F14 Tomcat....

[DrainBamage]

I don't think F-14s even carried the oft-heralded six AIM-54 loadout operationally, but if it did come down to missile trucks:

Those 10 AMRAAMs would way about half as much as 6 Phoenix.

 

[Daryl Hunt]

I don't think F-14s even carried the oft-heralded six AIM-54 loadout operationally, but if it did come down to missile trucks:

Those 10 AMRAAMs would way about half as much as 6 Phoenix.

That would make his payload about what a fully loaded Air to Air F-15E would be. That's a lot of missiles. The new F-15SX has a loadout of 20 plus 2 sidewinders. Not much has changed, has it. Except the Quarterbacks of the F-22 and F-35s doing the tracking but not the launches. Even the F-18 gets to have his maximum missile load when going for that kind of mission.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I don't think F-14s even carried the oft-heralded six AIM-54 loadout operationally, but if it did come down to missile trucks:

Those 10 AMRAAMs would way about half as much as 6 Phoenix.

How much would they "way"? Which way? That away?

 

[harmonica]

Equal...omg.....F-16 would be all over an 18. Thank god we never had to use it in a real war.

They both have advantages and disadvantages, air combat isn't a video game like you think it is where you look up some specs on top speed or climb rate and pronounce one aircraft as far superior.

F-18 has lower RCS, and better low speed handling especially AoA than F-16. Which aircraft defeats the other head-to-head depends on a lot of variables including pilot ability, situational awareness going into the fight, and even a bit of luck.

Pilots being equal f-18 loses more than it wins.

????
not in REAL combat

 

[Manonthestreet]

Equal...omg.....F-16 would be all over an 18. Thank god we never had to use it in a real war.

They both have advantages and disadvantages, air combat isn't a video game like you think it is where you look up some specs on top speed or climb rate and pronounce one aircraft as far superior.

F-18 has lower RCS, and better low speed handling especially AoA than F-16. Which aircraft defeats the other head-to-head depends on a lot of variables including pilot ability, situational awareness going into the fight, and even a bit of luck.

Pilots being equal f-18 loses more than it wins.

????
not in REAL combat

absolutely

 

[Manonthestreet]

I have to say the basic lack of understanding by everyone in this thread is the difference in a fighter and an interceptor. None of you seem to grasp those very different roles.

F-14 could do both. Supercat even better.

That is my point. The day of the interceptor has passed.

Actually coming back with the speed and range of airborne anti-ship missiles increasing, need for speed and range is at a premium again

 

[Manonthestreet]

This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like
Really, the ST21 represents what many always dreamed of the Tomcat being while also keeping its capabilities firmly grounded in technology that was readily available at the time. In many ways, technology finally would have caught up with the Tomcat's airframe design. The ST21 configuation leaves a lot of room for future upgrades that could take its individual and force multiplier capabilities to yet another level. In the end, the Navy got a good plane in the Super Hornet, but it just can't compare in terms of raw performance and other key attributes that the ST21 would have brought to the table. This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like

 

[Daryl Hunt]

This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like
Really, the ST21 represents what many always dreamed of the Tomcat being while also keeping its capabilities firmly grounded in technology that was readily available at the time. In many ways, technology finally would have caught up with the Tomcat's airframe design. The ST21 configuation leaves a lot of room for future upgrades that could take its individual and force multiplier capabilities to yet another level. In the end, the Navy got a good plane in the Super Hornet, but it just can't compare in terms of raw performance and other key attributes that the ST21 would have brought to the table. This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like

This is a mixture of the D model and tech that came after it was taken out of service. The problem they had with the F-14D is that it took a lot of space on the carrier. It was Fhuge and heavy. When a F-14D landed, you felt it all over the carrier. That's a lot of weight to slap down on any ship. And even with the wings swept back, it was long, real long. The advantage the F-18E has is it's much shorter and it has stubby wings. It's also simpler requiring easier turn around. You fly more missions with a F-18E than with a F-14D, simple as that.

The Navy had to make a choice. They could upgrade and buy a new F-14 or they could by 4 F-18s for the same cost and the same operating cost. That meant that they could have more F-18s in different loadouts and replace the A-7 and the A-6 both. It became cost effective.

 

[DrainBamage]

This Is What Grumman's Proposed F-14 Super Tomcat 21 Would Have Actually Looked Like

Looks like a plane from the early 70s.