USN "End of An Era"; F-14 Retires After 36 Years

[Guest]

From the Strategy Page (I like this stuff!):

The USN Notes The Passing of an Era
October 2, 2006: In September, 2006, the U.S. F-14 fighter retired after 36 years of service. A number of naval aviators timed their retirement parties to coincide with the F-14 retirement ceremonies. For many of these pilots, the retirement of the F-14 was the end of an era in more ways than one. The retirement of the F-14 reminded everyone that there are no longer any pure fighter squadrons in the U.S. Navy. All the squadrons have dual purpose aircraft, mainly the F-18. Officially, it's the F/A-18, meaning that the F-18 performs both bombing ("A" for "Attack") and fighter ("F" for "Fighter") duties. This is largely due to the fact that there are few nations that can put up much of a fight against carrier fighter aircraft, so more emphasis is now placed on bombing. There are a lot more nations out there in need of a good bombing than can protect their own air space.

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heh

mh

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[freeflir29 0]

I'm surprised they kept it this long. Probably because of the whole "Top Gun" phenomenon. It's a BIT outdated.

[Guest]

Not really. The Navy kept the A-6 in service for about the same length of time.

The Navy tends to keep improving what it's got, rather than going after new toys the way the AF does.

This makes sense. CV operations are very hard on airplanes (consider the environment that they have to operate in for months on end), so procurement is a much more drawn-out process. It makes more sense for the Navy to stay with what's tried and true.

The F-18 would have replaced the F-14 and the A-6 sooner, but it had some teething problems. Now that those are largely solved, the F-14s can finally be retired.

mh

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[BillyVance 35]

So.... when is Top Gun 2 coming out???

I can't believe, as popular as Top Gun was, that they didn't make a sequel...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Gawain 0]

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I can't believe, as popular as Top Gun was, that they didn't make a sequel...

You kind of answered your own question. With few exceptions, sequels have never lived up to the original.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[BillyVance 35]

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I can't believe, as popular as Top Gun was, that they didn't make a sequel...

You kind of answered your own question. With few exceptions, sequels have never lived up to the original.

True... there was that other fighter jet movie, Iron Eagle.... it wasn't bad, but the sequels sucked...

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[billvon 3,132]

Sad. I put a lot of hours into that airplane. (Designing upgrades for it, not flying it.) Always enjoyed watching them fly out of Miramar.

[Amazon 7]

REPOST REPOST


ahemmmm

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2359295#2359295

[kallend 2,182]

Quote

REPOST REPOST


ahemmmm

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2359295#2359295

I warned you!
www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1831512#1831512

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

Well, the Navy plans on purchasing about 500 Joint Strike Fighters. I believe that they are due to start flight testing at Edwards in the next couple of months.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[StreetScooby 5]

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I warned you!

www.weather.com

We are all engines of karma

[kelpdiver 2]

are they too expensive to maintain now? Or running out of parts? I hate seeing a perfectly good airplane retired, one that the pilots are well versed in using. And the replacements each will run a major city for a year.

Same with the B-52 - it's old, but it does it purpose well.

[lawrocket 3]

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are they too expensive to maintain now?

Yep. The primary plane for the ceremonial final flight broke down, so they flew a back up.

Maintenance costs were high. The F-14 required between 40 and 60 man hours of maintenance for each flight hour. So imagine 6 guys working a full day to maintain each one after a one hour flight. The F-18E/F Super Hornets need a quarter of that time.

Over the service life, it's cheaper to replace them. But, nothing else in the Navy inventory can rival its performance.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[Gawain 0]

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are they too expensive to maintain now? Or running out of parts? I hate seeing a perfectly good airplane retired, one that the pilots are well versed in using. And the replacements each will run a major city for a year.

Same with the B-52 - it's old, but it does it purpose well.

The majority of F-14s are being retired, yet being placed in a strategic/war-time reserve. That means if the sh!t hits the fan, they can be fast tracked back to flight status.

I think what's more amazing is the JSF's single engine design. It has been a mantra of the Navy for dual engine aircraft for a long time.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[JohnRich 4]

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I think what's more amazing is the JSF's single engine design. It has been a mantra of the Navy for dual engine aircraft for a long time.

Yes. If the Air Force loses their only engine on takeoff, they just land on the remaining runway. If a Navy carrier aircraft loses their only engine on takeoff, they just...