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True. It's just my mind immediately jumped to a cartoon character, and not a particularly good one in retrospect
Hey it's up too you. It certainly fits the pattern, though I would say it's a bit close to tomcat, unlike hell cat and wild-cat...

that's indeed true. the topcat saw it's birth in my love as a child for the F-14. while the design evolved along with my knowledge, I can't have this AU without it

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It must be admitted, I shared this child-hood love for the aircraft. Its a very pretty plane (though I now favour the F-15 with it's sheer scale of capability).

If you don't like the name 'Topcat', what's about 'Turbocat'. It's the name of the F-14 style jet from the 90s cartoon show 'SWAT Kats'.
Still cartoon, but at least an aircraft.

Just a sugestion.

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so, this one's done for now. what do you guys think?

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Other than the name, I love it
It really does look like the successor to the F-14. While not just looking like the F-111

Nice design!
Although I'm not sure about the nose. Looks so short.

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that was my intention, I wanted an good line of sight for ground attacks, as that is it's main role....
the size of the radar was sacrifised for that.

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update. the 'light grey' planes are for the 2019 version, the 'black' ones are for the as build version (2002)
both 'series' are still incomplete, I need to draw the F-14E and F, the UCFA-2000 phoenix and the UCFTR-2000 sleipnir.

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

One mercenary squadron operated harriers and sea harriers during the First utopian war. Because of this, the military leadership saw the great possibilities of VTOL aircraft. even before the war ended, they had bought an YAK-36, an YAK-38 and an harrier for testing duties. When the Freedom Forces were formed, The first idea was to buy the YAK-141, but the development was stopped. The JSF was out of the question, because the USA would not sell it, and it did not match the requirements of the FAF, so the only choice became an own design.

the requirements were an low supersonic (mach 1.2) aircraft that could operate both from ships and from land bases, could battle fighters, take out tanks and carry an reasonable bomb load. Of the tested planes, the harrier came the closest, but it was not fast enough. It was chosen as the base for the new aircraft.

this new aircraft, officially called VF-1, but most of the time called ‘vertfighter (1)’, looked much like an harrier from afar. The aircraft used an twin Pegasus engine, with afterburning aft nozzle. To ensure (part of) the safety when one engine failed in hover mode, the fans were linked together. So when one engine failed, 3 of the 4 nozzles kept working, while the aft 2 nozzles were close to each other and the centerline. This doesn’t helps when an engine is on fire or something like that, but it made possible to use this twin engine configuration safely.

Specifications:
Top speed: mach 1.2
Cruise speed: mach 0.8
Range: 2800 km
Combat range: 550 km
Ferry range: 3200 km

Arnament:
4 hardpoints, which can carry (for example):
- Gun pod
- Drop tank
- Unguided missile pod
- 3-pack light multirole missiles*
- Katana 0 AA missile
- Light multirole missile
*can only be equipped on the inner 2 pilons.

On paper, this aircraft is an highly capable unit that would give the FAF an power that could not be matched by many. The reality was different though: the fact is that this aircraft came years too late. It was operationally used in china in 2009 by the 66th special squadron, which got some astonishing results, but it was outclassed by air defense systems and by enemy aircraft. it’s project moved on though, and created the VF-2, which became operational in 2010. More about that one later on.

The 66th special squadron used the vertfighter 1 from 2005 till 2017. No other squadrons (apart from testing squadrons) used the aircraft, but on some special missions the aircraft was used for an short time.

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Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin