Impressive Climb Rate of The F-14A+ and F-14D

As we knew that main difference between F-14D and primary version of F-14 is the D version was equipped with F110-GE-400 whereas those original version have TF30 fitted.
According to Yefim Golden who wrote many books reference aircraft introduction, the F-14A+ are able to reach altitude of 18,000 meter within 50 seconds.
Is it possible?

Well, i can not attest to the actual climb rate numbers but i can say...

i feel the need, the need for speed...





One of the sexiest of the fighters in my humble.

Originally posted by emile
As we knew that main difference between F-14D and primary version of F-14 is the D version was equipped with F110-GE-400 whereas those original version have TF30 fitted.
According to Yefim Golden who wrote many books reference aircraft introduction, the F-14A+ are able to reach altitude of 18,000 meter within 50 seconds.

Is it possible?

I think that is stretching it a bit.

The specially prepared, time to climb record setting F-15 Streak Eagle took 77 seconds to 15,000 meters and 122 seconds to 20,000 meters.

At 7:11 in the video below, the Streak Eagles 20,000 meter record flight showing nearly 117 seconds to 18000 meters (59,000 ft)



I don't see a 15,000lb heavier F-110 powered F-14 coming close.

reply to post by emile

Given you speed over distance in a straight up full afterburner climb, the F14 (or any aircraft) would have to be traveling at @800 + MPH to achieve 18000 Meters in 50 seconds. That is faster than Mach 1 in a vertical climb. Not sure about that. That is a tremendous climb rate.

The F14 thrust to weight ratio is listed as almost 1 to 1. That is, with a limited load and limited fuel it can accelerate in a vertical climb. That height in less than a minute would be a neat trick. It would have to break the sound barrier and some as it climbed.

The maximum ceiling of the jet is listed at approx. 60,000 feet. At that altitude the engines begin to starve for oxygen and lose power. So a stall at the top of that climb would be expected as the jet reached its performance limit.

the tomcat that was one bad ass aircraft.
but best to my knowledge, they are no longer in service in the U.S.

from the wiki

The last American F-14 combat mission was completed on 8 February 2006, when a pair of Tomcats landed aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) after one dropped a bomb over Iraq. During their final deployment with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), VF-31 and VF-213 collectively completed 1,163 combat sorties totaling 6,876 flight hours, and dropped 9,500 lb (4,300 kg) of ordnance during reconnaissance, surveillance, and close air support missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[50] The USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) launched an F-14D, of VF-31, for the last time on 28 July 2006; piloted by Lt. Blake Coleman and Lt. Cmdr Dave Lauderbaugh as RIO.[51] The official final flight retirement ceremony was on 22 September 2006 at Naval Air Station Oceana, and was flown by Lt. Cmdr. Chris Richard and Lt. Mike Petronis as RIO in a backup F-14 after the primary aircraft experienced mechanical problems.[52][53] The actual last flight of an F-14 in U.S. service took place 4 October 2006, when an F-14D of VF-31 was ferried from Oceana to Republic Airport on Long Island, NY.[53] The remaining intact F-14 aircraft in the U.S. were stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group "Boneyard", at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, before being shredded to prevent any components from being acquired by Iran.[54]

and i think your mistaken about the engine.

this from the wiki

The final variant of the F-14 was the F-14D Super Tomcat. The F-14D variant was first delivered in 1991. The original TF-30 engines were replaced with GE F110-400 engines, similar to the F-14B. The F-14D also included newer digital avionics systems including a glass cockpit and replaced the AWG-9 with the newer AN/APG-71 radar. Other systems included the Airborne Self Protection Jammer (ASPJ), Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS), SJU-17(V) Naval Aircrew Common Ejection Seats (NACES) and Infra-red search
and track (IRST).[69]

here's the wiki link
Grumman F-14 Tomcat

iran is the only country left flying the tomcat, i read some where that their plane are in sucj bad shape that their pilots are afraid to fly them. although i have not found it again the wiki says they have 44 and they claim 25 are operational.

eta: i could have sworn that you had another engine listed, sorry about the ex-text about the engine.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot

At 7:11 in the video below, the Streak Eagles 20,000 meter record flight showing nearly 117 seconds to 18000 meters (59,000 ft)

Very impressive. Thanks for finding the video. It also stated that acceleration thru the speed of sound was achieved in the vertical. I also noted that the record to 60,000 was not purely vertical but a combination of Immelman and 55 degree climb to achieve that height in just under 2 minutes. I am assuming that this record was achieved unarmed with a light fuel load.

Wonder what a fully loaded climb and time to service ceiling would be?

