F-14 Tomcat vs F/A-18 Hornet—Which is Better?

Episode 163 guest Tom "Trots" Trotter compares the #f14tomcat and #fa18hornet based on flying more than 1,000 #flight hours in each over his 25+ #navy career.

#fighterpilot Podcast

[rex]

Every time I hear the "which plane is better" discussion, I recall a Chuck Yeager story about a time he beat a younger pilot in a dogfight. The younger guy says "Yea, but you have the newer, better jet". So Chuck traded planes with him and still beat him.

[RazgrizFD]

I was an air traffic controller in the Navy and one of the best sights I ever got to see was during the Tiger Cruise on the USS Constellation. It was the last cruise of VF-2 Bounty Hunters flying the Tomcat. During the Tiger Cruise we had an Air Show out at sea and I got to see the F-14 do a super sonic flyby at 60 feet above the water. The most badass flyby I have ever seen. Watching the shockwaves hitting the water as the Tomcat blew past the ship was just AWESOME and something I will never forget!

[alamos]

The Tomcat has 5 or 6 features that we all fans loved:
1) Variable geometry.
2) Those nice twin rudders, widely separated and inclined outwards.
3) Those air intakes, aggresively pointing forward and also with that beautiful negative inclination.
4) The black and white Jolly Roger of old VF-84 color scheme (yes, many of use discovered it in The Final Countdown).
5) Top Gun.
5) Robotech, with their Variable Fighters VF-1 Valkyrie so obviously inspired in the F14, even with the Jolly Roger.

So in the end, there will be no other fighter with such a big fan population than the F14 for many decades to follow. It may fade somewhat when my generation fades away (I was born in 1978), but I think it will have to pass muuuch time for another one to come and reach thos level of fame

[joevaccaro]

I notice the confidence in this gentleman’s speech, must have something to do with being catapulted from a carrier in an F14 and an F18. Love the channel, thank you for your service 🇺🇸

[wilsonrawlin]

Could've listened to them go on much longer. They covered so many details about the F14 that we don't know about its flight characteristics. Would've like to hear more on the F18 as well. These guys are seasoned pilots that know these planes like the back of their hands.

[SUPERTOMCAT_]

Trots was in my airwing (CVW-14) on the Connie 1985-1987. He was one of the few Hornet guys who were cool to F-14 guys, including RIOs. He most likely saved my life by taking a timely go around (he was dash 3) as our flight lead and we ended up sideways on the short (east/west) runway at Fallon due to an ABS failure and subsequent brake fire on the lead aircraft.

[socaljarhead]

The Tomcat was the ultimate Bethpage, Long Island Beauty. In gloss gull gray over gloss white and in VF-84 or VF-111 livery, the F-14 may well be the finest looking military aircraft ever produced.

[williamredmond]

The F-14A was late and way over budget waiting for the GE engine that was supposed to power the F-14. Out of desperation, it was decided to put the TF-30 engine from the F-111 into the "A" model. The TF 30, I think it was originally designed by Allison later taken over by Pratt &Whiney, needed to be modified for use in a "fighter" so they added an afterburner and a couple of additional compressors to the engine. When I got to VF124 in 1975, as one of the last non-fleet qualified F-14 instructors, the airplane started to have unexplained losses at sea. Because of where the airplanes crashed, they were unable to get to the airplanes to determine the cause of the losses. All the crews had reported was a flash of light followed by an explosion. As an aside I remember one of the RIO's at sea fell from about 20, 000 feet without a proper chute opening, and he survived with minor injuries. One of the nuggets preparing for initial carrier quals was in the FCLP pattern at Miramar and an engine exploded on a go-around. Since they had access to the crash site they were able to determine the cause of the engine failure was a cracking compressor blade due to a stress fracture caused by a harmonic in one of the additional compressor sections. The fix was a spacer between the new compressor sections. We all wondered why this only happened in the F-14 and not the F-111. About 300 hours of fleet airtime later the same thing started to happen again. This time they got a crashed aircraft sooner and were able to determine that when they added the initial spacer they moved the harmonic to the other additional compressor section. The F-111s didn't have the problem until about 600 hours of airframe/engine time. It was determined that the harmonic was worse between 86-88% RPM. That was where the RPM's were in carrier landing practice and that flight regime was where a lot of Navy flight time occurred. The F-111's went on long missions practicing bombing missions and their engines were not in the 86-88% range during those missions but when they got about twice as much flight time on their aircraft, their engines had the same flaw.

[johnpauljones]

F-14D launching off the cats at twilight, then going ballistic into the night sky is one of the most beautiful sights ever.

[michaelhuling]

Scooter was my C.O. in VF-2. Great Skipper. Tragic loss for not only his family, but for the Navy too!

[eviebean]

CDR Dale Snodgrass was my CO in VF-33 he brought a Tomcat back with a blown airbag from a 2 V 4 hop in Key West. As young PO3 I jokingly said "they must have been chasing you all over the sky" He smiled patted me on the should an said " Nobody Chases ME!" To this day I believe him. Good man Great leader. Me he rest in peace.

[toemas]

As a kid of the 80’s the F14 is so iconic. I think the F16 looks like a sports car while the F14 more of a muscle car … and the F18 is their child somewhere in between. It’s also amazing that the F14 is the first aircraft to use a microprocessor.

[mjc]

From an aesthetic standpoint, I go for the F-14 every time. In the 70s, when my step-dad was in the navy, the tomcat was my poster plane. It was the reason I wanted to work on a carrier deck.

[kermitwilson]

When experts in any field are having a technical discussion, it’s almost always interesting to listen. Not just any average joe, an expert. They have that bit of confidence and assertiveness you don’t find anywhere else.

[RickyJr]

On Enterprise, the recoil from a loaded Tomcat shot could be felt down in the propulsion plants.

[lqr]

The funny thing about "analog vs. digital" is that the world's very first microprocessor's very first usage was to control the swing wings on the F-14. Only after that, was the 4004 microprocessor used for a calculator then a pinball game!

[deano]

I watched the upgraded Hornet at an air show the other year and it was my stand out plane. The pilot pulled manoeuvres in that thing in such a small amount of airspace I was quiet amazed. There were eurofighters which ripped the sky apart and migs but that plane stood out for me.

[falco]

Aviation Maintenance 05-09. I was lucky enough to get to see Tomcats still flying right before they were removed from service as I entered my first command. One of my first memories of my arrival at Oceana as I made the left turn to head to the BEQ, I looked up and there were four of them flying pretty low, in formation. They were gone within a week or two. It was awesome. Ironically enough, I was arriving to maintain their replacements as aircrew obtained all their quals at the RAG. Brand new F/A-18E and F Supers. And now, those are set to be retired in two years.

[christiansjolander]

Shame we never got to see the Super Tomcat 21 :(

[davidsherman]

Excellent info here. Love it! I was a Plane Captain in VFA-113. The first time I saw a Tomcat do a fast run, the flight deck was cleared( I just happened to walk out my berthing and onto the deck, I wasn't supposed to be there. Didn't know) when I saw this bird screaming straight down the port side. Broke the sound barrier right next to me! Holy f♡€《n s#|t! What a rush!