One of the most astonishing tricks that a Tomcat would ever have in its bag early in the history of the pop-culture silhouette would be its ability to provide, despite being a big and long-range interceptor, the ability to make an otherwise close-in merge an issue to lighter and more purpose-built dogfighters.
The history of the creation of the F-14 is not secret defense of the fleet first, all the rest second. The jet was designed to move its radar image far away off the carrier and deliver heavyweight missiles accordingly. That does not pass the description of a knife fight and the sheer size of the Tomcat only added weight to the stereotype. However, the same engineering decisions that had assisted the aircraft accelerate, ascend and hover to intercept the target, had produced an airframe that could be reconfigured into inhumane low-speed operation when the attack failed into visual range.
The wing was the main focus of that dual personality. Adjustable geometry allowed the jet to no longer be a “one airplane” but instead a number of airplanes, depending on the need of the pilot. The wing was spread wide and provided to the Tomcat an enormous lifting surface and stability where they were most needed during close combat; high angle of attack, low speed, and quick reversals of the nose in direction. The plane swiveled behind to lose drag and store the energy to make vertical maneuvers, high-speed maneuvers, and disengagement. Automation increased that flexibility: the sweep schedule varied with the changing speed and g, and the pilot was happy to be flying the fight, not busying himself with the airframe.
The reason this worked was because there were 712 Tomcats that were built, the design proved to have the mass and fuel required to fly long distances and the amount of take off weight was approximately 74,300 lb. power was supplied by two turbofans, early TF30s and later F110s with the last one being widely considered to have been the difference that made the jet more forgivable and more dangerous when it had to turn. Theoretically, in straight-line terms the aircraft would have a top speed of the order of Mach 2.34 and a maximum altitude of 50,000+ ft, though the upper limit would rarely be rewarded in close combat. It pays off controllable lift, usable thrust and the capability to turn the nose in a little time without leaving.
Another thing that the Tomcat introduced that a lot of single-seat antagonists could not is workload separation. During a turning engagement, the pilot was able to dedicate a hundred percent of his attention to the capabilities of the plane as the Radar Intercept Officer was able to manage the sensors, radio calls, geometrical information, and sorting out the threats. When things were out of control, with several planes involved, changing aspect, and shifting priorities, that additional pair of hands and eyes would save the pilot more time to fly accurately and more chances to take advantage of a window of opportunity of a missile firing or a gun shot.
Even within the visual range, sensors were important. The reputation of the AWG-9 was based on the ability to reach and multi target tracking, although the only thing it did well on the close quarters was the context which helped the crews track the whereabouts and speed of change of the picture. That was important since the weapons of Tomcat were not only long-range devices. It might have Sidewinders and Sparrows and the internal M61A1 20mm gun and the nose authority and stability of the jet may help the short term firing solutions count.
Non-training operational application in the United States Navy also supported the argument, particularly in Iranian service. Iranian aircrew testimonies of early training, beginning with perfect mastery of aircraft handling, then of weapons handling, and the importance of learning the peculiarities of the Tomcat before attempting to wrest maximum out of it, are given. A pilot interview of Iran stated that the craft was a most lenient and stable airframe, although still admitting that the TF30 required some regimented throttle manipulation.
It is the true legacy of the Tomcat as a close-in fighter, not that it was secretly small or magically invulnerable, but that because of the way it was engineered, crews could adjust the aerodynamic priorities of the jet when they needed them, and then rely on a two-person teamwork to exploit the situation as soon as the battle became large, fast and unforgiving.