I'm not a numbers guy but seeing those fighters, all of them, take off out of Qatar and go straight vertical it seemed was an amazing site to see. Tactical departure. Gotta love it!

I can remember when I was 18 and I watched testing of the F-14 taking place at the PAX River Naval Air Station. That was one bad mamba jamba...the plane was tested out over the Chesapeake...I would watch as the plane would hurtle over the water, throwing up vertical spray behind it, and then pull up in a direct vertical climb like a rocket with afterburners...I have no idea of final height or time to reach apex, but I can tell you it was close to one minute, give or take a few seconds...

reply to post by intrptr


The Streak Eagle had EVERYTHING stripped. No radar, no FCS, no PAINT (saved something like 300 pounds). It was very highly nodified from a standard F-15.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Ty for that reply. Records are broken sometimes with the utmost attention paid to detail. Did you catch that record flight on the YouTube provided by Drunken Parrot?

Said that the time to altitude was faster than the SATURN V.

Ziiiing... at 4:25 in here.

Originally posted by emile
As we knew that main difference between F-14D and primary version of F-14 is the D version was equipped with F110-GE-400 whereas those original version have TF30 fitted.
According to Yefim Golden who wrote many books reference aircraft introduction, the F-14A+ are able to reach altitude of 18,000 meter within 50 seconds.

Is it possible?

From a carrier, sure. The Cat helps, still the best Naval fighter ever built in my opinion. The Navy was stupid for accepting the Supper Bee as a replacement. The F-18 super does not fly fast enough to run down enemy aircraft and incoming missiles.

F-14 was the best Naval interceptor in the world. PERIOD. The range and speed with its Phoenix missiles was and is what the navy still needs today.

The good 'ol English Electric Lightning would still beat ALL of them in a beer drinking and arm wrestling contest.Also it's rate of climb isn't too bad for something 20 years or more older than the F14 and F15......
(The pilot pulls the stick back at 0.52 secs,then 30,000 feet in exactly 1 minute)


Sadly ZU-BEX has since crashed and was one of the very last airworthy Lightnings in the world.

reply to post by intrptr


Years ago I saw all four take off from McDill as fast as they could. The F-14 was the most impressive because it was almost twice the size of the F-15 although the 15 took off like a dam bottle rocket straight up after what looked like a short roll.

The Super Bee wasn't that much slower than the F-14. The standard F-18 was tho.

However, nothing can spread its wings and do a super slow angle of attack, the dam thing was pointed almost straight up while it seemed to slowly hover down the path of the run way. You want to talk about loud, I couldn't hear for awhile lol.

reply to post by Patriotsrevenge


The F-15 on average was bigger than the F-14. The F-14 was heavier, due to having to be beefier to land on a carrier, but the F-15 was longer, taller, had more wing area, and carried more fuel. The F-15 was a better all around fighter, but the F-14 wasn't designed as a fighter, it was an interceptor designed to use the AIM-54 to shoot down incoming missiles and aircraft from long range, not mix it up in a knife fight, although it could do that pretty well too.

Still nothing beats our new toy

Did this take what five seconds till wheels up?

www.youtube.com...

This is true horsepower here. The thrust to weight on the F-22 is mind boggling.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Sure as hell did not look that way seeing both of them in person. I love both planes. If they would put Raptor engines in the F-18 Super then they would have the best of both worlds. The Super Bee is a very agile dog fighter and has even taken out F-15s at Red Flag.

I just watched pissed off pilot showing the world the respect his plane deserves. From what I see the Super Bee can easily handle the new EuroFighter in a dog fight.

I cant find the video now but dam he flew moves I did not think the F-18 could pull off.

reply to post by Patriotsrevenge


It's 1.05 or 1.26 with loaded weight and 50% fuel. The F-15 is 1:1, just about everything else is just under 1:1.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Don't forget about the Phoenix Missile system. The F14 could see a hundred objects, track14 of them and engage 6 simultaneously with the Phoenix at a 100 miles or more.

Fire and forget. Theres footage of that somewhere.

reply to post by intrptr


The problem with the Phoenix was that it was relatively easy to dodge. It could be seen on radar coming, and wasn't really designed to go up against fighters. It was designed to be fired into flights of bombers, that had to fly fairly slowly, and on a pretty fixed course, and couldn't maneuver hard. When it came to fighters, that was a different story. That's if it didn't just explode when you fired it, or at any point along the path it was taking to the target.

reply to post by Zaphod58

Whered you hear all that failure from? It was in service at a time during the cold war and even though not utilized to its fullest potential (because the cold war remained cold) it was in service for almost thirty years. You don't deterrent with a failure.

en.wikipedia.org...