F-14D Tomcat vs. F/18 E/F Super Hornet

Flight Journal Magazine ^ | February 2002 Issue | Bob Kress and RADM Gilchrist USN (Ret)

[SevenMinusOne]

The F/A-18s a good aircraft but it was a replacement for the A-4 & 7 not the F-14.

100% correct and exacty the point (and the problem).

The F-18 just isn't the aircraft we should have replaced the F-14 with (We should have built the F-14 Super D's) -

Probably the worst mistake VP Cheney has made in his career (while then being the Sec of Defense) -

Simply a terrible decision to destory all the tooling for the F-14's - (unbelievably dumb by Cheney).

[nightdriver]

"Pick one and design toward it. If you want a V/STOL, design one, but don’t try to make it into a tri-service fighter/bomber."

In other words, keep the Robert F. McNamaras and his bean-counting clones out of the business of designing military aircraft!!

[mad_as_he$$]

Wow love that plane but in today's air environment - yikes. Tough as nails and brought many a crew home shot to hell.

[Delta 21]

My favorite A-6 pic.

[UCANSEE2]

Looks like somebody left the popcorn in the microwave too long.

[dighton]

Holy (bleep), what's goin' on there?

[general_re]

"...and that was the last time Cmdr. Smith was put in charge of the barbeque grill."

[AFreeBird]

The factory tooling is probably gone, unless Northrop Grumman was willing to pay for storing it (and given the extremely slim profit margins in the defense sector, they probably weren't).

For the Tomcat? I thought I read somewhere that that idiot McNamara had the jigs and other tooling for the F-14 destroyed. Why, I don't know.

[Stoli Strafemeister]

And that is why all aircrews for all branches should receive hazard pay even in peace time . By the way , Prowlers should have no problem staying with strike packages . Once you start hanging ordinance on Hornets , Tomcats , Super Hornets or whatever the aircraft are slowed significantly . It was not a problem before for the Prowlers and should not be for now as well . For me though , we should just buy Sea Flankers from the Russians ( BIG SMILE ! ) . Do Zvedanya !!!