawver and I had many discussions within the JET team, and with the Hughes people both at Mugu and at Conoga Park, as to what the test was going to look like. We (and the Hughes crews) had fired several multi-target shots before (up to 4v4), and their parameters were taken into consideration. Once we decided, Jack and I flew’ simulations on every AWG-9 simulator that was available in the country. We then briefed the PMA on what we proposed. Part of the work up also included discussions with the test conductors and the targets people to see if it was possible to do a six-target presentation.

Six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles against six different targets at the same time

‘The formation consisted of one BQM-34E at Mach 1.2, three BQM-34Cs at Mach 0.9, and two QT-33s at Mach 0.7. They were to be in a line abreast at the 30-mile ‘open fire’ with the AWG-9 prioritizing the targets, making the supersonic target automatically the #1 priority since it was the greatest threat. During our simulation, we discovered that if we shot it first, we would not have had six missiles tracking at the same time. So, after the initial detection at 58 miles, Jack reset the priority so six missiles would all be heading down range towards their targets at the same time.

‘Per a preflight agreement, I fired the first and last missile from the front cockpit and Jack fired the other four using the RIO launch button, getting them all off in 38 seconds. At that range, the Phoenix missiles began their climbs towards 100,000ft as I looked up; the six contrails looked like SA-2 smoke trails over downtown Hanoi during an Alpha Strike! The missiles all carried telemetry packages in lieu of warheads to provide accurate measurements of performance.

‘The first missile was a direct hit on a BQM-34C. The missile fired at the BQM-34E took the miss distance-scoring pod off the wing of the drone. Both QT-33s were hit in the empennage area. When they slowed down for recovery, they lost control and spun in short of San Clemente Island. Of the other two BQM-34Cs, one had a missile within lethal range and the other experienced an internal malfunction before the Phoenix could get to it, but not before demonstrating that the AWG-9 could guide six missiles concurrently.

The video of the actual firings

‘In retrospect, the fact that the operation was accomplished at all, let alone within two months’ time with only one dry run, was a tribute to all who participated in the ‘six-on-six’, which only happened that one time. It was certainly my privilege to have been the shooter.

‘The videos of the actual firings were taken/recorded/telemetered to the ground by an experimental system on an F-4 piloted by Roger Box, soon to be my relief as the Flight Test Officer, and subsequently, my relief as CAG-14.’

The following video is the original six-on-six missile shot clip.

Half Century, Baby! is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here and here.

Photo by U.S. Navy

July 3, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

F-14 test pilot recalls when his Tomcat was scorched after a Mach 2+ test sortie

by Till Daisd June 27, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-14 Tomcat

In the 1986 movie “Top Gun,” the F-14 Tomcat had a key part. The Navy required an aircraft to defend its surface fleets from hostile aircraft and long-range anti-ship missiles. The Air Force’s F-111 fighter bomber’s naval version was not suitable for aircraft carrier operations, so its radar and long-range AIM-54 Phoenix air intercept missile systems were moved to a completely new design, the F-14, which could engage multiple enemies over a distance of 90 miles.

Because this heavy weaponry required an interceptor to move quickly, Grumman created the F-14’s extremely efficient variable-sweep wing, which allowed the aircraft to fly at a range of air speeds.

Mach 2+ test sortie

Doyle Borchers, a former US Navy F-14 test pilot, recalls on Quora an exhilarating Mach 2+ test sortie flown in a Tomcat.

‘I was a Navy Test Pilot on the F-14A project, so I got lots of supersonic time in the Tomcat. When I commanded an F-14 squadron on a test flight, I took a new Radar Intercept Officer supersonic for his first time. It was a neat thing to go Mach 2 also.

‘The F-14 was limited to about 1.7 indicated Mach. The Mach meter got squirrely in that region. The airframe was limited to a much higher true Mach. I looked up the meteorology info for that morning and checked out the temperature at 45000 feet. (True Mach is a function of air temperature).

F-14 Tomcat scorched after a Mach 2+ test sortie

‘Anyway, I saw that if I got us to 1.72 indicated Mach that morning, we would exceed a true Mach 2 at that altitude. So, we launched and got to altitude and lit the burners, and accelerated to 1.72 indicated Mach. Mission accomplished.’

Borchers concludes;

‘We landed and as I was taxiing into the line the plane captain seemed excited. I got out and post flighted the airplane. The whole rear end of the airplane was scorched. Got in to debrief and rechecked the air temp at 45K and metro had screwed up. At the temp that we actually flew at, we must have exceeded Mach 2 considerably since the epoxy paint on the airplane was designed to withstand temperatures up to 2.4M.’

Photo by Dave “Bio” Baranek

June 27, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

The F-15N Sea Eagle, the navalized version of the F-15 Eagle that never was

by Till Daisd June 18, 2024

written by Till Daisd

US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter

In an effort to support the Department of Defense’s goal of commonality with the Air Force and its F-111A, General Dynamics’ F-111B was evaluated as part of the US Navy’s search for an advanced carrier-based air superiority fighter. After being modified to fulfill Navy mission requirements, the F-111B was found to be too heavy for carrier operations, and the contract was canceled in April 1968.

The Navy then launched a new design contest for the so-called VFX program, with McDonnell Douglas and Grumman as the main competitors.

The F-15N Sea Eagle

Grumman suggested the Model 303, a two-seat, twin-engine, variable-geometry aircraft based on the Hughes AWG-9 weapons system (which eventually led to the development of the F-14 Tomcat). Meanwhile, McDonnell Douglas presented the F-15N Sea Eagle, a “navalized” variant of its then-new F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter.

The F-15N Sea Eagle was developed by the US Navy as a lighter, faster, and less expensive alternative to the F-14.

Among the changes for the F-15N were strengthened landing gear, an appropriate arresting hook, and a wing hinge. DriveTribe claims that the F-15N was predicted to outmaneuver the F-14 despite the weight imposed by these modifications. But neither the AIM-54 Phoenix missiles nor the AN/AWG-9 radar required to target and fire them were part of the original proposal. The US Navy studied the possibility of adding the radar and AIM-54s, but doing so would have made the aircraft 10,000 pounds heavier than an F-15A, erasing any potential advantage the Sea Eagle may have had. A plan to adapt the F-15’s AN/APG-63 radar to interface with the AIM-54 was developed by McDonnell Douglas and Hughes Aircraft, the manufacturer of the radar and AIM-54.

The fly-off between the F-14A Tomcat and F-15N Sea Eagle that never was

The idea was first studied by a Senate subcommittee in 1973, and it was later expanded to include an updated F-4 and a stripped-down F-14 variant. Although discussed, the F-14A and F-15N were never involved in a fly-off.

In the end, the Navy stuck with the F-14 since it was a very capable aircraft. The new “Tomcat,” named for Grumman’s tradition of naming its aircraft after cats, flew for the first time in December 1970. The first F-14As were delivered to the Navy in June 1972 after a series of modifications during flight testing, with Fighter Squadron (VF) 124 designated for crew training. The new aircraft was first flown by operational squadrons VF-1 and VF-2 on the West Coast and by Atlantic Fleet Tomcat squadrons VF-14 and VF-32 on the East Coast.

Photo by Combat Ace and McDonnell Douglas/Boeing via DriveTribe

June 18, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

Landing a Tomcat with a full load of 6 AIM-54 Phoenix missiles on the aircraft carrier

by Till Daisd June 5, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The AIM-54 Phoenix

The AWG-9 weapons control system and P&W TF30 engines were used by the F-14A Tomcat, which was built in 1968 to replace the controversial F-111B, which was being developed for the US Navy’s carrier fighter inventory. The F-14A Tomcat also carried the six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles that were meant to be installed on the F-111B.

