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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: New Fighter Series--Grumman F-14 Tomcat (1 of 14)
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Summary: Origin of F-14
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Date: Sun, 18 Dec 1994 23:10:49 GMT
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The Grumman F-14 Tomcat carrier-based interceptor fighter is a 
relatively elderly design by contemporary world standards, but 
continual developments and improvements have maintained its 
capabilities to the extent that it is still a potent threat and an 
effective deterrent to any hostile air force unwise enough to threaten 
US Navy carrier battle groups.  Its mix of air-to-air weapons is 
unmatched by any other interceptor type, and its radar is the most capable 
long-range airborne interception radar carried by any fighter today.  
With its mix of weapons, it can attack any target at any altitude from 
ranges between only a few hundred feet to over 100 miles away.  

A total of 556 F-14As were procured for the US Navy, while 80 roughly 
similar machines were purchased by the Iranian government before the 
downfall of the Shah.  The improved F-14B and F-14D have been built 
and deployed by the Navy in modest numbers.  

The Grumman Aircraft Corporation of Bethpage, Long Island had 
dominated the market for US Navy carrier-based fighters ever since the 
early 1930s, creating one successful design after another.  The FF, 
F2F and F3F biplane fighters, the F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat 
monoplane fighters of the Second World War, and the postwar F8F 
Bearcat and the jet-powered F9F Panther and Cougar fighters had 
dominated the decks of Navy carriers for nearly three decades.  
However, by the mid-1950s the Grumman company seemed to be running out 
of gas and was beginning to lose its edge over its competitors.  In 
1953, the company's Design 97 proposal, a single-seat fighter powered 
by a single Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet, lost out to the Vought F8U 
Crusader.  The Design 118 project, a two-seat missile-armed 
interceptor powered by a pair of General Electric J79 turbojets, had 
initially been ordered by the Navy as the F12F-1, but was cancelled in 
favor of the McDonnell XF4H-1 Phantom in 1955 before any aircraft 
could be built.  Even the successful Design 98 (F11F Tiger) had its 
production career cut short in favor of more Crusaders for the Fleet.  

In the early 1960s, In search of more business, Grumman had 
collaborated with General Dynamics in the development of a 
carrier-based escort fighter version of the TFX, the F-111B.  The 
F-111B had the same swing-wing geometry as did the F-111A Air Force 
tactical fighter version, but was equipped with a Hughes AN/AWG-9 long 
range search radar and was armed with a battery of six Hughes AIM-54 
Phoenix long-range air-to-air missiles.  It was powered by a pair of 
Pratt & Whitney TF30 turbofans.  However, as the 1960s wore on, the 
F-111B began to encounter some severe difficulties, especially with an 
ever-increasing weight.  In spite of herculean efforts on the part of 
Grumman, the weight problems ultimately proved to be incurable, and 
the axe finally fell in May of 1968, when the US Congress refused to 
fund F-111B production, officially terminating the program.  

Even before the final cancellation took place, Grumman management had 
seen the handwriting on the wall with the trouble-ridden F-111B 
program.  They concluded that they had better have some sort of 
alternative project in mind should the F-111B project end up being 
cancelled, lest the successful Grumman line of Navy fighters come to 
an end.  Consequently, even before the F-111B project was officially 
terminated, Grumman began work on a company-funded project known as 
Design 303.  The basic goals of Design 303 were to combine the 
particular aptitudes of the F-111B with capabilities that would be 
superior to those of the McDonnell F-4 Phantom, particularly in the 
air superiority, escort fighter, and deck-launched interception role.  
At an early stage, Grumman decided on a tandem rather than a 
side-by-side seating arrangement for the two crew members.  The 
armament was to consist of a mix of Sparrow semi-active radar homing 
missiles, Sidewinder infrared homing missiles, and Phoenix long-range 
missiles.  A built-in 20-mm rotary cannon was to be included as 
standard equipment.  

On June 18, 1968, only a month after the F-111B project was cancelled, 
the Navy issued a request for Contract Definition Phase proposals in 
search of an alternative.  The RFP issued to the industry a month 
later specifically mentioned a requirement for a fleet defense fighter 
with tandem two-seat crew accommodations, a mix of short, medium, and 
long-range missiles, an internal cannon, two TF-30 turbofans, and 
track-while-scan long-range radar.  The new fighter was to be capable 
of patrolling 100-200 miles from its carrier, remaining on station for 
up to two hours.  A secondary close support role was also envisaged 
for the aircraft, and the plane was to be capable of carrying up to 
14,500 pounds of bombs.  Maximum speed was to be Mach 2.2 

Grumman, General Dynamics, Ling-Temco-Vought, McDonnell Douglas, and 
North American Rockwell submitted bids.  Four out of five of the 
submissions were for variable-geometry designs.  In December 1968, 
Grumman and McDonnell Douglas were selected as finalists.  Grumman had 
the inside track in this particular contest, and was announced as the 
winner on January 14, 1969.  The designation F-14 was assigned.  
Grumman was awarded a research, development, test, and evaluation 
contract on February 3, 1969.  During fiscal year 1971, contracts were 
signed for 12 prototypes and 26 production aircraft.  

The project which Grumman's design team, led by Mike Pelehach, had 
submitted was for a two-seat, twin jet aircraft with the pilot and 
weapons system officer seated in tandem under a single elongated 
canopy.  The powerplant was to be a pair of afterburning Pratt & 
Whitney TF30 turbofans, which had also powered the abortive F-111B.  

A description of the F-14 will follow in the next two articles.  

Sources:

   Grumman Aircraft Since 1919, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute
   Press, 1989.

   Grumman F-14 Tomcat, Doug Richardson, Osprey, 1987.

   F-14 Tomcat: Fleet Defender, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower
   Journal, Vol 7, 1991.
 
   Grumman F-14 Tomcat Variant Briefing, World Airpower Journal,
   Vol. 19, 1994.

   The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, 
   Orion, 1987.

   Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft, Volume 1, David Donald
   and Jon Lake, AirTime, 1994.

   The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft, Gallery Books, 1989. 

Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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