Posted on 02/11/2013 11:44:50 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Thirty minutes to choose your fighter jet: how the Shah of Iran chose the F-14 Tomcat over the F-15 Eagle
February 11, 2013
Despite all the skepticism about the actual airworthiness of Iran’s new stealth fighter “Qaher 313″, one thing is certain: Iran is still flying the iconic Grumman F-14.
More than 6 years after its last flight with the U.S. Navy, the Tomcat is still in service in a small number of examples with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF), to such an extent, Iran has recently tested a brand new air-to-air missile dubbed “Fakour”, for the combat plane made famous by Top Gun.
In fact, 80 F-14s were ordered by the Shah and 79 were effectively delivered. The procurement of the Tomcat to Iran was very important not only for Grumman, which was facing serious cash flow problems due to the difficult development of the aircraft, but also for the future of the fighter itself, since at the time F-14’s program was affected by schedule slippage and cost overruns.
Image credit: Grumman/IIAF
When the Shah announced his intention to replace the old F-4 Phantoms in service with the Imperial Iranian Air Force, it was clear that both the USAF’s new F-15 and the Navy’s F-14 would have had the same opportunity to become Iranian’s main fighter.
So, after briefings held by USAF and Navy personnel in the Shah’s palace in Tehran, Iranian officials decided that it would have been the flight demonstration at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington DC, scheduled in July 1973, to determine which one between the two fighters, would be the best to satisfy the then Imperial Iranian Air Force’s requiremens.
The flight demonstration was scheduled not to exceed 30 minutes from the first take off to the landing of the second aircraft.
The base was closed for that short time in which at the presence of the Shah, the two U.S. fighters had to fly their demonstration: it was decided that the USAF’s F-15, piloted by Irv Burrows (McDonnell Douglas’ test pilot), would have performed first, while Don Evans and Dennis Romano (Grumman’s test crew) with their F-14, would wait their turn after the Eagle.
While the F-15 taxied onto runway, Don and Dennis started engines of the Tomcat ahead of the schedule and burned down fuel in the warm up area during the Eagle demonstration, to reduce the difference in thrust to weight ratio between the two fighters. However F-15’s demonstration was spectacular, not only for the raw power of the aircraft but also for pilot’s skills: Burrows was a great pilot and that day, he showed all his ability.
Image credit: U.S. Air Force
The flight demonstration was the same for both aircraft: it consisted in a sequence of maneuvers beginning with a high performance take off followed by an Immelman turn and climb-out, then a descent to a high speed fly-by, two high-g low altitude turns followed by a slow speed fly-by in the landing configuration and last, the landing.
Since the F-15 has a higher thrust to weight ratio than the F-14A, the Eagle performed a really impressive flight profile during which it pulled an incredible 7-g 360 degree turn.
After the F-15 had finished its display, everyone was waiting for the underpowered F-14A demonstration: the Tomcat’s TF-30 engines would have not given to the aircraft the same thrust to weigh ratio of the Eagle.
However, during the F-15’s performance, Evans and Romano burned down a great quantity of fuel and now they had only 2,500 pounds of remaining gas: while this little quantity was only sufficient to accomplish their flight demonstration, 2,500 pounds was also one eight of the Tomcat’s internal fuel capacity and thanks to this fact the Tomcat had the same thrust to weight ratio of the Eagle.
At this point the F-14 had one thing that the F-15 didn’t have: variable geometry wings that would have made the difference for the grace of the flight demonstration.
Don and Dennis pushed both throttles to full zone five afterburner (which was the maximum afterburner thrust setting for TF-30 engine) and took off to perform the same demonstration of the F-15: the sequence of the maneuvers was just like the Eagle’s one, but the Tomcat’s crew, during the knife-edge pass, decided to sweep the wings from fully swept to fully forward and then they executed a turn at the maximum Tomcat’s performance, producing a large cloud of vapor off the wings due to the shock wave.
Image credit: U.S. Navy
Then approaching the mid with the wings swept at 40 degrees, the Tomcat went into a full afterburner 360 degree 8 ½ g turn accelerated to 400 knots, very impressive to see. To end the demonstration, Evans and Romano added a touch-and-go landing: when the main landing gears came in touch with the runway they inserted full zone five afterburners and the Tomcat climbed in vertical. At this point, while they had almost ran out of fuel, they made a spectacular carrier landing approach and they fully stopped in one thousand feet of runway.
