F14 speculation

[Austin Prefect]

The US are proposing to send 3 F14s to a museum in Alabama, including enough spares to make one potentially flyable.

Obviously a big difference between having a theoretically flyable F14 in a museum and actually flying it. But some people are getting very excited about this.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/congress-three-f14...

[Simpo Two]

'“As a young man, I was inspired by the popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, which featured the F-14, one of the most iconic aircraft ever flown,” Hamadeh said in an April 17 news release. “As a former U.S. Army officer, I know that many of the men and women I served with felt the same way. That is why I proudly introduced this legislation.”

Why can't we have politicians like that? You know, interesting, exciting people who've actually done something.

[WH16]

Gulf of Sidra participant a good choice for a USN heritage flight.

I wonder if they want a real one for the next movie...? If it can happen anywhere it can happen in the US. There are F-4s, even a Harrier and MiG-23 in private hands over there. The FAA have a much more liberal attitude than our CAA.

[Austin Prefect]

There was a project to get a civilian Tornado flying in the US but it seems to have gone quiet.

[2xChevrons]

Simpo Two said:

' As a young man, I was inspired by the popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, which featured the F-14, one of the most iconic aircraft ever flown, Hamadeh said in an April 17 news release. As a former U.S. Army officer, I know that many of the men and women I served with felt the same way. That is why I proudly introduced this legislation.

Why can't we have politicians like that? You know, interesting, exciting people who've actually done something.

Are there no ex-military officers in the House of Lords (the equivalent of the US Senate)?

There are about 40 MPs in the Commons who are ex-forces, too.

Of course, the UK isn't sitting on a stockpile of 1970s naval fighters that they can gift to a museum. Unless there's a cache of Bucaneers somewhere..

I wonder if the timing of this is related to a Pentagon consensus on the state of Iran's F-14s? The US has been very restrictive about letting Tomcat airframes and spares get out 'into circulation' - and especially to a degree of returning one to flight - because of fears they would get into Iran. If the Iranian Tomcats have been destroyed or otherwise rendered unusable this is moot.

[SodiumThiopental]

The F-14 is a notoriously hellishly tricky aircraft to fly. The engines are massive, with about 130kN of thrust apiece, and mounted far enough apart to allow the phoenix missiles to be mounted between them and to create a lifting body airframe effect. The upshot of that is that they don’t take much provocation to put the aircraft into a flat spin. The aircraft doesn’t have traditional ailerons either, which adds to the fun if they did get into trouble re flat spins. The U.S. Navy used to deliberately train for them ( spin hops as they were known) and there were several noteable accidents involving them, due to spins, particularly with the earlier Pratt and Whitney TF30 engines, which had a habit of compressor stall induced instability. Good luck to any privateer willing to try and tame that, although the later General Electric F110 equipped aircraft ( F14-B and F14-D variants) didn’t suffer quite so much.

[Jermy Claxon]

I have extensive expert knowledge of that particular characteristic from many hours of studying VHS footage of one such flame out incident, and I do believe that as long as you avoid Iceman's jet wash, you should be ok.

[WH16]

SodiumThiopental said:

The F-14 is a notoriously hellishly tricky aircraft to fly. The engines are massive, with about 130kN of thrust apiece, and mounted far enough apart to allow the phoenix missiles to be mounted between them and to create a lifting body airframe effect. The upshot of that is that they don t take much provocation to put the aircraft into a flat spin. The aircraft doesn t have traditional ailerons either, which adds to the fun if they did get into trouble re flat spins. The U.S. Navy used to deliberately train for them ( spin hops as they were known) and there were several noteable accidents involving them, due to spins, particularly with the earlier Pratt and Whitney TF30 engines, which had a habit of compressor stall induced instability. Good luck to any privateer willing to try and tame that, although the later General Electric F110 equipped aircraft ( F14-B and F14-D variants) didn t suffer quite so much.

I don't think it will be flown by your typical 300hr PPL.

But thanks for your ChatGPT analysis of the flying characteristics.

[5 In a Row]

Austin Prefect said:

There was a project to get a civilian Tornado flying in the US but it seems to have gone quiet.

It was the guy that Trump has made head of NASA - can't remember his name - so maybe his attention is elsewhere, although I doubt he's hands-on.

[Skii]

Jermy Claxon said:

I have extensive expert knowledge of that particular characteristic from many hours of studying VHS footage of one such flame out incident, and I do believe that as long as you avoid Iceman's jet wash, you should be ok.

And remember there's an ejection handle between your legs too (in case you forget) ...

