Article 9255 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: New Fighter Series--Grumman F-14 Tomcat (6 of 14)
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Summary: F-14B 
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Date: Thu, 22 Dec 1994 21:04:11 GMT
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Almost from the start of the Tomcat project, Grumman was aware that 
the TF30-powered F-14A would be somewhat underpowered.  On February 
27, 1970, almost a year before the first flight of the F-14A, Grumman 
had suggested that a Tomcat derivative be built powered by the winner 
of the Advanced Technology Engine competition, the two contestants 
being the General Electric GE1/10 and the Pratt & Whitney JTF22.  

The Navy wrote up an new requirement (which they named VAX-2) which 
would eventually lead to a new designation of F-14B being assigned.  
It was anticipated that the F-14B would have 40 percent better turning 
radius, 21 percent better sustained g-capability, and 80 percent 
greater radius of action.  At this stage of the Tomcat project, the 
F-14A was considered only an interim type, pending the introduction of 
the definitive F-14B.  It was also proposed that all existing F-14As 
be brought up to F-14B standard.  

The winner of the engine contest was the Pratt & Whitney entry, which 
was later redesignated F401-P-400.  This engine was a derivative of 
the JTF22 Advanced Technology Engine, which had also spawned the F100 
turbofan that was used by both the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and 
the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon.  The F401-P-400 offered 
16,400 pounds of thrust dry and an afterburning thrust of 28,000 
pounds.  

The seventh Tomcat (BuNo 157986) was set aside to serve as the 
prototype.  It flew for the first time on September 12, 1973 with the 
F401-P-400 engine.  With the new engine, the thrust-to-weight ratio of 
the F-14B was raised to greater than unity, offering a much improved 
performance.  

Original plans called for the F-14B to start rolling off the 
production line with the 67th production edition, with earlier F-14As 
being converted to F-14B configuration when sufficient numbers of 
F401s became available.  However, the development of the F401 turbofan 
soon ran into serious trouble, and failed its initial flight rating 
tests.  Since the F-14A had already encountered severe cost overruns, 
and since the Navy's budget had been severely cut back at the end of 
the Southeast Asia war, the Navy decided to stick with the 
TF30-powered F-14A, and plans for the production of the F-14B were 
abandoned in April of 1974.  

Following the cancellation of the F-14B, 157986 was put into storage.  
It was brought out of storage in 1981 for evaluation of the General 
Electric F101 DFE engine, paving the way for the development of the 
F-14A(Plus) and F-14D versions.  

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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jfb@uscbu.ih.att.com
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