F-14 Bombcats

[F4DPhantomII]

Which models were capable of being Bombcats? A,B or D? Thanks.

[achterkirch]

All. Just needed some mods like the lantirn target pod, gps, new pylons on Phoenix  pallets and sometimes a new screen for the RIO's station. 

[F4DPhantomII]

Thanks. Woul all squadrons using the F-14 have the capability of havving a Bombcat?

[Sarathi S.]

Yes.  That was the whole point.

[gb_madcat_sl]

12 minutes ago, F4DPhantomII said:

Thanks. Woul all squadrons using the F-14 have the capability of havving a Bombcat?

 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think all the squadrons which were not disestablished before 1998 eventually gained Tomcats with "Bombcat" capability.

 

Mark

[achterkirch]

VF-2, VF-11, VF-14, VF-31, VF-32, VF-41, VF-102, VF-103, VF-143, VF-154, VF-211 and VF-213 all had upgraded tomcats with LGB and GPS bomb capabilities.  All others may have practiced with dumb bombs or cluster bombs. I know that there are pics of VF-51 tomcats with dumb bombs.  

[F4DPhantomII]

So I could do a F-14D from VF-2 (the Bounty Hunters) as a Bombcat? Thanks.

[achterkirch]

Depending on what year, yes you could. Do you know what year you subject is?

Edited May 2, 2017 by achterkirch

[Brian P: Fightertown Decals]

Bomb racks in the fleet started in 1991/92. All squadrons, including reserves made the transition into air to ground bombing. It wasn't until 1996 when the Lantirn came out did the Tomcat get precision strike capability. Pre 1995, it was dumb bombs only. In 95, VF-41/84 carried LGBs which were targeted by F/A-18s. 96 Tomcat got Lantirn and expanded into self sufficient PGM strike. 2001 B/D started getting JDAM

[tomthegrom]

I have seen a pretty awesome photo of a late era ghostriders jet toting bombs. VF-74 also.

[F4DPhantomII]

11 hours ago, achterkirch said:

Depending on what year, yes you could. Do you know what year you subject is?

This one 

 

[achterkirch]

Yup your good to go. I believe that one was 2003. It should have every mod only one I'm not sure about is the new PTID screen that replaced the old fishbowl screen in the RIO's station. Maybe some one would happen to know around here. 

[A-10 LOADER]

16 hours ago, achterkirch said:

Yup your good to go. I believe that one was 2003. It should have every mod only one I'm not sure about is the new PTID screen that replaced the old fishbowl screen in the RIO's station. Maybe some one would happen to know around here. 

 

Well since the version is a VF-2 F-14D, it has a totally different cockpit than the late A / B models. The D has the dual video displays (screens) on the front instrument panel plus the HUD is different in the D compared to the B model. Moving to the rear cockpit, the GPS display is mounted on top of the RIO's instrument console and there were different rear cockpit layouts for the D. Early ones had the " fishbowl ", Tactical Information Display (TID), while the later D's had the PTID, which gave you three screens instead of two like in the B model. The BUNO will tell you if it's a early or late model Tomcat. Also, the D model used different seats as well.

 

Steve

[ijozic]

I thought I've read somewhere the PTID's in D's only came from decommissioned A's and B's which were upgraded for operating the LTS pods?

[achterkirch]

3 hours ago, ijozic said:

I thought I've read somewhere the PTID's in D's only came from decommissioned A's and B's which were upgraded for operating the LTS pods?

I read that too.  That's why I wasn't sure if it got the new screen or not. 

[Neeko]

By 2003, VF-2 had PTID displays in their jets. When the Deltas got their LANTIRN upgrades in 1997/98, they kept their TIDs until A and B squadrons started transitioning to Super Hornets. For example, VF-31 had LTS starting in 1997, but we didn't start getting PTID displays in the RIO cockpit until late 2001/early 2002 when VF-14 and 41 started getting rid of their jets.

 

To answer the OP, that VF-2 Delta very much could carry LGBs or dumb bombs for the timeframe that those markings signify. Just no GBU-38. Those were on VF-213 and VF-31 jets only for their last cruise with F-14 in 2005. 

[GW8345]

Just to clarify one thing, there was not "mod" required to make a Tomcat a Bombcat except for the Bombing Rails, all Tomcats were built with the air to ground weapon delivery system already installed (the system was similar to the A-7E's weapon delivery system).

 

They could carry Mk 80 series GP Bombs, GBU-10/10/16, GBU-24B/B, CBU's, Mk 62/63 Quickstrike Mines and practice bombs/flares. The Lantrin give the Tomcat the ability to designate their own targets and not have to rely on another source, GPS came around in late 99/early 2000 depending on squadron and this allowed for the carriage and release of the GBU-31 and GBU-24E/B and G/B.

 

GW