‘Actually, you could trap aboard the boat with 6 Phoenix, but you wouldn’t have much fuel at max trap gross weight,’ explains Dave Andersen, former F-14 Tomcat RIO
Developed in 1968 to replace the controversial F-111B then being developed for the US Navy’s carrier-based fighter force, the F-14A Tomcat was powered by P&W TF30 engines, used the AWG-9 weapons control system, and could carry six AIM-54 Phoenix missiles originally intended for the F-111B.
Because of the AWG-9 system, the F-14 could simultaneously direct six Phoenix missiles against six different enemy aircraft at long range.
On the Tomcat, four missiles could be mounted under the fuselage tunnel on special aerodynamic pallets, with two more carried on the glove stations. A full complement of six Hughes AIM-54 Phoenix missiles, plus their dedicated launch rails, weighed over 8,000 lb (3,600 kg), roughly double that of an equivalent load of Sparrows.
Given how heavy the Phoenix missile is, was it actually possible for an F-14 carrying a full load of six AIM-54s to land on an aircraft carrier?
‘Actually, you could trap aboard the boat with 6 Phoenix, but you wouldn’t have much fuel at max trap gross weight,’ explains Dave Andersen, former F-14 Tomcat RIO, on Quora.
‘For a typical F-14A at 42K lbs nominal empty weight, add 6 AIM-54s with rails, you’re looking at about 8700 lbs. At 54K lbs max trap gross weight, that would give you 3.3K lbs of fuel for your first pass (you might check into marshal with a lot more, but you’d have to dump down to max trap prior to trapping). That’s cutting it close for normal blue water ops, but in wartime, if needed, it could be done.
‘For an F-14D at 44k lbs empty weight, you’d be looking at <2K lbs of gas at max trap. That’s cutting it too close.
‘Landing on a runway with 6 Buffaloes…not a problem, as max field landing gross weight was 60K lbs (FCLP was 54K to simulate carrier ops). Doable, but was not commonly done other than for an occasional photo shoot or maybe OPEVAL. I never flew with 6 Phoenix loaded. Usually one or two. Typical VF cruise loadout in the ‘87-’89 timeframe for CVW-1 was 2/3/2/FAMMO.
‘Also, the ship just didn’t keep many AIM-54s aboard in its mags; we understood only 25 or so at any given time, and when you out-chopped from cruise, they’d all get transferred over to the in-chopping CV/CVN.
‘The pylons/rails/canoes were all part of the carrier’s weps dept inventory, and our squadron ordies just ordered up what they needed, and there always seemed to be enough to go around for both Tomcat squadrons.’
Andersen concludes,
‘Also realize that by ’88-’89 AIM-54A was phased out and replaced with AIM-54C, which didn’t require liquid coolanol. The “Charlie” was a huge improvement in capability and reliability over the Alpha in numerous ways (although it still weighed the same).’
Former F-14 Tomcat pilot Chuck Hunter recalls on Quora;
‘Even before the F-14D arrived, many of our F-14As were up over 43K base weight, dropping your usable fuel down below 2K. Generally, we would have 600 rounds of 20 mm, so add a few hundred pounds unless you download the ammo, and we would usually have a couple of AIM-9s on the aircraft, so we would have to download those also.
‘So the 6 AIM-54s would have to be a very special launch, taking out the 20 mm and AIM-9s just to carry them and putting you trick-or-treat situation (trap on your first pass or go to the tanker) at the back of the boat.
‘Additionally, the TARPS aircraft gave up an AIM-54 station for the ability to carry the TARPS Pod. I don’t mean it physically blocked the AIM-54, they actually changed the plumbing and wiring of the aircraft at that station, so no AIM-54s.’
Hunter concludes;
‘If you really needed to put some AIM-54 capability out there, a more reasonable load from the boat would be 4 x AIM-54, 2 x AIM-7, 2 x AIM-9, 2 x Aux tanks, and 600 rounds of HEI. Still relatively low fuel on the ball, but very doable. We regularly flew 2 x 4—2 each of the AIM-54, AIM-7, AIM-9, Aux tanks.
‘With a TARPS jet loaded with the POD (1,800 pounds) and weapons, we were often near trick-or-treat on the ball at night, by had a few quick passes during the day. At night we like to plan for about 1,000 pounds per pass, daytime you could do it in 300–400 pounds.’
Photo by U.S. Navy
