I realise that, hence why I started with "Well technically…".
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I realise that, hence why I started with "Well technically…".I guess not quite the same point of view. It did not engage nor escort bombers up north like the Phantom, so my reading of the question would have been pre 75, for that matter 73!
It had serious problems with ground clutter well into its life (all High PRF radar). Over water it would have probably been okay, over land not so much.Wonder how the F-14 would have done in the Vietnam War?
Carrier Air Wing 14 assigned to USS Constellation CVA-64 between mid-1962 and mid-1965.
They wouldn't have even tried using the AIM-54A even if allowed to, as it was not designed to kill a maneuvering fighter... it was to kill Soviet 4-engine bombers and large anti-ship missiles launched from those.Unfortunately do to the rules of engagement, the primary weapon on the Tomcat would have been negated. But far more maneuverable than the Phantom and a gun gives it a leg up. Still a very large aircraft is a drawback but it smokes far less than the Phantom. But it's early on in the Tomcats life and without many of the upgrades she would receive though out her life, one can only guess not much better than anything else.
The 54 is no even in issue as it's very nature is for long range heavy targets, even the AIM-7 is for beyond visual range and not for use against tactical targets, but that's what it was adapted for. With a dismal result I might add. That biggest thing the F-14 would have add, combat maneuvering and a gun. And really the Tomcat was a fleet defense fighter!They wouldn't have even tried using the AIM-54A even if allowed to, as it was not designed to kill a maneuvering fighter... it was to kill Soviet 4-engine bombers and large anti-ship missiles launched from those.
Not until the AIM-54C, which replaced the AIM-54A in the early 1980s, could the Phoenix take on tactical aircraft-sized maneuvering targets.
The F-14 would have done just fine with a AIM-7/AIM-9 loadout... like this (4 each):
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Or this (5 Sparrow 3 Sidewinder):
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I bet they had egg on their faces after that...Amongst multiple innovations, the plane also did away with traditional stick or yolk controls
What an interesting machine and as usual, the French thinking and trying something outside the box.Sud-Est Grognard, competitor to the Sud-Ouest Aviation (SNCASO) S.O. 4050 Vautour II. Amongst multiple innovations, the plane also did away with traditional stick or yolk controls and instead sought to utilize elbow controls to give the pilot more forward visibility.
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A little off topic but look what you can get a kit of now: