For all the F-14 lovers on the Forum.
- Thread starter Tikka
- Start date
Saw Puck last fall at a memorial service for a mutual friend and F-14 guy named John “Bag” Hefti. We had a cigar, and perhaps a couple of drinks, on the back deck of the Ocean O’Club.
Puck was the skipper of VF-31 in 2006, when the Tomcat was retired. He flew the last fly by. He had gotten in some trouble the night before the fly by at the Oceana O’Club, and the flyby was, quite honestly, lame, as a result.
I‘ll give the video a watch when you can link it.
Cheers,
Astro
Puck was the skipper of VF-31 in 2006, when the Tomcat was retired. He flew the last fly by. He had gotten in some trouble the night before the fly by at the Oceana O’Club, and the flyby was, quite honestly, lame, as a result.
I‘ll give the video a watch when you can link it.
Cheers,
Astro
Here’s the link
In the first few minutes, Puck gets the history of the engines wrong - the TF-30 was never intended to be the production engine for the F-14A.
The Navy built 12 F-14A prototypes with TF-30s while the intended engine, the DFE (which later became the F101) continued development. The early 1970s were a time of growing inflation, and the F-14 program was getting much more expensive than planned.
The F-14A then got saddled with the TF-30 engine by Congress as part of budget cuts, which killed the DFE development for the Navy, in an attempt to limit the F-14 program cost increases.
Later, the DFE was developed into the F110, and 12 years after the F-14 went into production with the "interim" TF-30 engine, the F-14A+ got the F110 - the engine it was always intended to have.
The Navy built 12 F-14A prototypes with TF-30s while the intended engine, the DFE (which later became the F101) continued development. The early 1970s were a time of growing inflation, and the F-14 program was getting much more expensive than planned.
The F-14A then got saddled with the TF-30 engine by Congress as part of budget cuts, which killed the DFE development for the Navy, in an attempt to limit the F-14 program cost increases.
Later, the DFE was developed into the F110, and 12 years after the F-14 went into production with the "interim" TF-30 engine, the F-14A+ got the F110 - the engine it was always intended to have.
I also suggest a youtube channel called 'Air Combat Experience'. It is operated by to former F14 guys. Craig-'Crunch'- Snyder and Dave-'Bio'-Barannek.
On one of the vids, they interview one of the F14 guys Bob-'Jumby' Castleton who fired the two Phoenix missiles at Iraqi jets. He explains what went wrong with the missiles.
On one of the vids, they interview one of the F14 guys Bob-'Jumby' Castleton who fired the two Phoenix missiles at Iraqi jets. He explains what went wrong with the missiles.
F-14 with F101 engines would have been interesting… and even larger
The F101 is the precursor to the F110 but it has a larger fan/bypass. 55” overall diameter vs 46”. It powers the B-1.Wasn't that what the F110 was?
Not a combat squadron.
Never made it over to CAG-5. Was always an East Coast guy.
Thank you for your service!
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