Both the F-14 and F-15 have their origins in the same program. However, two different services chose two different aircraft to enter service with them. Since then, avgeeks, generals and the public alike have wondered which is better.
Although the F-14 was recently withdrawn from US Navy service, where it had served for almost 30 years, both the F-14 and F-15 were their service’s premier fighter jet in their day. So which is truly the superior aircraft?
F-14 vs F-15: What is a Fighter Jet?
The term “fighter jet” might seem quite straightforward. Movies like Top Gun have seen the term used widely in popular media, both in non-aviation related movies, news reports and TV shows.
Originally, the term “fighter jet” was used during WWI and later during WWII to describe an aircraft with the sole purpose of intercepting and fighting enemy aircraft.
Aircraft like the P-51 Mustang and Spitfire are some of the most famous fighter jets in the original sense of the work… except they were piston aircraft. Eventually, fighter jets replaced these piston fighters.
However, with the onset of the Cold War, the role of fighter jet became somewhat obsolete. American fighters couldn’t shoot at Soviet fighters without causing an international incident, so they had other roles…
Today, most fighter jets also fill roles as interceptors, light bombers, ground attack aircraft, fighter-bombers and night fighters. Some of these fighters serve a few of these roles, whilst others serve them all.
F-14 vs F-15: The Basics
Before we can compare the F-14 and F-15, we must first know some background about them!
F-14
In the late 1950’s, warfare had changed a lot since the days of WWII. Many of the aerial and naval tactics that had been incredibly successful then, led to thousands of causalities now, on both sides.
During the beginning of Vietnam, the Soviets had begun arming their Tu-95 bombers with long-range anti-ship missiles, which threatened American carrier groups.
The Soviets deliberately designed the missiles so that they could be shot from outside the combat range of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, then in use with the US Navy.
As such, the Navy needed a new aircraft. Grumman partnered with General Dynamics to design an aircraft that resembled the recently introduced F-111 Aardvark in service with the US Air Force.
However, the Navy found this aircraft to be insufficient for their needs. As such, the companies went their own way, designing their own individual aircraft to serve this purpose.
Eventually, the US Navy accepted Grumman’s all new design. This design, eventually called the F-14 Tomcat, first flew on December 21 1970, before entering service with the US Navy on September 22 1974.
F-15
The USAF learned a lot from Vietnam. They realized that they had to focus on making better aircraft than the Soviets could. This meant letting the Soviets release their new fighter before the Americans did.
On paper, this seemed like a good idea, and indeed, it is. However, in 1967, the Soviets revealed their MiG-25, a jet that was more advanced than anything the US or NATO forces had seen before.
This worried the USAF and US Navy, demanding new aircraft be produced that were superior to their Soviet counterparts. Both the US Navy and USAF had differing objectives, so both sent out differing specifications.
For the most part, most aircraft manufacturers sent a standard design to the Air Force and then a naval variant to the Navy. As such, within only a few weeks, many of these aircraft had been rejected outright.
However, the design from McDonnell Douglas was particularly interesting. Soon enough, the USAF had chosen the XF-15 to be the F-15, with its first flight being on July 27 1972, and entering service on January 9 1976.
F-14 vs F-15: Specs
Both the F-14 and F-15 were incredibly successful for their respective branches. As such, both Grumman and McDonnell Douglas designed several variants of the F-14 and F-15 respectively.
The most common variant of the F-14 is the F-14D, recently withdrawn from US Navy service. The most common variant of the F-15 is the F-15C, currently in service with the USAF, among others.
| Specifications | F-14D | F-15C |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 16 ft (4.9 m) | 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m) |
| Wingspan | 64 ft 1.5 in (19.545 m) | 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m) |
| Length | 62 ft 9 in (19.13 m) | 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m) |
| Crew | 2 | 1 |
| Speed | Mach 2.34 (1,544 mph, 2,485 km/h) | Mach 2.5 (2,655 km/h; 1,650 mph; 1,434 kn) |
| Combat Range | 500 nmi (580 mi, 930 km) | 1,061 nmi (1,221 mi, 1,965 km) |
| Service Ceiling | 53,000 ft (16,000 m) | 65,000 ft (20,000 m) |
| G Limits | +7.5;-2.5 | +9;-3.5 |
| Armament | M-61A1 cannon; 4x AIM-9 Sidewinder; 4x AIM-120 AMRAAMs; 8x AIM-120 AMRAAM | M-61A1 cannon; 4x AIM-9 Sidewinder; 4x AIM-120 AMRAAMs; 8x AIM-120 AMRAAM |
F-14 vs F-15: Cost
Both the F-14 and F-15 are multimillion dollar pieces of military equipment. However, price is always a factor for militaries and civilian owners. So, which aircraft is cheaper in the long run?
