Debate! F-14D or F/A-18E?

[Danger Zone Wolfie]

All righty. Anyone who's known me more than three minutes knows about my favorite jet. And you should all be able to tell just by looking at my avatar and signature that I'm a Tomcat enthusiast.

Well, Tomcats are being decommissioned at the end of this year. That makes me very upset, as I'm extermely uncomfortable with the decline of the Tomcat era (yes, era. They've been in service for roughly 36 years, demmit. They get an "era" of their own.) coming so soon after I fall in love with the plane. However, there's not much I can do about that.

What I can do is ask you which plane you prefer: The F-14D Super Tomcat or the fighter/attack jet the government plans to replace it with: the F/A-18E Super Hornet.


Specs: F-14

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (Pilot and Radar Intercept Officer)
Length: 61 ft 9 in (18.6 m)
Wingspan: 64 ft (19 m) unswept, 38 ft (11.4 m) swept
Height: 16 ft (4.8 m)
Wing area: 565 ft² (54.5 m²)
Maximum takeoff: 72,900 lb (32,805 kg)
Powerplant: F-14B/D: 2x General Electric F110-GE-400 turbofans, 16,610 lbf (74 kN) each, 27,000 lbf (120 kN) with afterburner

Performance
Maximum speed: 1,544 mph (2,485 km/h) Mach 2.34
Combat radius: 576 miles (927 km)
Service ceiling: 50,000+ ft (15,000+ m)
Rate of climb: F-14B/D: 45,000+ ft/min (13715+ m/min)
Wing loading: 113.4 lb/ft² (553.9 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: F-14A: 0.72 lbf/lb (7.1 N/kg)

Armament
13,000 lb (5,900 kg) of ordinance including;
Guns: 1x M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling Gun
Missiles: AIM-54 Phoenix, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air
Loading configurations:
2x AIM-9 + 6x AIM-54
2x AIM-9 + 2x AIM-54 + 3x AIM-7
2x AIM-9 + 4x AIM-54 + 2x AIM-7
2x AIM-9 + 6x AIM-7
4x AIM-9 + 4x AIM-54
4x AIM-9 + 4x AIM-7
Bombs: GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-16, GBU-24, GBU-24E Paveway I/II/III LGB, GBU-31, GBU-38 JDAM, Mk 20 Rockeye, Mk-82, Mk-83 and Mk-84 series iron bombs


Specs: F/A-18

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 56 ft 4 in (17.1 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft (12.3 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.7 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)

Weights
Empty: 24,700 lb (11,200 kg)
Fighter/loaded: 37,150 lb (16,850 kg)
Maximum takeoff: 51,550 lb (23,400 kg)

Powerplant
Engine: 2x General Electric F404-GE-402 enhance performance turbofans
Thrust: 17,751 lbf per engine (79 kN) thrust

Performance
Maximum speed: Mach 1.7
Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15,000 m)
Thrust/weight: >1

Armament

Nine pylons; 2 wingtip; 4 underwing; 3 fusalage carrying missiles, rockets, bombs, fuel tanks, and pods
Guns: M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling gun
Missiles:
-Air-to-air: AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-7 Sparrow
-Air-to-ground: AGM-45_Shrike, AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88 HARM, SLAM-ER, JSOW
-Anti-ship: AGM-84 Harthingy
Bombs: CBU-87 cluster, CBU-89 gator mine, CBU-97, Paveway, JDAM, Mk 80 series, nuclear bombs


As for my opinion, the commentary of one Tomcat pilot sums everything up for me.

"Its the same old Hornet shit, repackaged, which was designed to keep the politicians happy." He said that "it can never match the Tomcat's long range, (Mach) 2.4 speed and predator mystique. The capability the Tomcat has for speed is amazing, there is not another plane in the Navy's inventory that can come anywhere close to it. You look at the plane on the ground and it looks intimidating, it looks like something that is made for war. I hope the liberal (BEEP) who thought the Hornet could replace this avaition masterpiece rots in hell."

I can give you specs and personal opinion, but if you want to see them in action, go right ahead. In fact, I recommend it.
-- You want to see the F-14? Either go to Iraq and watch them in their last combat mission before decommissioning or rent Top Gun.
-- You want to see the F/A-18? Go see the Blue Angels; they're currently flying F/A-18 Super Hornets.

So... what do you think?

[Katarea Arin Idieko]

Very well said, I agree with you of course, but it makes Kat very sad that you don't share her love for the F/A-18 Super Hornet ;-; I love Tomcats just the same and you know it. Although I find them a bit over-rated, I feel that they will do an outstanding job, just not so much as the F-14's have. Nothing can compare.

>.< Now I feel stupid for having a remote control F/A-18 Super Hornet. *cries*

But for the record, I'll remain of fan of yes...the enemy MIG-31 Foxhound.

[Danger Zone Wolfie]

Damn straight! Nothing will ever compare to the Tomcat. It's an awesome weapon, it's a permanent fixture in military history, and it's had a huge effect on media and industry -- come on, now, tell me you've never seen Top Gun. Tell me you've never played a flight simulator video game that had the Tomcat as an option. Tell me you don't look at the SWAT Kats' Turbokat and think "modified Tomcat." Tell me you've never read a Stephen Coonts novel. Tell me you've never seen a model F-14 on the shelf in the local hobby shop. Tell me you've never so much as heard the phrase "F-14 Tomcat."

There's nothing like it. It's a phenomenon in its own right. It deserves to go out in a blaze of glory or not go out at all. Believe me, it's not like Kat and I are the only two people in the world who feel this way. If we were, would there be a Tomcatter's Association? Tomcat Appreciation Day? Tomcat Sunset?

And, Kat, you're not stupid for having a remote-controlled F/A-18. Have you counted just how many Hornets are in my bedroom? (Actually, counting the ones on the posters, there are eleven...)

Just because I don't trust the Russkis doesn't mean I have a problem with their technology. There's nothing wrong with Russian planes. I like the MiG-29 Fulcrum and the Su-24MP Fencer-F...

[Katarea Arin Idieko]

Oh oh oh!!! I have a Fulcrum in my room <3, I luff it almost as much as I like the 31 Foxhound

[Danger Zone Wolfie]

Yeah, I remember your MiG-29. (...You named it Miggy, correct?) MiG-29 Fulcrum = Russki 'equivalent' of F-14D Super Tomcat.

[Katarea Arin Idieko]

Indeed you are correct, -nod- his name is Miggy! Oh really I had no Idea. Well I'm guessing now I do ha ha. You know what a good plane is....B-52 dur! ^_^

[Danger Zone Wolfie]

Ja, ja! Most certainly. The B-52 Stratofortress is another one of the unrivaled planes that have (sadly moreso than the Tomcat) stood up to the test of time -- and it's predicted to continue doing so until about 2045 (half of the airframes are older than Mama Hen and they're not supposed to be retired until you and I are in our 50's! ).

Go read Flight of the Old Dog already so I can rant to you about the EB-52 Megafortress "Flying Battleship." Or give it back to me so I can re-read it and use it for my report on Dale Brown. XD