Manual

Air Station Oceana, Virginia in 1988. Sincethen, F-14A(Plus) aircraft have also beendelivered to VF-24 “Renegades,” VF-74“Bedevilers,” VF-103 “Sluggers,” VF-142“Ghostriders,” VF-143 “Pukin’ Dogs,” and VF-211 “Fighting Checkmates.” On May 1st,1991, the CNO (Chief of Naval Operations)ordered that all F-14A(Plus) models beredesignated F-14B. To avoid confusion, allF-14s in FLEET DEFENDER retain the Bdesignation even in those scenarios prior to1991.Keep in mind, even when playing thosepre-1988 Mediterranean campaigngames, you are given a more powerfulversion of the F-14 that did nothistorically exist at the time. All F-14sflown in FLEET DEFENDER areassumed to be F-14B model aircraftregardless of the scenario being played.It should be noted that the MicroProsedesign team tested a flight model usingthe original TF-30-P-412A enginesinstalled in F-14As. The result was aparticularly narrow flight envelope. Theaircraft was very unforgiving if one failedto stay within these parameters. Moreoften than not, inattentive pilots foundthemselves spinning in before everengaging the enemy. In short, it wasn’tmuch fun. For purposes of a commercialflight simulator, the F-14B with itsimproved turbofan engines, was a muchbetter choice.THE FLEET DEFENSE MISSIONBoth the F-14 and the F-111 wereoriginally thought of as mere platforms,built to facilitate the delivery of specialisedordnance. In the case of the F-111, theUSAF saw this aircraft as a strategicbomber capable of low level, high speedpenetration of enemy airspace. The F-14,successor to the Missileer concept, wasintended to be a platform for launchingAAMs at incoming bombers.The Missileer program envisioned anAn F-14 belonging to VF-33 "Starfighters", atrest.aircraft which after taking off, could orbit asignificant distance away from the carrier,for an extended period of time. From thispatrol station, the Missileer would fire itslong range missiles at any enemy aircraftventuring near. Once all its missiles weregone it would return to the carrier andanother aircraft would take its place.Despite the program’s cancellation, thisconcept of fleet defense remained. TheNavy was still in need of an aircraft ableto contend with Soviet advances in cruisemissile technology. The US Navy wasforced to consider the state of carriervulnerability 5-10 years down the road. Tomeet this future threat, any fighter chosento perform Fleet Air Defense would haveto be equipped with a powerful trackwhile-scanradar able to target multipleaircraft. The fighter would also have to bearmed with active radar missiles so that itcould have several of them in the air atone time.The mission, Fleet Air Defense, exposesboth the aircraft and crew to a veryspecial set of stressful situations. Afterlaunch, an F-14 must fly a CAP hundredsof miles away, loiter at slow speed forseveral hours, then return to make acarrier landing under all types of weatherconditions or at night. No wonder Navyflyers prefer to be known as aviatorsrather than pilots. Being a naval aviatorputs them in a class all their own.