Six Phoenix missiles could be guided by the F-14 at long range against six different threat aircraft thanks to the AWG-9. Four missiles, plus two under glove stations, can be carried beneath the fuselage tunnel of the Tomcat on specially designed aerodynamic pallets. Six Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix missiles full-loaded along with the special launch rails constitute around 8,000 lb (3,600 kg), or nearly twice the weight of Sparrows.

Landing an F-14 Tomcat with a full load of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles on the aircraft carrier

Was it therefore possible for an F-14 carrying six AIM-54s to land aboard the aircraft carrier given the Phoenix’s (heavy) weight?

US Navy F-14 pilot recalls landing a Tomcat with a full load of six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles on the aircraft carrier

Launched on June 30, 1984, from NAS Pt. Mugu, a Tomcat piloted by Lt. Ed Riley and RIO Lt. Scott Lamoreaux from VX-4 carried six AIM-54C missiles trapped aboard the USS Constellation (CV-64) after launch. Operational suitability and operational effectiveness had to be established during operational testing (OT) as part of the AIM-54C OPEVAL, and that involved obtaining a significant number of captive carry-cats and traps aboard a carrier. This was achieved by exposing Tomcats equipped with numerous loadouts of AIM-54C missiles to the carrier environment over two years before they shot in a variety of scenarios to demonstrate their continued reliability under the stresses of carrier operations.

Riley explains in the book Half Century, Baby! by David ‘Hey Joe’ Parsons and Mads Bangsø;

‘So, the question of ‘why’ gets asked regarding a loadout of six Phoenix missiles, due to urban legend that it is not practical off the boat due to fuel remaining at Max Trap. […]

Flying multiple cross-country flights with the six Phoenix/two Sidewinder loadout

‘I had flown multiple cross-country flights, accumulating over 20 hours of flight time with the six Phoenix/two Sidewinder loadout, and to prepare for this CV landing, a regular bounce workup with various loadouts including 6+2 missile loadouts was accomplished and handling qualities at the heavy loads were explored. Particular attention was paid to ‘in-close wave off” and potential ‘bolter’ technique.

‘It was decided that a Case III straight-in approach to the trap with enough fuel to return to Pt Mugu would be used. Knowing that the Tomcat would be ‘trick or treat’ on the ball, a dedicated A-7 tanking aircraft was available to assist if required, to rendezvous and pass enough fuel for a second try. In addition to the landing, the maximum weight takeoff ‘cat shot’ was of equal importance. Full afterburner catapults could be a dicey situation if a burner blowout or a stall with the TF30 engines was encountered at maximum weight. Proper technique and early identification and application of the right controls were absolutely required to successfully fly away.’

Doomsday loadout: a rare event

Riley continues;

‘The question of who should fly the flight caused some discussion within the ranks of the pilots and RIOs at VX-4 at the time. The OPEVAL Operational Test Directors (OTDs) wanted a representative fleet crew and not just more experienced operators.

‘Since I (Lt Ed ‘Dragon’ Riley) and Lt Bill ‘Kato’ Nevius were the Co-OTD team conducting the OPEVAL, it was decided to go with an experienced pilot and a RIO with less experience in the F-14. I had over 1,500 hours in the F-14A and over 400 traps (300+ on CV-64). Lt Scott ‘Scooter Lamoreaux was a very experienced RIO in the F-4, but had less than 100 hours in the F-14A and this would be his first trap in the Tomcat.

‘The operational test crew was aware that landing with six Phoenix was a rare event, however, the tactical significance of this flight was potentially a ‘real world’ requirement (known as the Doomsday loadout). Getting the maximum number of Phoenix missiles airborne as quickly as possible in a Fleet Air Defense (FAD) scenario had been war gamed at WEPTAC and it was determined to be a clear discriminator making a difference against superior numbers of attackers during the Cold War era.