F-14
In 1977, Grumman listed the price of an F-14 Tomcat as $19.2 million. Today, that $19.2 million is worth a little over $81 million, however, this was for the first generation of F-14s.
Sadly, even if you are a former US Navy F-14 pilot, you cannot purchase a fully working F-14. The US military is even hesitant to sell partial F-14s to private individuals, and even museums.
This is mostly due to the fact that the only other operator of the F-14 is Iran. The US gave Iran F-14s when they were still allies, but now, this is no longer the case, and Iran needs parts in order to keep its Tomcat fleet operational.
Before it was retired from US Navy service in 2006, it was the most expensive aircraft in the US Navy fleet. Near the end, per every flight hour, it required 40-60 hours worth of maintenance to keep it airworthy!
This maintenance isn’t cheap. Despite it having been funded by taxpayer dollars, it could cost anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000 per hour of maintenance, depending on what needed to be done.
On top of all that, to operate, the F-14 was also the most expensive aircraft to operate per hour. Per hour, it costs anywhere between $35,000 and $40,000 per hour to operate (depending on the price of oil).
F-15
In 1998, Boeing (recently having merged with McDonnell Douglas) set the price for the F-15D at $29.9 million. Today, this $29.9 million is worth just under $47 million!
The most recently released variant of the F-15 is the F-15E, which Boeing sells for $80 million. However, unless you are a military organization of some sort, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to purchase them from Boeing directly.
Unlike the F-14, it is possible to buy a used F-15. However, due in part to national security, you will have to pass several tests in order to fly one, most notably, you’ll need to be an ex-military F-15 pilot.
Due to this, there are almost no privately-owned F-15s in the world. If an F-15 does come on the market, its value can be anywhere from $5 million to $20 million depending on the condition and service history.
The F-15 isn’t just cheaper than the F-14 to buy, it is also much cheaper to operate. Per hour, the F-15 costs around $27,000 to operate, including both fuel costs, salaries and maintenance.
F-14 vs F-15: Operations
Both the F-14 and F-15 are in service with militaries all around the world. Although, the former has been withdrawn from US Navy service, both aircraft served alongside one another in several conflicts in four decades.
F-14
For the majority of its service life, the F-14 Tomcat has been an interceptor. Whenever a Russian Tu-95 armed with anti-ship missiles is found on radar, the F-14 is sent up to intercept and escort it away.
The first major operation involving the F-14 was Operation Desert Storm, where carrier-based F-14s bombed several strategic Iraqi defenses. Following this, the F-14 also participated in the Afghanistan campaign, although, in reduced roles.
During the filming of Top Gun, several Navy F-14s and their crews were “borrowed” for the flight sequences. The US Navy also helped out with making the film seem more realistic from a non-aerial perspective too!
F-15
Despite being first entered into service with the USAF, they were not the first to use the F-15 in combat. Instead, that title goes to the Israelis who used F-15s as escort aircraft for their F-16s during Operation Opera.
A year later, during the First Lebanon War, Israeli F-15s were used as air superiority fighters against Lebanon’s Soviet-made Sukhois and MiGs. Here saw the F-15’s first confirmed victory against enemy aircraft.
In October 1985, during Operation Wooden Leg, Israeli F-15s were used once again. Here, Israeli F-15s were the primary aircraft deployed by Israel to bomb the Palestine Liberation Army headquarters in Tunisia.
The major US use of the F-15 was during the First Gulf War, for both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Here, American and Israeli F-15s would attack strategic Iraqi targets.
As of today, the F-15 is in service with several militaries across the worlds, all operating different variants. The largest operator is the USAF who have F-15s in operation on air bases all over the world, including in the UK and Japan.
Several more countries have F-15s on display in museums or in front of military installations. For most of these countries, they are former aircraft with their air force, however, some are captured F-15s from various militaries.
