Top Gun Movie F-14's going to boneyard

[Foxcow]

I'll take SAM for 500.

lol I agree

 

[Texan Driver]

.

what about the running start climb then?
f-15 or f-14.....or even...f-104.
what would you take for the running start? form a standing start the f-15 no question.....but what if both were mach 1 to begin with down low, and then went for the climb....who would win?

I'd put my greenbacks on the F-104...

 

[RJP]

it's a shame. you see that wide expansive area between the wings? the top of the engine tunnels? well that my-friends is what makes that plane the best climbing plane over ANY of our current stock of planes. its got less power to weight...but pull it up to over 70 deg. climb.....itll outclimb anything else we got simply cause of the lifting surfaces....theyre more effective. the F-16 can go supersonic vertically......and it still cant out do the F-14....in that area.....so do your high speed pass....go vert. and nothing will catch you.

the superhornet?....anyone know if it can fire that big AIM-54? i guess thats the replacement now...

While it's obvious that you're not an aeronautical engineer, you may want to study up on the issue (as others have mentioned here) of 'thrust-to-weight ratio'. That's what makes flying things continue to go up when the items that provide lift no longer are able to do so.

The cat's had it's day. Time to go to Tucson and gather dust. And you've probably seen the end of the AIM-54 as well. AAMRAAM is much better while lacking some of the full-range of the -54.

 

[mzaharis]

While it's obvious that you're not an aeronautical engineer, you may want to study up on the issue (as others have mentioned here) of 'thrust-to-weight ratio'. That's what makes flying things continue to go up when the items that provide lift no longer are able to do so.

The cat's had it's day. Time to go to Tucson and gather dust. And you've probably seen the end of the AIM-54 as well. AAMRAAM is much better while lacking some of the full-range of the -54.

If the Air Force or Navy determines that they need a longer range missile, they'll add ramjet propulsion to an AMRAAM, or license build the European Meteor missile (already has a ramjet).

The Navy was trying to replace the AIM-54 back in 1990, when they started the AAAM project. Cancelled it with the end of the cold war, when they no longer needed to shoot down TU-142s and TU-22M3s trying to blow up carriers.

 

[RJP]

I think there would be a (small) market for used F-14's... if the US goverment will sell them (which is doubtful).

Maybe we can sell them to Iran. They've still got some from when they were our "allies".

Also, didn't it just say that the A-Model was being retired? The D will be around for a while longer. Bigger motors, bombing capability, etc.

 

[tangodelta21]

I was out in TUS covering a route a few weeks ago and went on a tour of DM out of the Pima Air Museum. They have the actual "A" that was in the movie on their "row of fame" on the base. DM is still covered with F-4's, I think they said 734(?) are still out there. I highly recomend taking the time to go to Pima if your anywhere around there, lots of neat stuff that you won't see anywhere else.