F-14 Questions Answered - Ask Away

Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Were some parts on the F-14 interchangeable with the F-111?


The TF-30 engines were, to an extent. The AB section might have been a bit different, I am not certain.

There were radar parts in the F-111B (Navy Fighter version) that ended up in the F-14, but none of the USAF airplane had any compatible parts or systems.
 
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I've seen some videos of F4's in private hands. Do you think there will ever be a time that a flying F14 will be in private hands? Or will the Iranian units left out there somewhere keep that from ever happening.
 
Originally Posted by Tdog02
I've seen some videos of F4's in private hands. Do you think there will ever be a time that a flying F14 will be in private hands? Or will the Iranian units left out there somewhere keep that from ever happening.


Sorry to threadjack a little, but I would love to own an F-4 Wild Weasel. I had family that flew Wild Weasel missions in Vietnam. That would be incredible. Maybe if I come into hundreds of millions one day I could make that happen.
grin.gif
 
Originally Posted by Tdog02
I've seen some videos of F4's in private hands. Do you think there will ever be a time that a flying F14 will be in private hands? Or will the Iranian units left out there somewhere keep that from ever happening.


As long as Iran has the F-14, the US Government will continue to tightly control access to the existing airframes in museums, etc. They're a source of spare parts, potentially. We crushed over 400 airplanes, rather than store them at Davis-Monthan, to stop any source of potential spare parts for Iran.

Terribly short-sighted, of course, but that thinking has prevailed.

Museum airplanes have had critical parts removed for the same reason. All of the airplanes in Museums are still the property of the US Navy. They are legally on loan*.

So, I can't see how a private owner would ever be able to get an intact airplane, until one day, when Iran sells off theirs, perhaps.

Even then, you would really have to be a billionaire. The F-14 is a complex airframe. Lots of hydraulic components and structural parts that would require servicing and/or replacement. Those parts would have to be reverse-engineered and made from scratch.

When you look at the extraordinary effort to keep Vulcan XH558 in the air for a few years, it was incredibly expensive, and they had access to some spares from other surviving airplanes. In the end, it was concern over airframe fatigue, and the concomitant loss of technical expertise from the companies that built her, that permanently grounded her.


*The Navy History and Heritage Command owns all the artifacts; retired airplanes and ships of the US Navy, including relics and sunken ships and airplanes.

That list includes the F-14s now in museums. A museum in Quonset, RI went belly-up a couple of years ago. The US Navy arranged to pick up the F-14 that was there, and transport it to a new site. In this case, the US Naval Academy. Buno 162591 is now installed there. It was not an easy task. To move the airplane, it had to be certified as safe, requiring that the CADs in the canopy and ejection seat be verified as removed and safe. A friend works for the Naval History and Heritage Command. He contacted me to help locate some retired mechanics that could do the work. Through some old contacts, we got the right folks up to Rhode Island to certify and move the airplane. The maintainers love the jet just as much as those who flew it.

NHHC

www.history.navy.mil www.history.navy.mil

en.wikipedia.org

Quonset Air Museum - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

en.wikipedia.org

Avro Vulcan XH558 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
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My local museum, Estrella Warbirds, has an F-14. Acccording to the docent the plane had many things removed and the engines "destroyed" the day after it landed at the museum. I am surprised they didn't remove the engines.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by Tdog02
I've seen some videos of F4's in private hands. Do you think there will ever be a time that a flying F14 will be in private hands? Or will the Iranian units left out there somewhere keep that from ever happening.


Sorry to threadjack a little, but I would love to own an F-4 Wild Weasel. I had family that flew Wild Weasel missions in Vietnam. That would be incredible. Maybe if I come into hundreds of millions one day I could make that happen.
grin.gif


That Air Force had two versions of the F-4 Wild Weasel, an early version with the F-4C airframe, and the better known and much more capable F-4G. A lot of the F-4Gs were converted into drones and used up for various missile live fire programs. Grrrrr! Not sure if there are many left.
 
Wow, I thought most were stored. Over 400 crushed/destroyed almost makes me sick. I got to see one up close in Pensacola while vacationing in Gulf Shores. I could have spent all day in the museum.

Astro, those F14's are huge! Hats off to you and the others who flew them.
 
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Originally Posted by ArrestMeRedZ
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by Tdog02
I've seen some videos of F4's in private hands. Do you think there will ever be a time that a flying F14 will be in private hands? Or will the Iranian units left out there somewhere keep that from ever happening.


Sorry to threadjack a little, but I would love to own an F-4 Wild Weasel. I had family that flew Wild Weasel missions in Vietnam. That would be incredible. Maybe if I come into hundreds of millions one day I could make that happen.
grin.gif


That Air Force had two versions of the F-4 Wild Weasel, an early version with the F-4C airframe, and the better known and much more capable F-4G. A lot of the F-4Gs were converted into drones and used up for various missile live fire programs. Grrrrr! Not sure if there are many left.


Yeah. Man can dream I guess.
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted by Tdog02
Wow, I thought most were stored. Over 400 crushed/destroyed almost makes me sick. I got to see one up close in Pensacola while vacationing in Gulf Shores. I could have spent all day in the museum.

Astro, those F14's are huge! Hats off to you and the others who flew them.


I did the same thing while on vacation in Gulf Shores! In fact, I'll actually be down there again next month, so I might go back again.
 
I can't help it but when I went on a dependents day cruise on the USS Missouri and we has a F14 supersonic fly by was something I will never forget. Our service people are amazing.
 
Another question for Astro. It may or may not even be a problem, but how often did the tail hooks break on Navy planes? It seems they are under extreme stress and would need a pretty stringent replacement routine.
 
Originally Posted by Tdog02
Another question for Astro. It may or may not even be a problem, but how often did the tail hooks break on Navy planes? It seems they are under extreme stress and would need a pretty stringent replacement routine.


Hooks themselves didn't break. If they did, I am not aware of any.

The cross deck pendant (official nomenclature of the wire) would break in very rare occasions. I've seen it once. Nearly always results in the loss of an airplane, often the loss of personnel.

The hook (if it was a one piece hook) or the hook point (a replaceable part on the end of the hook) was inspected every flight. If it sustained damage, it was replaced right then. There was a regular replacement cycle, I think it was every 100 arrestments, but it might have been less.

They are under extreme stress. For example, the F-14 at max landing weight was 54,000#. It was decelerated from approach speed (140 KIAS) to zero in roughly 300 feet. This is several G, so the load on the hook (and the cross deck pendant) is over 100 tons.


en.wikipedia.org

Arresting gear - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
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Originally Posted by JetStar
I sure wouldn't want to be on deck when the cable breaks!

Here is an F-18 snapping one. It catches a couple of guys as it recoils.

 
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When the cable/wire/cross deck pendant breaks, you almost always lose the airplane*.

The real carnage is on the flight deck, however, as a person's legs don't slow it down, and depending on the impact angle and speed, those kids get hurt or killed. We (CVN-71/CVW-8) were lucky when the CDP broke during a Prowler (EA-6B) arrestment in 1990.



The pilot of that jet, a friend of mine and fellow LSO named John Meier, barely made it out.

He is now an admiral, and coincidentally, about to become the commander at the command in Norfolk where my wife works. Asked her to give "Oscar" my regards. It's been a few decades...

*In very dramatic footage, an E-2 Hawkeye was able to get airborne again after the CDP broke on Eisenhower a couple of years ago. Watching the footage, I thought they were going to crash. Good piloting, ground effect and good engines make a difference...

 
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