Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: fjs@floyd.ATT.COM Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: New version F-14 Summary: New GE engines in F-14A+/F-14D Tomcats Message-ID: <7091@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 3 Jun 89 04:52:34 GMT References: <6867@cbnews.ATT.COM> <6959@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7000@cbnews.ATT.COM> <7019@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 67 Approved: military@att.att.com From: fjs@floyd.ATT.COM In article <7019@cbnews.ATT.COM>, dlj@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (david.l.jacobowitz) writes: > > From: dlj@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (david.l.jacobowitz) > > How much thrust does this new GE engine develop (assuming it's not > classified)? > How much does this improve the thrust-to-weight ratio of the F-14? > Does it improve to > 1 ? > > On another note, I was reading (in the 20 lb book titled "The Great > Book of Modern Warplanes," BTW) that the F-18 Hornet is capable of > making carrier landings under autopilot control. > Is the F-14 capable of this? Why not? The new F110-GE-400 is much more powerful than the present P&W TF30-P-414A. It developes a maximum augmented thrust of 27,080 lbs. (compared to the P&W engine with maximum augmented thrust of 20,900 lbs.) and is more fuel efficient in afterburner than the P&W engine. The GE engine has a hot-section inspection life of 1500 hours vs. 880 hours for the P&W. Present F-14A specs for weight are: Empty: 39,921 lbs. Normal Take-off: 58,571 lbs. Maximum Take-off: 74,349 lbs. So, at 54,160 lbs. of thrust, if you take off at normal weight, burn a few pounds off buzzing the tower, and drop an AIM-54 or two ('A' variant weighs in at 975 lbs.), you have a thrust-to-weight ratio of >1:1. :-) But all kidding aside, I talked with a pilot from the Tomcatters (VF-31) at NAS Norfolk (Blue Angels air show, this past April) who flew an F-14A+ there. He said that the new engines are like night and day compared to the old P&W. He compared the performance of the new 'cat to sex (details omitted here) but looked forward to the F-14D which is supposed to have a tighter turning radius (6g's at 295 knots compared to the present Tomcat with its optimum turning radius at 325 knots). He said the new Tomcat would be more similiar to the F-15 Eagle in some handling aspects (I said SOME, I don't want a barrage of hate mail about the comparison, and these were his words, not mine. I need to investigate more.) He said that verticle acceleration now exists (at air show, little fuel, no weaponry) and feels great, and despite it's being big and bulky, it's quite an awesome aircraft. He did voice some harsh, negative criticism about the Tomcat, old and new, that sorta burst my bubble about it........ but that's another posting. About the F/A-18 and its autopilot carrier landings, 1, Tomcat 0/?, I gotta get back some of the books I loaned out......................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \ _ / \ /^ ^\ / F-14D ____________\_( . )_/____________ SUPERTOMCATS --*/--|_| (___) |_|--\*-- RULE * O O * (I Love 'Em)