The F-14 Tomcat with six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles was in a class by itself

‘How better to do this than use the maximum loadout capability of the Tomcat loaded with the new AIM-54C that was proving to be effective against air-to-surface missiles at 100,000ft/Mach 4+ as well as low-flying cruise missiles and the attacking aircraft platforms at long range. With the largest warhead of any air-to-air missile and kill radius unmatched, the Tomcat with six Phoenix missiles was in a class by itself.’

Riley concludes;

‘With all the preparation to make this a safe yet operationally realistic event, in the end it went exactly as planned with a successful trap (OK, three wire)/hot pump/and AB cat shot and return to home base.

‘To answer the question of the viability of carrying six Phoenix around the ship: sure — why not, if the tactical situation dictates?’

Half Century, Baby! is published by Mortons Books and is available to order here and here.

Photo by U.S. Navy

June 5, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

An F-14 pilot almost fired an AIM-7 Sparrow at a Boeing 727 while escorting an RC-135

by Till Daisd April 30, 2024

written by Till Daisd

The F-14 Tomcat

When it came to Cold War fighter jets, the US Navy’s Grumman F-14 Tomcat was unmatched overall. Six long-range AIM-54A Phoenix missiles could be guided by the F-14’s AWG-9 weapons control system against six different threat aircraft at a long range. Sparrow missiles were carried for medium-range warfare; Sidewinders and a 20mm were available for dogfighting.

As Chuck Hunter, former US Navy F-14 pilot, recalls on Quora, firing a missile for a Tomcat crew ‘is always a thrill. We spend most of our deployed flight time carrying them around, prepping them, practicing with them, and then usually landing back with them. Dropping dumb bombs is fun, but when you can light a rocket motor hanging on your wing and watch it fly off, then track a target to a kill, it is a special day.

The AIM-9 Sidewinder

F-14 pilot recalls when he nearly fired an AIM-7 Sparrow against a Boeing 727 on intercept vector to the RC-135 his Tomcat was escorting

‘I was able to shoot an AIM-9L Sidewinder, AIM-7F Sparrow, and the big one an AIM-54C Phoenix. The AIM-9 is cool because it comes straight off the rail and you can see it from the moment it leaves and flies right out in front of you. It is also a short-distance missile so you get to see if it hits the target.

The AIM-7 Sparrow

‘The AIM-7 and AIM-54 are ejected downward away from the aircraft, so there is a thump and you feel the release of the weight. The Sparrow is 500 pounds, and the Phoenix was 1,000 pounds. After they leave, they fly out in front of you toward the target, but you see them coming up from under the nose. With radar missiles, often you are still focused on making sure that they are tracking, as they may be using information from the aircraft’s radar and you need to be sure you are continuing to send the information.’

F-14 Tomcat AIM-54 Phoenix shot

Hunter continues;

‘The Phoenix was an amazing shot, the 1,000-pound big white telephone pole’s rocket motor burns for 22 seconds so you have this beautiful white plume to follow. Our shot was in a heavy ECM environment against a PRN (Pseudo Random Noise) target so not as exciting as a turning and burning dogfight AIM-9 shot, but a very technical shot with lots of work and communication between the RIO and myself. We saw the missile guide but had to wait on the results as we were shooting at a QF-86 with a jamming pod on the wing. While launching the big white wingman was exciting, when we found out the missile hit the jamming pod on the wing of the QF-86 at 20+ miles, there was a real high five.’

Short of pulling the trigger

‘I was never able to launch one in combat but was close a few times. The training was there and short of pulling the trigger, it felt pretty much like the other shots. In one case the Master Arm was on, missile ready, and one-inch trigger squeeze before the Sparrow would be heading toward the target. We were already 3+ miles inside of cleared-to-launch range when we finally got a visual through broken clouds of a 727 airliner. I could have been famous, glad I wasn’t.’