F-14 vs F-15: Opinions
As usual, many different groups of people have their own opinions on both the F-14 and the F-15. As such, I decided to ask these different groups about their opinions. I simply asked them: F-14 vs F-15: Which is better?
Pilots
As usual, I interviewed several military pilots, both Air Force and Navy, as well as those from other countries. Of these USAF and US Navy pilots, some flew either the F-14 or F-15, and others did not.
Of the USAF pilots who flew the F-15, they naturally preferred the F-15. Most other USAF pilots preferred the F-15, mostly because they had flown with them on exercise on several occasions.
Most of the US Navy pilots I talked with said they preferred the F-14, mostly because it is apart of the Navy’s heritage. A few of them had actually flown the F-14, but the majority had not.
Of the foreign pilots I interviewed, most of them were either F-15 or F-16 pilots. Most of them preferred the F-15, although did have a deep admiration for the F-14 thanks to its service record for the US Navy.
Avgeeks
As usual, I interviewed several avgeeks. Just as with my article on the F-22 and F-35, or just about any other aircraft comparison articles, most avgeeks were torn at the idea of it.
For some, the F-14 Tomcat is an air icon. The success of Top Gun has made it so that many avgeeks love the F-14, not for any specific technical reason, but simply because that film was so good!
Others preferred the F-15. Many of these people point towards the F-15’s success and service record. Compared the F-14, the F-15 is one of the best aircraft in the world!
Many of the avgeeks pointed out that the F-15 is used by several countries, in operations all over the world. On the other hand, the F-14 was used by the US Navy and is currently used by the Iranian Air Force.
Public
Normally, the general public has a very blasé approach to aircraft comparisons. For the most part, they generally couldn’t care less, and if they do, it’s usually because these aircraft are very expensive.
However, this time, the public were very staunch in their support for the F-14. Despite the fact both aircraft had been in service with the US military for decades, having scandals of their own, the F-14 was the obvious favorite.
For most people, it was down to Top Gun. The success of the movie helped millions of Americans to see it. For the first time since WWII, there was a fighter jet that the public earnestly loved, rather than just tolerated.
Comparatively, there were only a few members of the public who preferred the F-15. Most of these were either currently serving or retired US Air Force personnel, who have a special rivalry with the Tomcat-flying Navy.
Me
When I set out to write this comparison, I really hadn’t given it much thought. I do quite like Top Gun, but I also spent a lot of time watching F-15s at air shows as a kid.
But even then, I didn’t “prefer” one aircraft over the other. However, as I have written this article, I have come to form my own opinion on the aircraft, more specifically, which aircraft I prefer.
Writing this now, I have to admit that I have found myself preferring the F-14 more and more. As a kid, my favorite movie was Top Gun, mostly, this was due to the acting, but also in part due to the dogfights, involving F-14s.
I do agree with many members of the public and the avgeeks- the F-14 is iconic, regardless of whether you prefer the F-14 or F-15! However, this may just be my subconscious bringing this up as I write.
Summary
The F-15 is the taller and longer aircraft. Due in part to this, the F-15 has a much longer combat range than the F-14 does, not to mention being the faster aircraft of the two, although both are some of the fastest aircraft in service.
One of the most notable differences between the two aircraft is the number of crew required. Earlier models of the F-15 required two crew members, just as with the F-14, however, most modern F-15s only need one.
The F-15 also has higher g limits on both ends than the F-14. At then end of its US Navy service, the g limits had to be restricted in order to extend the F-14’s service life.
However, the Tomcat is the wider aircraft, with both aircraft generally being equipped with the same armament on most missions. With that being said, there are almost double the number of F-15s than there are F-14s.
As such if all F-14s and all F-15s took to the skies against one another. The F-15 would probably win simply due to sheer numbers. As they say, there is strength in numbers.
F-14 vs F-15- Which is the better aircraft? Tell me in the comments!
The article never mentioned the swing wing design of the F-14. It was a sight to see the F-14 change wing geometry in flight. Many hours involved inspecting the wing pivot fitting during initial production . It took a bridge crane to move it from first piece inspection to the Boring Mill area and back.
Initially Grumman tried forgings for major bulkheads but eventually favored traditional ” hog outs ” of the titanium billets due to ” oil can ” conditions in the final product of the forged version. Agree the movie ” Top Gun” immortalized the F-14. Witnessed the final good bye at Republic Air Field when the F-14 took off and flew , what seemed like, vertically straight up with after burners on.