The F-14 Tomcat Fighter Had the Wrong Engine

The F-14 Tomcat Fighter Legend Just Keeps Growing

Key Points and Summary – A profile of the F-14 Tomcat highlights the “revolutionary” upgrade that created the F-14B. -The original F-14 was famous for its variable-sweep wings and two-seat Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), but its engines were problematic. In the 1980s, it received new General Electric F101/F110 engines, which “made all the difference.” -This […] The post The F-14 Tomcat Fighter Legend Just Keeps Growing appeared first on 19FortyFi…

The F-14 Tomcat Fighter Had the Wrong Engine

Key Points and Summary – The F-14 Tomcat married a superb airframe to the wrong engine. Inherited from the F-111, Pratt & Whitney TF30s were prone to compressor stalls at high AoA and abrupt throttle changes—exactly where a carrier dogfighter lives. For years, the Navy ate soaring maintenance and readiness hits until GE’s F110-GE-400 arrived in 1988, adding 30% more thrust, slashing upkeep, and birthing the F-14A+ (B) and F-14D. F-14 Tomcat. Ima…