[SodiumThiopental]

WH16 said:

I don't think it will be flown by your typical 300hr PPL.

But thanks for your ChatGPT analysis of the flying characteristics.

I’ll tell the retired ex US Navy Ex F-14 Pilot I know, who gave me the intel, that you think ChatGPT is on a par with him, I know he’ll be impressed.

[Eric Mc]

5 In a Row said:

Austin Prefect said:

There was a project to get a civilian Tornado flying in the US but it seems to have gone quiet.

It was the guy that Trump has made head of NASA - can't remember his name - so maybe his attention is elsewhere, although I doubt he's hands-on.

Jared Isaacman

He is qualified to fly his own Northrop T-38 - amongst other types -

A-4, Alpha Jet, F-5, L-39, L-159, MB-339, MiG-29UB, T-33, along with multiple civilian jet aircraft including the Challenger 650, Citation Mustang, CitationJet and Premier.

With the correct training I'm sure he could master a Tornado. However, with his current position, I doubt he has the time.

[nikaiyo2]

I thought the USN detroyed all the F14s on retirement and the spares to make sure non could get to Iran.

[WH16]

SodiumThiopental said:

WH16 said:

I don't think it will be flown by your typical 300hr PPL.

But thanks for your ChatGPT analysis of the flying characteristics.

I ll tell the retired ex US Navy Ex F-14 Pilot I know, who gave me the intel, that you think ChatGPT is on a par with him, I know he ll be impressed.

You do that petal.

[SodiumThiopental]

Jermy Claxon said:

I have extensive expert knowledge of that particular characteristic from many hours of studying VHS footage of one such flame out incident, and I do believe that as long as you avoid Iceman's jet wash, you should be ok.

That incident was based on real life incidents. The aircrews were advised to manually shove the canopy away, then wait as long as they could hang on, before pulling the ejector handles, in order to avoid the hanging canopy issue depicted in the movie.The guy that filmed the flat spin footage, in a Pitt special aerobatics aircraft ( Art Scholl ) actually suffered a flat spin, crashed, died, and was never recovered from the sea, during production of the movie as well.

Edited by SodiumThiopental on Friday 8th May 13:38

[renmure]

Jermy Claxon said:

I have extensive expert knowledge of that particular characteristic from many hours of studying VHS footage of one such flame out incident, and I do believe that as long as you avoid Iceman's jet wash, you should be ok.

[MBBlat]

Jermy Claxon said:

I have extensive expert knowledge of that particular characteristic from many hours of studying VHS footage of one such flame out incident, and I do believe that as long as you avoid Iceman's jet wash, you should be ok.

Another F-14 incident caught on film was the F-14 vs Zero scene in the “Final Countdown” where one suffered a wing stall, 2:44 in this clip:
https://youtu.be/f3XNEWtJF0o?si=Q019jzNyavXZn0Zy

[SodiumThiopental]

MBBlat said:

Another F-14 incident caught on film was the F-14 vs Zero scene in the Final Countdown where one suffered a wing stall, 2:44 in this clip:
https://youtu.be/f3XNEWtJF0o?si=Q019jzNyavXZn0Zy

He must have absolutely shat a chicken right there.

[5 In a Row]

SodiumThiopental said:

MBBlat said:

Another F-14 incident caught on film was the F-14 vs Zero scene in the Final Countdown where one suffered a wing stall, 2:44 in this clip:
https://youtu.be/f3XNEWtJF0o?si=Q019jzNyavXZn0Zy

He must have absolutely shat a chicken right there.

You barely get to see it but there's a nice fraction of a second where the F14 starts to fly through the white smoke, it'd be great to see more of that

[aeropilot]

nikaiyo2 said:

I thought the USN detroyed all the F14s on retirement and the spares to make sure non could get to Iran.

There are loads of Tomcat's on display in US museums, what happened is they were all de-milled (supposedly) and I believe ownership was retained by the USN, and they are 'loaned' to the various museums, all part of stopping them getting into Iranian hands.
All the F14's that didn't go to museums were cut up and destroyed at AMARG after they were all retired there.......all except 2 (have seen it was 3 were kept back and saved) but only 2 are currently visible stored in the open. The rumour is its these 2 (or 3) retained examples that maybe moved elsewhere for possibly flight re-activation of one example, but I'll believe when I see it.
Its 20 years since they were last flown, and it would take a LOT of money and a lot of US aerospace industry goodwill to get one of them in the air again.......not impossible, but, not going to happen overnight either.
Shame 'Snort' Snodgrass is no longer around.