Did you know that when the F-14 stretches its wings fully forward, the fuselage slots into which the wings retracted are sealed with inflatable airbags? The airbags use bleed air from the TF30s to inflation! 2/6 #avgeeks#aviation#TopGun#Tomcat
The F-14's variable-geometry outer wings carry full-span leading-edge slats and almost full-span trailing-edge flaps. In addition, four-section spoilers augment the differential movement of the tailrons in roll control. 3/6 #avgeeks#aviation#Tomcat#USNavy
The crew boards the F-14 via a retractable ladder on the left side of the nose section. The ejection seats are (of course) Martin-Baker GRU.7As or in F-14D, the NACES Mk.14. 4/6 #avgeeks#aviation#aviationdaily#Tomcat#TopGun#USNavy
The engine inlets are two-dimensional shape-lipped retractable with sides very acutely swept back. Hinge panels, vary the airflow in the inlet, and at supersonic speeds close down the throat, diverting excess air out through a door in the top of the pancake. 5/6 #avgeeks
The F-14's large cockpit canopy is molded from a single sheet of Plexiglass (yup, single piece). The finished item is bulged to provide minimum optical distortion while allowing the crew excellent all-round visibility. 6/6 #avgeeks#aviation#aviationdaily#Tomcat#TopGun#USNavy
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How many unguided air-to-air rockets does it take to bring down an aircraft? Turns out, far more than you'd think! Let's talk about the unbelievable Battle of Palmdale in 1956. 🧵 1/4
On August 16, 1956, a USNavy F6F-5K target drone took off from NAS Point Mugu and immediately went rogue, heading straight for Los Angeles. In mad panic, the Navy called in the USAF. Two F-89D Scorpions, America's most advanced interceptor, scrambled to take it down. 2/4
Fast, and armed with 104 FFAR rockets each, the F-89s should have made quick work of the slow, WWII-era Hellcat. However, things didn't go as planned. The F-89s caught the drone over Santa Paula and fired. The rockets missed. The F-89s fired again. They missed again. Rocket after rocket streaked through the sky; not a single hit was scored. 3/4
Did you know that during the 2003 Iraq War, USAF and USN pilots feared USArmy Patriot missiles more than Iraqi SAMs? Why? During the conflict, Patriot missiles gained a notorious reputation for misidentifying friendly aircraft and shooting them down. 1/4
As the ground war intensified, Patriot missiles tragically shot down an RAF Tornado and a Navy F/A-18, killing their crews. The reason? Faulty IFF technology and system automation, which struggled to distinguish allies from enemies in the fast-paced, chaotic battlefield environment. 2/4
Tensions escalated further when a USAF F-16 fired a HARM at a Patriot battery after its radar mistakenly locked onto the jet. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident exposed the deep mistrust between Patriot operators and pilots. 3/4
A Warthog pilot sits in a "bathtub" of titanium armour, at places up to 38 mm thick and weighing 544 kg. This is proof against direct hits from 23-mm cannon. 2/10 #avgeeks#aviation#USAF#Warthog
The GAU-8/A's barrel is some 80 calibres long, resulting in a length of nearly 2.5 meters. It's one of the largest weapons of its type in the world. 3/10 #avgeeks#aviation#USAF#Warthog
On the night of Feb 5, 1991, Col. Tom Lennon, commander of #USAF's 48th FW, led a pair of F-111s on an experimental mission against dug-in units of the #Iraqi Republican Guard in the deserts north of Kuwait. 2/8 #avgeeks#aviation#DesertStorm#History
For the experiment, each F-111 was armed with a Pave Track pod and four GBU-12 500 lb LGBs. The crews were to see if LGBs could be guided accurately enough to hit targets as small as an AFV. 3/8 #avgeeks#aviation#USAF#DesertStorm#History