Faster: Hornet or Tomcat?

[Typhoon1244]

Not the most important question ever asked here, but...

I just heard a reporter assert that the F-18 is the fastest aircraft in the Navy's inventory. I always assumed the F-14 had that distinction.

Which is it?

 

[banned username 2]

I think it is the F-14 Tomcat by a fair margin...

Not sure about the new F-18E/F Super Hornet, though...

 

[StrykerFL]

Try as hard as they may, the Hornet will never truly be able to replace the Turkey. It just doesn’t have the payload capacity, speed or legs to match up. It’s a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** shame to see such a beautiful bird be phased out.

 

[BobbyB]

Quite accurate comments ABOUT the media, but not BY the media. The Tomcat is way faster, but the E/F can go supersonic below 10K, as can the old Hornet. In the word of Lou Reed "you can't believe anything you hear and only half of what you read."

 

[JimNtexas]

" At 10,000 feet, the F-14D can exceed Mach 1.6."

Only M1.6! What a POS. How do they stay awake driving in the slow lane like that????????


Varks forever!!!

 

[Draginass]

Alright. How about comparing fuel flows at max mach.

 

[banned username 2]

" At 10,000 feet, the F-14D can exceed Mach 1.6."

Only M1.6! What a POS. How do they stay awake driving in the slow lane like that????????


Varks forever!!!

What does the "Vark" do at 10,000 ft? I heard they are exceptionally fast (but also exceptionally ugly, no offense!)

 

[JimNtexas]

"What does the "Vark" do at 10,000 ft? I heard they are exceptionally fast (but also exceptionally ugly, no offense!)"

Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure the F-111F can beat M1.6 at 10000 feet, and the F-111A/E gets close. In my time we went fast either very low or very high. The EF-111 (the slowest Vark) could easily run low at 520 knots, and could push 580kts. The fastest I ever went was ~M1.9 at high alitutude. IIRC the EF's redline was M2.2, but it wasn't happy that fast. There wasn't much reason to fly that fast.

The F-111F with its much more powerful motors could easily exceed 600 knots low and M2.5 at high altitude.

All kidding aside, the F-14 is like a Vark that been on a diet and lost 25,000 lbs. It has very similar engines and I'm sure its very fast.

I'm not 100% sure it has quite low altiitude speed or very high red line of the Vark, but I could be wrong.

 

[Chunk]

Alright. How about comparing fuel flows at max mach.

The hornet will *never* win in that category....dudes were always looking for opportunity give. Three grand for 5 minutes of ragin' time from what I heard.

 

[pony251]

S-3's

Chunk, as a former hornet guy, that is why you should never P*** off the guys with the gas. I've been hooked up by many a bro' in the S-3 community and was always thankful.

 

[Chunk]

Can I convert any of that full bag o' gas love into a job? Have any leads?

 

[pony251]

Jobs

I wish I could help you Bro. I am furloughed myself. You can have my spot at ACA if they ever recall. I was lucky enough to find a job in the real world that payed very well and got into a guard flying job as well. I highly recommend the reserves. You might be surprised to find out how valuable your military experience is outside civilian aviation. I am not going to go back and make slave wages anymore. I certainly wish my buds still at ACA good luck with the LCC.
BTW, were you ever with CVW-1 or CVW-3.

 

[Chunk]

CAG ONE...VS-32 Maulers. 97-99

Okinawa for the rest of my time trapped in P-3 hell...

 

[kelleyadai]

yes yes...

Over Iraq, we would CAP with hornets.

We would get on station, CAP for 30 minutes, watch the hornets leave to get gas while we CAPed and then did another 30 with them after they got back.

However, everything is so "joint" now..there is always gas to be had.

I have done 1.5 Mach at sea level....it rips the paint off your forward edges and makes work for the airframers!