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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 0204.PDF
274-275 FLIGHT International, 7 February 1976 CARRIER OPERATIONS FROM THE JOHN F. KENNEDY there is no range in the Mediterranean long enough to allow Phoenix to be launched. The 600-round gun is canted up by 3° to reduce lead angle and can be set for two firing rates, 3,000 or 6,000 rounds/min, with the latter normally being used for air- to-air work. The simplicity of F-14 air-to-ground gunnery is praised by pilots—a diamond on the HUD disappears when the target is within range and the aircraft is manoeuvred so that the pipper is placed over the objective. Practice firings are made against a towed splash target. The F-14s may later be required to augment the attack force; already fitted is a "bomb" selector which would deploy the glove vanes for additional stability during a bombing run. Tomcat pilots praise the fighter's excellent visibility, handling and manoeuvrability. Automatic wing-sweep is normally engaged throughout the flight, including take-off The "John F. Kennedy" is one of two aircraft carriers—the other being USS "Independence"—which, together with their escorts, comprise Task Force 60. At the time of the "Flight" visit the Sixth Fleet had, in addition to the "Kennedy", 36 ships in the western Mediterranean—six cruisers, nine destroyers, four frigates and amphibious forces. Carrier air wing one (CVW-I) is deployed aboard "Kennedy" (see below), other armament comprising three octuple launchers for Sea Sparrow point- defence missiles AIRCRAFT EMBARKED ON USS JOHN F. KENNEDY Type F-14 Tomcat E-2C Hawkeye S-3A Viking A-6E Intruder KA-6D A-7B Corsair EA-6B Prowler SH-3D Sea Kino C-1A Trader Squad No TVF-14 1 VF-32 VAW-125 VS-21 [ VA-34 J f VA-46 1 VA-72 VAQ-133 HS-11 ron Name Tophatters Swordsmen Torch Bearers Fighting Redtails Blue Blasters Clansmen Blue Hawks Wizards Dragon Slayers No of aircraft 12 12 4 10 f9 1, 10 10 4 8 1 - J&i J« and landing, although it may be switched out temporarily if a snappy wings-back break is required in the circuit. Turning ability is voted the F-14's main advantage over the F-4—Tomcat pilots claim that they can be on the tail of a Phantom within one and a half turns after a head-on pass. They would like more thrust, however, and would welcome the installation of manoeuvring slats. These made the F-4J a much better dogfighter than its predecessors, they claim, and the difference is said to be easily notice able to the opponent in air-combat practice. Tomcat pilots on the Kennedy rate slatted A-4s as the most difficult opponents, though they have not practised with AV-8s or F-15s. Serviceability is generally good, and once an aircraft is airborne it will keep flying. If it is allowed to stand idle, however, systems begin to drift off-line. The F-14s accumu lated more than 2,000 flying hours in the first six months of their deployment on the Kennedy and would have achieved more if extra flying days had been available. It is quite common for a crew to fly five missions in three days. Tomcats are catapult-launched in military thrust. If an engine is lost on launch the aircraft can climb away, even when fully loaded, by going into afterburner. The F-14 "kneels" nose-down on the catapult, and this has neces sitated a doubling in size of the carrier's jet-blast deflec tors. The nose undercarriage oleo is compressed by means of a control in the cockpit; when the catapult fires the oleo bottoms out after completing the last 4in or so of its stroke and then extends fully under the action of a stored- energy strut. This rotates the aircraft into the correct flying attitude as it reaches the end of the deck. The Tomcat is slow and docile on the approach—so slow, in fact, that the engines are throttled well back and take a while to pick up when asked to. A pilot's only real dilemma is the decision on what to do in the event of a single-engined bolter (failing to catch a wire). Most would probably remain in military thrust, since selection of after burner opens the nozzles and causes a momentary thrust reduction before reheat comes on. Over-enthusiastic appli cation of afterburner on one engine can produce sufficient yaw/roll coupling to cause problems. At the time of the Flight visit there had never been an F-14 single-engined bolter on the Kennedy, however, and only one engine-out landing (Which resulted from a faulty fire warning). The Kennedy's four E-2C airborne early-warning and control aircraft work closely with the Tomcats, the Hawk- eyes orbiting on station between 60 n.m. and 100 n.m. from the ship at altitudes of 15,000ft to 25,000ft. Normally a mission lasts 3x2hr (two launch/recovery cycles). The E-2C has a new radar (with increased overland ability), computer and communication equipment, better hot-day and single-engine performance compared with earlier variants, and four times the reliability. The radar can detect and track more than 200 targets automatically at distances greater than 200 n.m., supply ing altitude, range and velocity information. The five-man crew comprises pilot, co-pilot, combat-information-centre officer, air control officer and flight technician; five crews are available on the ship. The back-seat men can control more than 30 interceptions simultaneously, but would normally be assigned a smaller number of aircraft such as pairs of F-14s on combat air patrol. The equipment in the Hawkeye comprises an airborne
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