AIM-7 Sparrow nearly fired against Boeing 727 airliner

Hunter concludes;

‘That was a big YIKES. In and out of puffies, they were on an intercept vector to the RC-135 we were protecting, 10 miles cleared to fire, Master Arm ON since we took the vector, missile selected and really wanted to pull the trigger, but waited…waited… 9miles… 8miles… no tally… 7 miles…. 6 miles…. oh crap 727… Master Arm OFF. We still intercepted, but low to high came up underneath and took pictures.’

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

April 30, 2024 0 comment

Cold War

When a US Navy F-14 Tomcat shot down a USAF RF-4C Phantom II during a war game

by Till Daisd April 5, 2024

written by Till Daisd

F-14 shooting down RF-4C

A US Air Force (USAF) RF-4C Phantom II was shot down by a US Navy F-14 Tomcat on September 22, 1987, over the Mediterranean during NATO Exercise Display Determination 87. The F-14 pilot got confused and released a live Sidewinder while the RF-4C was doing a simulated reconnaissance mission on the USS Saratoga (CV-60). The crew of the RF-4C was rescued after ejecting. The pilot of the F-14 never flew again.

USAF Phantom pilot Captain Michael Ross and his Weapons Systems Officer (WSO) 1st Lt. Randy Sprouse (aboard RF-4C, 69-0381, ZR tailcode, of the 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, out of Zweibrucken Air Base, West Germany) were searching for an ‘enemy’ fleet comprised of the US carrier USS Saratoga as part of the multi-force exercise.

Saratoga’s radar picked up a contact that was a neutral KC-135 airborne tanker and directed its F-14 Tomcat fighter jets toward it. The Tomcats arrived at the same tanker where Capt. Ross’s Phantom was refueling. Without giving it much attention, Sprouse looked back and noticed the two F-14s following them. When the unmarked Phantom refueled and departed, the Tomcats initially thought it was a friendly aircraft and followed it.

Confusing the orders

The Phantom’s scanners malfunctioned shortly after it attempted to switch them on. The Phantom crew continued their mission and saw the “enemy” fleet. The requirements stated that the mission was considered completed if they could read the hull number of the carrier. Following the Phantom, new pilot Lt (Jg) Timothy Dorsey (flying F-14A BuNo 162707 from VF-74 Be-Devilers) notified the Saratoga of the reconnaissance aircraft. With the Tomcat on the Phantom’s tail, Lt. Sprouse looked back and called out, “There’s a Navy F-14 sitting on our left wing at about 8 o’clock!”

Captain Ross replied, “Okay. He’s a good guy.”

At the same time, the Tomcat pilot, Lt. Dorsey, asked the Saratoga if he should engage and was given the clearance, “Warning Red, Weapons Free,” which was a standard exercise call at the time (vice Weapons Tight or Hold).

This is where Lt. Dorsey confused the orders. Lt. Dorsey asked, “Jesus! Do they want me to shoot this guy?” To which his own RIO, Lt. Command Edmund Holland, replied, “Yes-shoot!”

Application to be advanced to rear admiral

Since this was intended to be a training mission, Lt. Commander Holland and Command intended for Lt. Dorsey to “fire” a simulated missile, which entailed locking up the target using the infrared tracker of the AIM-9 Sidewinder. When he got the tone the infrared was tracking, that would be a kill. However, Lt. Dorsey fired a live Sidewinder missile and shot down the Phantom (The very end of the film here).

Both were able to eject, although they were both seriously hurt. When they punched out, the explosion and spiral down forced them up against the side of the cockpit. The Saratoga picked up both of the men. Sprouse suffered a dislocated shoulder, while Captain Ross needed 32 surgeries to treat his numerous injuries.

Following an investigation, it was determined that Lt. Dorsey was responsible for both his inexperience and his error in judgment. Even though he was never authorized to fly again, he was allowed to keep his pilot wings and continued in the Navy, advancing to the rank of Captain (Colonel in the Army) and attempting, but failing, to be promoted to rear admiral.

Photo by U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force

April 5, 2024 0 comment

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