Top Gun Technology Retired

[Bill Glasheen]

Jets like this F-14 Tomcat made me want to be a Navy pilot when I was just a wee lad.






................................................... Breaking the sound barrier

But my dad talked me out of it. Go figure... No worries though... I grew to be just a tad too tall to be a perfect fighter pilot.



But warrior technology evolves, and the need for dependable, precise, and effective weapons remains acute. So... Happy trails to the Tomcat.

Navy's F-14 fighter jet flies its final mission

By Steven Komarow, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The F-14 Tomcat, the fighter jet that soared into the national imagination in the movie Top Gun, has flown into the danger zone for the last time.


An F-14 Tomcat launches from the USS
Theodore Roosevelt on Nov. 30, 2005.
U.S. Navy/HO, AP

The Navy announced Thursday that the last F-14 combat mission was completed Feb. 8, when a pair of Tomcats landed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt after one dropped a bomb in Iraq.

Capt. William Sizemore, who flew on that last mission, said the Tomcat will be missed.

"This is one of the best airplanes ever built, and it's sad to see it go away," Sizemore said in a Navy report from the ship. "It's just a beautiful airplane. And it just looks like the ultimate fighter."

Although still swift and deadly, the F-14 is a victim of changing times. For example:

• Sophisticated missiles have made its specialty, aerial dogfighting, obsolete. Opposing aircraft target each other from miles away, often before the pilots can see each other except on radar.

• Precision bombing is the new priority, and despite modification, the Tomcat can't carry the loads of the new F/A-18 Super Hornet.

• It's too expensive in the long run. The jet that flew its first combat missions in September 1974 requires 50 hours of maintenance, compared with five to 10 hours for the Super Hornet, for each hour of flight time.

The F-14 and its Navy pilots were at the heart of the 1986 movie Top Gun, in which Tom Cruise played Maverick, an impetuous pilot training at the Navy's elite flight school in Miramar, Calif.

Top Gun enhanced the reputation of an already legendary jet, said Adm. William Fallon, the U.S. Pacific commander and a former F-14 weapons officer.

"Potential opponents, at the mere thought there might be Tomcats around, would head off the other direction," he said.

Although the Navy is better served by the newer jets, the beautiful F-14 will be missed, Fallon said. "It was the last of the pure fighters."

[Glenn]

Jets like this F-14 Tomcat made me want to be a Navy pilot when I was just a wee lad.

I grew to be just a tad too tall to be a perfect fighter pilot.

The F-14 is a awesome plane. Fascinated by the navy jets and the stories of WWII carrier warfare, I too wanted to be a Navy pilot growing up. But in those pre-lasik days I knew my poor eyesight would not allow it.

• Sophisticated missiles have made its specialty, aerial dogfighting, obsolete. Opposing aircraft target each other from miles away, often before the pilots can see each other except on radar.

While the aerial-combat environment has definitely changed, I am a little concerned if they are eliminating dogfighting ability from aircraft requirements. Just as soon as you eliminate a feature as obsolete, it will probably be needed.

Or maybe the history buff in me just makes me old-fashioned/nostalgic!

[MikeK]

I remember my friends dads working on it, I went out to Calverton for it's coming out party, I built models of it and still have a worn out decal from the Imperial Iranian Air Force who also flew them from way back when. When I see one at an air show or in a movie I always think about the men of my neighborhood who built it.

I'll always hear that cocky cat with the six shooter saying, "Anytime baby".

[Bill Glasheen]

• It's too expensive in the long run. The jet that flew its first combat missions in September 1974 requires 50 hours of maintenance, compared with five to 10 hours for the Super Hornet, for each hour of flight time.

This alone is enough to can the Tomcat. What we see from Tomcat to Super Hornet is the onset of six sigma (and higher) methods.

Americans for a while were infamous for over-designing weapons systems to the point that they weren't dependable, were expensive to maintain, and tried to do too much. We should have learned our lessons from WWII and the Germans.

The new, improved model will do. Check out the payload capacity.



The U.S. auto industry could benefit from some of this new expertise and approach to design.

- Bill

[Bill Glasheen]

The problem with going balls-to-the-wall with dogfight capabilities primarily is one of human limitations. Biomedical engineers and the like have worked for years to design special pressure suits to keep the pilots from blacking out in high-G turns. After a certain limit, the human body just can't take any more.

