dlj@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (david.l.jacobowitz) (06/29/89)
From: dlj@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (david.l.jacobowitz) In article <7832@cbnews.ATT.COM>, fjs@floyd.ATT.COM writes: <much text deleted> > But cost overruns, budget, and time-to-production ended the ATE > engine in the early 70's... > P&W did the come up with improved engines, but there was never enough > money... > Come 1977 there was only $15M in NAVY funding for engine > development and NO money for 1978... > Hence the F110-GE-400 was born for the F-14D Tomcat (SuperTomcat). > But no money was available for this plane... How is it that there never seems to be enough money for Navy (i.e. Tomcat) aircraft improvements, while the Air Force has had money for the F-15 models A,B,C,and D; the F-16 models A,B,C; the F-111A,C,D,E,F,...ad infinitim. Is it just me or does the Navy always seem to have more of a problem than the Air Force persuading Congress to provide dollars for aircraft improvement? [mod.note: Well, to put things in perspective, how many nuclear carriers has the Air Force received funding for lately ? 8-) - Bill ] Those Tomcat upgrades are essential in view of 1) the Billion Dollar Carriers they are supposed to be protecting (now from those super-maneuverable Mig-29s and Su-27s with their thrust/weight ratios greater than unity), and 2) the highly trained pilots whose lives depend on their engines being reliable. Pilots have been killed because Congress hasn't provided funds to replace those TF-30s with more reliable (and smokeless) engines. Maybe this will change with the F-14A+. But I doubt it. I don't think funds have been allocated to retrofit all existing F-14As to F-14A+. There also doesn't seem to be enough money for the Northrop TCS (Television Camera System). Briefly, this is a video camera slaved to the Tomcat main radar, that would provide a visual picture of a target for identification out Beyond Visual Range (pilots claim that targets can be identified out to 20 miles). While this item has been installed in a very few F-14As, funds have not been allocated for general Tomcat installation. The Tomcat's effectiveness is greatly impaired by requiring it to identify targets visually prior to engagement. Those long-range Phoenixes and medium-range Sparrows (the Great White Hope) are next-to-useless at visual ranges. The TCS would restore some of the BVR killing power of the Tomcat, providing significant additional protection to the carrier. Preliminary indications are that the Soviet Su-27 has some type of TCS to go along with its' AA-10 long-range radar-guided missiles. How can this *not* be installed in the F-14? -------------------------------------------------------------------- Dave J. usual disclaimer implied ark2!dlj
fjs@floyd.ATT.COM (06/30/89)
From: fjs@floyd.ATT.COM In article <7858@cbnews.ATT.COM>, dlj@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (david.l.jacobowitz) writes: > I don't think funds have been allocated to retrofit all > existing F-14As to F-14A+. Only 38 F-14A+ Tomcats are contracted to be new production aircraft, and 32 fleet aircraft are to be retrofitted to the F-14A+ variant. The last aircraft due to ship in February 1990. The NAVY _was_ supposed to buy 527 F-14D Tomcats. Of these 400 were to be fleet F-14A remanufactured to the 'D' configuration, and build only 127 brandy new aircraft. The NAVY originally asked for 18 in 1990 (12 new, 6 converts), and 24 in 1991 (12 new, 12 converts) with the first scheduled for delivery in March 1990. > There also doesn't seem to be enough money for the Northrop TCS > (Television Camera System). > While this item has been installed in a very few F-14As, funds have > not been allocated for general Tomcat installation. There were plans to have the TCS on every F-14D Tomcat, with possible enhancement for night capability. But this is going back 2 years. The NAVY changes its mind every day. :-) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fred J. Shubert | "You haven't lived until you've seen a 'cat fly!!!" AT&T Bell Labs |----------------------------------------------------- Whippany, N.J. | DISCLAIMER: All views are that of my own. PERIOD. Ma-Bell 201-386-3094 | Who else could be so 'cat crazy!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \ _ / \ /^ ^\ / F-14D ____________\_( . )_/____________ SUPERTOMCATS --*/--|_| (___) |_|--\*-- RULE * O O * (I Love 'Em) Write your congressperson and get the F-14D SuperTomcat back into the sky.