Ok was playing ace combat (I know I know nerd and all that) and it has got me thinking, what if the Tomcat program had never been scrapped. Lets say that in this scenario the disaster known as the A12 Avenger never happened. Instead the funding wasted on that failed program had been diverted at the last minute to the Tomcat program. What would we be seeing now? I know the Tomcat was limited by the age of the design but would we be seeing something similar to the Hornet program with the aircraft superseding it self with a "Super" version. So for example a F14-F Super Tomcat? And would we then see Northrop Grumman using their knowledge of stealth design to alter the F14 design enough to give it an increased stealth element?

I would personally like to think that had the Avenger Program been scrapped at the last minute in order to divert much needed fund to the Tomcat Program then the aircraft would have been developed and upgraded significantly. I also imagine that it would be possible to greatly increase the range and payload capacity while at the same time reducing weight due to the advancements in materials. We might also have seen the aircraft shrink in size due to modern components not requiring as much room as those found in the original aircraft. I imagine that the US Airforce would have been tempted to reconsider the Tomcat had it been upgraded and developed in such a way that it proved the F15 obsolete. Of course the Airforce would still be funding the F22 and F35 but would have considered the Tomcat as a (if the extra funds were managed properly) cheaper and more reliable option to replace the older F15s with to compliment the Strike Eagle.

Right I have gone on a bit but I would be interested to see what Ideas people can come up with for this and other scenarios. On a side note had the Tomcat Program received extra funding the Hornet would probably not be about but, we would still have the Cats'.

The F-14 was based off tech that was state of the art in the late 60`s. Was designed around the engines and AWG-9 radar and fulfilled the Navy`s need for a long rang carrier based interceptor not a dogfighter. At low speed with the wings out it could turn better than a Phantom but the F-15 could fly circles around a F-14.

Carrier aircraft go thru alot more stresses than land based even if you baby the crap out of them the structure eventually wear out. Once that becomes a realization the Navy choose to develop a new fighter that could do the same job plus some and that was smaller, more full efficient(as if it matter with after burners ) and could carry all the new weapons rather than spend even more to refit the F-14s.

Originally posted by StratosFear
The F-14 was based off tech that was state of the art in the late 60`s. Was designed around the engines and AWG-9 radar and fulfilled the Navy`s need for a long rang carrier based interceptor not a dogfighter. At low speed with the wings out it could turn better than a Phantom but the F-15 could fly circles around a F-14.

Carrier aircraft go thru alot more stresses than land based even if you baby the crap out of them the structure eventually wear out. Once that becomes a realization the Navy choose to develop a new fighter that could do the same job plus some and that was smaller, more full efficient(as if it matter with after burners ) and could carry all the new weapons rather than spend even more to refit the F-14s.

Actually along those lines the F14 (The F14-D thanks to its modernized(ish) computers) could carry the latest weapons, I know for a fact that the F14-D had the Program not been scrapped would have been cleared to fly the Aim-120 due to the Aim-54 stock reaching its life time at the same time as the older air frames. Had the whole fleet been upgraded to version D then it is highly likely they would have been cleared to carry modern weapon systems such as the AMRAAM.

Just to add, and don't quote me on this, but I have a feeling that the F14 was used as a test bed for the Aim-120's fire testing.