Grumman F-14 Tomcat by Bronson Kingi https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r By Bronson, Lyrahlle and Tyler en-us 2017-05-29 01:58:55 UTC 2023-01-27 11:59:31 UTC hello@padlet.com The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program after the collapse of the F-111B project. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174180121 2017-05-29 02:26:27 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174180121 Top speed: 2,485 km/hWeight: 18,190 kgLength: 19 mWingspan: 20 mFirst flight: 21 December 1970Unit cost: 38,000,000–38,000,000 USD (1998)Engine types: General Electric F110, Turbofan BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174180927 2017-05-29 02:36:09 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174180927 The F-14’s wings could be set to different angles depending on the, ahem, need for speed (sorry). The Bell X-5 was the first plane that could reposition its wings while flying, while the concept for variable sweep wings actually started with the Messerschmidt P.110 . BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174181112 2017-05-29 02:38:28 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174181112 The first flight was on December 21, 1970, but between low light and inclement weather it was cut short. On December 30, the plane suffered a hydraulic failure shortly after takeoff, forcing both crew members to eject before an emergency landing was possible. They both survived, though the pilot died in a separate F-14 crash a year and a half later. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174181497 2017-05-29 02:43:11 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174181497 With afterburners, the engines produced over 55,000 pounds of thrustThat’s a ton, even for a plane that weighs 43,000 pounds. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174326125 2017-05-30 02:30:20 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174326125 Flat out, the F-14 could top 1,500 mphNow try doing that, then slowing down to what has to feel like a dead stop, before landing on a giant moving building otherwise known as a carrier. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174326163 2017-05-30 02:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174326163 Engineers made a one-off hot rod that could go from Mach 0.8 to Mach 1.8 in 90 secondsThat’s basically 600 mph to nearly 1,400 mph. We'll give you a moment to think about that. The F-14's manufacturer, Grumman, dropped a much more powerful engine in the F-14 to see what would happen. By all accounts it was great, but the Navy opted against this one and it wound up in storage. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174733864 2017-06-01 02:40:59 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174733864 The wings had a special setting for parkingWhile outstretched was best for low-speed maneuverability, and tucked in was ideal for supersonic runs, bringing the wings in past a point that would be useful for flying enabled crews to get planes tucked very closely together. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174733901 2017-06-01 02:41:30 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174733901 The Goose/Maverick dynamic was really an inside jokeGrumman published cartoons in the early 1970s depicting the pilot (named TomCat) as a girl-obsessed playboy while the Radar Information Officer, or RIO, is the one doing everything but the flying. BKchicken123 https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174734017 2017-06-01 02:43:01 UTC https://padlet.com/BKchicken123/m8sm25l0n8r/wish/174734017