F-14 Air to Air Vs. Air to Ground Payload

[pistolpete01]

Hey guys,

 

Just a general question:

 

From what I've seen in the early build videos, etc. the tomcat can carry up to 12 MK-82s under the fuselage, but looks like it can only carry 4 phoenix missles or 4 sparrows. I would like to think that if it can carry 12 x 500 LBS GP bombs, it should be able to carry more A2A ordinance with the appropriate racks.

 

Any ideas as to why this is the case?

[Brainless]

Phoenix is 1000lb and 4m long, MK-82 is 2.22m long.

[OnlyforDCS]

Hey guys,

 

Just a general question:

 

From what I've seen in the early build videos, etc. the tomcat can carry up to 12 MK-82s under the fuselage, but looks like it can only carry 4 phoenix missles or 4 sparrows. I would like to think that if it can carry 12 x 500 LBS GP bombs, it should be able to carry more A2A ordinance with the appropriate racks.

 

Any ideas as to why this is the case?

 

What Brainless said. The size and weight of a particular ordanance is another limit that you have to take into consideration.

 

Also the F14 can carry a maximum of 6 Phoenix missiles (not 4) as well as 2 sidewinders at the same time.

[Psybain]

Pretty sure it can carry something like 5 or 6 sparrows between it's engines as well if it's not carrying any Phoenix missiles

 

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[Strikeeagle345]

Pretty sure it can carry something like 5 or 6 sparrows between it's engines as well if it's not carrying any Phoenix missiles

 

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

I think there are only slots for 4 in the fuselage.

[TLTeo]

I think there are only slots for 4 in the fuselage.

 

 

Same as the Phoenix - it can carry up to 4 under the fuselage and 2 on the wing hard points.

[launchedsquid]

there isn't room for more missiles.

 

 

[ironroad]

Launch and landing weight, center of gravity, drag, and air frame stress are the main culprits.

 

Operationally the F-14 normally carried 2 to 4 dumb bombs, 2 GBUs, 2 to 4 JDAMs or a mix of the two (normal two in the "love tunnel").

 

 

Also, operationally if they did launch with AIM-54s on a patrol they normally carried two, more if they were certainly some were going to be fired off (i.e. testing and evaluation).

 

 

Also missiles have a finite storage, flight, and handling life. In a carrier operating environment there is more stress put weapons systems. Even during the height of conflict, F-14s frequently patrolled with Sparrows and Sidewinders, more so than AIM-54s.

 

 

 

Pulled from an aircraft scale modeling site...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most research points to fact that "Long-range" intercept (4 or more Aim-54s) was not a common operational configuration.

 

 

Also, not sure if carrying weapons on the forward pylons during TARPS operations was common either, from my understanding the two forward pallets were normally equipped with ballast or electronics gear.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure there are some here with real world F-14 experience that can chime in.

Edited January 25, 2019 by ironroad

[ironroad]

I stand corrected...

 

 

Those were "live" MK-82s with anti-static coating...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Wikipedia: VF-84 before the Sluggers picked up the moniker (notice the AJ tail code)

 

 

Edited January 25, 2019 by ironroad

[Nealius]

The interdiction and OIF payloads are interesting considering the AIM-54 being loaded despite there not being much of an A2A threat in country at the time. Was it loaded purely to balance out the weight of the TGP on the opposite side?

[shagrat]

The interdiction and OIF payloads are interesting considering the AIM-54 being loaded despite there not being much of an A2A threat in country at the time. Was it loaded purely to balance out the weight of the TGP on the opposite side?

No. They had some limited Air threat in the opening days, thus the AIM-54 and mix. After the first days of Shock & Awe they went mostly for the 2x LGB setup for the A and B Tomcats. JDAM upgrade for the B came later, IIRC.

They did not put more LGB most of the time, cause if they didn't drop they needed to jettison some to get to landing weight. With 2xGBU12 they could still safely land on the carrier though.

[Sealpup]

No. They had some limited Air threat in the opening days, thus the AIM-54 and mix. After the first days of Shock & Awe they went mostly for the 2x LGB setup for the A and B Tomcats. JDAM upgrade for the B came later, IIRC.

They did not put more LGB most of the time, cause if they didn't drop they needed to jettison some to get to landing weight. With 2xGBU12 they could still safely land on the carrier though.

 

I thought weight had something to do with it as well, though. I remember hearing (possibly anecdotal) claims of carrying inert training Phoenixes opposite the TGP as well just to balance out the load.

[shagrat]

I thought weight had something to do with it as well, though. I remember hearing (possibly anecdotal) claims of carrying inert training Phoenixes opposite the TGP as well just to balance out the load.

From what I read so far they carried a live Phoenix in the first days of Shock & Awe and switched to mostly 2-3 LGBs depending on pre-planned targets. I can't say for the preliminary trainings, but I am sure nobody would carry around a 2,000 lbs dead weight in a combat environment, if he could go without (LGB on the forward tunnel stations).