F-14 Tomcat: History, Performance & Discussion

Machinery of War Discussion Aircraft
4546

The problem isn’t simply aerodynamic heating or a Mach 1 limitation. The AIM-54A requires the aircraft to supply liquid coolant to regulate the temperature of its internal electronics, including the radar seeker. This system is necessary for the missile’s proper operation, not just to prevent overheating during supersonic flight. Flying below Mach 1 doesn’t eliminate that requirement.

The AIM-54C ECCM/Sealed was specifically modified to eliminate the need for liquid thermal conditioning from the aircraft. The F-14D lacks the external liquid cooling system required by the AIM-54A.

More importantly, the US Navy’s 1993 VF-2 Command History explicitly states that the AIM-54A is incompatible with the F-14D.

So even if Gaijin is basing its implementation on technical capabilities rather than historical loadouts, physically carrying a missile doesn’t necessarily mean the aircraft can operate it. The issue is the lack of the required cooling system, not simply a flight speed restriction.

5 Likes
4547

the F-14D could theoretically use the AGM-154 JSOW. They should add it

4548

man its already terrifying enough to face in NE I dont think it needs more stuff.

4549

How? Doesn’t it face the whole rank 8 vehicles? Aim54 should be the less threatening thing their is even ai aaa are more threatening than aim54

2 Likes
4550

I got absolutely violated by a F-14D player in NE today, first time ive seen a tomcat player that actually knows how to fly.

I was trapped at Mpath and ate several 9Ms in my hornet. Its the first time (other than SU30 premiums) that ive felt like i couldnt really take a plane on 1v1 in a hornet with ease. Hornets need to go up but holy crap that was a brutal faceoff.

Really wasnt expecting such capability from the plane beyond being a played by zombies spamming AIM-54s like in ARB

4551

You struggle against the f14D in a f/a-18🤨 that’s that’s something… I mean f14 can dogfight but man that’s something
We’ll at the same time being stuck to multiple path bc of ai aaa is understandable in NE

1 Like
4552

I was in the F/A-18a. didnt have aim-7p to be an absurd crutch or HMD to get off boresight sidewinder locks

a tomcat seems to be able to keep a hornet off its tail just about well enough on the merge for a hornet to become slow and dead in the air.

I genuinely couldnt get him into a spot where i could get a 7F off at him without multipath screwing it up or before he got a 9M off at me.

Ive genuinely never had a tough time in a hornet like that before, major respect for the player.

We were both over the sea doing carrier based sorties, you dont really need to care about the SAM spam over the seas, just to protect yourself from hornets and such

4553

Well It dose impress when underestimated

4554

Like i said, first time ive faced a tomcat played by a player with a brain (AKA: not a normal US player)

I was quickly humbled. especially as their 9Ms IRCCM was working which is quite lucky for him, that missile is quite unreliable at times.

4555

that document dosent even say that the F-14D is compatible with the JSOW

4556

Oh you have the document?

4557

it uses words like “current projections” and " will be"

1 Like
4558

i read what you posted here

and it dosent say that the F-14D is compatible with the JSOW

at best it says that they planed to integrate it at some point

4559

Oh than you just assuming like how gajin will have to with most planes in game…
Well here Unitary Joint Standoff Captive Air Training Missile avionics design through operational concepts and functional requirements analysis : Reilly, Dennis J. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Maybe you have enough time to read it
Maybe it’ll show what capable of what

4560

you are the one that is making assumptions
at no point what you posted said that the JSOW is compatible with the F-14D

at best it shows that there might have been plans

or show me the point where that Thesis says that the JSOW was actually integrated into the F-14D
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ontop of that it is about simulating the JSOW for training and not how to integrate it onto planes
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and the thesis says that it is only certainly planed for the F/A-18C/D and F-16C/D
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so at no point does the Thesis say that the F-14D got the JSOW integrated
or that it is compatible with it

3 Likes
4561

Well I asked if anyone knew what happened to f14D w/ jsow so no I didn’t make assumptions you did off a single page so I asked you if you have seen the doc to see if you had other sources

3 Likes
4562

you told me i made assumptions
because i laid out what your own screenshot said

i can also tell you why the F-14D didnt get the JSOW
because it wasnt picked by the navy unlike the Superhornet

4563

Exactly off a single page how’s that enough information to base what’s capable of what

4564

so you are still arguing

why?
do you have any concrete proof?
because that thesis isnt

4565

No? Thats why I asked the forums… you based it off a single page so I asked if you had any other sources or seen it before because honestly you read it pretty fast as well so what’s hard to understand?