Once the show ended, the Shah literally ignored the Eagle and walked directly towards the Tomcat speaking for some minutes with the crew still sat in the cockpit of the fighter: he’d chosen the Tomcat, saving the Grumman and assuring a future to the F-14.
The thing with the F-14.....1 Aircraft, one bullet.
Correct me if I am wrong however, Doesn't the F-15 have the "perfect" record?
” the Tomcat is still in service “
Can any of them still fly?
Anytime, Baby!
Did Iran get the Phoenix missile? That thing gave a new meaning to “Reach out and touch someone!”
Iran military aviation ping.
The assumption is that (1), Iran procured replacement parts in the Black Market way back when and (2), they cannibalized many of their F-14’s to keep a lesser number operational.
The fact that they are still flying says a lot about the Sturdiness of the Airframe and the skill level of the Iranian Mechanics servicing them.
there were opinions that we should have modernized our F-14’s rather than replace them with F-18’s way back when.
We like to think that the Iranians are unable to accomplish things that we Americans have done, but it is a false assumption. There are many well Educated and talented individuals within their Population, many whom were Educated in American Universities.
But let’s remember, Pharaoh Obama said we have nothing to fear from those “small” Countries. So it is written, so it shall be done.
They did. Apparently they used them to good effect against the Iraqis during the war - ironically the only real example of the Phoenix missile being used effectively in combat.
Thanks. That was a bad missile to be on the business end of.
Here's a picture of an Israeli F-15 that lost its right wing in a collision with an A-4 during a training exercise in 1983. The pilot could not see the extent of the damage due to the stream of leaking fuel, so he flew ten miles to the nearest base and landed.
Friend of mine had an Iranian roommate in college. He said the Iranian's father was a army general. After the Shah was deposed, all of Iran's military leaders were called to meet with the Ayatollahs government. His father went got tired of waiting so he went down the hall to the restroom. From the meeting room he heard machine gun fire. He then escaped out the bathroom window, the only survivor of that meeting. The General got his family out to America.
The cavemen who took over Iran would print what looked like a yearbook. Would have a picture of a military leader taken at their graduation from a Western military course or school, taken from their files. The next page would be a picture of that person's gruesome execution. The books circulated heavily throughout the Iranian exile community. People wanted to make sure their relatives or friends weren't in the book.
Iran has recently tested a brand new air-to-air missile dubbed “Fakour”, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Fakyours !
In 1977 students at Air Command and Staff College have three mixes about 3 months long over the course of the year. The exchange officer in my first mix was Iranian. Very nice and pleasant fellow. Unfortunately he had progressed too far up the chain when the Shah fell after his return and he didn’t “escape out the bathroom window”.
Excellent post!
I witnessed this exhibition from about 100 yards away from the runway. Those things were awesome at takeoff and turns. The Shah was said to be about another 200 yards away and was thunderstruck. The whole base stopped and watched (if they were outside).
Nice back then when we had friends in the Middle East (other than Israel). I hope Jimmy Carter is proud of what he’s done.
Yes, however I have heard it said in the halls of aerospace that in terms of being a customer the Navy will always break your heart.
For the life of me I don't know why Pratt didn't do a follow on to the TF-30 or at least a FADEC upgrade.
Having the pleasure of seeing a F-14D @ Reno give an incredible flight demo w/ the GE engines, it did things no F-14 ever did before.
The proposed Upgrade beyond the F-14D never made it past the proposal phase, dang shame.
We should have sold them to the Israeli's for a $1 and let them do a continuous improvement program, they'd still be flying and kicking @$$ IMHO...
I had a former co-worker in the early 90's who's dad was someone high in the Intel and or Military and got out before it hit the shan. He noted it was an incredible country before the Ayatollah took over, much like America and for a young man a great deal of fun, then again he was probably of the privileged class.
Now one can only imagine what a cesspool the country and culture is, and our dear leader Chumpolini turned his nose to their begging for liberation and one wonders how many more were "purged". The worse part is he is Carter part Duex and his Iran will be Egypt for starters if no more countries...
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