Today, 49 years ago, which coincided with June 20, 1973, there was an incident that befell the Grumman F-14A Tomcat fighter jet.
The incident that ended in the fall of the Tomcat was somewhat unusual, because the Tomcat, which was still a new aircraft, which only flew for its maiden flight on September 22, 1970, fell under the shock of an AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air missile released from the ill-fated aircraft itself. How come?
Quoted from f-14association.com, at that time the F-14A Tomcat was being flown by Grumman Aerospace test pilots Pete Purvis and Bill “Tank” Sherman. The legendary swing-wing plane took off from Point Mugu, Southern California. The weather at that time was said to be very sunny with clear blue skies. The aircraft was then flown west towards the test area in the Pacific Missile Test Range.
One of the trials of developing tactical aircraft is the launch of weapons, both weapons in the form of air bombs and missiles. “That day, we tested a tipping point in the launch phase of the Sparrow missile. We do not test the missile's ability to destroy enemy aircraft, but only look at its performance to be safe when fired," said Purvis.
The key test point occurred at Mach 0.95 at 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) and at zero G, and it consisted of firing a Raytheon AIM-7E Sparrow missile from the furthest rear station (number 4) in the existing “tunnel”. under the F-14's fuselage between the two engines where most of the missiles and bombs are hung.
On the F-14, the Sparrow missiles are mounted on semi-submerged launchers in the tunnel with two of their eight cross wings (four front, four rear) inserted into the slots on each launcher. These triangular fins are 16 inches wide and, when the missile is attached to the launcher, attach to the underside of the fuselage.
The test point for the day was at the heart of the low-altitude transonic range where the high dynamic pressure flow field is close to the fuselage. The zero launch parameter G means the missile will not get any help from gravity as it is pushed away from the plane.
At the moment the Sparrow missile was launched, the medium-range air-to-air missile did not launch perfectly, and instead caused a fire under the fuselage. The debris (debris) from the missile then partially entered the air intake of the TF-30 jet engine on the right. As a result, within seconds, the right engine of the F-14A Tomcat began to burn, and the aircraft was no longer responsive.
In a difficult decision, Pete Purvis and Bill Sherman, finally decided to exit the plane with the ejection seat. Both were reported to be able to land safely in Pacific Waters.
A glimpse of the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile, has a firing range of 30 kilometers with a fast speed of up to Mach 2.5. The AIM-7 Sparrow relies on semi-active radar guidance and is powered by a solid propellant rocket motor.
Follow Daily Post on Google News to update information quickly. Thank you for visiting our website..!! Don't forget to share any information to help develop our website..
