The Ultimate Tomcat! Super Tomcat 21 and 22 | Inspired from the #F106 Delta Dart & F-18 HARV

Let's take a look at the Ultimate Tomcat! Grumman had planned for several variants of the Tomcat after the F-14D, but sadly the Tomcat was retired in 2006. What if those variants were produced? What if the Tomcat evolution had continued? Join me on this thought experiment and see what could have been a Tomcat with 5th Gen Tech.

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"The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement."

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This video is an opinion editorial commentary.
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use purposes such as criticism, commentary, parody, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

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#Tomcat #F14 #Aviation #Navy #SuperTomcat f-15 eagle stol/mtd delta dart air defense command f106

[tlshortyshorty]

That 5th gen Tomcat is quite literally the stuff of my dreams. I want her so badly.

[tristanallain]

Rest in peace F-14 TomCat. You will never be forgotten.

[redjaypictures]

I’ll tell you right now, if these cats had made it into service, the navy would have a lot easier time finding new pilot recruits

[BuceGar]

The RIO being able to control drones and their networking would be a game changer.

[trentonarney]

I wish we could of lived in this timeline. The F-14 is just a great plane.

[gregorycraig]

I was disappointed when the USN retired the F-14 Tomcat’s. They were such a sleek and elegant aircraft. I recall standing on the flight deck of my ship watching F-14’s take off from Cubi Point NAS in the Philippines. One came towards my ship before vectoring nearly straight up and disappearing in sky above. It was impressive to watch!

[benwelch]

The level of thought and research that went into this presentation is easily one of the best I have ever seen, it is superb. I remember back in the day waiting each month for the new magazines to come out, just to catch the news on the decision about the Tomcat's probable upgrade. Aviation Week and Space Technology, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics were the easy ones to find. Info traveled so much slower before the net. Excellent, high quality work! Cheers.

[Obsdarkside]

Build them all. The tomcat is still one of the best looking planes ever made.

[chriskamen]

ignoring some slight airframe issues from the ST21 to the "22" you made, it's a great idea in my rocket science opinion. The idea of a backseat co-pilot being able to control a dedicated drone wingman is actually exceptionally interesting...

[CaptRedJack]

that final image is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. i was absolutely giddy

[DBravoer]

Only change to ST22 would need to add a more prominent LERX that spanned the full distance from wing root to air intake. Like a mini-E/F F18. Superb place to store fuel. Would also angle the vertical stabs out another 5 degrees and make them all-moving. That way they could also be used to assist the tailerons as control surfaces with large active area (like in F22 and F18E/F). Lastly, I would add fluidic thrust vectoring. I'm sure with full fly by wire, this could be a crazy good high-AOA platform.... maybe better than the SuperHornet.

[effisjens]

7:23 perhaps it's a viable option for project wingman. Your fantasy version of a further development on the ST-21 is litterly PERFECT for Project Wingman

[garymellard]

I was an Avionics Tech. On the F106 Delta Dart during the 60's and 70's - quite an aircraft. I do feel compelled to point out that your film of the "F106" is in fact an F102 Delta Dagger. The intake location and the pointed wing tips and vertical stabilizer are a dead giveaway.

[jonathanwebb]

I've always love the F14 air frame. This upgrade version looks great.

[SuperNiemi]

One thing that has to be included into the discussion about advanced Tomcat variants is the (cancelled) successor to the F-14's signature weapon (AIM-54 Phoenix), the AAAM (Advanced Air-to-Air Missile) or the AIM-152. This topic alone would make an interesting video.
Back in late 80's two teams, Hughes & Raytheon and General Dynamics & Westinhouse were selected to produce rival designs for a missile that would surpass the AIM-54C's capabilities. Hughes proposed a hybrid ramjet/rocket powered missile that was like the MBDA Meteor on steroids, but also featured a pair of small wings instead of a cruciform configuration so the missile would "fly" through turns with minimal drag. Some of the technology had already been evaluated during the Advanced Common Intercept Missile Demonstration. Given that the Meteor is considered the best AAM in the world today makes one wonder how impressive this missile would have become. (Keep in mind that the Meteors size was more constrained as it had to fit in AMRAAM stations)
GD/W came up with an equally radical design, a smaller tube-launched missile with a jettisonable rocket booster. Both the booster and the main stage had thrust vectoring and the missile would use SARH with a back-up EO seeker. This necessitated an external targeting pod that had radar antennas both forward and aft, making it possible for the F-14 to guide the semi-active missiles even when not facing targets. Although inferior in maximum range to the H/R proposal, it was much more maneuverable during powered flight and an F-14 could carry 12 (!) of these launch tubes between its engine pods and addtional 3 on a wing station, as opposed to 6 - 8.
A dual-thrust rocket engine / jettisonable booster is probably used in the upcoming AIM-260 that once again faces strict size constrains due to the fact that it has to fit inside F-35's weapons bays.
After the F-14 was destined for early retirement, the AAAM project was cancelled; the Tomcat was the only (Navy) platform that could utilize this weapon to its fullest extent.
Flight International had a great article on the AIM-152 that I found online (After the Phoenix falls, 22 April 1989 issue), not sure if it can be still found in their archive.

[skyhorseprice]

The Stealth/TVC Tomcat should have been built. It should have. The jet was conceived as having a 2 person crew, and the forward thinking concept of a drone controlling RIO is awesome. If they 'd built this Tomcat, the USN would've had a supersonic, supercruising, stealthy, supermaneuverable, AESA sporting, loyal wingman drone equipped jet fighter _already in service._
Let that one sink in.

[sensualchocolate]

I know it's not real but if the government had brains it would honestly didn't think you could make an F-22 any better but the ST-22 just became my new favorite plain. You have outdone yourself good sir, that is one amazing plane.

[brianhumphries]

Ultimate is just that freaking ultimate tomcat 21 coulda, woulda, should of been. It's a crying shame that your version of the F-14 was never made. Not only does it look awesome but I'm sure tye performance would of been awesome as well.
Now I want a model of the Tomcat 21 or a diecast tomcat 21. Something I could hold in my hand and flying around the living room going " PEW PEW PEW" !!!
🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[Ryan-jjnu]

I really like the idea of the second seat RIO commanding it’s own separate drone fleet. I’ve heard that’s the immediate future for force multiplier.

[shirothehero]

The F-14 also inspired an entire series of anime/toys that persist in anime culture today - the venerable VF-1A/J/S
The f-14 is amazing.