Grumman F-14 Tomcat

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The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was an air superiority fighter, interceptor, and most recently, ground attack aircraft. The Tomcat will always be remembered as an uncompromising, honest aircraft to those who flew it.

Originally the aircraft carried up to six 120 mile range AIM-54 Phoenix missiles. As a cost savings measure these were removed on 9/30/04. It was the only aircraft to carry the missile.

Avionics of the F-14 Tomcat were capable of supporting all air-to-air combat and ground support missions. Computers monitored and provided real time information on weapons, navigation, and control systems, while a triple redundant GPS Navigator gave pin point position accuracy.

The most up to date radar of the aircraft proved extreme reliability under adverse conditions. It enabled high resolution tracking of BVR targets with no lag time, even at closing speeds up to Mach 4.0. ECM and anti-jamming technology tied in to the weapons systems and navigation controls detecting threats and avoiding them.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was equipped with LANTIRN - Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night. It enabled all weather, day or night missions against ground targets.

Some feel that by many standards the 1970's Grumman F-14 Tomcat is still superior to the present day aircraft of many air forces. They argue as to whether the aircraft that have replaced it will be able to deliver the quantity of stores over similar ranges with the same precision. However, specifications show that they can, at least on paper.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat retired from use by the United States Navy on September 22, 2006.

Specifications

        Primary Function:
        1998 US$ Cost
        Crew:
        Engines:
        Thrust:
        Weight Empty:
        Max. Weight:
        Payload:
        Fuel, Internal:
        Fuel External:
        Length:
        Wingspan Open:
        Wingspan Swept:
        Cannons:
        Hardpoints:
        Cruise Speed:
        Max. Speed:
        Climb Rate:
        Ceiling:
        Range:
        Year Deployed:

fighter/attack
$38 million
two
GE F110_GE400
2- 27,800 lbs.ea.
40,100 lbs.
74,350 lbs.
14,500 lbs.
17,340 lbs.
4,070 lbs.
61' 9"
64' 0"
38' 0"
1- 20 mm
six
610 mph
1,585 mph
45,000 fpm
55,000 feet
1,842 miles
1973

Radio Control Airplane

The rc F-14 Tomcat from Jet Mart.

Radio Control Airplanes:

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At one time Great Planes had a nice rc F-14 Tomcat for sale. Power was a .60 - .75 engine up front. Wing span was 58". EBay sometimes has these for sale.

In the picture immediately above is the 77" wing span rc F-14 Tomcat for sale from Jet Mart USA. It is turbine powered and has an all up weight of about 19 lbs.

The picture right below is of the rc F-14 Tomcat for sale by Nitro Planes. See their website for details.

You can find plans for two rc F-14 Tomcat Airplanes including one with variable swept wings at Parkjets.com. They are powered by a pusher prop or EDF's.

The second picture below is of Matt Halton's rc F-14 Tomcat with twin pusher prop power built from his plans. Swept wing span is 23". It can also be powered by 2 x Mini 480 EDF's.

Oakdale Aircraft has a larger version EDF F-14 Tomcat rc airplane. It has a 58.5" wing span and is powered by two mini 480 motors.

The third rc airplane shown below is of the 1/10 scale rc F-14 Tomcat from DCU. It is powered by two ducted fans and weighs about 23lbs.

Fly Eagle Jet Model Factory, China has a giant scale rc F-14 Tomcat for sale. Its wingspan is 103" and length is 100". Features include motorized swing wings, retracts with doors, and spoilers. You will need a pair of 21 lb. thrust turbines for power.

Hobby barn has Philip Avonds plans they would like to sell you for a rc F-14 Tomcat. Its wingspan is 80". The plans show a pair of .65 to .90 DF engines powering the model.

Green Air Designs has a rc F-14 Tomcat pusher prop for sale. Its wingspan is 28" and length is 32". A Mega 16/15/4 is the suggested motor. Weight is around 1 1/2 lbs.

EPF Hobby also has a 47" wingspan rc F-14 Tomcat kit. It can be either EDF or pusher prop powered.

The next picture on this page is of the fantastic Yellow Aircraft 1/9 giant scale 88" wing span, 83" length rc F-14 Tomcat. It can be powered by a pair of .82 or larger ducted fan engines driving 5 1/4" fans. Weight is about 30 lbs.

Jet Hanger International has a 57" wing span EDF rc F-14 Tomcat pictured next of this page. It is 48" long, made from balsa and ply with sheeted foam core wings which are movable and have provisions for retracts. You will need a pair of 69 mm EDF units for power.

The bottom two pictures on this page are of the rc F-14 Tomcat ARF from Blitz RC. Its wingspan is 44" and length is 28". It features motorized swing wings. Retracts are included, however, you will need a pair of 5000 Kv motors and 60 MM fan units.

There are two channel rc F-14 Tomcat RTF (ready to fly) models being sold by a number of toy stores. Typical wingspan is around 25". Almost all are made from very rigid foam and plastic that cracks and breaks easily. They have no ailerons or elevators and are difficult to turn and fly, especially in a breeze. Their price also varies greatly from store to store. We suggest that you buy a three or more channel model to avoid the frustration one of these rc airplanes can give you.

Karl Meister wrote to us about his rc F-14 Tomcat from Jet Hangar International. He tells us that it is a high end kit. It arrived at his home safe and sound in a well packed box. The assembly went quickly thanks to well written instructions. Flying the rc F-14 Tomcat is a great experience. It is very quick and moves out strongly at full throttle with the Medusa motors and 69 mm EDF units he uses. Take offs happen quickly with the jet leaping to life when the throttle stick is advanced just slightly. Tracking is straight and true. On its first flight the model got into the air at about 75% throttle after about a 150 foot roll. The first test of its flight characteristics was to throttle back, add up elevator, and observe its stall. It takes a while for the rc F-14 Tomcat to slow down, and once it does the tail will begin to rock back and forth a bit and the ailerons will stop being effective. With almost full up elevator, the right wing drops. However, adding throttle and gently pulling back on the elevator gets the plane flying again in short order. The model acted like it was a little tail heavy, and during its landing approach it rocked back and forth a bit. However, it sat down easily. When the c/g was checked out it turned out that the rc F-14 Tomcat balanced properly with the gear down. However, retracting the gear moved the c/g slightly rearward. For the next flight the c/g was adjusted with the gear retracted. With that taken care of, the jet flew great. On subsequent flights it was found that applying throttle more quickly resulted in lift offs of 120 feet or less. The rc F-14 Tomcat responds quickly to control inputs, while maintaining a solid flight attitude. A radar gun at the field recording one high speed pass of 133 mph. Vertical flight is unlimited and the rc F-14 Tomcat seems to gather speed when climbing. The roll rate is a bit on the slow side for a rc model, with a full roll taking about 1 1/2 seconds. The only caution that Karl has for a first time Jet Hangar International rc F-14 Tomcat pilot is to give the model lots of room when landing because it holds its speed very well.

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