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From: biow@sonne.cs.umd.edu (Christopher Biow)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Phoenix
Message-ID: <1991Apr18.032946.22734@amd.com>
Date: 17 Apr 91 13:54:59 GMT
References: <1991Apr11.033504.4302@amd.com> <1991Apr10.024102.20311@amd.com> <1991Apr17.055222.13104@amd.com>
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From: biow@sonne.cs.umd.edu (Christopher Biow)


>scott@bigbang.Berkeley.EDU (Scott Silvey) writes:
>   That is incorrect.  Weight is not the problem, but rather clearance
>of the missiles from the carrier deck.  The landing gear of the Tomcat
>compress a considerable distance on landing.  Phoenix missiles mounted on
>the fuse bottom stations would be crushed on landing, thus damaging the
>missiles, the aircraft, and the carrier deck.  This problem is detailed
>in the F-14 NATOP manual.

With a copy of NAVAIR 01-F14AAA-1 in front of me, I can find no warnings
about doing carrier landings with Phoenix on _any_ stations. In three years
with VF-41 on the Nimitz and T. Roosevelt, we regularly flew with Phoenix
on the forward stations. The missiles did not stick out below the level of 
the intakes. I've not seen a Phoenix on a rear fuselage station, but
it would be no problem, either. The only concern with skagging the deck
is on the ventral fins and engine nozzles, and that's due to over-rotation,
not strut compression. Even with fully compressed struts, nothing touches.

I never saw a Phoenix on a wing/pylon station, and it's doubful we ever
will. Six Phoenix most certainly would put an F-14 over max carrier
landing weight, even at emergency landing fuel (2000 pounds). And that 
would leave zero spaces for Sparrows--not a good idea. The 4-2-2 mix
(4 Phoenix, two Sparrows, two 'Winders) is the most you'd ever want to 
carry, and even then you'd have to fire off the Phoenix before you got
into a maneuvering engagement, or decided to fly fast.  

Chris