Meanwhile... If you can visulize, target, and destroy your enemy from miles away, why bother? No use spilling the coffee in the cup holder.

- Bill

[MikeK]

The problem with going balls-to-the-wall with dogfight capabilities primarily is one of human limitations. Biomedical engineers and the like have worked for years to design special pressure suits to keep the pilots from blacking out in high-G turns. After a certain limit, the human body just can't take any more.

Meanwhile... If you can visulize, target, and destroy your enemy from miles away, why bother? No use spilling the coffee in the cup holder.

- Bill

Funny, but I've heard that argument before about another plane and another war.

[Tom Faigle]

Glasheen Sensei,

Count me in as another who wanted to fly jets off of carriers, but couldn't do to poor vision. My arguement in 1984 was that everything was electronic so what did vision have to do with it? And Lasik wasn't around.

As for the F-14. I saw a pair off of NC one summer. The pair did a turn and then hit the afterburners. A flash of light, a loud explosion and they were gone.

As for the F-18, One year I had the honor of being in Annapolis for the yearly air show for graduation. I got to see the Blue Angels fly from my friends sailboat. The cool thing was the creek were at was on the approach to the main grandstand. So they would come in low over us before flying out over the water. It was so close it was amazing. I'm talking just above treetop!!!

Anyway, some of us love all cool machines, plains, trains, cars, bikes.

As for aircraft, my all time favorite has to be the F4U Cosair, but I'm guessing a certain TV show in the 70's had something to do with that.

[Glenn]

The problem with going balls-to-the-wall with dogfight capabilities primarily is one of human limitations. Biomedical engineers and the like have worked for years to design special pressure suits to keep the pilots from blacking out in high-G turns. After a certain limit, the human body just can't take any more.

Meanwhile... If you can visulize, target, and destroy your enemy from miles away, why bother? No use spilling the coffee in the cup holder.

- Bill

True...but it doesn't make for thrilling tales/recounting in the cafeteria after a mission like dogfighting does.

[Glenn]

As for aircraft, my all time favorite has to be the F4U Cosair, but I'm guessing a certain TV show in the 70's had something to do with that.

Absolutely! I have a picture of an F4U-1D hanging in my cubicle. And I was hooked on the same show too!

[Bill Glasheen]

How's this, Gentlemen? All three planes in one photo!

- Bill

Corsair, Super Hornet, and Tomcat

[MikeK]

I've always loved the Convair aircraft. Peacemakers, Hustlers, the Pogo, Delta Darts, and this bad boy.


All the cool and crazy stuff that made planes fun.

[Glenn]

How's this, Gentlemen? All three planes in one photo!

- Bill

Corsair, Super Hornet, and Tomcat

I think you found a new background for my desktop! Once the Olympics are over and I remove the Torino Olympic logo that is.

Looks like a later model Corsair.

Here's some good shots, the top one is an earlier model, probably a F4U-1, and the bottom one is a later model, probably a F4U-5.

[RACastanet]

The Marines do not have Tomcats. They used the Hornets from the get go, along with Harriers. I am not a pilot but but I have been allowed to pretend on occasion. These are from my flight suit:

Biomedical engineers and the like have worked for years to design special pressure suits to keep the pilots from blacking out in high-G turns.

The pilots also do a val-salva (did I spell that correctly Bill?) in the turns and pullouts at high g-force.

The suit is a pain to get into and is uncomfortable at best.

I grew to be just a tad too tall to be a perfect fighter pilot.

I'm 6'2" and even finding a pressure suit to fit me was difficult. I have yet to meet a Marine pilot anywhere close to my height. To be honest, I would consider them all to be 'short'.

The cockpit is really too snug for someone my size.

The back seater, a weapons systems operator - whizzo in Marinese - does not need perfect vision. Glasses are allowed!

Also, to increase the pool of pilot candidates the Marines do offer corrective eye surgery to officers and will allow some pilots with less than perfect vision into the air wings.

Yeah, I love the Corsair as well and one of these days will buy the Baa Baa Black Sheep DVD set.

Rich

[Tom Faigle]

Yeah, I love the Corsair as well and one of these days will buy the Baa Baa Black Sheep DVD set.

Rich

Did it come out? I heard something about the first season. But I'm not sure where.

Tom

[RACastanet]

Yep. Check Best buy and Amazon.com. I have all 5 seasons of Combat, about 150 episodes, and as asoon as I finish that Black sheep is next.

Rich